Defending Your Faith

Life is Short

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:55:00 +0000

It's been almost a decade since I've even thought about this blog that I began writing during a turning point in my life. But for me, words are powerful and writing helps me process and discern. So I find myself once again contemplating... well, life, but also God's call upon my life. Why am I here? What am I supposed to accomplish? How will I make a difference in this world?

Although this time of discernment has been building since Dad succumbed to kidney cancer in May of 2021, I believe that it is the passing of another classmate, Denise Sapp, that has led me once again to the keyboard.

Denise is not the first one of us to be called home, in fact, I'm pretty sure she is the sixth. Within just a few years of graduating we lost Mark Romero and then Thad Swinney. I'm not sure what year Gary Wallace passed away, but it was, again, sudden and unexpected. More recently, Billy Leeper (one of my first childhood friends) died. And with COVID, we lost Leland "Skeeter" Slate.

When I say that my class, Hugoton High's class of 1988, was close. I mean it. At least I felt that we were. I'm one of those who started Kindergarten there and graduated there, working my way through the grades and making memories with each of you along the way.

As I think about those that we've lost, each of them brings special memories to mind. Mark, such a comedic guy, once changed lanes into my pickup, causing some damage to both his blue pickup (remember?) and whichever loud pickup I was driving at the time. It wasn't all his fault. I was passing on the right. Man, I cuss people now who do that to me. We were driving through Moscow and I'm sure he didn't even see me coming up behind him. Both of us had a friend with us. Julie (Dillmon) was my shotgun passenger, as usual. We both pulled over and I looked at the damage and told him not to worry about it. It was fine. No report was filed. No damages were ever claimed. And I never explained to my parents what happened. Most of my other memories of Mark involve laughter and that ornery smile of his.

Thad and I both ended up at FHSU. I moved there in 1990 after learning a little about the harshness of the real world for a few years. When I was going through my divorce, he is the one who came and helped me move all of my and Heath's stuff. During that time, he was a shoulder to lean on. Don't get me wrong...he was dating someone and I was healing from deep hurts. It was a sweet friendship. Thad was also a very funny guy so that makes the deeper conversations that we had even more memorable. And, yes, there was usually beer involved. None of us realized that we were playing with fire when we drank too much.

In late elementary school, my parents started going to square dance lessons. My older sisters and I often participated and mom even made us dresses. Gary's parents also came to these sessions that took place in the big gathering room on the main level of the courthouse. So, from a young age, Gary and I danced. I recently saw a picture that Stacy (Coulter) posted on facebook where Kristi (Allen) and I were both dancing and my partner was Gary. There probably weren't many school dances where Gary didn't ask me to dance at least once. And I always said yes.

As a young child, my best friends were Jimmy Wortham, Billy Leeper, and Terry Rowden. They were the kids at my early birthday parties. They were my neighbors. Jimmy lived two doors down (oh, how I cried when he moved away), Terry lived behind me, and Billy lived across the street from Terry. We had a great neighborhood with the Anderson boys (Ray and Kevin) down the street and the Kossuth boys catty corner from them. The big triangle lot in front of my house was our playground, softball field, and dirt track. My mom shared with me when I was older that Billy had went home one day and told his parents that he wanted to marry me. His dad talked to him about getting a job and supporting a family...and Billy changed his mind. We were 5 years old.

Skeeter is in many of my memories, most likely due to his close proximity to my long-time crush. I remember them walking up to my house one warm summer day to jump on the trampoline - along with Kyle Borger. Leland was involved with youth group, Bible Bowl (oh, the lock-ins!) and our little group that sat in the back of the sanctuary on Sunday mornings passing notes instead of paying attention. But my sweetest memory of him is his heart-felt apology for a falling out that took place in high school.

But now, Denise. One of the girls. A mother. A grandmother. And so very sudden. I guess this one hits closer to home. Denise and Jodi (Barton) were probably my earliest girlfriends. She and I didn't stay real close as we got older and Charla (Dannels) and Janet (Metcalf) became my "Charlie's Angels" cohorts - Kris and Sabrina (respectively). But she did have many, many close friends who, I'm quite certain, could share a book-full of stories about her sense of humor, orneriness, and big heart.

Nobody saw this coming. It doesn't seem fair. But, life isn't fair. Denise's passing brings me to the realization that we are all 53 (or close to it) and not getting any younger. Have we fulfilled our purposes on this earth? Have we made our marks? Have I? Have you?

Friends, none of us knows how much time we have. We never have. But I can assure you, we have less time now than we did yesterday.

Jesus tells a parable in Luke 12:16-20 on which I find myself reflecting.

“The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.'

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’" (NIV)

The lesson that Jesus is teaching? Well, you can read it in the very next verse - Luke 12:21. "This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God."

How much time have I spent in my life eating, drinking, and being merry when I know that God has called me to do more? How much time have I taken for granted? Could tonight be the very night that my life will be demanded from me?

Of course it could be. James, the disciple who was the Rock, the Foundation of THE Church, said, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14, NIV)

Our time is short. It has always been short. If you haven't accomplished what you need to accomplish in this life, then get busy. Take risks. Quit worrying about the things that don't matter. Pour yourself into the relationships and the efforts that truly matter. Embrace each minute of each day as an opportunity to be rich toward God.

What does that mean - to be rich toward God? In the parable, Jesus is talking about material riches. Have we spent our lives in the pursuit of storing up stuff? Of chasing that false god of money that we think gives us security, happiness, and purpose? Or reaching for some other false god that we think will provide us with these things?

Friends, pursue God. Be rich toward God. I can't tell you what that means for you individually. But I think YOU know. He has created you with abilities, talents, gifts, passions, personality, and experiences that are unique to you. And He has, and is, calling you to get it accomplished... not just to sit back while you eat, drink, and be merry.

Whatever it is, get after it. Take a deep breath and look toward your future with clarity and a vision for the impact you want (need) to make on this world. Seek God's guidance and the power of the Holy Spirit for this journey. After all, you can't do it alone.

And we will all be cheering you on.

Rest in peace, Denise. We look forward to being reunited with you... in just a little while.

Living Wisely

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 02:21:00 +0000

Sermon: August 16, 2015

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

--Ephesians 5:15-20

The other day my husband got to witness quite a sight. He was driving down a dirt road and came upon 8-10 ducklings without their mother. Not wanting to hurt them, he slowed down and watched as they ran for safety. There was an embankment, and eventually most of them were just trying their hardest to get out of the road. But the one in the front kept running

Todd continued to go slowly and watched that little duck as he ran. He was just flapping his wings and running his little heart out. And pretty soon, his feet were no longer touching the ground. As Todd watched, the little duck was making his first flight. Now, he was only a few inches off the ground. If he had reached down with his foot, he could’ve touched the ground. But he was flying!

Todd continued to stay behind the little duck as he flew down the road, and when he came to his turn he was surprised to see that the little duckling also made the turn. So, Todd continued to follow the little guy as he flew close to the ground. At this point, he was far away from the other ducklings and Todd started realizing that the duck probably did not know how to land. He certainly didn’t think it would be a very pretty sight. And they came upon a little valley.

Todd could see the road ahead dipping down and he watched to see what the little bird would do. Well, the bird kept on his same route! Within a few seconds, he went from flying just inches off the ground to being about 20 feet up in the air. Finally, the bird banked to the right and Todd lost sight of him. But he could see a small body of water off in that direction with ducks in it. He hoped the little guy landed safely…and he probably did.

But for a while there, he was living in quite a tension, wasn’t he? Fear of the big vehicle that had come upon him that turned to terror as he realized that he was no longer touching the ground, and then exhilaration at being airborne!

Well, life is like that. As we experience life, we are often living within a tension. Think of the fear and pain and joy of the birth of baby. Remember the anxiety of your first days at school or a new job and the joy and fulfillment that came with new friends and experiences. We can’t avoid the tensions in life. There will be ups and downs…and sometimes they will happen at the same time.

Paul’s words to the young church in today’s scripture reading create a tension. The first segment is cautionary while the second segment is full of gratitude.

Paul admonishes us to live wisely. He says to “make the most of every opportunity” and cautions us that “the days are evil”. Have you heard the Proverb (16:27) that says “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop…?” When an opportunity to do God’s will, to offer assistance, to be kind comes before us, we need to jump in with both feet.

My mom came to visit me this week. While eating lunch one day at a restaurant in town, one of the families of this congregation was seated nearby and I was able to introduce them to my mother. As mom and I visited, I was telling her about all of the activities and responsibilities that the mother of this family takes on. I was remarking that she was so busy yet always had time for the church and always wore a smile. My mother’s response was, “If you want something done, ask someone who’s busy.”

I’ve thought about that often over the last several days. Busy people are people who make the most of every opportunity. Busy people live in tension…the stress and physical (as well as emotional) demands that are required with a new challenge but also the joy, fulfillment, satisfaction that come with completing it.

Paul cautions us to not be foolish but understand what God’s will is. This takes discernment…and it takes time. Discernment is critical because there is a whole spiritual work out there that we cannot see. And not every spirit is of God. Know that God will never lead you to do something that goes against the scriptures. It is important that you read and know God’s word so that you are not led astray.

Discernment is a process. Sometimes it comes easily, but at other times it takes years for one to discern God’s will. This is often the case with those called to ministry. I began discerning my call in 2010…although I know that God was calling me long before that. It took time for me to see how God would talk to me and lead me in the direction He wanted me to go.

Trusting in your ability to discern God’s will is scary. We don’t want to mess it up…and we certainly don’t want to take it lightly. Pray that God will lead you in the direction you need to go and that you will be able to discern how and when to accomplish that tasks that God has set before you.

Be warned. Just because God asks you to do it does not mean it will be easy. There will be challenges. There will be frustrations. There may even be danger. But if it’s God’s will, it will be important and it will be part of God’s grand plan—which we may or may not understand.

We are also cautioned by Paul to not led anything affect our ability to discern. The example he points out is drunkenness. When we are impaired, we are foolish. When we are impaired, we are not able to discern anything. In Jesus culture, wine was served at most meals. It was storable and did not need preservation. There is a difference between having a glass of wine with a meal and getting drunk.

Drunkenness leads to debauchery. The word debauchery is the translation of the Greek word “asotia” (as-o-tee’-ah). It means “what can’t be saved.” It is defined in Strong’s Concordance as “wastefulness due to excessive behavior and the dire consequences it brings.” Drunkenness is excessive. Drunkenness brings dire consequences.

And today, there are lots of choices out there for someone who wants to be impaired other than drinking to excess. Know that this is NEVER God’s will for your life. Anything that impairs your ability to think clearly should be avoided. Do not be foolish.

This is where Paul switches from caution to gratitude and creates this tension that we live in. He says to be filled with the spirit! We should speak to one another with Psalms, Hymns, and songs from the Spirit.

I’m a firm believer that the psalms were inspired by God…after all, they are included in the scriptures. I believe that our hymns are inspired by God. Charles Wesley, John Wesley’s brother, wrote many of the songs that are included in the United Methodist Hymnal. They are full of theology. And I believe that there are modern and current songwriters who are inspired by God to write songs and lyrics that align with scripture and stir our spirits.

The things that we fill our heads with are the things that stick with us…that we ponder. Sometimes I’ll go a day (or days) with a song in my head. Years ago, that song would’ve been trash without a good message. Honestly, some of the songs I used to listen to were disgusting, demeaning, and encouraged bad behavior. (Think ‘80s hair bands.)

The words that you fill your head with are the words you ponder. This week I had a beautiful song stuck in my head. It was a current praise song…beautiful and pleasing to God. I would find myself thinking about the lyrics…even singing it out loud on occasion. I kept thinking, “I need to look up this song and listen to it.” It had been a long time since I had heard it. But I was grateful for it. I’m certain that this song affected my mood and my interactions with others. I know that it affected my thoughts.

What music are you filling your head with? Are the lyrics positive? And I will take this a step further…what are you reading? What are you watching on TV? What are you giving your brain to ponder? It’s important. Way more important than I used to believe.

It makes me think of another verse that Paul wrote. This comes from his letter to the people of Philippi in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Read those things, listen to those things, watch those things…think about those things.

Finally, Paul tells us to always give thanks to our Father for everything. Live with a grateful heart. It doesn’t matter what your circumstances, you have things to be grateful for…every single day.

Right now the women’s Bible Study on Sunday nights is focused on the book “One Thousand Gifts”. It’s the story of one woman’s journey to live a life of thankfulness. It reminds us of each of the little things that we take for granted each and every day that instead we should cherish with a grateful heart…the air we breathe, the friends we see, the homes we get to clean, the community we share. Throughout your day start noticing these things. You don’t have to write them down, but give God thanks for them.

Make it a habit to live in communion with Him so that you can offer your thanks and praise throughout the day, every day. Prayer isn’t reserved for bedtime or mealtime. It can be a constant conversation.

We live in a tension…a time of great evil but also great goodness. We try to reconcile the two as Christians, but we can’t. With such a loving God, how can there be such terrible things in the world as war, hunger, and disease. It’s a tension that we must live in.

“If ANYTHING is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”

Amen.

Grace-Filled Words

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 17:29:00 +0000

Sermon: August 9, 2015

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

--Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Paul continues to talk to the young church in the passage of scripture that we just heard. In today’s message, I will specifically focus on how Paul instructs us to use our words.

He tells us to put off all falsehood and speak the truth to one another. Don’t sugarcoat the message. Don’t bend the truth to make it more appealing. We must be willing and able to speak honestly to one another about the facts. Because if the facts indicate there is a problem, we must work together to deal with it.

Now, I don’t believe that worship is the time or place to deal with specific problems within our church. We have other venues to discuss together when there are issues. We have 6 teams that meet regularly within our church. This is where the issues should be discussed and plans should be made to address them. In these team meeting we must always agree to speak to the truth in love.

We have the Seed team that meets this Wednesday at 8:00. This team focuses on financial issues. We have the Grow team that meets this Wednesday. This team focuses on Christian Education and growing all members into mature disciples. And we have the Bloom team. This team focuses on reaching out into the community.

Besides those three main teams, we also have the Trustees who make decisions on how to best take care of our facilities. We have the Staff/Pastor Parish Relations Team that facilitates discussions between the church body and the pastor or other staff members. And we have the Administrative Council which is made up of the chairs from each the other teams to bring all of the information into one meeting so that everyone is informed and aware of all of the goings on in the church.

In the Methodist Church, all church decisions should come out of these meetings. No individuals, including the pastor, should be making critical decisions alone. As a team, we discuss and debate and decide our future together…as we speak the truth in love.

It’s a system. And it’s a good system…as long as members serve on the teams, attending their team meetings, and the chairs attend the administrative council meeting. Very soon we will begin asking people to serve on these teams for the next several years. Be prayerfully considering which team is a good fit for you. You don’t have to wait for a call, let me or someone else know how you would like to serve.

Next, Paul tells us that we should not speak or act in anger. He actually summarizes Psalm 4:4 which states, “Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” You might be so angry that you are shaking…but do not speak or act on this anger. Instead, before you go to sleep but as you are lying down in a resting position at night…search your heart. Pray on it. Be silent and listen to God. Do not go to sleep still angry.

Paul tells us that there should not be unwholesome talk. That includes a whole slew of “unwholesomeness”!

Bitterness. Have you spent time with someone who is bitter about something from their past? It’s something they can’t let go of…that keeps them from trusting, that keeps them from moving forward. Sometimes this bitterness leads to passive aggressive behavior…where we wear the pretense of community but say or do things with a smile that we know hurt someone else. Bitterness has no place in the church. If something is making you bitter, pray about it, talk to me about it, talk to someone about it…but do not let that bitterness continue to fester within you.

Rage. We talked about the fact that we should not speak or act in anger…but rage is an evil cousin to anger. Paul tells us that it’s okay to be angry. After all, Jesus got angry. Remember him overturning tables when he saw the moneychangers in the temple? But rage is a different animal. It is defined as “violent, uncontrollable anger.” If we have let our anger turn into rage, we no longer have control of it…even if we don’t act on it. Rage can be an internal thing, an anger that takes over our mind and keep us from thinking logically.

Arguing. We, as the body of Christ, will not always agree. But we can disagree without being disrespectful to one another. In fact, we must. As Christians we need to be able to listen respectfully to all sides of a disagreement. Wesley gave us a tool to help us with this task, it’s called the Wesleyan quadrilateral.

On all issues, our overarching guidelines are the scriptures. But when the scriptures are unclear on an issue we are to equally consider reason, tradition, and experience. Because we reason differently and we’ve all had different experiences…we will not always agree. But we should make every effort to try and understand why people take different stances on issues, and we need to respect those differences even when our stance is different.

Slander. This is a symptom of lingering anger and bitterness. But it can also be a symptom of jealousy and pride. And sometimes I think it is just a cry for help of someone who seeks attention. It is the spreading of lies about another. But I’m going to include gossip in this category also…after all, when we hear and repeat gossip, we typically do not know if there is any truth to it or not. Slander and gossip have absolutely no place in the church…whether the topic is something or someone internal to the church or external to the church. It should not be tolerated.

And then Paul moves away from those words that we shouldn’t say and moves on to words we should use…grace-filled words.

Words of kindness. Kindness requires that focus on the positive aspects of a situation. We can be angry but still be kind. We can disagree, but still be kind. We can speak the truth, but still be kind. Kindness is a fruit of the spirit. If we are growing in God’s grace, we will notice that kindness comes more and more naturally to us.

Words of compassion. Compassion is concern for the suffering or misfortune of others. So words of compassion are words that articulate this concern. And we can be compassionate even when we can’t be empathetic. Sometimes we just don’t understand what someone is going through, we can’t relate. In those times that we don’t have empathy, we need to be sympathetic.

Often compassion leads us to action. We see someone suffering…even if we don’t understand that suffering, and we are led to do something to ease the suffering. Sometimes speaking those words of compassion are all we can offer…and enough. And sometimes there is much more we can do.

Words of forgiveness. When we refuse to forgive, we are held captive by anger and bitterness. Forgiveness is the key to free a person of bitterness. These words need to be spoken and internalized.

Is there someone that you need to forgive? Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean reconciliation. Sometimes we struggle with forgiveness because the hurt was so grievous…such as in abuse. You can forgive without inviting someone back into your life. In fact, sometimes the safest thing for you and your family is not reconciliation. But you need to forgive. You need to be set free of your prison of anger and bitterness.

And within the church, forgiveness is critical to the cohesiveness of the body. We will hurt each other occasionally. We will step on each other’s toes sometimes. We must be willing to ask for forgiveness, we must be willing to offer forgiveness, and we must be willing to accept forgiveness.

And finally, Paul tells us that we need to walk in the way of love. We need to walk in the way of God. After all, the bible tells us that God is love. How can we call ourselves Christians if we are not walking in the way of love? This is our default. When in doubt, ask yourself, “What is the loving thing to say? What is the loving thing to do?”

I want to share a video with you by a contemporary singer about this very topic.

Words have power. They have the power to build up and they have the power to tear down. What will you speak? Won’t you speak life?

Amen.

Building Up the Church

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 22:41:00 +0000

Sermon: August 2, 2015

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

--Ephesians 4:1-15

Paul tells us to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” What does he mean by this? Well, think about our callings. Some of you are teachers…you live a life valuing education, having a heart for young people, constantly learning and growing. Some of you are in the medical field…you live a life valuing health and human life and being able to empathize with those who are suffering. Some of you are in law enforcement…you live a life obeying the law and valuing justice. We live our callings in life. And just as we live into our callings in this way, we should also live into our callings as Christians.

First Paul tells us that we should be humble. This isn’t the only or the first time that we are cautioned to live life with humility in scripture. It mentioned many, many times. One of the Psalms tell us that “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” I once heard a pastor put it this way…either live humbly or God will teach you humility. It’s not a pleasant lesson to learn the hard way.

So what does it mean to be humble? It is an absence of pride…another often mentioned trait in the Bible. It’s a trait that God abhors. Yet, it is culturally acceptable, even encouraged, to live a life full of pride today. We must be careful. We must remember that our accomplishments, our finances, our gifts, our children are all gifts from God. Live humbly.

Paul tells us to be gentle. Gentleness. It’s one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It’s a special gift that we receive as Christians. It’s one of the ways we know that we are growing in grace. What does it mean to be gentle? Be careful with your words, actions, and temperament.

Be patient. This is another of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. As we continue to grow as Christians we grow in this fruit. Again, it’s a gift. When you see your patience growing, know that you are growing in God’s grace. Paul says that this patience helps us to “bear with one another in love.” Bear with one another. Empathize with each other. Suffer together. But also…tolerate each other. Sometimes it takes a situation that we must suffer together for us to empathize with one another.

Paul says that we should be bound together through the bond of peace. We need to strive to live peaceably with one another. And why is it important that we live out our Christian calling in this way…because God has also called us to unity. He reminds us that there is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.

But God doesn’t expect us to do this on our own. He gave us the apostles…those early followers of Christ to show us the way. He gave us the prophets who have declared boldly the words that God has given them since back in Old Testament times. He gives us evangelists…those who bring people to Christ through the good news of salvation. We have received the gift of the pastors…a shepherd, one who cares for his (or her) flock. And finally, He gives us the teachers…those who teach us the scriptures, the doctrine, the theology and correct our misconceptions. These are gifts from God to lead us to maturity.

And God does expect us to mature as Christians. This isn’t the only time that Paul compares young, immature Christians to infants. But in these few verses he describes perfectly how those who are young in their faith, those who have not yet immersed themselves in God’s Word, those who have not yet fully understood and accepted the Truth…are tossed back and forth by “waves”. Tossed back and forth by our own ideas and the ideas of others. Blown around by every wind of teaching…the teachings of Buddha, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, for goodness sake…Oprah!

And immature Christians are also blown around by the cunning and craftiness of scheming people…those who purposefully make up lies and seek to get others to follow them. Did you know that L. Ron Hubbard is famously quoted for stating that the easiest way to make a million dollars would be to start his own religion. Which he did. And Scientology was born.

Young Christians, those who are seeking answers and yet not mature in their faith, are vulnerable to teachings that promise answers. We must build them up. We must be one. So how can we a unified body of Christ, a unified church, that builds itself up in love?

We must be a learning, growing church. And when I say growing, I mean growing in faith, growing in grace, and growing in service. The other kind of growth, the growth of numbers, will come on its own as those on the outside see the changes in us…individually and corporately. We need to search ourselves and discover how God has made each of us individually to be part of this one body…the body of the church.

What Spiritual gifts have you been given?
What has God given you a Heart for?
What are your Abilities?
What in your Personality type?
What life Experiences have you had that could gift you to help others?
What is your SHAPE?

God expects you, as a member of his body, to use your SHAPE to serve Him. He equips us! And sometimes He doesn’t equip us until we’ve taken those first steps into our calling. Did you know that Moses was not a good speaker? Some theologians believe he may have stuttered. Yet, when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he equipped him with the voice, words, and power to do so. Did you know that Paul was a Christian persecutor? He killed Christians…for a living! And yet Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and God equipped him to lead many, many others to Jesus. In fact, Paul wrote a large portion of our New Testament…including Ephesians.

And God has equipped you also to serve in some way. “But I don’t have time,” you might think. “My life is too busy to serve God right now.” Let me guarantee you something. There may be many things that you do not have time for right now in your life, but glorifying God is not one of them. You were MADE to glorify God.

So, how can you be part of this one body of Christ? Let me give you some ideas on how you can use your SHAPE.’

You can come to worship. Christian fellowship is an important component of following Christ. We have multiple opportunities for you to worship each week—Saturday night we worship together in a casual atmosphere using contemporary music. Sunday morning at 8:00, we offer another opportunity to worship with contemporary music. Folks, it’s important that you understand that any music that glorifies God is appropriate in church. The old hymns were once contemporary songs, too, you know. They are not scripture, they are not sacred texts, but they are beautiful and often full of theology. Both kinds of music have their own beauty. Embrace them both to the glory of God.

You can come to a small group. Small groups are different than worship…and just as important. In small groups we get to know each other and share our lives in a more significant way. Small groups can have different purposes…maybe they meet to study together, maybe they meet to taken on mission projects together, maybe they create things together (such as a quilting group) for the annual Mission Festival, maybe they meet to just be accountable to one another in their Christian walk. Small groups can meet on Sunday mornings for “Sunday School” but they don’t have to meet at that time. For example, we have a women’s group that is starting this evening at 7:00. Please come!

Maybe you feel called to lead a small group. We need leaders or teams of leaders to begin to build these within our church. Study groups can often use video series to provoke thinking while a leader is just needed to get the discussion going. This is how our “Not a Fan” study will be conducted in August and September. The Great Plains conference has lots of materials that we can borrow…for free!

I know of a small group in another community that gets together to find ways to meet the needs of their community. They have fundraisers for school supplies, special equipment needed in the church, the local food pantry, or other needs that of which they become aware. That’s all they do. Meet, talk about local needs, discuss ways to help meet those needs, develop a plan, and implement it. Margaret Mead is famously quoted as stating, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

What about teaching Sunday School to young people? We need subs. In fact, Michele Boy really needs to have a second adult in the room with her in order to meet the Safe Sanctuaries requirements. Would you be that person to come and assist her? Would you be willing fill in when needed? We have the curriculum? We have the resources? We only need you.

We need Greeters…people to welcome our members and visitors into the church before worship. All it takes it the willingness to smile, shake a hand, and hand them a bulletin. We also now have Visitor Brochures to help new people understand and follow the service.

We need Liturgists. These people need to be willing to stand up give our current announcements then read the scripture for the morning. All ages are welcome. I’ll send you the verses early enough that you can read them and practice.

Do you like to bake? Each month we need a loaf of bread to use in Holy Communion. Baked goods are also wonderful to take to shut-ins and first time visitors.

Young people, are you willing to serve as an Acolyte? Are you over 13 and interested in helping in the nursery? Are you a good reader, you could be a liturgist.

Maybe you play a musical instrument! We would love to have special music numbers so that you can use your gift to praise God. Maybe you’re retired but interested in serving as a secretary one morning a week. Maybe you enjoy technology and would like to video our messages and upload them to YouTube for us. Maybe you would be willing and able to learn to run the computer and the sound. Maybe it is the time in your life where your contribution is prayer…committed, thoughtful, frequent prayer for your church and all of those who make it up.

There are so many opportunities to be actively involved in this body of Christ that we call First United Church of Syracuse.

I realize that there are those out there who don’t want the church to interfere with their lives. That’s not how it works. And just as Paul says, I am speaking this truth to you in love. Listen to Paul’s words once more:

“…speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Prayerfully consider how you can be a supporting ligament in this body…there are many different ligaments to choose from. Together we will create and sustain a mature body that grows and builds itself up in love. Amen.

The Power Within

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 14:45:00 +0000

Sermon: July 26, 2015

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

--Ephesians 3:14-21

Today’s scripture reading is a prayer. This was Paul’s prison cell at the time that the letter to the people of Ephesus was written.

First, Paul tells us that he kneels before the Father. Imagine him kneeling in there. Kneeling is a posture of submission. We have special cushions for kneeling in submission to God in prayer, yet Paul kneeled there on that stone floor.

Paul’s word choices here are intentional…he refers to God as Father and to all of the families under heaven and earth. It is important that you see our church as family. We are a family. And just as Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus (and in many other surrounding areas), we should also pray for our church…our extended family.

And in every family, there must be a certain amount of patience and understanding. We are all different and yet we must love one another, be kind to one another, confront each other when it’s necessary, and forgive each other. No family is perfect, but we are all important.

And, as I mentioned early, God is described as our Father. When we describe the Trinity we say “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”. God the Father is spirit, the Holy Spirit is spirit, and Jesus (the Son) was fully human and fully God—he is a physical being. But we need to understand that Jesus is the only member of the Trinity who had a human body. God is spirit. He is not an old white man with a long white beard…or, as many younger people may think, he is not an old black man in a white suit with the voice of Morgan Freeman. He is spirit.

So…why do we call him Father? Well, there are many who have begun to refer to God as Mother…or they alternate between both. However, I struggle with this. The Bible tells us that Jesus is God’s son. Jesus had a mother—Mary. Jesus refers to him as Father. Many references in the New Testament refer to God as the Father. So, I believe that God intends for us to see him as a Father. Dad. Daddy.

Now, for people who did not have a good father figure in their lives, sometimes this reference is difficult. But keep in mind that God is the perfect father. He has none of the faults that our human fathers have. And just as a perfect father would love his children unconditionally, God also loves us in this way.

The prayer that Paul prays focuses on strengthening the young church with the power of the Holy Spirit. He prays that God will strengthen them “with power through his Spirit in their inner being”. He prays that “Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith”. And he prays that they “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Next Paul describes the power of the Holy Spirit: He says that the Holy Spirit is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

The Holy Spirit! The same Holy Spirit that lives within us today!

We talked last week about the splitting of the veil in the temple that symbolized God’s presence leaving the confinement of the Holy of Holies. God is with us…his church. But the Holy Spirit did not make himself known to the people until after Jesus ascension.

We celebrate this momentous occasion! It is called Pentecost.

(Famous painting by Jean Restout II in the Louvre. 15 ft by 26 ft. The “Pentecost” was originally a much larger artwork. It was wider and had an arched top displaying a dove symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit. From this dove once radiated golden shafts of light that streamed down upon the apostles.)

Jesus told his followers when he was preparing to ascend into heaven that another was coming…a helper, the Holy Spirit. Here is what the book of Acts tells us about that day.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Yes, the gift of tongues is real. I don’t have it so don’t ask me to do it! Nor do I have the ability to translate tongues—but there are also those with that gift.

The point is…the Holy Spirit came to us and gives us special power. In Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth, he tells them about these special gifts.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

And Paul tells us in our scripture reading this morning that the Holy Spirit is able to do immeasurable more than all we can ask or imagine.

Yet…are we allowing the Holy Spirit to give us this power in our lives? How can we access this amazing power of the Holy Spirit…this power that is living within us.

I believe that there are four things that we can do. And I got these four things from the work of John Piper. He’s a theologian and pastor that I respect. I learn from him and many other theologians on a regular basis.

First, we need to immerse ourselves in God’s Word.

Do you realize that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he responded to each temptation with scripture? There is POWER is scripture, folks. Yet, how can we defend ourselves with scripture if we don’t know any?

The bible is, by far, the bestselling book of all time. If you think about Bibles in your home, how many can you count in your head? I don’t even know how many we have—multiple translations from multiple events and occasions. We probably have more than 20.

Yet, when was the last time you read this best seller? When was the last time that you sat down in a quiet place and immersed yourself in God’s Word? And, even if you wanted to, it is often difficult to know where to even start!

It is not a normal book. It’s a library! A book full of books. Some of them are historical records, some are poems, some are songs, and some of them are prophecy.

I recommend starting with James. There are lots of recommended lists for “how to” read the Bible. Pick one and jump in. God will guide you.

The Bible is the primary way that God talks to us. He provided us with His Word. Read the Bible with the expectation that God will talk to you personally through the words that you read.

Secondly, we need to trust God.

Believe that the Bible is the truth and that God still speaks to us today through its enduring words. Know that you can trust that the Bible was written through the authority of God and inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. The writers of the scriptures were instruments that God used to pen His words. They were tools.

The Bible was written by men but inspired by God. Read it. Meditate on it. Believe it. And trust in its truth.

Faith is critical to our lives as Christians. Just ask the many who were healed and told by Jesus, “Your faith has healed you.” “Your faith has made you well.”

The third thing we need to do is pray.

Prayer is another primary way that God talks to us. Yes, I know that we think of this as our primary way to talk to God, but we also need to take time in our prayers to just be still and listen.

And sometimes we are also called to fast. Fasting was used throughout Biblical times to speak to and hear from God. It is still a powerful tool today. In fact, John Wesley fasted every Wednesday and Friday…and he required his Pastors to do the same. It is important to know your physical limitations, talk with your doctor, and drink plenty of water when you fast.

But regardless of HOW you pray, know that God hears and answers prayer. That’s whether you pray constantly throughout the day in your mind, whether you pray aloud with your family, or whether you kneel and pray quietly. The Holy Spirit living within you makes sure that God knows your prayers before you even ask. In fact, the book of Romans tells us that the Holy Spirit knows what to pray for us even when we ourselves don’t know what to pray for.

Pray. Be intentional about it. Talk to God, your Father who loves you, and know he will answer. He won’t always answer in the way we think is best. But what do we know? Trust in his answers.

And finally, we need to be responsive to the nudging of the Holy Spirit.

If we want to take advantage of the power that we are offered through the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to do what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do. And it’s not always easy.

Have you felt the Holy Spirit urging you to visit someone, urging you to make a call, urging you to get involved in…something? All too often we ignore that prompting of the Holy Spirit because we don’t understand, or we’re scared, or we’re too proud.

When we resist the Holy Spirit, we are giving up this amazing power that God promises us.

Sometimes I think it is unintentional. I think we can get so caught up in this world that we don’t even understand when God is trying to get our attention. But I will promise you that if you read God’s Word, if you pray earnestly and often, and if you believe…God and the Holy Spirit will find how to talk to you in a way that you understand.

When I work with youth, I encourage them to look for God Sightings. They begin noticing how God works in the world around them and before long they see how He is working in their own life. I encourage you to do the same.

Let’s use some of this mighty power that is right here within us to do amazing things for God in our community and in the world.

One in Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 16:28:00 +0000

Sermon: July 19, 2015

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

--Ephesians 2:11-22

Notice the first word of our passage today. What was it? Therefore.

“Therefore” indicates that what Paul is saying next all hinges on the truth the he expressed previously. With this in mind, before we can look at today’s passage, it is important that we understand verses 1-10.

Paul has said in this circulated letter to the people of the young church in the first century that they had been dead. When they followed the ways of the world, they were dead. Dead in their sin. Dead as followers of Satan, who was at work in the world back then and is still at work in the world today. And he admits that he was once dead in sin…just as you and I were once dead in sin.

Those who are dead, Paul says, “gratify the cravings of their bodies”. They, at once time even we, chased after our own desires and our own thoughts. And in this state, we deserved death. But even in this condition, maybe the condition that some of us are still in today, God loved us.

And through His son he showed His mercy by offering us grace…forgiveness. When God rose Jesus from the dead, He also raised us up.

Understand that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not because of anything that we have done. It is a GIFT from God. We are NOT saved by our good deeds. The good deeds that we do accomplish are through God’s work in us! These are things that God prepared us for before we were even born. We were created to do them so WE can’t brag about them.

Saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Alive now rather than dead in our sin. And that’s where we pick up today. We are alive!

Therefore… Remember. Remember who you were!

As we talked about last week, Paul is talking here in his letter to an audience that is made up almost entirely of gentiles, non-Jews. He wants them to remember that not long ago they were without God. They were not included in God’s covenant with Israel—His chosen people. They were without hope.

But Christ’s sacrifice changed it all. Through the spilling of his blood, the law with all of its commands and regulations was set aside. His purpose was to make all people, one people—Jews and gentiles. His preaching was based on the concept of peace…no matter the audience. He opened the doorway so that through him, we (the gentiles) could have access to the Father.

In fact, do you realize that in the temple there was a special place for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit? It was called the Holy of Holies. Separating the Most Holy Place from the nave (The Holy Place) was a curtain. And when Jesus died, this veil split from the top to the bottom…removing the separation between God and his people.

Through this the gentiles were no long strangers, foreigners. Instead, we became citizens of God’s household. We became one with the Israelites. No longer was the temple needed! We are the church!

Jesus is the cornerstone of our foundation with the rest of this foundation being made up of the apostles and all of the prophets. We are the bricks! You and I and every other Christian out there make up the bricks in this church that is built on such a holy and reliable base. We are the temple of the Lord. We are the dwelling in which God lives through the Holy Spirit. All of us. All of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ.

You see, folks, there is just one way to salvation, and that is through the grace of God given to those who believe—the Jews who believe and the gentiles who believe. Everyone who believes. We are one!

But we often sure don’t act like it. It didn’t take long for the young church to begin having disagreements about scripture, theology, beliefs, etc. Every generation has faced cultural issues that divide us…with this generation being no different as we face the issue of homosexuality and struggle with God’s definition of sexual sin…porneou, as it is called in the New Testament. Just what does “Porneou” include?

Yet this is only the current issue. In the past we have differed to the point of “splitting” on many issues…from the selling of indulgences by some who were misguided in the Catholic Church hundreds of years ago to the practices of infant baptism, communion, the roles of the saints that died before us, the importance of speaking in tongues, the role of women in the church, etc. Take a look at the splits!

Even within Methodism itself, see how we’ve split.

Yet when we read the Bible and we read Paul’s words, we realize that he is talking to the early, young church. The church led by Peter that spread. And his words are true for all of us. The Bible is true for all of us. We just keep finding issues on which to disagree.

But, maybe instead, we need to focus on the issues in which we agree. Are there any? There certainly are. Turn in your pew bibles to page 881. You can see many creeds in this section of the UMH…but today we will focus on the Apostles’ Creed.

The Apostle’s Creed was believed to be written in the first or second century and holds the essential truths that we, and all Christians, believe to this day. Let’s read it together from your hymnal page 881.

This is an ecumenical version and includes our belief in the catholic church with the word “catholic” (with a small c) meaning “universal”. So when we read that we believe in the holy catholic church we are saying that we believe in the holy universal church…the entire body of Christ.

There will always be those that take a stand on specific issues…that take stands that lead to splits in the body of Christ. But folks, we ARE one body. Even when we disagree, we can continue to love one another and work together to build the kingdom of God. And that means across denominations as well as right here within our own doors.

We want to build a kingdom, even a local congregation, where we look out among the people and we think…what in the world do these people have in common? Jesus. Jesus is our Cornerstone. Everything we say and everything we do is based on our foundation which has the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. He’s the reason we here today and the reason that we will continue to share His gospel with the world.

Are you willing? How can we within the Syracuse First United Methodist Church be one in Christ? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

How can we, as part of the body of Christ in the city of Syracuse, be one in Christ with our neighbors who also strive to follow him albeit through different denominations? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

Open doors. Open hearts. Open minds. Let’s live these things as one in Christ. Amen.

Our Spiritual Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 00:21:00 +0000

Sermon July 12, 2015

Ephesians is a special book in our Bible.

There is some argument regarding who wrote it…although the general consensus is that it truly was written by Paul in about 60 AD. And there is some argument regarding who it was written to. In fact, our earliest and best manuscripts do not say that it was written to the church in Ephesus…but to all Saints. It is believed that maybe there was a blank there for the deliverer of the letter (possibly Tychicus) to write in the name of the current city.

You see, this was probably a circulated letter that was written, as stated in the opening, to the saints…to God’s holy people. All of them. That includes me and that includes you. So as we work our way through the highlights of the well-written masterpiece of Paul’s, keep in mind that God our father intended for you to hear these words. As we believe that all scripture is inspired by God, we also know that God is omniscient. He put you in this time and in this place so that you would be touched by the words he gave to Paul so long ago. So receive them as God’s Word given to you.

Ephesians is a broad statement of Paul’s theology. In this letter he is not addressing a problem, as he usually is, in the developing church. Instead, he is systematically laying out God’s work in this world and the appropriate response to it as His church.

Following a brief greeting, Paul praises God for his blessings on us as Christians. In the original Greek, this is all one long sentence. But in our translations it has been broken down into smaller chunks. And that is how you and I will look at it this morning…in small chunks so that we can hear, absorb, and marvel at the blessings that God has given us as his followers.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

--Ephesians 1:3-4

Paul starts by telling us about the blessing given us by the Father, God.

We have been blessed in the “heavenly realms”, in the spiritual world--a place that is beyond our senses but that is no less real than the building in which we meet today, the pew in which you sit, and the people that you currently see and touch.

This is a blessing that is difficult for us comprehend…but know that in this spiritual realm you have EVERY spiritual blessing. Understand that God chose us, me and you, before the world was even created. We were extended a grace, in our Methodist faith this is called prevenient grace, that precedes any decision to follow Christ. It existed prior to and regardless of anything that we have done.

Know that through all of this, we are holy and blameless in the sight of God.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

--Ephesians 1:5-6

We were “predestined” to be His children. Now we need to be careful when talking about predestination. Paul never states anywhere that anyone was predestined to hell so our understanding of predestination is universal. We believe that all people are given the prevenient grace that can lead to everlasting life.

But notice that our predestination is through adoption. We were NOT God’s chosen people…the Isrealites were. We, as gentiles, were “grafted in” by adoption, we were not born into the family. Paul’s letter was obviously written to an audience that would’ve been largely made up of non-Jews…like you and I. This “grafting in” came through Jesus Christ. But it was God’s will and it was to his pleasure. And through this predestination through adoption we receive God’s glorious grace…which is given freely to us.

Will you accept this blessing today?

And now Paul transitions to sharing with us the blessing that we receive through the Son…Jesus Christ.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”

--Ephesians 1:7-8

We have redemption.

Redemption is something that might have been paid for a slave or a piece of property. A ransom. We have been bought for a price…and that price was Jesus’ blood. The redemption was paid for our sins, our sins which put us into slavery in the first place. (We talked about this just last Sunday.)

Folks, this forgiveness, redemption, ransom is only possibly through the riches of God’s grace. He lavishes this grace on us.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”

--Ephesians 1:8-10

God is omniscient. He knows everything. From the very beginning before time even began, he had a plan for this world. And as we continue to work our way through time, His will is revealed to us.

Much of it is a mystery…but part of the mystery was revealed when Christ fulfilled his purposes on earth. You see, God’s plan is perfect. The events are perfect, our understanding of it is perfect, and his timing is perfect.

God promises that when the “times reach their fulfillment”, everything will be in unity under Christ. Everything under heaven and on earth. Everything physical and everything spiritual. Unity of everything. The lion and the lamb. Muslims and Christians. Blacks and whites. EVERYTHING, including spiritual forces, will be unified.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”

--Ephesians 1:11-12

Again Paul talks about the fact that we are chosen. Another terms used to describe this is “election”. We are the elect. And he mentions here that he is talking to the young church who were the first to put their hope in Christ…just as we, as Christians today, put our hope in Christ.

It is reiterated that God works out everything so that it fits into the purposes that He intends. God works out EVERYTHING for his purposes…for His will.

So we are chosen you and I so that we would praise his glory. We were meant to glorify our creator, our Father…who is all knowing and in control.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

--Ephesians 1:13-14

Now Paul shares with us the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

So prevenient grace brought us to the point where we heard the message of the gospel…we heard the message of the truth. And when we believed this truth, we were marked with a seal.

Seal’s back then were often made with melted wax. Not only did the seal indicate ownership, but it also indicated protection.

We, my friends, are marked with this seal. It is the seal of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. The Holy Spirit who is a “deposit” on our future inheritance…just a little taste of the spiritual world right here in this physical world as a promise that we are destined for spiritual immortality.

The Holy Spirit living within you and within me is our guarantee from God himself that we are His. It can’t be taken away. It is guaranteed until the time of our redemption.

Will you accept this blessing today?

Following these verses…this one long, long sentence, Paul offered a prayer of Thanksgiving. Allow me to offer such a prayer on behalf of this congregation and this body of Christ. Will you bow your head with me?

Lord God, I thank you for the First United Methodist Church of Syracuse and their faith in Jesus Christ. I ask you, Glorious Father, to give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they may know You better.

I pray that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which you have called them, the riches of Your glorious inheritance, and Your incomparably great power for all of us who believe…the same power as the mighty strength you exerted when You raised Christ from the dead and seated him at your right hand in heaven, far above the powers of this earth, where you placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Amen.

(Prayer based on Ephesian 1:15-23)

Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 16:55:00 +0000

Sermon: July 5, 2015

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

--Deuteronomy 10:12-13

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

“Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did.

--John 8:31-39

Freedom.

I rejoice in the freedom that I have as an American! This freedom has given me an independent spirit, an education, and the ability to choose such things as my mate. And I have chosen well!

My husband is Todd Tyler. Todd works for a gas pipeline company and his office is based out of Montezuma with his area extending from Ulysses to Greensburg. He is so excited that I am your new pastor and is my biggest supporter as well as the perfect partner. He enjoys cooking and hunting as well as most sports—especially the ones that his kids are participating in.

Through the years Todd and I have raised four children – Heath, Tana, Andrew, and Annie.

Heath is the oldest and currently lives in Lawrence.

He works in the field of logistics, which he learned while serving 4 years in the US Navy. This fall he plans to resume studies toward a Bachelor’s degree in business at the University of Kansas.

Tana is our second child and is with us this morning.

She is getting ready to begin her Junior year at Southwestern College in Winfield where she is active in the Discipleship Program.

This summer, Tana is working as a Youth Intern for the First United Methodist Church of Winfield. She is majoring in Psychology and would like to pursue a career in counseling. We are excited that she is considering seminary following the completion of her Bachelors’ Degree.

Next we have the twins.

Andy is the oldest by a couple of minutes.

This fall he will be a junior and has been attending Ulysses High School. He is smart and witty. His main sport is swimming, which he has been competing in since he was 10.

It is just fun to watch him glide through the water. This past fall he also took on Cross Country and is looking forward to continuing running again this year. This summer he is busy lifeguarding in Ulysses.

Finally, we have Annie.

She will also be a junior this fall and has been attending Satanta High School. Annie is also a swimmer but has jumped right into high school sports trying everything—volleyball, basketball, and softball. It has been fun to watch her experience new things.

She is brave, smart, and sassy…with a beautiful smile and big heart. We look forward to her new adventures. This summer she is lifeguarding in Satanta.

You will learn lots more about my family over the years. What a privilege it is to be the wife and mother of this crew. This momma enjoys watching high school sports, singing, and reading. I am a seminary student attending Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. Although most of my courses are online, I will go to campus once or twice a semester for on-campus classes. Right now I’m almost halfway done!

Over the last twenty years I have worked in the field of education…as a teacher, grant writer, and then as an educational consultant in the area of technology.

A few years ago I was in Philadelphia for an educational conference and I saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolutionary War. Here, an eternal flame burns in honor of those who gave their lives.

The quote on it really struck me…

Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.

It’s a quote that haunts me…because I so take this freedom for granted. I am free! Free to say what I want, go where I want, and believe what I want. I can get an education, start a new business, and own my own property. I can earn, spend, save, and give as much as I choose to. I can vote. I can protest. I can pray. All of these freedoms come in the American package…because someone was willing to die in darkness…many someones.

But folks, these kinds of freedom are not enough. In our country we still have loneliness, disease, depression, aggression, resentment, idleness, homelessness, hatred, and a fair helping of debauchery.

You see, American freedom doesn’t guarantee health, wealth, and wisdom. If just gives people the ability to make choices. And many will choose poorly. In fact, all of us at one time or another, will choose poorly. So American freedom, although unique and wonderful, is not complete freedom. Our choices result in sin…and we, no matter who we are, become slaves to this sin.

And there are many sins to which we can become slaves…lying, cheating, stealing. Or possibly an addiction whether it be to a substance (such as alcohol or drugs) or a behavior (such as pornography or gambling). All of us, at one time or another, become slaves to a sin…to a poor choice.

And that’s where Jesus comes in. Although being an American citizen allows us the freedom to make such choices, Jesus offers us a type of freedom that no country can offer. He offers us freedom from the slavery to which our sin (our own choices) has bound us. True freedom! Christian freedom!

We can let go of the guilt and the shame that hold us prisoner when we sin. We can let go of the anger and sadness that want to overpower us when our choices lead us down the wrong road. We don’t have to STAY on that road! Jesus, folks, has paid the price to make sure that we don’t! Forgiveness and FREEDOM are yours if you choose it.

“But, Gina?” you may ask. “If I am free to do anything…? If I am forgiven of all sins, does this mean that anything is permissible? I can indulge myself in sin, yet walk in freedom because Jesus has paid the price?”

Let me read you what Paul says about this very thing in his letter to the people of Galatia.

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

"If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

You see, although everything is permissible not everything is beneficial. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

And although our sinful nature tries to drive us to make those permissible, indulgent choices, the Holy Spirit (if we are Christians) fights to guide us into choices that are, instead, beneficial to ourselves and to others. And if we are growing in God’s grace, we will notice that these choices become easier and easier…and the indulgent, destructive choices become less and less appealing.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. New ones will come along. Satan will find new ways to tempt you into destructive choices. He has ways to make destruction look awfully appealing by wrapping it in seductive packaging. So you’d better know what it is that will seduce you. Is it money? Sex? Over indulgence of food or spending or drinking? Maybe it’s laziness? Or selfish ambition? Pride?

Oh, there’s something. And if that something doesn’t tempt you into a bad choice, the tempter will find another something to try to draw you into slavery to a sin.

Be strong, brothers and sisters. We have already won this battle. Jesus Christ fought it for us two thousand years ago…and when he said, “It is finished”…it was finished.

Let’s watch a short video that illustrates that freedom that we’re discussing this morning.

Go forth today in the freedom of Christ…loving your neighbor as yourself.

Quiet! Be still!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 22:29:00 +0000

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

--Mark 4:35-41

I want to take you back to that day…on that boat…with Jesus.

Can you conjure up the image of a lake in your mind? Hear the sounds of the water lapping the shoreline. Smell the fishy, earthy scents in the air.
_______________

What a long day it has been.

We started the day on the other side of this lake. Jesus has been telling all kinds of parables to explain the Kingdom of God. He’s talked about seeds and lamps. He’s talked about sand, and rock, and even mustard! Some people seemed to understand exactly what he was talking about while for others, his words went right over their heads. Even we, the disciples, would need time alone with Jesus so he could explain everything to us. Every now and then we would pull him aside and bombard him with questions. He was so patient with us as he explained.

And we were tired at the end of the day. When Jesus finally said, “Let’s go over to the other side”, we were glad to leave the crowds for some relaxation. But that’s NOT what we got…at least that’s not what MOST OF US got.

Everyone loaded up. There were others boats that followed along with us, too. We knew Jesus was tired. He settled in the back of the boat on a cushion and was soon asleep. Some of the other guys rested, too, but I was one of the rowers as we made our way to the other side.

All of a sudden, the wind picked up! We were being thrown around on the water and the waves got large enough that they broke over the boat. We were nearly swamped! Now, everyone was wide awake…well, almost everyone.

There was Jesus, still sleeping like a baby. We couldn’t believe it! Didn’t the sound of the storm scare him like it scared us? Couldn’t he hear the thunder and the crashing of the waves? Didn’t he feel the cold water splashing on him?

Irritated, we finally jostled him awake. “Don’t you even care if we drown?!” we asked him. And then “that” looked passed over his face. The look that we saw every time we disappointed him…which was more often than I would like to admit.

He stood up. And he spoke to directly to the wind and waves. He shouted, simply, “Quiet! Be still! We just stared. What in the world was he doing? But the storm listened! The wind died down, the waves settled, and it was completely calm. Completely calm.

And next, he turned to us. We were surrounding him, quiet and terrified. He looked around at each of us and asked, “Why are you afraid?” And then, “Do you still have no faith?”

That question hit us hard. We have given up our careers and our lives as we knew them to follow Jesus. And yet, when times got tough, he was exactly right—we didn’t have the faith to know that he would get us through the storm.

And after he settled back down for some more rest, we realized that Jesus was much more than just a great teacher of the scriptures. “Who is he?” we asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
_______________

And what about you? Are there times in your life when the wind is blowing and the waves are knocking you around…and yet, Jesus seems to just be sleeping.

Why is God ignoring me? Where is He? Can’t he see that I’m hurting? (Shout) “Don’t you even care if I drown?!”

You know, I think there are really three ways this can go.

I believe that through many of life’s storms Jesus is resting in the background. We must learn to deal with the storms that life throws at us. We must develop coping skills and a world view that uses those storms to make us stronger.

Let me ask you a question. In this story, had Jesus abandoned the disciples? Had he grabbed a life preserver and left them to fend for themselves? Had he? No. It was a storm. A normal storm…yes, storms are normal. So they got tossed around a little. So they got a little wet. Some of them were raised as fisherman. They had the skills to weather this storm. And Jesus was going to let them do just that.

Why? How can we know all of the reasons that Jesus, that God, allows storms to brew up in our lives? Yet, we know that He does…when all He would have to do is shout, “Quiet! Be still!” I can’t tell you that I always understand, but I can tell you that these storms where we feel alone and abandoned are not in vain.

In Paul’s letter to the people of Rome, we learn in Chapter 8 and verse 28 that all things work together for good for all of those who love God and are called according to His purposes. All things work together for good. Even the storms where we can see absolutely NO GOOD, God will use them for good in the long run. He promises!

So that’s the first way that Jesus may react to the storms in our life.

Through other life storms, I believe that Jesus is beside us fighting the wind and waves. He doesn’t shout, “Quiet! Be still!” But we feel his presence at these times. We take strength from him to battle these storms. Have you been through a storm such as this when you knew God was with you helping you through it? A classmate of mine has a young son who has battle cancer his whole life. She feels God’s presence and does not feel abandoned. She knows that Jesus’ arms are wrapped around her on most days holding her up. I can tell this from her blog that she uses to journalize their days and praise God for their blessings. Amazing.

And sometimes, I think that we’re asleep. That’s right. Sometimes I think Jesus fights battles for us that we are oblivious to. Spiritual battles… some with Satan himself…for our very souls. We don’t know what battles Jesus helps us avoid through his presence in our lives. Do you ever wonder?

Well, do you realize how many people were spared on 9/11? Have you read the stories of uncanny coincidence that saved lives? Maybe a vacation had to be cancelled so a man didn’t get to get on the plane. Maybe a woman took a cigarette break and the plane ran into her office while her elevator was making it’s way to the ground. Maybe a computer glitch made a stewardess have to fly to another city instead of riding with her normal flight crew to Los Angeles. These are not random “what if’s”, these things actually happened according to CNN in a 10-year Anniversary article that was run.

Although some people may say it was “luck” or just “coincidence”. I say no. Although timing may affect good or bad things that happen in our lives, I also believe that sometimes we are just spared…for whatever reason.

But believing this also means that sometimes I believe we are NOT spared…for whatever reason. God is sovereign. We won’t always understand, because you see…we are NOT God. We are not omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. We are not love…full of grace and mercy, justice and holiness. We simply can’t always understand. But no matter what, Jesus is always there during our storms, whether he is resting in the back, active beside us, or dominating in front of us, he is always there…if we ask him to be.

Have you asked him to be there? Do you doubt his presence in your life? Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?

Friends, trust in him. Trusting in Him doesn’t mean that things will always work out the best for YOU. It means that things will work out for good in the long run.

Remember…even the winds and the waves obey him. He is Jesus Christ our Lord, Son of the Living God. Amen.

Seeds

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 16:01:00 +0000

Sermon: Meade, June 14, 2015

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. --Mark 4:26-34

My dad is a retired farmer. For many years he scattered seeds.

Well, it wasn’t that easy. He tilled the ground, planted the seeds, fertilized them, watered them, and worried about them. I remember many early mornings going out with him to change water. That meant opening and closing the gates on the water pipe back before everyone had sprinklers. My dad used a golf club for this task.

So he tilled, and planted, and fertilized, and watered, and worried. And when those seeds had grown into plants that produced grain, he harvested them. And he celebrated those good harvests.

I understand that process and so do you. And so did those people who heard this story from Jesus’ back on that day.

But keep in mind that he precedes the story with the sentence, “This is what the Kingdom of God is like.” He makes it clear that he is about to illustrate the Kingdom of God, something very complex, through a simple story.

After all that’s all a parable is…an allegory. Parables are analogies that use simple, common, and understandable stories to explain something more complex. This is how Jesus taught…and it’s genius.

On this morning, Jesus was down by the lake. But as the crowd grew, Jesus got on a small boat out on the lake and taught from there with the crowd along the shore at the water’s edge.

Can you hear the sounds of the water lapping on the shore? Can you smell the smells of a lake as you sit near the water and listen closely to hear his words?

Jesus uses the concept of seeds several times in his parables on this day…this day that will end with Jesus calming a storm on this very lake.

You and I are scatterers of seeds. In talking about God’s kingdom, you and I as Christians are responsible for scattering those seeds.

Sometimes the process is very formal. Remember when I mentioned that my father tilled the ground. Well, sometimes we do that.

For example, a youth pastor may spend a lot of time with youth preparing their hearts for the Word of God. Maybe they do team building activities together, sing together, open up with each other about the challenges in their lives. Those young people are such fertile ground. Lots of time and effort is often put into preparing young people to hear and receive the Word of God.

But seeds may be planted intentionally or unintentionally.

Let me use the same example with the youth. That youth pastor will carefully plant seeds of God’s truth into the life of the student through his words and actions. That is intentional.

However, suppose that a youth director has spent lots of time “tilling the soil” then a student watches them cuss out a referee at a local high school basketball game or make an obscene hand gesture to someone who cut him off in traffic. These are also seeds…but seeds that we do not want to plant in such impressionable soil.

But the good seeds, well, we take care of them. Going back to my example, we nurture God’s truth in the hearts and minds of our young people. We reinforce them and work hard to make them grow.

And just as my father worried about his crops, we worry about ours. What seeds are other people planting in the minds and hearts of my child? Am I fertilizing and watering all the right seeds?

Because we know a harvest is coming.

Now, this doesn’t only apply to youth pastors and young people. As I mentioned before, you and I are scatters of seeds. What words or actions have you been scattering around? Will the seeds that you are throwing be helpful in furthering God’s kingdom?

“Well, it was just a little seed,” you may argue.

Ahhh. The Kingdom of God is just like that. A little tiny seed, even the very tiniest of seeds, can grow into a plant that is huge.

Have you ever seen a mustard seed? My daughter has a necklace with one in a magnified locket to remind her of these very verses.

There are lots of different varieties of mustard plants. But the mustard plant that Jesus refers to in here is one that grows large enough for birds to roost in its branches.

For simplicity’s sake, I’ll pick a plant that we are more familiar with…cottonwood trees. Picture a cottonwood tree seed. I would estimate them at a millimeter in diameter and 2 millimeters long…connected to fluff that allows them to travel through the air long distances.

Now, trees take years to grow, unlike the mustard seed in the story. However, the analogy can still be made. A tiny seed makes a plant so large that we use its shade, birds and other creatures make their homes in them, and their branches extend out in all directions.

When I was growing up, my father planted a Cottonless Cottonwood tree in our front yard and one in our backyard. I remember the stakes in the ground to hold them in place as they fought the southwest Kansas wind to grow big and strong.

I was surprised when the trees grew taller than me and then grew taller than the house. And I’m still surprised when I drive by my childhood home and see how tall they are today… providing shade for the entire yard.

All of that, from just one tiny little seed.

Friends, the seeds we plant work the same way. Whether we tend them or not, the seeds have the ability to grow under the right conditions.

Sometimes we don’t provide the conditions. Sometimes we plant a seed and walk away not knowing it someone else will come along to nurture it. Sometimes we plant a seed and that tender heart where we planted it turns away from us.

Don’t give up hope! This parable tells us that sometimes we do not ever know what makes a seed grow. We may not be around, we may not understand.

But God is a grand gardener. He will tend His garden and plants will grow where we may have even forgot that we even planted a seed.

And those plants will produce more seeds.

Never stop planting.

And never stop tending the seeds and sprouting plants that our great gardener puts in your life.

Father in heaven, We are thankful for the teachings of your son, Jesus, and for the fact that they were taught in a way that we can still understand them so many years later.

Lord, guide us as we scatter seeds for your kingdom. Give us the wisdom to nurture planted seeds as often as we have the opportunity.

We know that you are the great gardener and that Your kingdom will grow. And we are grateful. Amen

Abide

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 May 2015 12:23:00 +0000

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." (John 15:1-8)

Jesus spoke these words on that special night in the upper room. Picture him there with the disciples seated around him on the floor as they talk about things to come.

Jesus has washed their feet. They have enjoyed the Passover meal together. He has predicted his betrayal and Judas has already left to collect his silver and lead some soldiers and Jewish officials to his Rabbi.

Jesus knows what’s coming. He knows he has a limited amount of time now to tell these men who love him dearly the things that they need to know. And so he speaks to them. And here we see John’s words (John—self-described as “the disciple that Jesus loved”) as he tells us what happened during that time. John 14, 15, 16, and 17 are almost all red in my bible. And these words of Jesus are important. I’m quite certain that he would’ve picked his topics and words very carefully on this special night.

Jesus says, “I am the true vine.”

The disciples would’ve been familiar with vines and the fruit they produce. With most meals they probably drank wine which would keep and even get better with age.

The vine itself gives life to everything else on the plant—the branches, leaves, and fruit. Jesus is using the vine here as a metaphor for all life.

I am the vine…the TRUE vine. I provide everything that’s needed for your life.

But wait… in the same sentence he adds, “and my Father is the Vinegrower.” My Father is the gardener. My father takes care of all of us! My Father provides everything I need so that I can provide everything you need.

Have any of you tended to a fruit vine. I went with a friend of mine several years to North Carolina and we visted a vineyard. It was fascinating to see and hear about the care that was put into the vines. Take a look at different parts of the vine. A gardener sees the vine as a complex plant with many parts.

Jesus says “He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit.” You see, the gardener cuts those unfruitful branches away.

What is this fruit? It’s God’s love coming from us and it can be seen in many different ways.

“Abide in me,” Jesus tells us. And the word abide comes from the greek word μένω (men’-o). It means remain, stay, live, endure…abide. Jesus says it 8 times. Abide in me. Live in me. Stay in me. Remain in me.

But how do we “abide” in him? How do we live and remain in him. Well, first of all we need to understand that this is a gift. We GET to live connected to him. We GET to accept this gift from Jesus…even when it feels like he is far away.

God’s love (from the gardner) goes into the vine where it is given to us—the branches. And we send God’s love back out into the world as fruit. Our fruit is the love of God that we send back out into the world!

We can abide in Jesus and in God’s love by staying connected to him—praying, reading the Bible, being in fellowship with other believers, and seeking His will.

But this is not work. Know that God does all the work. “Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit.”

Let’s look again at the grape vine. Here it is full of fruit.

Here it is in the fall after the harvest season.

This passage tells us that God prunes away the branches that don’t produce fruit, but He also prunes down those that DO product fruit to make them produce MORE fruit. From this to this.

Although this isn’t much work for us, the branches… that doesn’t mean that it’s easy.

Being pruned is NOT easy and it’s not always pleasant. In fact, that “cutting away” can be downright painful.

One of my good friends often twists the phrase, “No good deed goes unnoticed.” (Which is surely true when it comes to God!) Instead, she says, “No good deed goes unpunished.” Have you ever heard that? Sometimes it feels that way. Sometimes it feels like our efforts to help someone out lead us to complications that we didn’t predict, expect, or desire. But they do help us grow.

God prunes those of us who are fruitful so that we will bear even more fruit. God prunes his branches that are giving His love to the world so that they will be effective in giving even more of His love.

Maybe He shows us how our good intentions led us to actions that hurt the receiver in the long run…so that we will know better next time. Maybe He makes us see the pain and suffering of those we don’t know how to help…so that we will see effective ways to help. Maybe He makes us walk in the shoes of people we have served or will need to serve one day so that we will be empathetic to their struggle. He prunes us. Cuts us back. But it’s all to make us more fruitful.

Abide in me.

“A branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine…and neither can you unless you abide in me.”

Without our vine, Jesus, we won’t bear any fruit. Without Jesus in our lives, we will simply be a dead branch.

Abide in me.

“Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” Do you hear that? “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” Jesus also abides in us! We are connected to the vine but the vine is also connected to us. In fact, God LIVES in us through the Holy Spirit…as Jesus would try to explain to the confused disciples a little later. “Apart from me,” he said, “you can do nothing.”

Not only can a person apart from Jesus bear no fruit, but they can do nothing. All of their efforts are for nothing. And it gets worse…

Abide in me.

“Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

Abide in me.

“If you abide in me, and MY WORDS abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Jesus says, “If my words abide in you…” Jesus’ words stay alive through us! The disciples were some of the very few who got Jesus’ words directly from his mouth while we get Jesus words through the bible. Jesus’ teachings in the Bible should be alive through our words and actions. His words should abide in us.

You see, when we ABIDE in Christ and we bear fruit for the Kingdom of God and we live as disciples for Christ, we glorify God. And that’s the whole reason we were created. In fact, there are 54 verses and passages in the Bible that indicate this is true. The Westminster Catechism (written in the 1700’s by our forefathers of the reformation) states it succinctly; “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Period.

Abide in me.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a preacher who lived during World War II. He was a great theologian who sought to end the tyranny of Hitler’s regime and spoke out with the love of Christ in support of the Jewish people and against evil. He was imprisoned…and eventually he was martyred. But generations of people have grown from the fruit of his ability to abide in Christ through his suffering. Listen to his words from his posthumous book “Letters and Papers from Prison”.

“In me there is darkness,
but with You there is light;
I am lonely, but You do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with You there is help;
I am restless, but with You there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with You there is patience;
I do not understand Your ways, but You know the way for me.”

“Lord Jesus Christ, You were poor and in distress,
a captive and forsaken as I am.
You know all man’s troubles;
You abide with me when all men fail me;
You remember and seek me;
It is Your will that I should know You And turn to You.
Lord, I hear Your call and follow;
Help me.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

It’s not always going to be easy. If it is, I think you have some questions to ask yourself. Because if you are bearing fruit, you will be pruned.

Abide in him.

Let’s pray.

Father in Heaven, we thank You that You are always faithful to us…that you abide in us, even when we pull away from You. Lord, sometimes You seem so far away. Help us to remember that You are not. You are with us..abiding in us. You grafted us into the vine so that we, like your chosen people, could bear fruit. We are grateful.

Father, help us also to rejoice in our suffering knowing that You will use all things for good. You are the vine grower. You are the gardener. You will prune as You see fit…even when we don’t understand. Give us the strength, courage, and faith to trust in You and to continue to abide in you during these challenging times in our lives. Amen.

My First Appointment - Transitions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 16 May 2015 02:42:00 +0000

I let myself think about it today.

It's something I've been purposefully NOT doing. But today it was real.

Let me explain our transition...

On June 27 we will move many of our belongings into our parsonage in Syracuse. However, we must be out of our house (so the new owners can move in) on June 1.

We looked at rentals because, you see, Todd needs to maintain a residence within 40 miles of Montezuma (where he works) and Annie wants to finish high school in Satanta. Plus, Andy will likely finish high school in Ulysses (between Syracuse and Satanta).

It was cheaper to buy something than rent.

The gracious people from whom we are buying our "new", small house let us take possession early to start preparing it for the transition. And we are going to be storing the parsonage furniture there too...for a month. So...

Today I was working on the little house. Specifically, I was removing wallpaper. Again.

I became a pro while living in our home in Salina that was completely (and professionally) wrapped in wallpaper. Every square inch. I chose a section each year, and after 7 years all of the wallpaper was finally gone.

Yet, here I was scraping and peeling.

For a few hours, I really let myself think about all of the upcoming changes. How humbling it is to reflect on my life and be reminded that I am not in control. The God of the universe will shake up my world however and whenever He sees fit for His purposes.

And I am grateful. In fact, I kind of enjoyed it as I listened to my favorite Christian artist playlist and sang along. God is with us...we are not alone in this.

Thank you, Lord, for taking me on this journey. Thank you for my husband and kids who are willing to be in transition with me even though it is scary and a little crazy. And, lastly, thank you for making it just one short wall. Amen.

My Call...Continued

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 00:18:00 +0000

It was a Tuesday night in March. I was in my office working on a tax return when a Bruce Springsteen CD caught my eye.

"I haven't listened to Bruce lately," I thought. Over the last two years I've mostly listened to KJIL and I couldn't remember the last time I pushed a disc in the slot.

I made my Bruce selection, the 1975-85 live collection, and took it upstairs to sit with my purse until the next morning.

The following morning I was up early. Our Satanta Indian boys basketball team was preparing for the State tourney. The excitement was interrupting my sleep at the time! After getting around, I sat down for some quiet time and a cup of coffee before work.

A Facebook post from December entered my mind. I had invited friends to the following: "The first five people who comment on this status with 'I'm in' will randomly receive a surprise from me at some point in 2015--anything from a book, a ticket, something homemade, a postcard, absolutely any surprise! There will be no warning and it will happen when the mood comes over me and I find something that I believe would suit you and make you happy."

One the friends who had "opted in" is also a Springsteen fan. I did a little searching for some Bruce merchandise hoping for a good deal on something autographed. Although I didn't find anything, I realized that this was the second time that this special performer had come up in my life in a short period of time.

For most people, this small coincidence wouldn't make them blink an eye. But it's different for me. Bruce, after all, has been used by God throughout my call to ministry to confirm important decisions or upcoming critical events. I was put on alert.

I shut my computer and went on to work.

At lunch I ended up with some strange plans. A couple of my youth group boys needed haircuts before the state tourney and I knew they wouldn't have time to get this done after school. I got permission to sign them out and ran them to the barber.

When we got out of the vehicle on Main Street in Garden City, guess who was being piped through the speakers on main street.

Yep. There was Bruce singing a song I have never heard on the radio before. In fact, I had to look it up. "Dust and Devils". As with much of his music, this one includes a Biblical thread. In fact, one line says, "Find the love that God wills and the faith that He commands."

I froze...pointing up.

The boys turned and looked at me.

"Bruce!" I said.

They looked at me with curiosity. "What are you talking about?"

"It's Bruce! Boys, I don't know what it is, but something important is happening today." Laughing, we went inside.

And when I got back to work, I sat with Megan and told her the story. As I told it, she had music playing on her computer quietly, as usual. On this day, it was country music. She had searched for a little known band that she enjoys on Pandora and the channel included lots of music from other little known country bands.

As we worked together, one of those bands started singing about Bruce. We both look up at each other. "What is that song? Who is the band?" I asked. Neither of us had heard of either before that moment.

Four times now.

After work I went home and completely changed my lesson for PS101 Youth Group that night. I needed to tell the kids my call story. When it was time to go, I grabbed the magazine and headed to the church. (If you know the story of my call, this makes sense. If not, that's a whole other blog.)

After sharing my story with the kids that night, I told them that I knew that day was a very important day in my life. However, I also told them that I did not yet know why. It was about 8:00 when we got back home that night.

The call came after 9:00 pm. "Gina, the United Methodist Church has an appointment for you." After talking to my UMC District Superintendent for a while, it was revealed that I was being called to the First United Methodist Church of Syracuse, Kansas.

There was no way I could say no. God had been preparing me for this call all day long.

Several days later, I would find out that Don (my Superintendent) had resigned himself to waiting until the next day to call me. It had been a long day...and it was late. He NEVER called anyone after 9:00. But he felt compelled to call that night only to hear me say on the other end, "I knew you were going to call!"

Just the weekend before, he thought he needed to call me and tell me that there would not be an appointment for me this year. In fact, he considered calling several times. When it was discerned by the Bishop and Cabinet that I should be appointed to Syracuse, he confessed to Todd and I that he was deeply humbled.

Todd, the kids, and I sat down and discussed the situation. Each one of them looked at me and said, "This is what you need to do." They are all excited...and yet scared.

How will we make this work? Where will the kids go to school? What about selling our house?

So many questions for those of us with little faith.

This past Friday, before our house ever went on the market, we agreed on a contract for its sale.

God is faithful!

We are excited for the adventure of serving Him in this way. And...we have confidence that God has all the details well under control.

Something in the Water

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 03:18:00 +0000

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:4-11)

The book of Mark begins with this story…the story of John and of Jesus’ baptism.

John, like the prophets of the Old Testament, was preaching about repentance. Repentance. Not just asking for forgiveness, but having a change of heart so that one turns from, stops, doing something. It’s an internal change that results in a change of behavior…not the other way around.

Do you know people who have tried to make changes in their lives…only to fall back into old habits and fail miserably? Behavioral change is hard…maybe impossible…without a change of heart.

It’s New Year’s resolution time again. It’s a time when people reflect on their lives and determine that they will make changes for a fresh start in the new year. And we all have changes we want or need to make. However, most of us will not be very resolute.

Although we want different outcomes, we won’t have the deep change of heart that is needed to make lasting and meaningful change. We may chase an ideal by trying to eat less and exercise more, but unless there is an internal change to be a healthy person, we will not succeed. If we have internalized (whether consciously or not) that food makes us happy, secure, and whole (or alcohol, or gambling, or drugs, or sex, or fame, or spending), our battle against our vice cannot be won.

In fact, I would argue that only God can provide that change of heart. Only God can provide the happiness, security, and wholeness that we are seeking.

For many people, that change of heart comes through a crisis.

Although I do not believe that God causes bad things to happen, I do believe that God uses those things we see as bad or evil to help shape us when they do happen. After all, we are told in the book of Romans that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Each of the vices I mentioned earlier can lead to such a crisis…not at God’s doing, but at our own. For example, overeating can lead to multiple life-threatening health problems. Drinking can lead to bad choices as well as internal physical damage. Gambling and spending can lead to deception, thievery, and bankruptcy. The list goes on and on.

Allow me to give you an example.

I have a dear friend who sought happiness through the party scene. Although he was married and had children, he was a drug user and alcohol abuser. These two vices often impaired his ability to make good decisions. And when he made a bad decision, he would turn back to drugs and alcohol for the comfort, happiness, and wholeness that he knew he needed.

He lost his wife and his children through divorce. It finally came to a head when he was in a nearly fatal accident while under the influence. But God met my friend in this crisis. God nurtured him through this crisis. And, ultimately, God changed his heart.

I’m not going to say it was easy. It wasn’t. But the change he experienced was so deep and so strong, that he was able to truly repent. And he has been blessed.

My friend remarried. His relationships with his ex-wife and his children have been repaired. Not only does he serve others through his church, but many lucky foster children also call him “Daddy”. And he praises God daily and publicly for all of these things.

This man repented with true repentance. There was a change in his heart that led to a change in his life. Lasting change.

However, not all crises that we go through are our fault. Sometimes we must deal with a crisis brought on by someone else’s bad decisions. And, sometimes, in this fallen world, bad things just happen—illness, natural disasters, accidents, etc.

But when we find ourselves coping with the devastation of a crisis, self-inflicted or otherwise, God uses the situation to lead us to repentance. He uses it to change us internally, to change our hearts.

Let me give you another example.

Recently some friends of mine lost their daughter in a car accident. Don and Renee Beesley’s daughter, Montana, was ripped from their family. It was no one’s fault. There were no drugs or alcohol involved. Montana and her family loved God, served God, were involved in their church, and spoke openly about Jesus Christ.

And yet, here they were, the father, mother, and two younger sisters, facing a crisis…the worst nightmare of any parent.

But remember that verse from earlier: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” How in the world could God use this for good?

I remember praying for Don and Renee. I remember praying that God would give them strength and help them respond in a way that would bring glory to Him. And this is exactly what they did.

They celebrated their daughter’s life and her deep faith. They praised God for the gift of her life. They thanked Him for the lessons that she taught them in 15 short years about being strong and persistent and faithful. She had introduced Christ to so many throughout her life.

I talked to Renee, Tana’s mom, last night. She shared this with me.

“She touched more lives than we ever knew, she once told us that she probably knew someone in every town from Hugoton to Wichita and we laughed at her; but after over 1,200 people came to remember her, we figured she might have been right.

"I have had young people message me that live in Wichita. One said she knew what kind of person Tana was and she wanted to get right with the Lord, so I set her up with my sister in Wichita and they went to church together. Another girl I don't know Facebook messaged me and said she went out to the cemetery and had a long talk with Tana and gave her life to the Lord.

"Just four nights ago at midnight I received a Facebook message from a high school boy who had overdosed and was so sad until he heard singing and followed and he saw Montana. He said she saved his life.

"One day we were shopping in brass buckle and Tana noticed the young man helping us was cutting himself so she talked with him about how much God loved him. He was an atheist, but she assured him God loved him and she cared about him. I went in there earlier this week and he remembered her and we visited about their conversation and I noticed his cutting scars were healed.”

Have you ever seen an alter call at a funeral? I haven’t. But these parents asked for one. The church was packed, as Renee indicated, and so many came up to give their lives to Christ during the service that those in attendance couldn’t keep count. This young lady brought more people to Christ in death than most of us will throughout our lives.

God used this crisis for repentance. He used this crisis to change hearts. I was brought to tears by the realization that even these Christ-loving, God-fearing parents were brought to repentance. Listen to Renee’s words:

“We miss Tana more than we can express, but for the first time I understand ‘God's peace that passes all understanding’ and I also understand this world is not my home. I have loved this world a little too much, but now I feel unfastened and can't wait for my whole family to be together in heaven soon. We are assured every day that Tana’s life and death were not in vane as God continues to use her even through her passing.”

This is what John preached about…change, real change. Baptism was not something new. Baptism had been around for a while and was symbolic of cleansing and a clean, new beginning. But John preached of a baptism of repentance.

And Jesus came. Jesus came…and was baptized. Was he repentant? He was sinless! Wasn’t this unnecessary and irrelevant?

No. Nothing Jesus did was unnecessary or irrelevant. According to theologians, Jesus had four necessary and relevant reasons for being baptized by his cousin, John.

First, it was a moment of decision.

Jesus was somewhere around 30 years old. Although we don’t know much at all about those young years, we do know that he was trained as a carpenter and had stayed in Nazareth…working at a normal daily job but surely knowing that He was called to more. So he waited for that sign the he knew would come that would lead him out into the world.

That sign was John. When Jesus chose to go to John, the very man who was preaching of his imminent arrival, he made his decision.

Secondly, it was a moment of identification.

By coming forward in John’s movement, Jesus identified himself with the movement. He identified himself with the need for repentance and baptism. He identified himself with the Godward movement of the people.

And this was also a moment of approval.

Jesus had left his home…everything he knew and everyone he loved. Although we know that he was fully God on earth, we must remember that he was also fully human.

If you had left your family, your job, your hometown, and were out on your own trying to do what you felt you were called to do…wouldn’t you be terrified? Can you imagine the questions he must’ve had: How will I eat? Where will I sleep? Who will love me? Will I be safe? Will my mother and siblings be okay without me there?

Jesus did not take the decision lightly. He must have felt very strongly about his decision. But even when we feel compelled, even when we feel certain, there is always that little bit of doubt and fear that eat at us.

Well, if Jesus was fighting that last little bit of doubt and fear, God put that to rest when he told him, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Listen to those words again. God spoke to Jesus…not to the crowd, not to John, not to the world. These words were spoken to Jesus…a reassurance to him. “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

And, finally, this was a moment of equipment.

It was at this time, this moment, that God equipped Jesus for his ministry—“the spirit descended on him like a dove.” Like a dove.

A dove is symbolic of gentleness throughout the Bible. This simile was intentional and specific. Although John’s ministry was a message of doom, wrath, vengeance, and a consuming fire, Jesus’ ministry would be marked by gentleness.

Yes, he would conquer, but it would be a conquest of love.

Have you missed an important moment of decision in your life? Is there a decision that you need to make that you’ve been putting off? Does God keep putting that decision in front of you?

How are you identified? What movements do you support? What causes do you fight for? What behaviors do you exhibit to show the world who you are?

Whose approval do you seek? Do you need to please your friends? Your family? Your own desires? The world? Or are you seeking approval from God?

Have you discovered how you are equipped by God? What gifts and abilities has He given you for His purposes in the world? How are you using those gifts and abilities? Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to descend on to you and guide you?

I want to revisit Montana’s life for just a moment. She had made a decision to live for Christ at a very young age. And, certainly, she identified herself as a Christ-follower. A very special sign of approval from God was seen on the day of her service. You see, just as God spoke directly to Jesus one day long ago, he also spoke directly to Tana’s family through two rainbows that were evident on the clear blue day that she was laid to rest. He had equipped her to sing, to love, to reach out to people, and to serve Him in her own unique way…and she used those gifts and abilities to do just that.

Jesus’ baptism was important. It was important for him then and it is important for us today. Baptism is a sacrament. It is a mystery. It is a miracle. If you haven’t yet been baptized, I pray that you will seek and accept this wonderful gift from a God who loves you and will continue to seek and accept you.

And for those of you who have received this gift, I pray that each of you will take time to remember your baptism today…and be thankful.

Amen.

Missed Flights and Bad Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 01:19:00 +0000

I was looking forward to, yet dreading, 10 full days at seminary. Of course, I was looking forward to the time to focus and connect with my colleagues, but I was really dreading being away from my family for so long after our recent move. Everyone was still adjusting to our new busy schedules.

In the past, I had made the drive to Wilmore, KY. But this year I was another 4.5 hours away. There seemed to be a huge difference between a 13 hour drive and an 18 hour drive. I just didn’t think I could pull it off. But I was thrilled to find a reasonably priced ticked out of Garden City. My drive would be just 45 minutes with a layover in Dallas. I could leave early Thursday morning and be in class Thursday evening.

And by early, I mean EARLY. My flight was at 6:05 am. However, with Garden City Airport being just a small regional airport, I figured I could show up an hour early and that would be plenty of time to get through security and get loaded up.

So, I set my alarm on my iPhone for 3:30 am. I missed a flight once, so I am now always paranoid that it will happen again. With that said, I didn’t sleep well that night. In fact, I laid awake for about an hour just waiting for my alarm to go off, thinking about my upcoming week.

But once the alarm sounded, I was up and around. I had packed the night before so it was just a matter of showering, dressing, and loading everything up…and hugging everyone goodbye. Even if they were still sleeping.

I was pleased that I was giving my last hug at 4:15 and was ready to walk out the door. But I looked at Annie’s clock as I hugged her and noticed that it said that the current time was 5:15. What? Hmmm….I wondered how her clock and gotten off by an hour.

I went back upstairs and looked at another clock…5:15. I looked at my iPhone….4:15. What in the world? “Todd,” I hollered, “what time is it?!”

Groggily he opened his eyes and looked at his own phone. “It’s 5:15. What did you do?!”

I hurriedly explained that my iPhone time was wrong and that I was going to try to make my flight anyway. Maybe there was a delay. Halfway to Garden City, my phone started displaying the correct time. Thank you very much.

But, of course, I saw the plane take off while I was right outside the terminal.

Shoulder’s slumped and feeling sorry for myself, I walked into the airport and explained what had happened. My comment to the guy at the ticket counter was, “I apparently was supposed to miss this flight. I rely on my phone every day and have never had that happen before.”

He scheduled me on a flight later in the day.

I drove back home. And while I was there, I realized that I would run out of my asthma medication while at Asbury. So, I took the time to call in a refill. On my way back out of town, I swung by to pick it up.

“When we run this through your insurance, it says that your policy is cancelled,” said the gal at the counter of the pharmacy. I didn’t have the time for such a message. I told her I would just fill it when I got back. I would be fine without my medication for a few days.

But on the way, I stopped at my office and caught my human resources gal. “Whitney, the pharmacy told me this morning that my insurance policy is cancelled.”

“It is,” she said. “You told me you were switching to your husband’s insurance on October 1.”

Oops. That had originally been the plan. But when we compared our policies, Todd and I had realized that it would be cheaper for my insurance to be through my employer while he and the kids were on his policy.

“Oh Whitney. Did I forget to come in and redo that paperwork?” Well, of course I had. And this day was October 3. Neither his insurance carrier nor mine had to let me back into the group. It was likely that I would have to pay full price for a separate policy or just go uninsured until January 1.

I was in tears. That was just too much for one day.

But I went on to my flight and made it to Kentucky. Within a few days, Whitney let me know that she had talked to the BCBS director and they had agreed to let me back in our group since it was discovered within only 2 days.

If I had not missed that flight, I would not have called in that refill. I would not have realized that I had no insurance until at least October 15. I most likely would be uninsured today.

Now…let me fast forward.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I participated in our first 5K. We enjoyed doing this together! Of course, our times were not impressive and we stayed together throughout the trek. But we thought this would be a good way for us to start getting back into shape together.

So, last Tuesday (11/12/13) evening when I told him I wanted to go walk the 5K route, he was not surprised. I didn’t want to mess with carrying my phone, but he convinced me to take it “just in case.” At about the 2 mile mark, a saw a semi coming down the road toward me so I decided to walk in the ditch until it got by. But I stepped either in something or on something, twisted my ankle, and ended up in a heap with my foot caught under me at an unnatural angle.

It was work just to get it out from underneath me! And I knew immediately that I had broken it.

I pulled out the cell phone and called Todd. Actually, I accidently pushed the “facetime” button. He said I looked like a crazy woman on the screen of his phone. And I FELT like a crazy woman.

“Come get me! I’ve broken my ankle!” I explained where I was while biting back the incredible pain. We went directly to the ER…and then by ambulance to the hospital in Garden City where I had surgery the following afternoon.

Wow….are we ever thankful that we have good insurance! We are so grateful that I missed that flight last month! When this hit me while lying in that hospital bed, I exclaimed it out loud. “THIS is why I missed that flight!”

The gal from Numana that helped me coordinate the food packaging event in Salina last year contacted me right away. Right before our event, she fell down her stairs and broke both of her ankles. “I know you will have a blessing come from this, Gina. I did.”

And you know what? I’m quite sure she is right. Whether this was just one of those things that happen in a fallen world that we must cope with…or whether this incident was orchestrated by God for a specific purpose, I have NO DOUBT that He will bring good from it. He’s amazing that way!

Thank God today for your missed flights and bad falls. Even when you don’t understand how they could ever result in good. Even if you never see in your lifetime, how they did result in good. Trust in the Lord and they surely will.

Romans 8:18-28 (NIV): I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Going Home

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 04:14:00 +0000

Sermon 8

July 14, 2013

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4

My grandmother met my grandfather while he was playing the accordion at dance. His blue eyes captured her…and that was that.

Eunice Mae was young and beautiful while Oscar Gustav was very talented. After hearing a song, he could play it…and play it well. They were married and soon found that they were expecting my father.

And then World War II got in the way.

Grandpa left after devising a plan with my grandmother to let her know where he was through his letters. Of course, it was a no-no to disclose such information. But grandpa would put a subtle little dot above the letters that would spell out his location. In the screening process, nobody noticed a little dot here and there. She always knew how and where he was…and that gave her comfort.

And time went by.

When my grandfather came home to meet his son for the very first time, young Oscar Gary was 3 years old.

Can you imagine the excitement on that day? The fear, the joy, the “rightness” of that moment? I look at these pictures and am so thankful that through them we are able to share in such a very special point in history.

Grandpa brought him candy. And he hugged and kissed this little boy, this stranger, his son.

Homecomings are sweet times. But they are not always easy and often, even a bit scary. Imagine my grandfather’s thoughts on that trek home:

How do I relate to a wife who has grown up so much without me?
Will I even know her anymore?
Will she love me?
Will I love this son whom I’ve never met?
Will he learn to love me?
How do I even function in the world now? What will I do?
How can I get past all of the things I saw and did during the war? Can I live with it?
How will I support myself, a wife, and a child?

I’m quite certain that mixed with the excitement of going home, Grandpa also was scared and nervous.

You know, the Israelites faced fears at the time of their homecoming. God used Moses to set them free to go to their home—a land of milk and honey—Canaan. The promised land. It sounded like a great idea…but in the middle of their journey they questioned their decision to leave slavery in Egypt. Not because it was a great life, but because it was familiar.

We are often afraid to leave what we know, aren’t we? To exchange the known for the unknown…even if it promises to be better.

The Bible gives us a great example of a homecoming in the story of the Prodigal Son. After demanding his inheritance, a young man squanders it all in a life of debauchery. At that point, he had to get a job. His job? Feeding pigs. And he longed to eat the food he fed them. I’m sure he had a lot of time to reflect on his choices. And he realized that his father’s servants were better off than he was. Yet, could he face his father after all of this and ask to be hired at servants’ wages? He decided to try.

And his father welcomed him home.

In fact, he sent for:

nice, clean clothing,
a ring to symbolize that the young man was his son and not a servant,
and a fattened calf for a grand celebration.

He greeted his boy by running to him, by throwing his arms around him, and, yes, with a kiss.

The scripture reading for today came from Jeremiah and from Psalms. This scripture is about the time of exile for the Israelites. They were taken from their home in Judah and they longed to return. In fact, God promised them that they would return when He says in a verse that you may be familiar with, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Did you notice that earlier in that scripture, he also told them to carry on even if they were not “home”. Even when things were not ideal, He expected them (and he expects us) to persevere.

“Marry," he said. “Have children. Plant crops. Prosper. And Pray!”

God was telling them the same thing that Gig Jones told me through a facebook post the other day, “Bloom where you are planted.” Yes, I think that is just exactly what God expects. And God was faithful to His promise to bring them home.

As Todd and I look back, we see why we were brought here. We see how Todd’s experience prepared him for this opportunity. We see how my experience prepared me for this opportunity. We appreciate more so many of the gifts of Southwest Kansas that we simply took for granted…the dryer climate, the beauty of the huge dark sky twinkling at night, the sunrises and sunsets over the plains, the nearness of our family, and the dearness of the land.

But we, like those freed Israelites and that prodigal son and those exiled Jews and my grandfather returning home from the war, also have fears. Will “home” be the same as we remembered it from our childhoods? Will our children be happy there? Will we be welcomed back with open arms? And even… “Is this God’s will for us? What is God’s plan for my ministry out there?”

And sometimes… “Is this crazy?! What are we doing?!”

But thankfully God has reassured us over and over that it is time to go home. In fact, the latest affirmation was this song. I hadn’t heard it for years…but it came on the radio the other morning as I waited to pick up Andy at swim practice.

God sure knows how to talk to me!

Keep in mind, Todd's new employer is none other than "Southern Star".

You know, when my grandfather came back life was not always rosy. That’s a whole other sermon! And when Moses led those Israelites off to the Promised Land, he had no idea they would be lost in the wilderness for 40 years. We don’t even know what happened later to that prodigal son, but we know that the faithful brother who had stayed around to serve his father must have struggled a bit with the return of the one who had abandoned the family to serve himself. And those exiled Jews that were allowed to return to Judah…well, some of them never went back.

The fact of the matter is, we are not guaranteed a happy ending in this life. We aren’t. Nothing here, nothing, is secure.

Todd and I aren’t moving home with the expectation of a “happily ever after”…at least not in this life. We fully anticipate that there will be ups and downs. There may even be times when we question our decision to return. But that’s okay… Because we know that “home” for us here on earth is not really our “home” at all.

Hebrews 13:14 says, “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” And we are still waiting for that enduring city today.

Remember the Gospel reading? Our home is being prepared for us in a place that we can’t imagine. In fact, our earthly home doesn’t even compare to the home that God has waiting for us. It’s exciting to think about, isn’t it?

But it is also scary.

We all have a lot of questions about that future home, don’t we? In fact, some will question their decision to go “home” and never ever make it.

Jesus said, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” And you DO know the way. The Bible is your roadmap…the Holy Spirit, well, he’s your Garmin! Thank goodness, because there are many times in our lives where we take a wrong turn. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just say…”You’re lost, you idiot! Figure it out yourself!” Instead, he says, “Recalculating.”

You see, even though you and I sometimes choose the long, hard road…as long as we believe, we will be led home. When God calls us home…to be home with Him...THAT, my friends, will be a homecoming.

And in the meantime, the Tyler family won’t be that far away. In fact, with the technology we have today many of you won’t feel like we’ve even left. So let’s enjoy this adventure that God has granted us by breathing us to life. Life goes on. We and our families should “Marry. Have children. Plant crops. Prosper. And Pray!”

And may we all “Bloom where we are planted.”

Father, I thank you for making this our home for the last 7 years. And I thank you for these people who have been our church family. I pray that you will guide them through this time of transition, and that it is a time of growth and excitement in the church as new ideas take form and new adventures begin. Be with them and strengthen them. And Father, also be with us as we start a new adventure. I pray for our future church in Satanta and all of the people in our new church family. We know you have plans for all of us, Lord. And we are grateful. Amen.

How to Spot a Christian

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 May 2013 02:18:00 +0000

Sermon 7
May 5, 2013

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. --John 14:23-29

We honor our high school seniors today. One of them is mine, so bear with me if my emotions creep into my voice.

At different milestones in your life, you become strangely aware of the passage of time. For the high school seniors, it seems like you’ve been in school forever. But for the parents, it seems that you packed up that backpack and sent them into the school by themselves for the first time just yesterday.

And this is true for other events in life also. The concept of time is difficult for us to wrap our little human minds around.

For example, many doubt that God really created the heavens and the earth in only 6 days. They point to scientific data that has led to “proof” that our world is millions of years old and started with one big bang. Yet, they fail to recognize and understand that our God, an eternal being who is not bound by time, created time.

Listen to Genesis 1:1-2:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Hmmm…any mention of time. Any indication that “time” is passing yet? Let’s look at the next couple of verses:

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Aha…now I can see time. Was the universe there BEFORE time began? Can we even grasp such a concept? I don’t have the ability to know. Neither do you. Neither do scientists.

But I do know this, we are bound by time. Once we have lived a moment, we can never go back and live that moment again. Even if we just slept through it. Once we have lived a moment, it becomes part of our history…a history that is unchangeable. Because the time that we are bound to is linear. Once we have lived a moment, there are consequences.

Think of it this way…here is a moment.

And it’s effects.

But other people also live the same moment…and their choices during that moment have effects--

effects that may affect your future moments. Like this!

Although none of us know how much time will be given to us, we do know that each moment of time that we have is a gift. So…what are we going to do with this gift?

Let me tell you something that you should know. It’s a little secret that I didn’t learn as early in my life as I would’ve liked…so I want to share it with you.

What you DO comes from who you ARE. Doing comes out of being.

This is such an important concept to understand. If your actions (your “doing”) doesn’t come from who you truly are (your “being”), eventually your “being” will betray, and destroy, your “doing”. In other words…your actions will show who you truly are. Don’t waste time developing a reputation…invest time in developing your character.

Don’t get me wrong, you will mess up. You will do things that you regret. You will hurt people. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But if your “being” is in Christ, you will recognize your mistakes, repent from them, and learn from them. However, If your being is NOT in Christ, when you do hurt others you will be angry that you got caught, blame as many other people as you can, and be sure to be much sneakier the next time.

Ground your life in the Word of God. This takes effort. Any relationship takes effort.

Each one of our graduates is planning to attend college next year. No two are going to the same place. They’ll be in all over Kansas, in Missouri, and in Georgia. In a few months, our seniors will enter into the most selfish time of their lives. It’s true.

For the first time ever, dad and mom won’t know where they are, what they are doing, and who they are with every moment of the day. For the first time ever they will be responsible to and for nobody but themselves. For the first time ever they will be free from past mistakes, past accomplishments, and past reputations in a sea of young people who are all experiencing the exact same freedom.

Who will you be? Notice—I didn’t ask “What will you be?” or “What will you do?” Who will you be? Let me warn you, there is some awfully rotten fruit that is going to look very fresh, sweet, and tasty in your new little garden.

You are going to hear and see many different world views. You are going to witness people belittle faith in God. You may even have instructors that ask you how you can base your beliefs and opinions on a book that was written thousands of years ago in a different time and place…a book of myths and fairytales...of legends and superstitions.

Did you know that one of the biggest obstacles to students maintaining their Christian faith is their inability to reconcile their faith with science? Students learn about science and hear that it is incompatible with Christianity. I brought up evolution for a reason—it’s one of the biggest factors that young people cite for abandoning their faith in God. They have more faith in the theories of man.

Science seeks to understand the world around us through exploration. Any provable “truths” that are discovered through science should not be feared. We believe in the truth. We believe that Christ IS the Truth. All truths will lead to Christ.

Did you know that there are theories that humans believed for centuries that were eventually proven false? Do you think that all of our scientific theories now are correct? That somehow we are much smarter than the humans of the past? That’s laughable!

Ever heart of Mozart? Leonardo DaVinci? Socrates? Galileo? Know anybody living now who can compare in their brilliance? C.S. Lewis calls this “chronological snobbery.”

Oh, I would never have eaten from the fruit of that tree in Eden.

I can’t believe people were stupid enough to think the world was flat?

I would not have fallen for the idea that the earth was the center of the universe.

Never, would I have EVER, worn my hair like THAT!

We think we are so much smarter than those who came before us. You just wait until your kids and grandkids laugh at your clothes, music, language, and yes…hairstyles, in a few short decades.

But God’s Word always remains true. That doesn’t mean we quit seeking answers, that we quit exploring, that we discontinue the development of theories. It just means that we need to keep things in perspective.

So how do you spot a Christian?

Well…our culture tells us that they look like this.

Those of you in my generation will remember this.

And there are others who believe that they look like this.

There are some big name popular preachers who will tell you they look like this.

But I will tell you that you cannot spot a Christian in a picture because in any given moment of time any person in the world could be doing something that we value as Christians. A Christian isn’t defined in a moment…but in a lifetime of ripples.

You cannot just do; you must be.

You cannot just do things that we view as Christ-like without knowing Christ…without being a Christian and expect to maintain it.

So every day, every single day, get to know Christ a little better. Read about him. Talk to him. Talk about him with others. Think about him. Worship him. BE in him. And if you do, He will also be in you.

Let’s go back to our gospel reading for today, I want to re-read for you a few of the verses. “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Did you hear that? You will never have to be alone. Through the Holy Spirit, our Father God and his Son Jesus will make their home with you. The Holy Spirit will teach you and will remind you…granted, sometimes when you least want to be taught or reminded.

It’s not always going to be fun. It’s not always going to be easy. You are not guaranteed health and wealth and happiness in this life. But you are guaranteed that God will use every experience you go through for His good…for His purposes.

So, although life is getting ready to change, although you are about to embark on a grand adventure, although your family and friends may not always be with you, your Father in heaven always will be.

Remain in Him and show the world what a Christian looks like.

Father, we realizing that doing is so much easier than being. We can hide who we ARE by what we DO from others, but we can’t hide it from you. Nor can we maintain that charade for long. Work in our lives, Lord, to guide us in our efforts to remain in you so that our actions will just flow naturally from our being…our being that is defined in You. We ask for your blessing on our graduates, Father. Guide their steps, guide their minds, and guide their hearts as they prepare for this new freedom that they will experience soon…a freedom they many never experience again in their lives once work, spouses, and/or children come along. It is a special, special time for them…and we pray that they will remain in You. Give them that longing, Lord. Give them that courage. Amen.

A New Commandment

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 May 2013 22:24:00 +0000

Sermon 6

April 28, 2013

When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:31-35)

Love one another.

In Leviticus when God gives his commands to the people through Moses, he says, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

It’s repeated by Paul in his letters to the Romans and Galatians where he says that this command sums up all the others.

It’s repeated by James—thought to be the brother of Jesus but certainly the leader of the Church in Jerusalem. He says that it’s the “Royal” law—Love your neighbor as yourself.

You may remember that in the book of Matthew, a story is recounted where the Sadducees and Pharisees tried to test Jesus with a trick question—“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” To which Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’“ He goes on to say, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love one another.

Said in the Old Testament and now said again in this new commandment. So is this a new commandment? Hmmm…

How is this a NEW command when the Israelites were told to love one another thousands of years prior. Let’s look at this more closely. In Leviticus...and in John.

Maybe this IS a new command.

Jesus’ love for us and our love for ourselves are not equal. In fact, I don’t know about you all, but sometimes I don’t love myself very much…and certainly don’t always treat myself with love. It seems to me that Jesus is telling us that our love for ourselves and for our neighbor has fallen short so he has modeled for us a new kind of love. His love. Our love falters…but his never does.

You may not have noticed this about the gospel reading, but the first few words were “When he was gone, Jesus said….” When I read that, did you wonder…when WHO was gone? Well, let me tell you who. Judas. You see, this scripture reading comes from the upper room on the night of Jesus’ arrest – a night when Jesus models just exactly what it looks like to love others as He loves us.

On this evening, Jesus got up during the meal, removed his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist,
filled a basin with water, washed each of the disciples’ feet, and dried them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Twelve men…twenty-four filthy, callused, crusty feet. Jesus set an example. Not only are we called to love one another, but we are called to do so with humility…with the attitude of a servant.

Did Jesus know at this point that Judas would betray him? Yes, the bible makes it clear that he did know. In fact, he indicated that the disciples had not ALL been made clean by the washing of their feet. If we were to list Jesus’ enemies, I am fairly confident that Judas would make the list. Judas…the “treasurer” of the disciples who stole from the common purse. Judas…the betrayer. Yet, Jesus did wash his feet. In fact, Jesus loved Judas. He loved all of his disciples.

Imagine yourself in Jesus’ shoes. You are surrounded by your dearest friends and companions…the people that you trust the most in the world. Yet, you know that one of them will trade your life for about 4 months worth of pay.

How would that last dinner together with your friends have gone down? Would you have verbally attacked him and tried to turn the others against him? Would you have physically restrained him so that he couldn’t carry out his plan? Would you have punched him in the face? But you know what Jesus did. He loved him. He allowed him to betray him with a ….kiss. Would you let your enemy kiss you?

He washed his feet, gave him the opportunity to leave without a scene, and allowed him the freedom to act on his own free will. In the other gospels we are told that he warned him, “Woe to the man who betrays me.” Yet, he didn’t prevent him from doing so.

Oh…free will. That is one of the beautiful things about this country. Our freedoms allow us to exercise our free will whereas in many countries, people lack this freedom. Free will/freedom is a blessing and a curse. Some use it responsibly and with respect toward God and others as it was intended. While others use it against God and others.

We can’t change that…that’s freedom! And people have been abusing freedom/free will since time began. “Woe to those who betray our God.”

But did Jesus have the power to keep Judas from betraying him? Well, of course. Does Jesus have the power to stop evil now? Certainly! Yet, just as he modeled at that table back then…he allows people to live out their free will now. And he loves them.

Could you do this? If your enemies were outside these doors, could you refrain from verbally attacking them? Refrain from physically attacking them? Could you serve them? That’s what Jesus calls us to do. That’s what Jesus modeled for us to do. But, again I say, woe to those who betray our God.

Friends, Jesus’ heart was heavy that Judas, his friend, was following the voice of Satan rather than the voice of the Father. We live in the middle of a battlefield, a battlefield that we cannot even see, but one in which spiritual forces are fighting daily for our very souls. John tells us when talking about Judas that “Satan entered into him.” Well, folks, Satan still “enters in” to people now. There are people in this world who have been hijacked by evil.

What should our response be to those people who spew hate? Sorrow. Compassion. Love. Their souls are compromised and they don’t even realize it. “Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Earlier you saw a preview for next week’s Lifetree Café’. You may remember a few years back when a man entered a one-room Amish school house and murdered 10 young girls before killing himself. But, you know what, those people of faith…those Christ-followers, didn’t react according to the culture of this world. They responded in love…with forgiveness. One of the fathers said of the killer, “He had a mother and a wife and a soul and now he’s standing before a just God.” You see, the Amish understood that this man had been led astray by evil. They surrounded his family with love…and they knew “woe be to this man who betrayed God.”

But how can we do this? It must take superhuman strength! Well the Amish affected by this tragedy would be the first to admit that the love they have exhibited was not their own, but the love of Christ.

If we read a little deeper into the book of John (Chapter 15) Jesus is continues this speech, the longest speech that is recorded in the bible of Jesus speaking to his disciples. And he uses a parable…an illustration that we could understand thousands of years later as we continue to study his words.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Who is God in this parable? Why, He’s the gardener! Jesus goes on to say, “As the father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (John 15:9)

But how do we “remain” in his love?? In the next verse he tell us,“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love…” (John 15:10) But what command is Jesus talking about? “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) Repeated in John 15 just as the command was given in John 13.

We must stay connected to that vine. It’s our life source…our love source! But how do we do that? How do we stay connected to that vine…to Jesus Christ.

Through spiritual disciplines. Prayer, fasting, meditation, study, and worship. Things we are told to do throughout the bible. Timeless disciplines that God has given us to help us stay connected to him.

Is this kind of love risky? Yes. And it was for Jesus also. Just as Jesus’ love ended in a sacrifice for all, our love also entails risk. Will we be criticized? Avoided? Mocked? Most certainly. Will we be killed? I pray against such horrible persecution. But, you know what, in countries where there is the threat of death, they don’t pray for the persecution to end. In fact, they feel that this persecution forces them to make a REAL decision about their faith. Only a true believer would face death rather than deny Christ.

C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite theologians and the writer of the Narnia series, said this: “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”

If you know that faith in God and a risen Christ means you could suffer and die, you aren’t going to make this decision lightly. You are either going to be all in—HOT, or all out—COLD. The book of Revelations, God says through Paul’s vision, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

I worry that the church in America is becoming the church of the lukewarm. I’ll praise God when it’s convenient and revel in my sin when it is not. I’ll follow Christ when his teachings agree with my convictions and I’ll disregard him when they don’t. But Jesus was certainly not cold. His life, his LOVE, was fully given for God’s will. Fully given. The very next verse in John 15 says this…“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) He laid down his life! For you, for me, and for them.

We have been called to love one another—not simply as we love ourselves, but according to Christ’s new commandment. We are called to love one another as Christ has loved us.

With humility as a servant.
Even when we perceive others as enemies.
And to the extent that we are willing to lay down our lives for one another.

Lord, we thank you for your love. We thank you for the gift of free will. Father, we confess that we sometimes find it difficult to love others and even ourselves. We confess that sometimes we abuse our free will and use it to hurt others. Lord, give us your love to pass on to our brothers and sisters. Give us empathy for others and an awareness of the spiritual war that is going on around us. Give us the courage to confess and ask for forgiveness when we abuse our free will and hurt those around us. Surround us with your love. Amen.

The Transfiguration of Christ: Listen to Him!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:20:00 +0000

Sermon 5
February 10, 2013

Lisa was 15 years old, dark-haired, and 6 foot tall when I met her…and she was already a beauty (#32). It was my first teaching job and, of course, it came with a coaching position. Volleyball. I was so excited for this new challenge but also scared to death.

I met the girls and their parents a few weeks before school started. And Lisa could smash the ball. She was a power house.

Those girls were sure special to me. In fact, all of those Healy kids were. We were there for three years…watching Lisa and her classmates grow up—going from gangly, goofy sophomores to graduated seniors ready to leave for college.

I saw Lisa several years later when she married Jason then got to see her briefly at a funeral when she was pregnant with her first child, Jaren.

And then tragedy struck.

Lisa and Jason were expecting their second child the next month. With four-year-old Jaren in his car seat in the back of the car, they were driving home from a delightfully baby shower in Lisa’s home town of Healy.

As they approached an oncoming car, a deer jumped out in front of it. When the approaching car hit the deer, the impact shot the deer right into their windshield. Like a bullet, this large animal went through the driver’s side of the vehicle and shot out the back window.

Lisa realized Jason was unconscious and had to fight to get the vehicle stopped. She screamed Jaren’s name and he was so brave when he answered her, “Mommy, I am okay.” But Jason was not. Lisa used her cell phone to call 911 and then just tried to hold Jason steady while she kept her finger on the pulse she could feel in his neck.

But Jason died on the way to the hospital. And Lisa was left as a single mother to endure the labor and delivery of her second child without her husband by her side.

She was lost. And she needed a word from God.

Have you been there? Maybe not to this extreme. But have you needed God’s direction? His comfort? His strength?

I want you to imagine that day long ago when Jesus took Peter, James, and John on top of that mountain. Jesus had been teaching, healing, and performing miracles. We just heard from the word of God that Jesus predicted his death and resurrection and then about a week later he took Peter, James, and John up there to pray.

So there they were, climbing up the mountain. And all of a sudden Peter, James, and John realized that they were no longer alone with Jesus. There were two other guys. On top of a “high mountain”.

Can you picture the astonishment? They would not have recognized these men.

Think about it. We know now that these two men were Moses and Elijah…great men of the faith who had lived hundreds of years before. Peter, James, and John would only know them by the stories that have been handed down from generation from generation. Their stories, of course, were read by these three in the Torah.

There weren’t pictures!

So here are these two extra men…talking to Jesus. And they’re all shining.

They are pretty confused at this point. And I would guess that they were pretty freaked out.

God talked to Jesus through Elijah and Moses! Who would believe that? Well, I suppose Peter, James and John would, wouldn’t they?

And actually, God spoke to them also. Once he had their attention, He said, “This is my son. Listen to him!” Who was God speaking to? He wasn’t speaking to Jesus, Elijah, or Moses. God himself spoke to Peter, James, and John in a voice from the sky. Who would believe that?

Can you imagine them telling that story once they got down? Ha! They didn’t! We are told that they kept it to themselves.

How in the world could they keep it to themselves? Well…it would sound a bit crazy, wouldn’t it?

Think about other times in the Bible when God spoke to people. Sometimes it was an audible voice, like this. But He also spoke to people through a large hand writing on a wall, dreams, visions, prophets, angels, Jesus, and finally, the Bible.

The Bible. This is the obvious way that God chooses to speak to us. He inspired the writers of this book and insured that those words would last forever. 168,000 Bibles are sold or given away every single day. How many Bibles are in your house right now? I did a quick count around our house last night and found 26.

But 26 Bibles don’t share with You the Word of God if you never pick one of them up and read it. Read it! And read it with the expectation that God has something to tell you through it. Because He does! And He will! This is the most basic, most obvious, way that God speaks to us. If you are seeking His guidance but not bothering to read His Word, you need to back up and work on your relationship with Him. And relationships hinge on our ability to “listen”. So read…and listen to Him.

But relationships are a two-way street, so it’s also important that we talk.

In our scripture reading today, we learned that Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain to pray. Throughout the gospels, Jesus often took time to go off to pray. I had a friend tell me a while back, “I don’t really pray. God knows my thoughts so I don’t need to take the time to pray to Him.” I’ve heard other people make this same comment. Let me ask you…If Jesus needed time to pray, why in world should you feel like you don’t.

Sometimes I worry that we model prayer as a complicated thing. It’s not. It’s a conversation with God. Just speak to Him. He will answer. Are you waiting, watching, and listening for it?

My friend, Charity, shared a story about God answering her prayer. Charity and Mark were newlyweds. They were loving life! They were young and had the time to do the things THEY wanted to do. Living out in the country between two towns gave them a privacy and solitude that many of us don’t understand.

But during one winter storm in 1992, things changed. Charity and Mark each got snowed in a different town. On the third day, Charity felt that the roads were cleared enough that she could get home. So she headed that way (without telling anyone) with plans to surprise Mark. But about a mile and a half from home, she slammed into a drift and was stuck.

Although she knew it would be smartest to stay in the warm car, she also knew exactly where she was and convinced herself that she could make the walk home. But about 100 yards into her walk, she lost her bearings. She was lost. And after a while, it was dark. The cold was burning her hands. She pulled them up into her sleeves and pulled her arms to her chest then squatted down to provide as much body heat as possible.

She prayed and prayed, and God answered her. He LITERALLY answered her. "Have children," he clearly said to her. She heard it. You see, at the time, she and Mark did not intend to have children. She knew he didn't want them and she was willing to go along with what he wanted. But she heard God's voice, and she promised God that if He would save her, she would have children and raise them up to serve Him.

About twenty minutes later she saw some headlights. How Mark realized she was missing and found her is a whole other story in itself. But suffice it to say, Charity was saved. And she kept her promise.

Seven of them…although one is already with God. Six beautiful children love and walk with God every day because of message that God gave their mother one winter.

Prayer. God wants to have a relationship with you. Talk to Him…and listen to Him.

God also talks to us through other Christians—the church.

How many times have I sat in this room…in this very room…and been touched so deeply by the Holy Spirit that tears have flooded my eyes and run down my cheeks? More times than my kids will let me forget! Ugh…is mom crying again??

But it’s not just in the sanctuary…or necessarily in the church building at all. Part of the church meets here on Sunday morning, but “the church” is the collective body of Christians in the world.

God uses you and I (the church) to talk to his people. Wow! I believe that we often don’t even realize when God uses us to give a much needed word to another human being much less how. But that’s one reason that it is so important that we come together as the church. We need each other. The body of Christ needs all of its members. God uses our time together to talk to us through one another. Come together…and listen to Him.

And finally, God uses circumstances.

What about Moses and the burning bush? Think about it. Imagine that you are out mowing the lawn this summer and out of the corner of your eye you realize that one of your bushes is on fire…and then God starts talking to you through it. Sound a little crazy? Think you might think twice about sharing that with others?

You know, the thing is…God gets our attention in whatever way He knows He can get our attention.

Some of you have heard the story of my call to ministry. It involves the story of the Transfiguration. In fact, after Pastor David gave me the dates I would be preaching this year, I was at my desk and I thought…I’ll bet one of them is Transfiguration Sunday. So I turned to the first one…and sure enough.

It’s a long story that I will share with you when you have a free couple of hours, but the abbreviated version is that God has reinforced every step of this journey into ministry with the story of the transfiguration. Including today. God is talking to me right now, through this time with you.

But God also talks to me in other ways…ways He knows will get my attention.

As Pastor Watson has been mentoring me into ministry, he allows me to come to his office for a weekly meeting to talk about things going on in my job and in my walk with God. One day, I asked him…have I ever told you the story of my call to ministry. And he said, “I don’t think so.” I said, “Well, it’s a long story, but I will tell you this. God talks to me through Bruce Springsteen.”

Pastor David just sat back and smiled…then said, “I don’t think I’d tell that to the Board of Ordained Ministry.”

Ha!

But it’s true. It’s not ALWAYS true. And when I’m seeking the answer to a question, I don’t pull out my “Born in the USA” CD and listen to it to find the answer. After all, I don’t worship Bruce Springsteen.

But I’m grateful that I have a God that knows me so well and pursues me so diligently that he would be so creative in the way that he speaks to me.

Some people experience God through visions or dreams. Do these things sound crazy? Really, Gina. Bruce Springsteen? God’s voice in a snow storm? Visions? Dreams? Yes…and a burning bush, and a giant hand writing on a wall, and a talking donkey, and a pillar of cloud and fire, and Moses and Elijah on top of a mountain.

Sound crazy. Oh yes. That’s why Peter, James, and John kept it a secret. But it’s not crazy.

A couple days after Jason died, Lisa had a dream about him. In this dream Jason was sitting on a huge gold throne. Lisa was at his feet looking up at him. He reached his hand out and told her that everything was going to be OK. He then proceeded to give her instructions on how to take care of the finances, which made her laugh because she had no clue about any of their finances. He was an accountant, after all, and just took care of them. When she woke up the next day, although she was still so sad, she felt a calming peace and knew that this was God's message to her that Jason was in Heaven and that everything would be OK.

Lisa remarried a few years ago.

Scott had lost his wife to an extended illness in the days between the death of Jason and the birth of Lynsi. Each has a son and a daughter and are now raising them all together while daily celebrating the lives of the spouses they lost.

God will also talk to you through circumstances in your life. I don’t know what that will look like. But I believe more in “God-incidences” than coincidences. Are you paying attention? Look around…and listen to Him.

Father in heaven, We thank you that you are a God who is present with us. You are active and involved in our lives…not distant and uncaring.

Lord, open our eyes…open our hearts and our minds to you. Speak to us in ways that you know we will understand and give us the strength to respond to You obediently. Amen

Being God's People in 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:32:00 +0000

Sermon 4
December 30, 2012

Why are you here?

I often tell the story of how First United Methodist Church in Salina became our church home. We moved here in June of 2006. It was a priority to find a church. Although we were members of the UMC in the small western town that we came from, we were not raised in the UMC. We decided to go to some different churches and felt that when we found the right one, it would feel like “home”. So we did just that.

We left some of them feeling that they were cold and distant. We left others feeling like we had just attended a rock concert that lacked any spiritual connection for us. And some, we were just trying to get out of there as soon as possible while holding in our uncomfortable giggles.

Then we came here.

Do you remember the summer of 2006? We walked in from the circle drive, down the steps, and took a left into the worship area. That’s right…blue paint, folding chairs, and a bad sound system.

But that isn’t what we saw. We were warmly welcomed by a loving congregation. We connected with the music. The message was powerful and meaningful. I have cried through many services in this church…including some of those at the very beginning. When we left, we knew we wanted to come back.

And we did.

I don’t know how long we attended before we realized that the sanctuary was actually above us. And I remember catching my first glimpse of it that December…and being in awe of the beauty of it. I was amazed at the faithfulness and generosity of the people who would give so much to renovate this beautiful space.

I realized that this was not a church of people who were inward focused. They (YOU) were interested in furthering God’s Kingdom in the world. This building is a beautiful yet functional tool of the church—God’s people.

Our children began making connections through the Children and Youth ministry programs. We know that FUMC is to be credited for helping us transition our children from small town western Kansas to the big city. (And YES…this was a BIG city to us!) This was especially true for Tana who was beginning those awkward middle school years. What a rough time for us to uproot her whole world.

But ministry wasn’t just happening within these walls. The more we got involved, the more we saw how First United Methodist Church was (and IS) reaching out to the community of Salina and the world. And that was (and is) important to us.

In fact, I believe that it is important to all Christians. After all, Jesus came as God reaching out to this world.

Paul’s letter to the people of Colossae gives us specific instructions on how we, God’s people, should BE God’s people. He tells us to “clothe” ourselves in:
• Compassion
• Kindness
• Humility
• Gentleness
• Patience

I like that Paul chose the word “clothe”.

By saying that we “clothe” ourselves in these things he seems to be acknowledging that this is not our natural state. We must choose to put on these things…even though they may be uncomfortable or not fit properly. Maybe they are a bit scratchy to our skin. And yet, we should wrap ourselves in them and learn to be comfortable in them.

Did any of you get a new coat or new shoes for Christmas? They don’t feel quite right when we wear them that first or second time, do they? Yet, as we continue to wear them, they begin to feel right. They become a part of us—normal, familiar, “broken in”.

Well, these “clothes” that Paul talks about are the same way.

Compassion. What does it mean to “clothe” oneself in compassion? It means that we wrestle to overcome our own biases and try to put ourselves in the shoes of others. This isn’t always easy. Sometimes we are unable to relate to the situations of others. In fact, when this is the case, it’s very easy to become judgmental. We are not called to judge the world.

Nothing teaches us more about compassion than being put in a situation where we ourselves need compassion. Now…I don’t believe that God makes bad things happen to us to teach us compassion. But, I do believe that God uses the bad things that happen to us, or that we bring upon ourselves, to teach us compassion. We have all survived experiences that have made us more compassionate to others who may one day go through the same thing.

In what ways has God helped you learn compassion? To whom might He need you to show compassion to in the future?

Kindness. What does it mean to “clothe” oneself in kindness? Being kind isn’t about what you do as much as it is about how and why you do it.

Let’s say that you and I meet for coffee and I surprise you by paying the tab and leaving a tip. Am I being kind? Well, the act itself seems like a kind thing to do. But is it kind if I’m needing a favor from you so I’m doing it with the hope of getting something better in return? Is it kind if I do it because I want to impress you (or others) so I pay the bill and then resent that you let me do such a thing?

Kindness doesn’t expect paybacks or recognition. In fact, Paul uses the word “kind” in his letter to the people of Corinth to describe love. Do you remember that he says that “Love is patient. Love is kind.” I’d like to share of story of kindness with you.

A few weeks ago, a young clerk at Target shared this story as a post on facebook.

“Cried today at work... An elderly man who openly stated that he didn't have much, couldn't read or write, came through my lane today. I've had a cold so making conversation with people today wasn't my top priority. This man was so kind and generous and he put a smile on my face. He was buying necessities and toys for children. He asked me to double bag his purchases because he was walking. When it came time to ring him up, I assisted him with writing a check. However, his check didn't go through and he had no other way to pay. It broke my heart that this kind man wasn't able to pay for his things. I sadly watched him go as the next customers came up. They were obviously annoyed with the wait so I went through quickly. Then I see a young lady about my age catch up with the elderly man and offered to pay for his things. I started tearing up. He kept saying thank you so much, thank you and she replied, 'Merry Christmas.' I was trying so hard to not visibly cry but it all came out when the girl turned to look at me and was crying too.”

Nothing was expected in return. This simple act was done quietly with silent tears by a young girl who was clothed with the compassion and kindness of Christ.

Humility. Now here’s a tough one. What does it mean to “clothe” oneself in humility? Have any of you read “The Purpose-Driven Life” by Rick Warren? It’s been out now for several years and I’ve given it to many people since its publication. It begins with four words that define humility in my mind….”It’s not about you.” It’s not about you! It’s not about me! Man, that’s a tough concept to swallow. Even as I prepared for this message today, I fought the urge to worry about how I would come across, how I would look before you this morning, how my words might affect you…and I reminded myself that it is NOT about me!

In the book of John, Jesus tells a parable about the vine and the branches. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We would do well to remember this when we are patting ourselves on the back.

Humility requires that we understand that our accomplishments are not ours. Our good fortune? Not ours. Even our acts of kindness…they would accomplish nothing apart from Christ. “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

Gentleness. How do we clothe ourselves with gentleness? Aren’t kindness and gentleness the same thing? Well, no. We can offer to dust mother’s china. That’s a kind thing to do. But there is a difference between gently and roughly dusting the China! When we do something with gentleness, we do it with care, with caution, with tenderness. In fact, sometimes the most kind thing to do is a painful thing—and that’s when our gentleness is the most important.

When I was in first grade I had to start taking allergy shots. Each Thursday (and I hated Thursdays for years and years!) I had to go to the clinic and get a shot in each arm until I was a junior in high school. My skin got tough over those year and the nurses often could not be very gentle.

Do you remember taking your new baby for his or her first immunizations? We get our children immunized because we love them…we are being kind by protecting them. And we expect those who are giving these injections to be as gentle as possible.

Sometimes we must give someone hurtful news. It’s the kind thing to do. So we need to do so with gentleness…a soft touch. We need to take as much of the sting out of it as we can. Be gentle with one another.

Patience. How do we clothe ourselves with patience? Well, look at the list. It these things are in place, patience is a natural outcropping of them. It requires compassion, kindness, humility, and gentleness. I think that is why so many of us struggle with it! It is a combination of the others! In fact, patience (you may remember) is a fruit of the spirit. One way that we can gauge whether or not we are growing in grace, is to look at our patience level. Practice patience. Pray for patience.

Besides this clothing…Paul also tells us to “bear” with each other. The verb “bear” means to hold up or support. “Bearing” something is not pleasant. So when Paul instructs us to “bear” with each other, we are being called to enter into one another’s suffering and be a support. Ugh! Paul! The other things were sweet and light. They didn’t require sacrifice.

And then he really drops the bomb when he tells us to forgive one another…pointing out that we ourselves have received forgiveness from the Lord. Forgiveness.

Have you went to see “Les Miserables” yet? It’s the only professional Broadway-type musical I’ve ever seen live. I saw it with my oldest daughter a few years back. So it’s the only things she wanted for Christmas—to go see the movie at the theater that day. So on Tueday, Christmas Day, Tana and I went to the show. What a beautiful story of grace…of forgiveness. It’s a glorious thing to watch. It’s even more glorious to RECEIVE. But to give it. Well, that’s tough. Because, you see, in order to give it…someone has to “wrong” you. And when someone “wrongs” you, you are usually disappointed. You are usually hurt. You are often angry.

Is there someone who has wronged you? Someone who has disappointed and hurt you? Are you feeling anger toward someone because of a wrong they have committed? Well then, you have been given an opportunity to show grace…to offer forgiveness.

"But they don’t deserve it!", you might say. Hmph…neither did I…neither did you.

He tells us to “put on” love which will bind it all together…perfectly. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He goes on with more specific instructions:
• Let the “peace of Christ rule your hearts”
• Be thankful.
• Learn about Christ. Teach about Christ. Correct one another. Sing to God! All with grateful hearts.
• Do everything in Jesus’ name while giving thanks.

We each must examine ourselves. Are we doing these things? • Compassion • Kindness • Humility • Gentleness • Patience • Bearing with each other • Forgiving one another • Being at peace. • Being thankful. • Learning. • Teaching. • Singing. • Being grateful.

But we can’t stop there. We, as Americans, are fiercely independent people. It’s a western mindset that we have. But we are all member of one body…the body of Christ…the church. What are we doing as a church to carry out Paul’s instructions? What are we doing to be God’s people?

Well, we are doing things. In fact, I started this sermon by sharing with you some of the things that First United Methodist Church was doing that helped us see Christ working through this body.

1. Inviting people in our doors.

2. Missions—food bank, Lisa in Honduras, Operation Christmas Child, Salvation Army… And in 2013, it is important that we continue to expand the opportunities that we have as a congregation to be God’s people.

3. Lifetree Café. Have you come to Lifetree Café yet? Lifetree Café is an opportunity to reach out to those in our community who (for whatever reason) don’t come to church. It’s a way to participate in conversations that allow people to express their questions and doubts while helping them get to know the God who loves them. There is a card in your bulletin. If you are interested in this ministry, mark the appropriate box so we can follow up. If you are unsure, come Wednesday night and check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Those who have been active in this ministry from the beginning, see great potential for it. Come join us and help us discover what God has in store for this ministry.

4. Service. One of the things I have realized throughout this year is that ministry always starts with a need. With Lifetree Café, the “need” is the large number of people out there who don’t have a relationship with Christ. But there are lots of other needs in Salina.

Beginning on January 12, we as a congregation will have the opportunity monthly to do something about these needs. With nothing expected or wanted in return. This is a way for us to corporately carry out our responsibility as the Body of Christ. It’s called “First in Service”. Although it’s the 2nd Saturday in January, every other month this year it will be held on the third Saturday.

On this day from 9:00 to 11:00 we will come together to meet some needs. Each month it will change. One need each month may be a church need, but the other will come from the community. When you come to the church, you will have options. Will you use your SHAPE to put together flyers for the Parade of Lights or will you use your SHAPE to knit a pad for the kittens at the local animal shelter. Will you bake cookies that will be delivered to the Morrison house or will you craft a bowl for a fundraiser for the food pantry?

Each month it will change. Each month you will get to try something new when you can fit it into your schedule. There is no financial requirement…just your time and the use of your gifts and talents are needed.

So…do you know your SHAPE? Do you know how God has gifted you for service in HIS kingdom? If you don’t, another “Finding Your SHAPE” class is coming up quickly! But sometimes, the best way to discover your passions is to just give some different things a try.

Everyone is welcome. Come. Let’s be God’s people together in 2013.

Who Gets the Glory?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 02:02:00 +0000

Sermon 3
October 21, 2012

How many of you watch NASCAR? In our culture, NASCAR is a big deal right now…and we celebrate the winners. In fact, many people practically worship them. It’s no wonder that pride is such an issue in our culture. But is it a new issue? Not at all. Even the disciples struggled with pride.

Mark 10:35-45 tells us that James and John asked, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” But this is actually (at least) the second time that such an issue came up. Luke 9:46 tells about this conversation among the disciples: An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.

And, this was not the first time that these men, who wanted to be seen as great, had let Jesus down. Remember back in the boat when the storm came up and they were afraid they might drown? After angrily waking Jesus, he calmed that storm. They would also continue to let him down…falling asleep when He had asked them to keep watch at the Garden of Gethsemane and later scattering when he was arrested…even denying him.

Why in the world would they feel that they deserved glory anyway? Well, they probably felt pretty special! After all, Jesus had selected them. They had witnessed miracles and listened to Jesus teach crowds. And Jesus took the time to share with them the meanings of those parables that are complex and difficult to understand.

Also…they had worked hard. Jesus ministry was not easy. They left their homes. They traveled and stayed with strangers. It was physically demanding. They were even given the power to heal and cast out demons. Is it a wonder that they were so proud?

This pride is even easier to understand when you consider that it is a condition that people have battled from the beginning. Adam and Eve were easily swayed once Satan appealed to their pride. “If you want to be like God, just eat from the tree.” David, a man after God’s own heart, let his own glory and his riches lead him to sin. And Solomon, with his riches, fame, and wisdom, had everything that prideful people today still seek…but none of it gave him happiness. He admits in Ecclesiastes that “everything is meaningless.”

So how did Jesus respond to the disciples when they were arguing over their “greatness”? Well, in Luke 9:47-48, it says, “But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, ‘Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.’”

Why did he choose a child to make this point? Children were not valued in that culture as they are valued in our culture. By selecting this child, he was telling them to embrace even those who they perceive to have little to no value as a person. He indicated that they…that we should receive those who are “less”…then he went on to say that we should also receive him if we want to receive God. And finally, he made it quite clear that in order to be “great” and receive “glory”, we must humble ourselves.

In Mark, when James and John were seeking places of glory beside Jesus, he said, “You don’t even know what you’re asking.” He asked them, “Can you drink the cup I drink?” Well, what kind of question is that? What was Jesus’ cup? Do you remember these words from Jesus that were uttered that night in the Garden? Take a look at Luke 22:42. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus’ cup was his crucifixion.

“Can you drink the cup I drink?” And they said, “We can.” And Jesus said, “You will.” And you know what? They did. Each of the disciples died an agonizing death for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Next Jesus asked them, “Can you be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” What did he mean by that? Wasn’t He baptized in the water just like everyone else? Listen to this testimony from John the Baptist…the man who baptized Jesus. (John 1:29-33): “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”

The Holy Spirit came down from heaven and remained on him. He was baptized with the Holy Spirit.

“Can you be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” Jesus asked. “We can,” they answered. And Jesus said, “You will.” And, guess what. They did. Do you remember Pentecost? After his resurrection and ascension, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, the Companion, to live within every believer…including James and John.

So, did Jesus grant them the places of glory they requested? Jesus told James and John that these places of honor had been prepared for specific people and he did not reveal who would be at his left and right hand.

But this conversation leaked out. I’m not sure who spilled the beans, but word got out that James and John were politicking for positions. And the other disciples were not happy. So Jesus called them together and compared them to rulers who abuse their power. Then, again, he reiterated the value of humility: “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I began today by asking you about NASCAR. Raise your hand if you’ve heard the name Darrell Waltrip.

In 1981-1982 Waltrip and his team had an amazing two-year period. They won 24 races and 2 championships. They were nearly unbeatable! And Darrell’s pride was out of control. When he would show up at the hotel in the town of the next race and was asked, “Are you here for the show?” Waltrip would answer, “No ma’am, I am the show.” In fact, Richard Petty used to say “That boy might win a lot of races and he may make a lot of money but he’ll never be Nascar’s most popular driver.” The fans hated him and even wore t-shirts that said “Anybody but Waltrip.”

But in 1983, he hit a wall—figuratively, spiritually, and physically. He was knocked completely out and, although he raced in races and continued life as normal, he has no memory of the next couple of weeks. Then in the third week, he “woke up”. And he started searching for the Lord and soon after accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.

He was, and is, a changed man. In his video on the “I am Second” website, he says that success can’t be kept for ourselves. Jesus didn’t keep the glory for himself…he gave it to us! And he quotes the Bible when he goes on to say, “You can do all things through Jesus Christ.”

So what reward did Waltrip get for receiving Jesus, receiving God. Well, it wasn’t another championship. But he was voted most popular driver in 1989 and 1990. When he became a servant, he became great. And great was defined differently than he had anticipated. Waltrip’s advice: “Put Him first in everything you do. Give Him the glory and give Him the praise.”

Giving ourselves the glory when we are simply using gifts from God as we go through this life reveals our selfish and prideful nature. I once heard a pastor say, “Either live your life humbly or God will teach you humility the hard way.”

What about me? Who get the glory in my life?

What about you?

I challenge you to embrace someone this week who needs help just as Jesus embraced children, prostitutes, tax collectors, and others that needed help. Without giving yourself the glory, help them. Maybe that means leaving them a gift card, maybe it means mowing their law…it could just mean leaving a pick-me-up note or car wash tokens. Who is someone in your life who is in need of a servant? Then serve them…and leave an anonymous note that gives God (and not you) the glory.

Yes, It's Small...But It's Powerful Video

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:29:00 +0000

Part I

Part II

Yes, it's small...but it's powerful!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:43:00 +0000

My 2nd Sermon
September 16, 2012

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider that a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. --James 3:1-12

There are several “James” in the New Testament. When you hear the name, you may think of the brothers, James and John, who were Disciples of Christ. That’s a different James. The James that wrote this epistle (this letter) was the half-brother of Jesus according to most theologians. Can you imagine having Jesus as your brother? He grew up with him!

They played together, learned together, probably stayed up late giggling together when they were little. Then they got older, and they got busy with their lives…their careers... …and then one day Jesus started proclaiming that he was God. I want you to imagine your own siblings (or cousins if you were an only child). How would you react if your sibling one day told you they were God? Well, James handled it about that well. The book of Mark tells us: When his family heard about this, they (and “they” were his brothers) went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Yet, at the beginning of the book of James, he refers to himself as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”. He watched his brother’s ministry. He watched his brother’s death. And he witnessed his brother in his resurrected body. He was convinced. In fact, he served as the head of the church in Jerusalem. We know this because Paul mentioned this in his letter to the people of Galatia.

James was so certain that his brother was, in fact, Lord that the historian Josephus tells us that in AD62, the high priest sentenced him to death by stoning in Jerusalem. Other historians of that time, including Eusebias gave further details. They said that James was taken to the top of the temple and told to renounce his faith in Jesus publicly. When he refused and instead publicly confessed Jesus as “the Son of God, Savior, and Lord” he was thrown from the temple. However, he was not killed on impact…so they stoned him to death.

James’ lived with Jesus and he didn’t believe. But then he saw the evidence and he gave his life in defense of Jesus’ claims. He, an eye-witness, was THAT convinced. Interestingly, he speaks in his letter not as someone who talks about Christ, but as someone who talks like Christ. He offers us advice--“inspired” advice that we would be wise to heed.

We are warned by James that we don’t all want to be teachers. Ha! Teaching isn’t the respected and coveted vocation that it was in his day. His warning is severe…one who teaches will be face a “stricter judgment”. Obviously he’s talking about those who teach God’s Word. He is so real and so relevant in his speech…telling us straight out that “We all stumble…” Not—YOU stumble. But, WE ALL stumble.

He makes an interesting statement next saying that those who are never at fault in their words, are able to keep their whole body in check. Get this right, now. He’s not talking about those who can always say the right thing in public, but those who always say the appropriate and Godly thing no matter what the circumstance. No matter who’s watching…who’s listening… Why does what we say have anything to do with our “whole body”? Well, James gives us some examples:

The first is a horse. To communicate with the horse, riders use a bit and bridle. By pulling on the reins, they are able to send messages to the horse using leverage and pressure. Without such a device, communication is lost. That one small piece of equipment controls the whole horse.

What about a ship? An entire ship’s course is determined by the movement of a relatively small rudder.

The tongue works the same way for us. Our boasts affect our actions. And this is not always in a good way.

We have had a summer in which we have watched areas around us deal with grass and forest fires. What is need to start those fires? Just one spark.

Our tongues can set those sparks. In fact, James says that our tongues can set the whole course of our lives on fire. Really? Words can change the course of our lives? Words can change the course of history? You bet they can.

How about Hitler’s famous speech at the Reichstag on September 1, 1939 in which he declared war on Poland? People around the globe sat by their radios listening to the words of one man to see if the course of history would be forever changed. And a whole, civilized, nation was convinced to engage in barbarism.

How about Jim Jones teaching to more than 900 who committed mass suicide by drinking cyanide-tainted kool-aid? Their lives were so altered by the words of one man that even mothers and fathers were convinced to feed that kool-aid to more than 200 children. Two people survived. How about the relentless bullies at school whose words lead to the suicides of hundreds of American teens each year? Or the bullies at work who seem to take such glee out of making others miserable? These words don’t just change the course of their own lives, but the courses of others.

James' depiction of where the tongue gets this fire is particularly distressing. He says that the tongue is set on fire by hell. The actual word he uses here is “Gehenna” Jesus was the only other person that used this term to define hell. Gehenna refers to the Valley of Hinnom. Originally this deep gorge just southwest of Jerusalem was a location used by the Canaanites to worship the false god Molech. They actually sacrificed their own children to this demon.

Because this site had been used for such a vile practice, it became simply a dump. It wasn’t seen as suitable for anything else. Trash and filth were thrown in the gorge along with dead animals and the bodies of unburied criminals. All of this was burned in the pit to dispose of it. There were constant, unending fires there. It’s no wonder that Jesus and James used such a disgusting image (of which the listeners would’ve been familiar) to describe hell.

So James is saying that our tongue is as vile as Gehenna? Yes, yes he is. He says it is a “restless evil” and “full of deadly poison”. But we do good things with our words, right? Of course we do!

In fact, I’m going to give you a little reminder of the positive power that our tongue has! Will the Usher’s please distribute the “tongue suppressors”. That’s right…I said tongue suppressor, not tongue depressor. Written on each one of these is a positive word…maybe through God’s providence you will choose the word you needed to be reminded of today…the word that needs to enter your mind when you next feel the urge to utter something poisonous.

Our tongues can do wonderful things. For example, we are here today praising God and praying corporately. Yet were some of us guilty this morning of cussing another driver on the way to worship God? (Don’t you be looking around!) Will some of us be guilty of doing it on the way home? When you watch your favorite football team play this afternoon, will you holler obscenities at the TV…possibly even using the Lord’s name in vain? Are you using that tongue of yours to both praise God but curse other human beings.

I’ll use James’ words here…“My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

Our tongues reveal who we are. Whether we are watching football, talking in private confidence with a good friend, driving alone in our car, or out with our best friends on a Friday night.

You see, our words produce fruit. As I share God’s message with you today, I am producing fruit. My prayer is that this fruit is good and that it is plentiful. And it will be as long as I rely on the Holy Spirit to guide this message. But what kind of fruit am I producing if I go home and cuss at the Kansas City Chiefs this afternoon? Especially if my kids are watching with me? Fruit grows and ripens over time. They are watching and listening and processing the things we do and the words we say. When those things don’t always jive, the fruit is not going to be good.

James says that fresh water and salt water can’t come from the same spring. If both kinds of water are coming out, it’s all going to be salty, isn’t it? That fresh water is tainted. We need to be consistent…in private as well as in public. We can’t do this without the power of Christ.

Michael is about my age. When he was 15, he and some friends decided that they were going to “ditch” their 3^rd hour class. As they sat out in his friend’s Jeep waiting for the right moment to make their escape, another student ran by on his way to class…and something fell out of his pocket. His wallet. They retrieved it…and were delighted to find an ATM card. (Yes, we had them back then but they were very new!) Knowing that they needed a “pin” number, they continued to search through the wallet until they found something scribbled down that they thought might qualify as a pin.

In the Jeep they pulled up to a local ATM machine and were grinning like idiots when the number worked…and as the cameras caught the whole escapade—the pin attempt, the success, and the cash distribution between the three boys.

A few days letter, the police came and pulled him out of class. His mother met him in the police station and he was prepared to tell her that it was all his friends’ idea. He was just in the vehicle. It wasn’t his fault! But, of course, the video betrayed his lies. Luckily, the boy they stole from was a Christian and a friend. He didn’t press charges and the boys were only required to pay back the money.

But Michael’s personal sentence was much tougher. He was also a Christian, and yet he had made such a bad decision. He was ashamed and humiliated—a liar and a thief.

Soon after, he was over at the house of one of the friends who had participated in the fiasco. He could overhear this friend’s mother as she was talking about him with another friend on the phone. Oh no…this couldn’t be good.

You might expect that I am going to say that she was bad-mouthing Michael. “That kid is no good. He’s a trouble-maker. I wish my son wouldn’t hang out with him.” No…these aren’t the words that Michael heard. What she said was, “He has a good heart.”

“He has a good heart.”

Michael received encouragement that day from someone who didn’t even know he was listening. Those few little words for him were HUGE. Now, 25 years later, he can still vividly picture that moment…and the 5 words that changed his life.

I want to show you a short video on the power of words. Take a look.

Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:35:00 +0000

My First Sermon
(Mother's Day 2012)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

--(Romans 12:9-21)

In doing so, you will heap burning coals on his head?! Great…that sounds painful! That’ll show him. Hmmm…maybe that isn’t what that verse means. After all, in verse 19 of this passage, we are instructed NOT to take revenge.

In this passage, Paul is actually referring back to a Proverb (Proverbs 25:21-22) from the Old Testament. These would’ve been part of the Jewish scriptures in which many of the hearers would’ve been in familiar. In biblical times, ancient Egyptians had a practice of carrying hot coals on their head in some kind of vessel when they were repentant--when they had sinned, found themselves to be guilty, and turned away from their sinful behavior. This was a self-punishment. It indicated a guilty conscience. It symbolized the person’s desire and commitment to change their behavior. In being kind to someone, we aren’t putting some kind of curse on them that will catch their hair on fire or cause them pain. We are leading them to repentance.

Being kind in this situation can lead to a change of heart. Sometimes, we never know how our acts of kindness may affect another person.

When I think about this, I realize that there are three areas of behavior that are affected when one is granted and embraces the fruit of kindness. First, we must speak with kindness. Proverbs 15:1 says “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

My family is here today. I grew up with 3 sisters…there were four of us. My poor father. Dad and Mom met—2 months later they started dating, 2 months later they were engaged, 2 months later they were married. 9 ½ months later, Casy was born. Susan came 11 months after that! They waited three years before I was born. And then Lisa came 4 years later to take away my “baby of the family” status.

As a child, my sisters and I often had disagreements. Okay, that might be putting it a bit mildly. I understand now how that feels as a mother! Well, at some point or another one of us called another one of us a “pig”. It didn’t go over well. I’m sure that the perpetrator was thrilled! So, this “cut-down” was used again…and then again. When mom caught on and realized the hurtfulness that we associated with this word, she immediately put a stop to it. We were NOT allowed to call another person a pig.

Now, this chain of events must’ve taken place prior to my birth or when I was very, very young. (In other words, my older sisters are to blame for this!) Because from very early on, I knew that “pig” was a dirty word and we were not to use it in any other context than referring to a farm animal. It was the ultimate put-down. I remember one day a neighbor kid and I got into an argument. In the heat of the battle, I used the “P” word. Then I ran into the house just sure that his mom would be calling my mom and I would be in so much trouble for cussing.

You see, my mother understood the importance of speaking to one another in kindness. Words, even seemingly innocent ones, can be used as weapons. I remember asking her about it when I was older, “Why did we all think “pig” was such a dirty word?” She said, “If in your mind, something you want to say is meant to be hurtful, it IS a dirty word.” Wise words from my mother on this Mother’s Day. As I’ve grown older and witnessed passive-aggressive behavior by people who are able to say and do horribly painful things to others in a falsely-innocent way—completely aware of the painfulness of their words, I often think of my mother’s abolishment of the word, “pig”.

We had a saying when I was young, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but…” (congregation finishes). What a bunch of bologna. Broken bones heal. Unkind words fester. But, the opposite is also true. Kind words can heal. Have you spoken kind words to someone in your life lately? Maybe this is the day that someone you know needs to hear kind words the most. Take the time today to make the call, write the note, or visit with a person who needs your kindness today.

Second, we must act with kindness.

Has anyone ever asked you, “So you’re a Christian. What do you believe?” and wanted a short 1 or 2 sentence answer? Where do you start? How do you sum up the Bible in just a few words? That can’t be done, can it? Well, Jesus did it. We call it “The Golden Rule”. What is the Golden Rule? That’s right.

In Matthew 7:12, Jesus says, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” This sums up the Law and the Prophets. His audience knew what the “Law” and the “Prophets” were…it was the Old Testament, the Jewish Holy Book, the Holy Scripture that the people of Israel had studied since birth…summed up in a short sentence. Treat people how you want them to treat you. Kindness.

Rudo, Duncan, Alan, and Annie Grace

On Thursday I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon and evening with four delegates from Zimbabwe who are visiting the Kansas West Conference throughout this month. We have begun a partnership, a Chibatza, with them. It’s not about giving them money, it’s about building a relationship with them.

Their culture highly values relationships. In fact, Rudo told me that it is appropriate for her to call every woman old enough to be her mother, “Mother”. Not just aunts and cousins, but any woman she feels close to. That gives a whole new meaning to “Mother’s Day!”

May 1^st just passed. Do you remember doing anything special on this day when you were young? When I was little, I remember picking lilacs all the way home from school on May Day to leave them on the porches of our neighbors. We would tie them together and write notes to put with our flowers, then ring the doorbell and run to hide and watch them find their surprise. My neighborhood had several houses with older couples that have all passed away now, but I sure loved them when I was growing up. Kindness doesn’t usually take much extra effort. I think it was more rewarding for us kids to leave our May Day surprises than it was for them to receive them.

Acts of kindness are world-changing. I’m going to show a video that I think you’ll enjoy. Notice, in particular, how the beginning and ending are related.

Did you see the connection? Did you notice that the kindness displayed did not only affect the person shown the kindness but also people who observed the kindness?

It’s fun to see what our acts of random kindness can lead to. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” We don’t know what burdens are other people are carrying. It’s important to not judge…that is simply not our job. “That kid shouldn’t have been riding on the sidewalk! Where were his parents?!” “That hungry man needs to go find a job!” “I’ll bet that girls parents’ pay for the cell phone that she takes for granted. What a spoiled brat.” When you find yourself wanting to pass judgment on a stranger, keep this verse in mind. He or she might just be an angel giving you the opportunity to show kindness.

What about our acts of focused and planned kindness? Plans that one puts in place not just on the spur of the moment because one feels good, but because one took time to make arrangements, make sacrifices (financial, time…) and follow-through on a kindness that would make a difference to someone else. Committing to yard or housework weekly for someone who is ill, taking meals to a new mother, providing care for someone who needs it, planning a celebration...

Even more difficult, what about those who are not kind to us?

Paul says in his letter to the people of Ephesus, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) Forgiving is an act of kindness and compassion. (Angrily) “But they don’t deserve to be forgiven! They don’t even feel bad for their actions! They don’t understand how badly they hurt me!” Neither did you. Neither did you. Neither did you.

Finally, and this one actually should’ve been first—because if this one is in place, the others will be there also. We must think with kindness.

(Go down the aisle to Lisa. "Your dress is beautiful!" Turned to Kristy Foster and say quietly and snidely, "Did you see my sister's dress?!")

("Todd come here." Turn him around and rub his back. “There doesn’t that feel good? "Are you enjoying my sermon?” Turn him facing me. Then turn around and wait for my back rub. Say, "Okay" expectantly. Todd just looks at me and sits back down.)

Do you see? A kindness for some reward is not a kindness. Those rewards come in all shapes and sizes—from simply making yourself feel superior to someone else, to getting some tangible reward--like a back rub. That isn’t kind at all. Being kind isn’t a word or an action, it’s an attitude…a lifestyle…a gift…a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 6:43-45: No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Stored up in the heart! How do we change our hearts? Do you remember the beginning? Kindness...coal...repentance...change of heart.

We can’t transform ourselves into kind people, but the Holy Spirit can. In fact, if we are truly Christ-followers, the Holy Spirit will! The fruit of the spirit is not as much a list of things for which we should strive, as a gauge to measure our faithfulness in Christ.

The fruit is a gift.

That’s the most important thing to remember from this message today. If you only remember one thing, don’t let it be my husband’s back rub or my story about the word, “Pig”. Let it be this: Nothing we do…not loving, being peaceful or full of joy, not waiting patiently...can transform our lives, can save our souls. After all, even the worst of us can “fake” fruit every now and then. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit given to us through Christ’s sacrifice by our Father God that we are transformed, that we truly bear fruit, and that we are saved. God’s gifts are so awesome.

(Prayer)

Before I step down, I wanted to quickly share something else that the people of Zimbabwe shared with me this week. Because of the value they place on relationships, the value of individualism is very low. Whereas we might say here, “We are, because I am.” There, they say, “I am, because we are.” I am so glad I got to share my very first sermon with all of you and this Mother’s Day. I want you to know that I realize, “I am, because we are.”

Now...let's sing our closing chorus...

Redemption...a Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:12:00 +0000

Tortured-soul, reckless.

Boastful sin

drowning

in shame.

Sought.

Grace.

through

Restored

I'm not a poet...but this morning I found myself thinking the first line of this haiku in the shower. As I got around, it continued to haunt me. Finally I grabbed the nearest piece of paper (a used envelope from Todd's dresser) and began to put down my thoughts. I would walk away (I was in the middle of putting on make-up, getting dressed, brushing teeth, fixing hair, etc.!) and find myself coming back to the dresser to mark out a word or change a phrase.

I don't know if it's any good. Nor do I really care. It means something to me...an expression of the gratefulness I feel for the amazing grace I don't deserve. It needs to be recorded as part of this journey.