from 8/26/12 worship service
Offertory prayer: God of the alarm clock the school bell, the ring tone, the honking horn of traffic, beyond all of this noise, let us hear You. God of the back pack, the iPad, the white board, the textbook, beyond all of these sights, let us see You. God of the ages, God near at hand, let us serve you with all of our being, all of our gifts--material and spiritual--so that others may hear You and see You. May these gifts go to that end. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Benediction: May the Lord Jesus who goes this journey with us strengthen you to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things with faith, hope, and above all, love. Go in peace. Amen.
Monday, August 27, 2012
under construction: choosing the way
from my message on 8/26/12 from Psalm 119:1-3 and John 14:1-6
I was visiting with one of my clergy friends recently. She used to work in a branch of health care. She made an observation that was so simple and so profound. She said, "I discovered that when the pain went away, people's lives were changed." She could do that on a physical level, but she wanted to do more than just treat bodies. She wanted the whole person to be well, without mental, spiritual, relational pain. She became a pastor. When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed.
Unfortunately, the church often causes pain. Our words, our positions, our theological stances wound people. We clergy do it too. I have done it. Some of you have felt that wounding. It may be hard for you to be in worship today. Even though I believe that when the pain goes away, then people's lives are changed, we still find ourselves wounding people in the church. These are some of the deepest pains we can have.
Especially when it comes to a verse like we have at John 14:6, where Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." We have used this verse like a sword. We cut some people out. We cut some people off. We say, "Jesus is the only way, and you are not in." We make the verse exclusionary, restrictive, harsh, and narrow. Some of you may have been wounded by the use of this verse. Is that the Jesus way?
I believe that when the pain goes away, people's lives are changed. The Jesus way is about including as many people in salvation as possible. I want to be about that way as we finish up this 3 part series on a path of discipleship.
Look at the Jesus way in John's Gospel. Jesus meets Nicodemus at night. I call him Nick at Night. He is a Jewish teacher, a Pharisee, high up in the religious hierarchy. He is scared and meets Jesus at night. Jesus welcomes him. In the next chapter, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at high noon. She is the polar opposite of Nick. Jews looked down upon Samaritans as half breeds, outcasts, not true believers. A good Jew would spit when saying Samaritan. Jesus welcomes her. Jesus heals a lame man. He feeds the hungry crowds not just with bread but with the words of life. He forgives a woman caught in the act of adultery. He heals a blind man. He raises his friend Lazarus from the dead. He washes his disciples feet. As I read it, he even washes Judas the betrayer's feet, and Peter the denier's feet, and the other ten who all desert him. Jesus way is not to see how many He can exclude, but how many he can include. He is trying to reach as many as He can with grace, mercy, and forgiveness. When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed. This is the Jesus way.
Thomas asks for all of us, "How can we know the way?" And Jesus' answer is not a where but a who. His answer is not a route but a relationship. He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." "In my father's house" could be translated as household. We are invited to be a part of God's family. Jesus wants to take us to himself. I have preached on this passage so many times, but I never noticed this next part. Does Jesus say he is the way to heaven? No. Does he say he is the way to God? No. Jesus says that he is the way to the Father, not a place, not a generic god. Jesus is the way to intimacy with this particular God. There may be other revelations out there. Certainly there are other great world religions. But we have a God who wants to be known throug a specific revelation in Jesus the Christ. It is personal. Jesus will even address this Father as "Daddy." Please don't get caught up in the male language. It is more about intimacy, nearness, relationship.
We have a God revealed in Jesus who wants a close relationship with us. When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed. I heard a great story about this relationship on Thursday morning at a breakfast at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. One pastor stood up and told us about a man in her church named Moses. Doesn't every congregation need a Moses? Moses doesn't have a high paying job. He does his labor with dignity and grace. Another man was impressed with the way Moses handled himself. He asked him, "Moses, why is your life always together?" Moses replied, "Because I know Jesus Christ." "How do you know him?" "You need to get into the Bible and get into a worshiping congregation." The man followed Moses to his church. The pastor said, "You should see the change in this man's life. He is on fire." What did Jesus say? "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed.
I was talking with Diana our Music and Worship leader about this message today. She said she heard another line about pain. If the pain is not transformed, it gets transferred. If we don't give our pain to Jesus for him to heal, we transfer it. Sometimes we shoot it out, spraying others with our anger. Some of you may know about this. Sometimes we hold it in, becoming bitter, and hardened, and sometimes developing a cancer of the soul that eats us up inside. It the pain is not transformed, it gets transferred. When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed.
This is what the psalmist says also. Read Psalm 119, all 176 verses. The psalmist doesn't give a bunch of rules, but the offer of a life-changing relationship. He says, "Here's the way to life, to blessing, to happiness. You can not merely survive. You can thrive. It is not about retribution, but mercy. Walk in God's ways."
Here's the big ask of this message. You have to make a choice. What do you do with the pain? Will it be transformed or transferred. Will you let it go away so your life can be changed or not? I cannot make you do anything. The church can't. God won't. It is your choice. Which way will you go?
In this church we are offering a path of discipleship. Your bulletin insert has information on how you can get started. We would like for you to take a test, a self-assessment of your spiritual journey. Let me see the hands of all you students who are going back to school. I hate to tell you this, but it never ends. After high school, I took 5 years to get my bachelor's degree, then 3 years to get my master's, and another 5 years to get my doctorate. I suspect you adults can identify. You probably have to get continuing education, attend seminars and such to keep up your credentials. This is a lifetime journey. It is not just true for school or work; it is also true of our spiritual journey. We are offering this survey instrument to help you find out where you are in your spiritual journey. You can take it online or hard copy. These are blind scored. We are not keeping the data. It all about you and your relationship with Christ. Then, you will be given a nudge, that is a limited choice of what step you might take next. Then you would keep going.
All we want for you is to fall in love with Jesus, grow deeper in relationship with Him, and then serve Him and others. It might look like this video.
(video of our Back to School blast with Parker Lane UMC where we had hoped to serve 50 kids, and actually helped closer to 200 children with school supplies, backpacks, and clothes. Families got immunizations and health checks. There were games and snacks. The women's volleyball team from St. Ed's joined in as well as a men's fraternity from UT. Lee Ann shared her story of how powerful the experience was for her. Her life has been changed by serving others.)
The good news is that when the pain goes away, people's lives are changed.
I was visiting with one of my clergy friends recently. She used to work in a branch of health care. She made an observation that was so simple and so profound. She said, "I discovered that when the pain went away, people's lives were changed." She could do that on a physical level, but she wanted to do more than just treat bodies. She wanted the whole person to be well, without mental, spiritual, relational pain. She became a pastor. When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed.
Unfortunately, the church often causes pain. Our words, our positions, our theological stances wound people. We clergy do it too. I have done it. Some of you have felt that wounding. It may be hard for you to be in worship today. Even though I believe that when the pain goes away, then people's lives are changed, we still find ourselves wounding people in the church. These are some of the deepest pains we can have.
Especially when it comes to a verse like we have at John 14:6, where Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." We have used this verse like a sword. We cut some people out. We cut some people off. We say, "Jesus is the only way, and you are not in." We make the verse exclusionary, restrictive, harsh, and narrow. Some of you may have been wounded by the use of this verse. Is that the Jesus way?
I believe that when the pain goes away, people's lives are changed. The Jesus way is about including as many people in salvation as possible. I want to be about that way as we finish up this 3 part series on a path of discipleship.
Look at the Jesus way in John's Gospel. Jesus meets Nicodemus at night. I call him Nick at Night. He is a Jewish teacher, a Pharisee, high up in the religious hierarchy. He is scared and meets Jesus at night. Jesus welcomes him. In the next chapter, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at high noon. She is the polar opposite of Nick. Jews looked down upon Samaritans as half breeds, outcasts, not true believers. A good Jew would spit when saying Samaritan. Jesus welcomes her. Jesus heals a lame man. He feeds the hungry crowds not just with bread but with the words of life. He forgives a woman caught in the act of adultery. He heals a blind man. He raises his friend Lazarus from the dead. He washes his disciples feet. As I read it, he even washes Judas the betrayer's feet, and Peter the denier's feet, and the other ten who all desert him. Jesus way is not to see how many He can exclude, but how many he can include. He is trying to reach as many as He can with grace, mercy, and forgiveness. When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed. This is the Jesus way.
Thomas asks for all of us, "How can we know the way?" And Jesus' answer is not a where but a who. His answer is not a route but a relationship. He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." "In my father's house" could be translated as household. We are invited to be a part of God's family. Jesus wants to take us to himself. I have preached on this passage so many times, but I never noticed this next part. Does Jesus say he is the way to heaven? No. Does he say he is the way to God? No. Jesus says that he is the way to the Father, not a place, not a generic god. Jesus is the way to intimacy with this particular God. There may be other revelations out there. Certainly there are other great world religions. But we have a God who wants to be known throug a specific revelation in Jesus the Christ. It is personal. Jesus will even address this Father as "Daddy." Please don't get caught up in the male language. It is more about intimacy, nearness, relationship.
We have a God revealed in Jesus who wants a close relationship with us. When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed. I heard a great story about this relationship on Thursday morning at a breakfast at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. One pastor stood up and told us about a man in her church named Moses. Doesn't every congregation need a Moses? Moses doesn't have a high paying job. He does his labor with dignity and grace. Another man was impressed with the way Moses handled himself. He asked him, "Moses, why is your life always together?" Moses replied, "Because I know Jesus Christ." "How do you know him?" "You need to get into the Bible and get into a worshiping congregation." The man followed Moses to his church. The pastor said, "You should see the change in this man's life. He is on fire." What did Jesus say? "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed.
I was talking with Diana our Music and Worship leader about this message today. She said she heard another line about pain. If the pain is not transformed, it gets transferred. If we don't give our pain to Jesus for him to heal, we transfer it. Sometimes we shoot it out, spraying others with our anger. Some of you may know about this. Sometimes we hold it in, becoming bitter, and hardened, and sometimes developing a cancer of the soul that eats us up inside. It the pain is not transformed, it gets transferred. When the pain goes away, people's lives are changed.
This is what the psalmist says also. Read Psalm 119, all 176 verses. The psalmist doesn't give a bunch of rules, but the offer of a life-changing relationship. He says, "Here's the way to life, to blessing, to happiness. You can not merely survive. You can thrive. It is not about retribution, but mercy. Walk in God's ways."
Here's the big ask of this message. You have to make a choice. What do you do with the pain? Will it be transformed or transferred. Will you let it go away so your life can be changed or not? I cannot make you do anything. The church can't. God won't. It is your choice. Which way will you go?
In this church we are offering a path of discipleship. Your bulletin insert has information on how you can get started. We would like for you to take a test, a self-assessment of your spiritual journey. Let me see the hands of all you students who are going back to school. I hate to tell you this, but it never ends. After high school, I took 5 years to get my bachelor's degree, then 3 years to get my master's, and another 5 years to get my doctorate. I suspect you adults can identify. You probably have to get continuing education, attend seminars and such to keep up your credentials. This is a lifetime journey. It is not just true for school or work; it is also true of our spiritual journey. We are offering this survey instrument to help you find out where you are in your spiritual journey. You can take it online or hard copy. These are blind scored. We are not keeping the data. It all about you and your relationship with Christ. Then, you will be given a nudge, that is a limited choice of what step you might take next. Then you would keep going.
All we want for you is to fall in love with Jesus, grow deeper in relationship with Him, and then serve Him and others. It might look like this video.
(video of our Back to School blast with Parker Lane UMC where we had hoped to serve 50 kids, and actually helped closer to 200 children with school supplies, backpacks, and clothes. Families got immunizations and health checks. There were games and snacks. The women's volleyball team from St. Ed's joined in as well as a men's fraternity from UT. Lee Ann shared her story of how powerful the experience was for her. Her life has been changed by serving others.)
The good news is that when the pain goes away, people's lives are changed.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
humble
8/16/12 This past Tuesday night, I was in a meeting with some potential teachers for adult classes. We were in the library right inside the front door of the church. We could hear a pickup truck rumble through the parking lot and stop outside. A woman came in the front door, saw our meeting and asked for a pastor. I thought I recognized the woman. My first words were, "I think I know you. You may remember that we don't direct aid from this church." She replied, "I just want 1 minute of your time. Can you give me a minute?" "Yes," I said. "My father is in the hospital. I was going to ask you to visit him." OOPs. Here I had assumed that she wanted money for gas or food or rent. I thought she was another person looking for a handout. I was humbled by her request. I said that I would visit her father who had had a heart attack. When we are humble, God can move in our lives.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
3 idiots
8/15/12 Cathy and I just finished watching a movie from Netflix, that was called "3 Idiots." It is a foreign film, with an Indian cast, language, story line. It even had those classic Bollywood scenes where the cast would break into song and dance. The protagonists are 3 students at an engineering college. One antagonist the the dean of the school, and the other is a "smarty pants" student. There are too many plot twists and unexpected turns to mention. The basic theme of love and friendship that wins out against all odds come through strongly. Cathy and I give 2 big thumbs up. To quote a sigificant line from the film, "All is well."
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
preferences
8/14/12 Yesterday we had a staff retreat with a consultant who led us through a Myers-Briggs personality indicator. We didn't do a hard copy test. We worked as a group together to help identify and confirm one another's preferences. This was one of the main things I wanted to have happen: for us as a staff to become a stronger community through communication. An additional value was to help us see how many personality types/spirituality types there are out there, especially as we are developing a pathway of discipleship. The group worked hard. I am very proud of them and happy to work with them.
I am a ENFP in my preferences. I tend to be energized by Extraversion, become aware of the world through iNtuition. I express myself in Feelings. I like to take in information and do process as Perceiving person. Those are my preferences.
Love,
Lynn
I am a ENFP in my preferences. I tend to be energized by Extraversion, become aware of the world through iNtuition. I express myself in Feelings. I like to take in information and do process as Perceiving person. Those are my preferences.
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 13, 2012
under construction: laying a foundation
from my message on 8/12/12 from Isaiah 40:3-5 and Mark 1:1-3
Today, we start a 3 part series on making a path of discipleship. We begin with laying a foundation. Watch this video of Buddy Goodson, who works in construction, talk about the importance of laying a good foundation.
Buddy said, "you either have a good foundation or you don't." For us Christians, it's about Jesus. He is our good foundation. I don't deny there may be other revelations of who God is and certainly there are other great world religions. But our revelation, our story is around Jesus. God didn't wait for us to get where God is. God came to be where we are. The Lord of all life came to live among us. The fancy church word is "incarnation." God became flesh.
Jesus is the expression of God's love for us. To paraphrase John 3:16, God loved the world so much that God didn't send a committee. God loved the world so much that God didn't send a book of rules. God loved the world so much God didn't send a philosophy. John 3:16 says, "God loved the world so much that he sent his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." That next verse is important to me too, "For God did not send his son into the world in order to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved." Our good foundation is knowing God's love for us in Jesus Christ.
There are other foundations that are not so good. When we build on them, they soon crack, as Buddy says, and they do not last. I have 3 of them to share.
The first is a foundation of fear. It is based on scaring people into following Jesus. I once had a pastor friend, who shall remain nameless, and his denomination shall remain nameless, who was in a study group with me. Week by week we prepared sermons together, and we prayed for one another. Once upon a time, he made a confession to us in the group. He said, "I was a teenage evangelist." Wouldn't that make a great movie title? I WAS A TEENAGE EVANGELIST. As a young man, he was taught all of the tricks. He knew the right words to say with the right pacing and emphasis. He could wring out the right emotions. Have you ever been there...in one of those revival meetings? "IF you were to die tonight, do you know if you would go to heaven or hell? If you want to accept Jesus into your heart tonight, hold up your hands as our heads are bowed and our eyes closed." He could guarantee results. He got many people to make a profession of faith out of fear. He quit it as he realized how manipulative it was. In fact he quit the ministry all together later. Fear is not a good foundation.
The second is an offshoot of fear and one that I personally relate with. I grew up with perfectionism. I thought I had to be good enough for God to love me. It was about my performance, my keeping commandments, my goodness. It was very hard, because I never felt good enough. As a senior in high school my girlfriend showed me a verse that changed my life. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not because of works lest anyone should boast." I was more into self-righteousness and less into the gift that God held for me. I was trying to earn God's love. Perfectionism is not a good foundation.
The third is still in a similiar vein. I call it "Churchianity." We become members of a service club. We do good things in the community. We pay our dues. We attend the meetings. But we miss Jesus. There is no holy relationship. There is no love. We maintain an institution. On our long vacation this summer, I saw a bumper sticker on a car somewhere in the middle of America in one of those plains states. The bumper sticker said, "Jesus is calling: He wants His church back." Churchianity is not a good foundation.
A good foundation was anticipated by the prophet Isaiah. The context in this scripture is that the Hebrew people have been captive in Babylon, read modern day Iraq, for a few generations. They long to go home, to Jerusalem. God speaks to the heavenly host, saying, Prepare the way. Make the crooked places straight. Lower the hills and raise the valleys. God wants all of God's children to come home. It is my constant prayer. Get this...it is God's effort, not ours. God directs the work of drawing God's children home. You may feel a long way from home, from God today. God is laying a good foundation for you to come home.
The Mark passage picks up the same imagery where now John the Baptist is the one who is preparing the way for Jesus the Christ. I know many times we say Jesus Christ as if Christ is Jesus' last name. But Christ means God's anointed One, God's chosen One, the fullest expression of God's love for us. At that time Israel was occupied by Rome. Today we may feel occupied. I will call you on the phone and ask you to serve. You will reply that you are too busy. Do not our calendars possess us? We live in one of the richest zip codes in the world, and yet we have great anxiety over money and possessions. Are we not occupied by worry over worldly goods? There are expectations placed on children and youth that are sometimes unfair and unrealistic. Some turn to the depression and drugs. We need a way out. We need a deliverer.
Jesus is our Rock, our good Foundation. All I am trying to do in this sermon series is simply to help you fall in love with Jesus, follow Him more closely, and come to serve Him and His people. I am through being busy; I want to be making disciples. I am through putting things on the calendar; I want to help people to follow Christ.
This path way of discipleship begins today on this good foundation of God's love for us in Jesus Christ. I invite you to help with its construction. First, we have come up with a survey to help you find out where you are in your walk with Christ. We hope to have it at our website by Aug. 15. It is a self-test, not to be shared with the masses. You may not know if galoshes is a book in the Bible or something you put on your feet. There is no blame or shame in this self-test. The math major in me loves having a tool that can help people discover where there in their spiritual journey. Second, you will be given a nudge. That is, you will be given a limited choice of a next step. You will not be overwhelmed with too many shoices, but a few directed ones. It is too easy to get stagnant, to quit growing. Third, you are invited to keep growing in love.
Please note that this is not a program, but a pilgrimmage.
To close, may I tell you a story? It comes from a source many years ago. There was a 3 year old boy who had a baby sister born into the family. Almost from the moment of birth, the 3 yr old was pestering his parents, "I want to talk to my sister. I need to talk to my sister alone. Please let me talk to her by myself." The parents agonized over what was going on and how they could fulfill their 3 yr old's request. Finally, they allowed it. They did so by keeping the baby monitor on and listening in in the next room. The 3 yr old boy goes over to the baby sister's crib and says, "Hurry up and tell me. I have almost forgotten what God is like."
Maybe we sometimes forget also. Our good foundation is in the love that God holds for us in Jesus Christ. That's the good news I have to share.
Today, we start a 3 part series on making a path of discipleship. We begin with laying a foundation. Watch this video of Buddy Goodson, who works in construction, talk about the importance of laying a good foundation.
Buddy said, "you either have a good foundation or you don't." For us Christians, it's about Jesus. He is our good foundation. I don't deny there may be other revelations of who God is and certainly there are other great world religions. But our revelation, our story is around Jesus. God didn't wait for us to get where God is. God came to be where we are. The Lord of all life came to live among us. The fancy church word is "incarnation." God became flesh.
Jesus is the expression of God's love for us. To paraphrase John 3:16, God loved the world so much that God didn't send a committee. God loved the world so much that God didn't send a book of rules. God loved the world so much God didn't send a philosophy. John 3:16 says, "God loved the world so much that he sent his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." That next verse is important to me too, "For God did not send his son into the world in order to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved." Our good foundation is knowing God's love for us in Jesus Christ.
There are other foundations that are not so good. When we build on them, they soon crack, as Buddy says, and they do not last. I have 3 of them to share.
The first is a foundation of fear. It is based on scaring people into following Jesus. I once had a pastor friend, who shall remain nameless, and his denomination shall remain nameless, who was in a study group with me. Week by week we prepared sermons together, and we prayed for one another. Once upon a time, he made a confession to us in the group. He said, "I was a teenage evangelist." Wouldn't that make a great movie title? I WAS A TEENAGE EVANGELIST. As a young man, he was taught all of the tricks. He knew the right words to say with the right pacing and emphasis. He could wring out the right emotions. Have you ever been there...in one of those revival meetings? "IF you were to die tonight, do you know if you would go to heaven or hell? If you want to accept Jesus into your heart tonight, hold up your hands as our heads are bowed and our eyes closed." He could guarantee results. He got many people to make a profession of faith out of fear. He quit it as he realized how manipulative it was. In fact he quit the ministry all together later. Fear is not a good foundation.
The second is an offshoot of fear and one that I personally relate with. I grew up with perfectionism. I thought I had to be good enough for God to love me. It was about my performance, my keeping commandments, my goodness. It was very hard, because I never felt good enough. As a senior in high school my girlfriend showed me a verse that changed my life. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not because of works lest anyone should boast." I was more into self-righteousness and less into the gift that God held for me. I was trying to earn God's love. Perfectionism is not a good foundation.
The third is still in a similiar vein. I call it "Churchianity." We become members of a service club. We do good things in the community. We pay our dues. We attend the meetings. But we miss Jesus. There is no holy relationship. There is no love. We maintain an institution. On our long vacation this summer, I saw a bumper sticker on a car somewhere in the middle of America in one of those plains states. The bumper sticker said, "Jesus is calling: He wants His church back." Churchianity is not a good foundation.
A good foundation was anticipated by the prophet Isaiah. The context in this scripture is that the Hebrew people have been captive in Babylon, read modern day Iraq, for a few generations. They long to go home, to Jerusalem. God speaks to the heavenly host, saying, Prepare the way. Make the crooked places straight. Lower the hills and raise the valleys. God wants all of God's children to come home. It is my constant prayer. Get this...it is God's effort, not ours. God directs the work of drawing God's children home. You may feel a long way from home, from God today. God is laying a good foundation for you to come home.
The Mark passage picks up the same imagery where now John the Baptist is the one who is preparing the way for Jesus the Christ. I know many times we say Jesus Christ as if Christ is Jesus' last name. But Christ means God's anointed One, God's chosen One, the fullest expression of God's love for us. At that time Israel was occupied by Rome. Today we may feel occupied. I will call you on the phone and ask you to serve. You will reply that you are too busy. Do not our calendars possess us? We live in one of the richest zip codes in the world, and yet we have great anxiety over money and possessions. Are we not occupied by worry over worldly goods? There are expectations placed on children and youth that are sometimes unfair and unrealistic. Some turn to the depression and drugs. We need a way out. We need a deliverer.
Jesus is our Rock, our good Foundation. All I am trying to do in this sermon series is simply to help you fall in love with Jesus, follow Him more closely, and come to serve Him and His people. I am through being busy; I want to be making disciples. I am through putting things on the calendar; I want to help people to follow Christ.
This path way of discipleship begins today on this good foundation of God's love for us in Jesus Christ. I invite you to help with its construction. First, we have come up with a survey to help you find out where you are in your walk with Christ. We hope to have it at our website by Aug. 15. It is a self-test, not to be shared with the masses. You may not know if galoshes is a book in the Bible or something you put on your feet. There is no blame or shame in this self-test. The math major in me loves having a tool that can help people discover where there in their spiritual journey. Second, you will be given a nudge. That is, you will be given a limited choice of a next step. You will not be overwhelmed with too many shoices, but a few directed ones. It is too easy to get stagnant, to quit growing. Third, you are invited to keep growing in love.
Please note that this is not a program, but a pilgrimmage.
To close, may I tell you a story? It comes from a source many years ago. There was a 3 year old boy who had a baby sister born into the family. Almost from the moment of birth, the 3 yr old was pestering his parents, "I want to talk to my sister. I need to talk to my sister alone. Please let me talk to her by myself." The parents agonized over what was going on and how they could fulfill their 3 yr old's request. Finally, they allowed it. They did so by keeping the baby monitor on and listening in in the next room. The 3 yr old boy goes over to the baby sister's crib and says, "Hurry up and tell me. I have almost forgotten what God is like."
Maybe we sometimes forget also. Our good foundation is in the love that God holds for us in Jesus Christ. That's the good news I have to share.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
2 funerals
8/9/12 There is a man named Bob I have known since 1979 when I was the associate pastor at St. John's in Austin. His family was part of the congregation. He attended our church camps and Sunday School. His daughter married a United Methodist pastor. He died 2 weeks. When I got word of his death through an email from the conference office, I offered my condolences to his family. They asked me to do his memorial service. Please understand...Bob was not a member of any church. He was an agnostic. Please pray for me as I will be leading a worship service for Bob on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Yesterday, a woman named Ruth died. She was a charter member of the congregation I now serve, Westlake UMC in Austin. She has been sick the whole time I have known her, these last 5 years. She still had a sharp mind in a rapidly declining body. Of course, there is a sense of loss in her passing, but also a sense of relief. The family has asked me to lead her funeral service on Saturday at 2 p.m.
I know when I served Laurel Heights in San Antonio, I sometimes did as many as 33 funerals a year, and sometimes that was 2 in one day. But it has been a long time since that has happened. May I have the strength and compassion to do this well. May Bob and Ruth be remembered well. May their families and friends be lifted up and encouraged. May God be glorified through 2 funerals.
Love,
Lynn
Yesterday, a woman named Ruth died. She was a charter member of the congregation I now serve, Westlake UMC in Austin. She has been sick the whole time I have known her, these last 5 years. She still had a sharp mind in a rapidly declining body. Of course, there is a sense of loss in her passing, but also a sense of relief. The family has asked me to lead her funeral service on Saturday at 2 p.m.
I know when I served Laurel Heights in San Antonio, I sometimes did as many as 33 funerals a year, and sometimes that was 2 in one day. But it has been a long time since that has happened. May I have the strength and compassion to do this well. May Bob and Ruth be remembered well. May their families and friends be lifted up and encouraged. May God be glorified through 2 funerals.
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
talk
8/8/12 My breath prayer for the day comes from Ephesians 4:29, "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear." I am very aware of the power of words to heal or to wound. I am very good with words, both to hurt and to make better. One of the problems I have is how fast the words come out....before I realize their potential impact. One of the best lessons I learned in spiritual direction is to pause...especially to pause before replying back to someone. So much good or harm can come when we talk.
Faithfully,
Lynn
Faithfully,
Lynn
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
sick
8/7/12 Yesterday I was sick. This is a rare occurence in my life. I think I got some bad food or a short stomach virus. I ran a little fever, but mostly I felt nauseous, achy, and wobbly. I got home about 3:30 p.m. I say in my La-Z-Boy and read. I drank water. Cathy put a cold compress on my head. I went to bed early and slept for 9 hours. I had some dry toast and honey for breakfast. I took a short walk in our park. I came onto work, since I have no fever now. I can only imagine what it is like for all those people I pray for who have lingering illnesses.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Monday, August 6, 2012
pressing on to victory
from my message on 8/5/12, part of my "Olympics" series, from I Cor. 9:24-27, II Tim. 4:7-8
I started lifting weights in the 8th grade (pick up my bar). The bar weighs 10 lbs. It wasn't football season, or basketball season, or track season. Coach called it "off season." We lifted weights 3 times a week. Let's add 10 more pounds to each side, which brings us up to ....30 lbs. I continued to lift weights all thru high school. My first semester in college, I gained the freshman 15. It's time to stop exercising and time to eat all you can at the cafeteria. But my spring semester, I took weight lifting (lift the 30 lbs.) and lost a lot of weight and gained a lot of muscle. I lifted weights all thru college. Let's add 10 more lbs. to each side....which brings us up to .....50 lbs. But thru seminary and marriage and having kids, I stopped lifting. Then more than 20 years ago, I bought this set of free weights from Academy and started lfiting again. (lift the 50 lbs.) I have read that as we get older, it is important to do strength exercises to prevent muscle loss and bone loss and even memory loss. Let's add 5 more lbs. to each side, which would get us to ....60 lbs.
Which leads me to the Olympics (fanfare music plays). Paul was familiar with the Olympics. Mt. Olympus is in Greece. Paul was a sport fanatic if you are to read all of his sports analogies in his letters. In our passages today, he talks about running, and boxing, and getting in shape. He compares being a follower of Christ to that of being an athlete. (lift the 60 lbs) He talks about disciplining the body.....discipline is the same root as disciple. I watched a video this past week that talked about the difference between trying and training. Do you watch the women's marathon run this morning? Did those athletes decide 2 days ago that they would try to run a marathon? NO! For years they have been training to run! So it is with us Christians. We don't try to be Christian. We train to be Christian. We may walk up front and make a professsion of faith, but it doesn't stop there. We read the Bible, we attend worship, we pray, we do acts of mercy. And we grow in our faith and in our following Jesus. We get better at it as we train. Following Christ is a marathon. It is a long race. It takes our whole lives long. We press on to victory. Let's add 2 1/2 lbs to each side...which gets us to ...65 lbs.
Paul talks about winning an imperishable prize. There were games held at Corinth in Greece every other year. The prize for winning was celery leaves. Can you imagine going home and saying, "Look, Mom, what I won....celery leaves." Maybe it was a laurel bush branch at other games. These prizes would soon decay. We press on to victory for an imperishable prize. We have peace in our hearts now, that our sins are forgiven, that we are loved by God. We have hope for eternity, the assurance that there is life after death. It is not some joyless discipline we practice. We press on to victory. (lift the 65 lbs.)
Let's add 2 1/2 lbs to each side...which gets us to ...70 lbs. (lift the 70 lbs). Let's add 2 1/2 lbs to each side...which gets us to ...75 lbs. (go over to the bar, but leave it there). That's enough for me. It is important to know your limits. You don't have to do everything in the faith. That's what the community is for. We Americans tend to make Christianity an individual sport, but really it is a team sport, more like basketball or soccer. Even those athletes in individual events in the Olympics are not just individuals. They have coaches and training partners and nutritionists and physical therapists and family members. No one gets to the Olympics alone.
So you have been holding onto those cans of food for the food pantry in Granite Shoals for Grace UMC there. I want you all to lift them up. Look at how much more we can lift together. We can do so much more as community. Now lets do a relay race. Pass those gifts of food up to the front. Help each other. We press onto victory as community.
The good news is that we press on to victory by training, not by trying, for an imperishable prize and not alone but with others.
I started lifting weights in the 8th grade (pick up my bar). The bar weighs 10 lbs. It wasn't football season, or basketball season, or track season. Coach called it "off season." We lifted weights 3 times a week. Let's add 10 more pounds to each side, which brings us up to ....30 lbs. I continued to lift weights all thru high school. My first semester in college, I gained the freshman 15. It's time to stop exercising and time to eat all you can at the cafeteria. But my spring semester, I took weight lifting (lift the 30 lbs.) and lost a lot of weight and gained a lot of muscle. I lifted weights all thru college. Let's add 10 more lbs. to each side....which brings us up to .....50 lbs. But thru seminary and marriage and having kids, I stopped lifting. Then more than 20 years ago, I bought this set of free weights from Academy and started lfiting again. (lift the 50 lbs.) I have read that as we get older, it is important to do strength exercises to prevent muscle loss and bone loss and even memory loss. Let's add 5 more lbs. to each side, which would get us to ....60 lbs.
Which leads me to the Olympics (fanfare music plays). Paul was familiar with the Olympics. Mt. Olympus is in Greece. Paul was a sport fanatic if you are to read all of his sports analogies in his letters. In our passages today, he talks about running, and boxing, and getting in shape. He compares being a follower of Christ to that of being an athlete. (lift the 60 lbs) He talks about disciplining the body.....discipline is the same root as disciple. I watched a video this past week that talked about the difference between trying and training. Do you watch the women's marathon run this morning? Did those athletes decide 2 days ago that they would try to run a marathon? NO! For years they have been training to run! So it is with us Christians. We don't try to be Christian. We train to be Christian. We may walk up front and make a professsion of faith, but it doesn't stop there. We read the Bible, we attend worship, we pray, we do acts of mercy. And we grow in our faith and in our following Jesus. We get better at it as we train. Following Christ is a marathon. It is a long race. It takes our whole lives long. We press on to victory. Let's add 2 1/2 lbs to each side...which gets us to ...65 lbs.
Paul talks about winning an imperishable prize. There were games held at Corinth in Greece every other year. The prize for winning was celery leaves. Can you imagine going home and saying, "Look, Mom, what I won....celery leaves." Maybe it was a laurel bush branch at other games. These prizes would soon decay. We press on to victory for an imperishable prize. We have peace in our hearts now, that our sins are forgiven, that we are loved by God. We have hope for eternity, the assurance that there is life after death. It is not some joyless discipline we practice. We press on to victory. (lift the 65 lbs.)
Let's add 2 1/2 lbs to each side...which gets us to ...70 lbs. (lift the 70 lbs). Let's add 2 1/2 lbs to each side...which gets us to ...75 lbs. (go over to the bar, but leave it there). That's enough for me. It is important to know your limits. You don't have to do everything in the faith. That's what the community is for. We Americans tend to make Christianity an individual sport, but really it is a team sport, more like basketball or soccer. Even those athletes in individual events in the Olympics are not just individuals. They have coaches and training partners and nutritionists and physical therapists and family members. No one gets to the Olympics alone.
So you have been holding onto those cans of food for the food pantry in Granite Shoals for Grace UMC there. I want you all to lift them up. Look at how much more we can lift together. We can do so much more as community. Now lets do a relay race. Pass those gifts of food up to the front. Help each other. We press onto victory as community.
The good news is that we press on to victory by training, not by trying, for an imperishable prize and not alone but with others.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
sinner
8/2/12 The Psalm for this week according to the lectionary is Psalm 51, David's prayer of confession. David has been confronted by the prophet Nathan, who makes David aware of his sin: committing adultery with Bathsheba, lying to Bathsheba's husband Uriah, having Uriah killed, and taking Bathsheba as his own wife. The Psalm is a cry for mercy after acknowledging that we are sinners.
We are trying to rent a condo that we own in Corpus Christi. I made a verbal commitment to several people that they could see it before we would rent it out. Yesterday, we rented it to the first family who saw it. I had to tell the other families that it had already been rented and that there was no need for them to come see it. One email back confronted me with my broken promise, "so much for a fair chance for everyone." The text stung me because it told the truth about me: that I was a sinner.
The only good news is that in the Psalm and in our Christian walk, there is forgiveness for those who confess that they are sinners.
Love,
Lynn
We are trying to rent a condo that we own in Corpus Christi. I made a verbal commitment to several people that they could see it before we would rent it out. Yesterday, we rented it to the first family who saw it. I had to tell the other families that it had already been rented and that there was no need for them to come see it. One email back confronted me with my broken promise, "so much for a fair chance for everyone." The text stung me because it told the truth about me: that I was a sinner.
The only good news is that in the Psalm and in our Christian walk, there is forgiveness for those who confess that they are sinners.
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
God sightings
8/1/12 Each time we have staff meetings, we have a place for "God sightings," those times we can identify God's movement in our lives. Yesterday, at staff meeting, Hilary shared a time recently when everything seemed to be going badly. It was so bad, even her dog was dying. She had reached her limit. She turned off light in her office and took a mini-retreat, breathing, praying, centering, in silence. After calming down and turning on the light, she discovered a book on her table right in front of her that she had been meaning to read, but had not. She picked it up. It was perfect. It had answers and insights into the very questions she had been dealing with. Then there was a knock at her door. A person who was looking to work directing our nursery care was there, and it just so happened we needed a new director. It was too perfect. It was a God sighting.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
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