Our church hosts families from Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) 2 times a year. These are families that are transitioning from being homeless to getting a home of their own. They stay in different churches for a week at a time. Morris Moore, a member of our church serves on the board of the Foundation for the Homeless which sponsors IHN, shared with me the following email about the experience of one family whose very first week in the program was with us, Westlake UMC.
Lynn,
As we discussed this past Sunday, almost all of our clients express some form of appreciation to us for our hosts and for the role the churches play in making the family shelter program (IHN) possible. However, we had one family who entered the IHN program that week at our church. The first week is usually a stressful time as they acclimate to the program. They wanted to make sure that I conveyed their appreciation to the church as a whole for the hospitality shown to them during their stay. In fact, their teenage girl made this comment to her parents: "Can't we just stay at this church? They are so friendly here". I want to express my appreciation for the manner in which our hosts, volunteers, and staff ALL work as a team to reflect God's love in our interactions with the IHN families.
If you could convey whatever piece(s) of this you wish to share in your weekly email, I would very much appreciate it.
Yours in Christ,
--
Morris Moore
Monday, March 25, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Fear Not: Keep Calm and Carry On
from my message on 3/17/13, from Matthew 10:26-31
Keep Calm and Carry On (slide). Have you seen this poster? In just a minute I will tell you where it came from. I started noticing it everywhere, on coffee cups, on websites, etc. I knew that it had worked its way into our common culture when I started seeing all of the parodies on Keep Calm and Carry On. Here are a few:
Keep Calm and Carrion
Keep Calm and Cary Grant
Keep Calm and have a cupcake
Get Excited and Make Things
Now Panic and Freak Out
Keep Calm and Carry On came from the Ministry of Information in Britain duing WWII. There were a series of posters that the office came up with and were placed around the country. Two and a half million of the Keep Calm and Carry On posters were printed in the event that Germany would invade England. Obviously, there were never used. The posters were made into pulp. Then in the year 2000, a bookseller bought a bunch of old books that had one of the Keep Calm and Carry On posters with the books. Several were found in the archives in a British museum. The British version of the Antique Road Show found some 15 copies. How very British! If Germany should take over our country, we are to Keep Calm and Carry On. The outward circumstances don't determine who we are or how we react. In the worst circumstances we continue to witness to who we ultimately are.
I can almost hear Jesus say to his disciples Keep Calm and Carry On. This whole 10th chapter of Matthew contains Jesus' instructions on how to spread the good news. I am sure the early church remembered his words as they faced the very situations he mentioned. Jesus said that he was sending his followers out as sheep among wolves, that they would be flogged and arrested and persecuted and hated by all. Three times he tells them not to fear. Their message will not merely be whispered, but shouted. It will not remain in the dark but proclaimed in the light. Their Father knows them intimately, so Keep Calm and Carry On.
We are not in the same context today. Being a Christian in our culture does not generate quite this level of conflict. Now if you are a Christian in China or Iraq today, you might really resonate with the words Matthew remembers Jesus saying. So how are we to relate to these words?
I am about to share a very scary word with you Methodists here at Westlake UMC. Are you ready to hear it? The word is witnessing! Arrgghh....please don't make us do that ....witnessing. We have had enough of bad examples--televangelists with hair that could preach Jesus, knocking on strangers' doors to share the 4 spiritual laws, using guilt or fear to coerce people into a profession of faith. Do not be afraid, Jesus says 3 times in this passage. How can we Keep Calm and Carry On?
I was trying to think of a positive example of witnessing. Then I remembered whose day this....March 17...It's St. Patrick's Day. I don't know why we Protestants make such a big deal of it. We usually don't pay much attention to the saints of the Roman Catholic Church. By the way, God bless them and their new pope, Francis. What I remembered from growing up about St. Patrick was that you were supposed to where green on this day or get pinched. You see I have my green suit on today.
Do you know the story of St. Patrick? I will tell you how he witnessed. It is a model of Keep Calm and Carry On. He was born in 390, but not in Ireland. He grew up on the western coast of England or Wales. His father was a deacon in the Roman Church. Patrick was lukewarm in his faith, fairly spoiled. The Celts in Ireland would come over in boats in raiding parties. On one of these forays, Patrick was taken as a slave back to Ireland, when he was about 11. Imagine this, spending months on end in your teenage years, watching sheep as a slave. After 6 years of this, Patrick simply walked off the job, hiking some 200 miles to a port, where he talked his way aboard a ship. He arrived back with his family--fairly unsettled, way behind in his education. This pesky God, and that is my favorite image of God now days, this pesky God came to him in visions. One was "We beg you to come and walk among us again." Another was "He who gave his life for you, he it is who speaks with you."
It took a while before Patrick relented. He went to France to get a theological education. He was ordained as a missionary to Ireland. At age 42, he returns to Ireland to begins his missionary work. Here's how he did it. One, he did it in community, not alone. He went with some dozen men and women. We can't do it alone either. Jesus sent out his disciples 2 x 2. Partick always formed community wherever he went. We can't follow Christ well all by ourselves. Two, Patrick met people where they are. He already knew the language and the culture from the time he was enslaved there. He would get to know the chiefs and the common people, what their needs were, what their hopes where. Three, Patrick used art and music. He was not just left-brained, linear, and rational. Fourth, most importantly, he loved the people. He loved the people. He loved the people. He didn't coerce or force. He loved them. He was an example of Keep Calm and Carry On. When he died on March 17, 461, and that's why we celebrate today on March 17, he left Ireland much different from when he first encountered it. No longer did the chieftains fight amongst themselves. No longer did they go on raiding parties, or have slaves. Ireland had been converted to Christianity.
How can we practice witnessing today? We live in a culture of greed. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On. We will meet the culture with grace. We will say, "your worth does not depend on how much stuff you have. Your worth is determined by how much love God has for you in Jesus Christ."
We live in a culture of blame, of putting others down, in order to feel good about ourselves. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On. We will not give in to runnning down Muslims and assuming they are all terrorists. We will not harrass those of different sexual orientations or race. We will welcome all. We will work for reconciliation.
We live in a culture of indifference, cynicism, rationalism. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On. We will tell our story at Easter. We will talk about death and resurrection. We will allow for mystery in this world. We know that there is room, no hunger for, art and music and mystery, beyond rationalism.
We live with overwhelming problems. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On. We will continue to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, and visit those who are sick or in prison. One good way for you to do this is set aside April 28 as our ReThink Church day. We will call off worship services that day to go out into world to meet people where they are in their need and witness to the fullness of God's love in Jesus Christ by our words and deeds.
I have no scary news for you, only good news when it comes to witnessing. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On.
Keep Calm and Carry On (slide). Have you seen this poster? In just a minute I will tell you where it came from. I started noticing it everywhere, on coffee cups, on websites, etc. I knew that it had worked its way into our common culture when I started seeing all of the parodies on Keep Calm and Carry On. Here are a few:
Keep Calm and Carrion
Keep Calm and Cary Grant
Keep Calm and have a cupcake
Get Excited and Make Things
Now Panic and Freak Out
Keep Calm and Carry On came from the Ministry of Information in Britain duing WWII. There were a series of posters that the office came up with and were placed around the country. Two and a half million of the Keep Calm and Carry On posters were printed in the event that Germany would invade England. Obviously, there were never used. The posters were made into pulp. Then in the year 2000, a bookseller bought a bunch of old books that had one of the Keep Calm and Carry On posters with the books. Several were found in the archives in a British museum. The British version of the Antique Road Show found some 15 copies. How very British! If Germany should take over our country, we are to Keep Calm and Carry On. The outward circumstances don't determine who we are or how we react. In the worst circumstances we continue to witness to who we ultimately are.
I can almost hear Jesus say to his disciples Keep Calm and Carry On. This whole 10th chapter of Matthew contains Jesus' instructions on how to spread the good news. I am sure the early church remembered his words as they faced the very situations he mentioned. Jesus said that he was sending his followers out as sheep among wolves, that they would be flogged and arrested and persecuted and hated by all. Three times he tells them not to fear. Their message will not merely be whispered, but shouted. It will not remain in the dark but proclaimed in the light. Their Father knows them intimately, so Keep Calm and Carry On.
We are not in the same context today. Being a Christian in our culture does not generate quite this level of conflict. Now if you are a Christian in China or Iraq today, you might really resonate with the words Matthew remembers Jesus saying. So how are we to relate to these words?
I am about to share a very scary word with you Methodists here at Westlake UMC. Are you ready to hear it? The word is witnessing! Arrgghh....please don't make us do that ....witnessing. We have had enough of bad examples--televangelists with hair that could preach Jesus, knocking on strangers' doors to share the 4 spiritual laws, using guilt or fear to coerce people into a profession of faith. Do not be afraid, Jesus says 3 times in this passage. How can we Keep Calm and Carry On?
I was trying to think of a positive example of witnessing. Then I remembered whose day this....March 17...It's St. Patrick's Day. I don't know why we Protestants make such a big deal of it. We usually don't pay much attention to the saints of the Roman Catholic Church. By the way, God bless them and their new pope, Francis. What I remembered from growing up about St. Patrick was that you were supposed to where green on this day or get pinched. You see I have my green suit on today.
Do you know the story of St. Patrick? I will tell you how he witnessed. It is a model of Keep Calm and Carry On. He was born in 390, but not in Ireland. He grew up on the western coast of England or Wales. His father was a deacon in the Roman Church. Patrick was lukewarm in his faith, fairly spoiled. The Celts in Ireland would come over in boats in raiding parties. On one of these forays, Patrick was taken as a slave back to Ireland, when he was about 11. Imagine this, spending months on end in your teenage years, watching sheep as a slave. After 6 years of this, Patrick simply walked off the job, hiking some 200 miles to a port, where he talked his way aboard a ship. He arrived back with his family--fairly unsettled, way behind in his education. This pesky God, and that is my favorite image of God now days, this pesky God came to him in visions. One was "We beg you to come and walk among us again." Another was "He who gave his life for you, he it is who speaks with you."
It took a while before Patrick relented. He went to France to get a theological education. He was ordained as a missionary to Ireland. At age 42, he returns to Ireland to begins his missionary work. Here's how he did it. One, he did it in community, not alone. He went with some dozen men and women. We can't do it alone either. Jesus sent out his disciples 2 x 2. Partick always formed community wherever he went. We can't follow Christ well all by ourselves. Two, Patrick met people where they are. He already knew the language and the culture from the time he was enslaved there. He would get to know the chiefs and the common people, what their needs were, what their hopes where. Three, Patrick used art and music. He was not just left-brained, linear, and rational. Fourth, most importantly, he loved the people. He loved the people. He loved the people. He didn't coerce or force. He loved them. He was an example of Keep Calm and Carry On. When he died on March 17, 461, and that's why we celebrate today on March 17, he left Ireland much different from when he first encountered it. No longer did the chieftains fight amongst themselves. No longer did they go on raiding parties, or have slaves. Ireland had been converted to Christianity.
How can we practice witnessing today? We live in a culture of greed. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On. We will meet the culture with grace. We will say, "your worth does not depend on how much stuff you have. Your worth is determined by how much love God has for you in Jesus Christ."
We live in a culture of blame, of putting others down, in order to feel good about ourselves. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On. We will not give in to runnning down Muslims and assuming they are all terrorists. We will not harrass those of different sexual orientations or race. We will welcome all. We will work for reconciliation.
We live in a culture of indifference, cynicism, rationalism. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On. We will tell our story at Easter. We will talk about death and resurrection. We will allow for mystery in this world. We know that there is room, no hunger for, art and music and mystery, beyond rationalism.
We live with overwhelming problems. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On. We will continue to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, and visit those who are sick or in prison. One good way for you to do this is set aside April 28 as our ReThink Church day. We will call off worship services that day to go out into world to meet people where they are in their need and witness to the fullness of God's love in Jesus Christ by our words and deeds.
I have no scary news for you, only good news when it comes to witnessing. We are to Keep Calm and Carry On.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Fear not: How Much is Enough
from my message on 3/3/13, from Luke 12:22-24
Leftovers. This message could be titled Leftovers. You hear the scripture, and you think, "Didn't we finish our stewardship emphasis a couple of weeks ago?'' Yes, we did. But I didn't get to say all of the things I wanted to. So today you are getting leftovers. And isn't one of our biggest fears that we won't have enough? We hold onto tightly to our stuff, no matter how much or how little we have.
I was pastor down on the Texas coast for 10 years. While there, a tropical storm came in north of us and settled over Cuero. It dumped a bunch of rain in a short time in that little town, flooding the low areas. Guess who lived in the low areas? The poorest people. Rivers of waters swept through their homes. One day, our church was helping a old man (by old, I mean older than I am, and I will be 60 tomorrow). Our job was to clear out a storage shed. Now storage shed is much too grand a term. It was a falling down shack. Some people might call what was in the shed antiques, but really it was junk. We had a bid dumpster next to the shed. We were to take the items out of the shed and place them in the dumpster. I sat with that man all day long. I carried very few things to the dumpster. I stayed with the man as he personally reviewed each item we took to the dumpster. It was nothing but warped lumber and buckets of rusted nails and an old screen door and a bald tire. Everything was moldy, rusted, worthless. But he needed to say yes or no. I was his pastor that day, helping him to grieve all he lost. But all of the stuff was absolutely not worth anything. At the end of the day, nothing was held back. Everything went into the dumpster. There was nothing left over.
We hear Jesus' words about the folly of worrying over things in this life. How are we to hold things lightly? Craig Ford was a missionary to Papua, New Guinea. I didn't get to share the following counsel during our stewardship emphasis:
For the Christian, money is the ultimate balancing act. To be rich is not ungodly. To be poor is not spiritual. But there is an ungodly way to be rich and there is a way to grow spiritually through poverty.
--Rich Christians acknowledge God as the Source of wealth. Do you say grace over meals? How do recognize that all we have is a gift from God?
--Rich Christians give God absolute ownership. You have a bank account with your name on it. Probably houses and stocks and bonds, but what do you own? We are just borrowing all of this stuff for a little while. What is God's plan for God's money?
--Rich Christians use their position and influence for kingdom purposes. We are Christians not just on Sunday mornings for 1 hour. We use our gifts all during the week. We serve on boards and agencies. We teach. We do good works like today with Interfaith Hospitality Network, or the CROP walk for hunger. We use our skills, our time, our spiritual gifts for God's glory.
--Rich Christians give generously from a genuine heart. That's why we had our stewardship emphasis with a title of Extravagant Generosity. We know it is not a budget matter, but a heart matter.
--Rich Christians always give priority to people over things. I heard it a long time ago: In the beginning, God gave us people to love and things to use. Maybe our problems begin when we start loving the things and using the people.
I have another story about leftovers. Cathy and I have grown fond of a show on PBS, aired here on Sunday nights, called, The Cafe'. The setting is a coastal town in the south of England. Three generations of women run this cafe where people's lives intersect. Carol is the primary one who manages the eatery. Her mother and father started it. Her dad died, and now her mom sits by the door, knitting. Her daughter, Sara, is an aspiring writer sitting over here working on her manuscripts, trying to get published. There is Frank, who sits outside the door begging for spare change. Carol goes out to see him. He asks, "Any leftovers." "At the end of the day, Frank. An the end of the day." Richard is an attendent at the nursing home. He comes greeting everyone, "Alright? Alright." Stan is in love with Carol. He is a flower merchant. He comes in the afternoons bringing Carol leftover flowers from his shop. The characters are so sweet and gentle with each other. Carol tells her mom "that last night Stan and I went too far.... We held hands." Carol is behind in payments on the cafe. She doesn't know a way out. Brenda (hiss) is the evil one who wants to buy Carol out and make the cafe into something entirely different.
Carol is having a birthday. It has been arranged for her to get her hair done in the back room of the cafe. Her hair is in curlers and under a hair dryer to mask the sound of the surprise party being set up in the front of the cafe. People are sneaking in, "SSSHHH, she's just right there." They are decorating. They are bringing food. They are handing envelopes to the daugther Sara as they enter. Carol comes out with her hair still in curlers. "Surprise," they all shout. They sing, "For she's a jolly good fellow..." Carol cries. Richard is set up with his guitar and is singing. Sara interrupts a song. She says, "You know that mum got in a bit of a spot. She owed 1500 pounds. I am sad to report today that in your envelopes you gave only 1497 pounds and 78 pence." Everybody cheers. Carol cries. They are all singing and dancing. Except Brenda, who says, "Next time, Carol, next time." Then Frank comes up to Carol with his cup, "I have counted it twice, Carol, and there's 3 pounds and 12 pence. I want you to have it." "I can't accept it Frank." "You must." And Carol takes it. It is more than enough. And then Frank asks, "Any leftovers, Carol?" "At the end of the table, Frank, at the end of the table."
I don't have very much on this table today. Just a little bread and some grape juice. I am here to tell you that it is more than enough.
There is only one miracle story that is reported in all four gospels, that is, the feeding of the crowds with just somebody's lunch of bread and fish. In the story, the disciples take up baskets of leftovers. Have no fear: with Jesus, we have more than enough.
Leftovers. This message could be titled Leftovers. You hear the scripture, and you think, "Didn't we finish our stewardship emphasis a couple of weeks ago?'' Yes, we did. But I didn't get to say all of the things I wanted to. So today you are getting leftovers. And isn't one of our biggest fears that we won't have enough? We hold onto tightly to our stuff, no matter how much or how little we have.
I was pastor down on the Texas coast for 10 years. While there, a tropical storm came in north of us and settled over Cuero. It dumped a bunch of rain in a short time in that little town, flooding the low areas. Guess who lived in the low areas? The poorest people. Rivers of waters swept through their homes. One day, our church was helping a old man (by old, I mean older than I am, and I will be 60 tomorrow). Our job was to clear out a storage shed. Now storage shed is much too grand a term. It was a falling down shack. Some people might call what was in the shed antiques, but really it was junk. We had a bid dumpster next to the shed. We were to take the items out of the shed and place them in the dumpster. I sat with that man all day long. I carried very few things to the dumpster. I stayed with the man as he personally reviewed each item we took to the dumpster. It was nothing but warped lumber and buckets of rusted nails and an old screen door and a bald tire. Everything was moldy, rusted, worthless. But he needed to say yes or no. I was his pastor that day, helping him to grieve all he lost. But all of the stuff was absolutely not worth anything. At the end of the day, nothing was held back. Everything went into the dumpster. There was nothing left over.
We hear Jesus' words about the folly of worrying over things in this life. How are we to hold things lightly? Craig Ford was a missionary to Papua, New Guinea. I didn't get to share the following counsel during our stewardship emphasis:
For the Christian, money is the ultimate balancing act. To be rich is not ungodly. To be poor is not spiritual. But there is an ungodly way to be rich and there is a way to grow spiritually through poverty.
--Rich Christians acknowledge God as the Source of wealth. Do you say grace over meals? How do recognize that all we have is a gift from God?
--Rich Christians give God absolute ownership. You have a bank account with your name on it. Probably houses and stocks and bonds, but what do you own? We are just borrowing all of this stuff for a little while. What is God's plan for God's money?
--Rich Christians use their position and influence for kingdom purposes. We are Christians not just on Sunday mornings for 1 hour. We use our gifts all during the week. We serve on boards and agencies. We teach. We do good works like today with Interfaith Hospitality Network, or the CROP walk for hunger. We use our skills, our time, our spiritual gifts for God's glory.
--Rich Christians give generously from a genuine heart. That's why we had our stewardship emphasis with a title of Extravagant Generosity. We know it is not a budget matter, but a heart matter.
--Rich Christians always give priority to people over things. I heard it a long time ago: In the beginning, God gave us people to love and things to use. Maybe our problems begin when we start loving the things and using the people.
I have another story about leftovers. Cathy and I have grown fond of a show on PBS, aired here on Sunday nights, called, The Cafe'. The setting is a coastal town in the south of England. Three generations of women run this cafe where people's lives intersect. Carol is the primary one who manages the eatery. Her mother and father started it. Her dad died, and now her mom sits by the door, knitting. Her daughter, Sara, is an aspiring writer sitting over here working on her manuscripts, trying to get published. There is Frank, who sits outside the door begging for spare change. Carol goes out to see him. He asks, "Any leftovers." "At the end of the day, Frank. An the end of the day." Richard is an attendent at the nursing home. He comes greeting everyone, "Alright? Alright." Stan is in love with Carol. He is a flower merchant. He comes in the afternoons bringing Carol leftover flowers from his shop. The characters are so sweet and gentle with each other. Carol tells her mom "that last night Stan and I went too far.... We held hands." Carol is behind in payments on the cafe. She doesn't know a way out. Brenda (hiss) is the evil one who wants to buy Carol out and make the cafe into something entirely different.
Carol is having a birthday. It has been arranged for her to get her hair done in the back room of the cafe. Her hair is in curlers and under a hair dryer to mask the sound of the surprise party being set up in the front of the cafe. People are sneaking in, "SSSHHH, she's just right there." They are decorating. They are bringing food. They are handing envelopes to the daugther Sara as they enter. Carol comes out with her hair still in curlers. "Surprise," they all shout. They sing, "For she's a jolly good fellow..." Carol cries. Richard is set up with his guitar and is singing. Sara interrupts a song. She says, "You know that mum got in a bit of a spot. She owed 1500 pounds. I am sad to report today that in your envelopes you gave only 1497 pounds and 78 pence." Everybody cheers. Carol cries. They are all singing and dancing. Except Brenda, who says, "Next time, Carol, next time." Then Frank comes up to Carol with his cup, "I have counted it twice, Carol, and there's 3 pounds and 12 pence. I want you to have it." "I can't accept it Frank." "You must." And Carol takes it. It is more than enough. And then Frank asks, "Any leftovers, Carol?" "At the end of the table, Frank, at the end of the table."
I don't have very much on this table today. Just a little bread and some grape juice. I am here to tell you that it is more than enough.
There is only one miracle story that is reported in all four gospels, that is, the feeding of the crowds with just somebody's lunch of bread and fish. In the story, the disciples take up baskets of leftovers. Have no fear: with Jesus, we have more than enough.
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