from my message on Nov. 16, 2014, from Matthew 25:14-30
Thank you. Thank you for your prayers. I was not here last Sunday. I missed leading worship for the first time in 36 1/2 years of ministry, because 12 days ago I had a spot removed from my tongue. I appreciate all of the cards, letters, emails, but especially your prayers.
I thank the competent staff members we have here and the faithful lay leadership. I thank my medical team: Tony, my dentist, and Geoff my primary care doc. I thank my ENT doc, an Aggie like myself, who went far beyond veterinarian medicine.
I thank my wife, Cathy who has been terrific. She has given me foot massages to take my focus off my tongue. She has made interesting smoothies, including a spinach apple one.
12 days ago, a very small, less than 1 mm lesion was removed from my tongue. This past week the pathology revealed that it had squamous cell carcinoma. Scans of my neck and chest on Wednesday this past week proved to be all clear, so no spread. So we caught it small and early. Word to all of you, especially you men, please do your well care checkups. Please don't play tough; ask for help when you need it.
In an abundance of caution, my ENT doc is going to take out the margins from the former site. That means I will have another surgery this Friday morning and will not be in worship next Sunday. Pastor Nancy will preach.
About this time, I can hear you say, "Mabel, he looks really good up there. He talks just fine. He looks like he walked 20,818 steps, 10.1 miles, on his pedometer yesterday at McKinney Falls State Park. I bet he just had this surgery to get out of preaching about stewardship last week."
No, I really enjoy preaching, even about stewardship. I am here today to lower anxiety. I wanted to talk with you directly, calmly so we could move on as a church. This passage of scripture is about stewardship, how we handle all that has entrusted with us, but it even more about dealing with anxiety. Will we respond to God's gracious gifts out of fear or out of faith? Will we respond out of joy or anxiety?
I have preached on this passage numerous times over the years. This time, I had a fantasy. I imagined Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Gospel writers, engaged in a video conference call. This would be a neat trick since they lived not only in different places but in different decades. Anyhow, Luke says, "Someday in the future churches are going to have stewardship campaigns and will need some stories from Jesus about return on investment. Anybody got something?"
Matthew says, "Yes, I do. It's the one where the master trusts his property to his servants. The one who had 5 talents made 5 more talents. The one with 2 made 2 more. The one with 1 hid his in the ground."
Luke, "Yeah, but how does that end?"
Matthew, "Not so great. The one with one talent was afraid. He hid his talent in the ground. He was cast out where there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Luke, "That's harsh. He didn't do anything wrong. He didn't embezzle, swindle, commit fraud, or waste it. In fact, he followed rabbinic law which said if somebody entrusted you with their money and you buried it in the ground, you were no longer liable for it."
Matthew, "Yes, but he played it safe. He didn't do anything with it. He took no risks. Someday there may be a pastor in Westlake Hills who is too nice, too forgiving, who will need a passage to challenge people."
I don't know why but Mark and John remained silent.
So you see this is not just a passage about stewardship but more about fear, fear of risking, fear of taking responsibility.
I went back to work this past Monday. The first thing I did was attend my continuing ed. course on family systems with Dr. Doug Hester. The topic was regression: how under stress and anxiety, people tend to move to lower maturity levels. People will act to relieve the anxiety of the moment rather than act on principle and long term views. People will look for quick fixes. A rabbi/psychotherapist I like, Edwin Friedman, once said, "the pursuit of certainty today is a form of idolatry."
Can you identify? Do you know something about anxiety? I started to bring you a blood pressure cuff. I wanted to see how you would respond to the following words: ebola.......global warming......the so called Islamic State......Russia invading Ukraine.
The news media doesn't help. They feed our addiction for more anxiety. There was a wonderful cartoon in the paper this past Wednesday from the comic strip B.C. A man is handing stone tablet for the broadcast to the presenter. "Here's your copy of tonight's news cast." The presenter responds, "It's exactly the same as yesterday." "Just read it." The presenter shouts, "Everybody panic!" In the last frame, the presenter asks, "Should I just hand onto this for tomorrow night?" "Might as well."
Anxiety cuts off options. We bury ourselves in fear. We lose perspective. Don't you wish there was a way out?
There is way. You are practicing it right now. Being in worship is the best thing you can do in this anxious world. The way out is following Jesus, responding to God's gracious gifts by giving thanks, by giving back. ROI could stand for risking over insecurity, or releasing our insecurity.
I have known some anxiety lately....with this cancer diagnosis on my tongue. The Monday night before my Tuesday surgery, we had a church council meeting. Kay the chairperson and I were in the kitchen getting ice from the machine. She asked, "How are you doing with that?" "I'm scared," I said. "I scared of the pain. I'm scared I won't be able to talk well." She said, "I get it. I have a place on my tongue too." Then I got to say the line I had been waiting all of my life to say, "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours." Kay stuck out her tongue at me. I stuck out my tongue at her. This moment will go on my highlight film of best moments in ordained ministry!
Humor is a great way for dealing with our anxiety. We need more humor in the church! We need each other to keep perspective.
We need to worship. Last Sunday, I attended the early service at Oak Hill UMC. I say way in the back by myself. I was just starting to talk again, to chew again. You don't know how much you miss chewing until it is taken away from you. They had the sacrament of communion. The bread was real crusty. I dipped in the juice. "The body of Christ, the blood of Christ." I wept. It was what I was hungry for. It is the treasure that we have been given. We need not bury it. The world is hungry for what we have. Let's share it.
I have been reflecting on how I have invested my life. I would not take back a single moment I have spent preaching the gospel. I would not trade anything for Bible studies I've led or Sunday School lessons I've taught. I would still choose to sleep on that thin mattress on that bunk bed in New Orleans church so I could do home repair after Hurricane Katrina. I would not take back leaning on the hood of a Suburban with youth from San Saba at 2 a.m. while they questioned why their friend, the star quarterback was killed in a boating accident. I would still make those 1000's of hospital calls, because now I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end. I would not take back any of the money I have given in church, because it was never mine to begin with. All I have I have been given. All I have given has been multiplied many times over for good, for God.
The last Sunday before my surgery was All Saints. As I worshiped here, I thought, "If I am not going to be able to speak much anymore, I want some of my last words to be 'Alleluia.'" I sang out loud.
What will you do? Will you operate out of fear or out of joy? I want to hear the master say to me someday, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant. You have been faithful over a little. I will trust you with even more. Enter into the joy of your master!"
Amen.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
God's Good News
from my message on Oct. 26, 2014, from I Thes. 2:1-8
Good news. Could you use some good news today? Have you had enough bad news to last you for a while? I have only good news for you today. I have noticed that the TV newscasts have started ending their presentations with an uplifting story, a story of courage, or a story of generosity or sacrifice. I wish the whole newscast was that way! I promise you my message today--first, middle, and last--is only good news.
The good news is that God loves us. God created us and called us very good. God sends his Son, Jesus, as the fullest expression of that love, living, dying, and rising again for us. Jesus promises his Spirit to be with us forever, encouraging us, strengthening us. We have been empowered to share this good news with others.
Last Sunday, we got to practice this, as we called off worship services here in order to be in service to others in something we called ReThink Church Plus One. Let's watch this video of how we witnessed to God's good news at work in us. (go to our website, www.westlake-umc.org to watch the video).
You can look at the back page of the worship bulletin to see all of the different projects and the leaders who headed them up. I want to thank you. I am proud of you and how you witnessed to God's good news.
I want you to hear from one project, a youth who helped with kickball at Odom Elementary. (go to website to listen to my message and the youth witness).
In a moment, I am going to have you share in 2's or 3's some of God's good news. It could be about what you did for ReThink Church Plus One or it could be another God-sighting or how God is moving in your life. You may not have something to share; you may be the one who needs to hear good news today. That is perfectly fine too.
To prime the pumps, I want to share some stories from last week. The cookie baggers packaged 3,424, cookies, or 856 servings for Mobile Loaves and Fishes. This does not count the Oreos that were sampled for quality control! The blood drive received 17 pints of blood, with 9 others willing to give, but could not donate for a variety of reasons. Twelve persons registered with the National Tissue Registry. 28 learned CPR and First Aid techniques. The instructor said how great it was to teach a group who "wanted" to be there, instead of "had" to be there. 37 attended the Which Way Home movie from the year 2009, which showed us that the problem of children desiring to enter the US from Central America was not a new phenomena. There are 393 unaccompanied minors in Travis County in 2014 so far, that Justice for Our Neighbors is helping. We had a guest family attend the English Conversation Class at Parker Lane UMC last Sunday, and the whole family, adults and children, got involved enthusiastically. Our senior game day party saw intergenerational participation. One older couple who was given a ride had not been out of their house in the last 2 weeks.
Talk among yourselves now and share God's good news.
You can do it! You can share God's good news! The word for good news here is in Greek, euangelion, from which we get the word evangelism. We sometimes translate it as gospel.
I read an article this past week that asked why it is only "good" news. Why not "great" news or "extraordinary" news? I like it that it is understated, kind of like us. We are not pushy. The letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonika says that we share good news out of genuineness, not greed or trickery. I like how it says that we share not only God's good news but our very lives. I believe that this is countercultural. We have become too accustomed to expecting bad news. We followers of Christ practice healing in the midst of hurt, offer shelter in the midst of homeless, give food in the midst of hunger, and offer relationship in the midst of loneliness.
There is a world out there that is dying to hear God's good news.
You know how I like to end my messages: That's the good I have to share with you today. The thing is: you have good news to share also. Amen.
Good news. Could you use some good news today? Have you had enough bad news to last you for a while? I have only good news for you today. I have noticed that the TV newscasts have started ending their presentations with an uplifting story, a story of courage, or a story of generosity or sacrifice. I wish the whole newscast was that way! I promise you my message today--first, middle, and last--is only good news.
The good news is that God loves us. God created us and called us very good. God sends his Son, Jesus, as the fullest expression of that love, living, dying, and rising again for us. Jesus promises his Spirit to be with us forever, encouraging us, strengthening us. We have been empowered to share this good news with others.
Last Sunday, we got to practice this, as we called off worship services here in order to be in service to others in something we called ReThink Church Plus One. Let's watch this video of how we witnessed to God's good news at work in us. (go to our website, www.westlake-umc.org to watch the video).
You can look at the back page of the worship bulletin to see all of the different projects and the leaders who headed them up. I want to thank you. I am proud of you and how you witnessed to God's good news.
I want you to hear from one project, a youth who helped with kickball at Odom Elementary. (go to website to listen to my message and the youth witness).
In a moment, I am going to have you share in 2's or 3's some of God's good news. It could be about what you did for ReThink Church Plus One or it could be another God-sighting or how God is moving in your life. You may not have something to share; you may be the one who needs to hear good news today. That is perfectly fine too.
To prime the pumps, I want to share some stories from last week. The cookie baggers packaged 3,424, cookies, or 856 servings for Mobile Loaves and Fishes. This does not count the Oreos that were sampled for quality control! The blood drive received 17 pints of blood, with 9 others willing to give, but could not donate for a variety of reasons. Twelve persons registered with the National Tissue Registry. 28 learned CPR and First Aid techniques. The instructor said how great it was to teach a group who "wanted" to be there, instead of "had" to be there. 37 attended the Which Way Home movie from the year 2009, which showed us that the problem of children desiring to enter the US from Central America was not a new phenomena. There are 393 unaccompanied minors in Travis County in 2014 so far, that Justice for Our Neighbors is helping. We had a guest family attend the English Conversation Class at Parker Lane UMC last Sunday, and the whole family, adults and children, got involved enthusiastically. Our senior game day party saw intergenerational participation. One older couple who was given a ride had not been out of their house in the last 2 weeks.
Talk among yourselves now and share God's good news.
You can do it! You can share God's good news! The word for good news here is in Greek, euangelion, from which we get the word evangelism. We sometimes translate it as gospel.
I read an article this past week that asked why it is only "good" news. Why not "great" news or "extraordinary" news? I like it that it is understated, kind of like us. We are not pushy. The letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonika says that we share good news out of genuineness, not greed or trickery. I like how it says that we share not only God's good news but our very lives. I believe that this is countercultural. We have become too accustomed to expecting bad news. We followers of Christ practice healing in the midst of hurt, offer shelter in the midst of homeless, give food in the midst of hunger, and offer relationship in the midst of loneliness.
There is a world out there that is dying to hear God's good news.
You know how I like to end my messages: That's the good I have to share with you today. The thing is: you have good news to share also. Amen.
Monday, October 13, 2014
JOY
from my message on Oct. 12, 2014, from Philippians 4:1-9
Sing with me, I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart, down in my heart.
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart to stay.
Is that true? Do you have that joy...in your heart?
Joy....life in Christ is marked by joy. Joy is much deeper than any passing emotion like happiness or sadness. You can have joy even though the scores from the football games of yesterday didn't go your way.
Paul writes to the church in Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia. He calls them "my joy and my crown." He tells them, "Rejoice in the Lord, always; again, I say, Rejoice."
Next Sunday, Oct. 19, we will observe ReThink Church Plus One, a time when we will go out into the world to serve others. We will do this not out of guilt or obligation, but joy.
I have a memory device for you. JOY will be an acronym. The J stands for Jesus. Our joy is rooted in him. Notice how many times in the passage Paul says, "in the Lord." Stand firm ...in the Lord. Keep your hearts and minds... in Christ Jesus, in the Lord. Rejoice...in the Lord.
I don't discount that there are other revelations of God and other world religions, but we have a particular revelation in Jesus Christ. When I was sharing this idea of ReThink Church Plus One this summer with some focus groups, Kevin said, "I really like it. It is exactly what Jesus did. He didn't say, 'Here's a bunch of theology or here's a lot of rules to memorize.' He said, 'Follow me.' When they followed Him, they saw him heal people, teach people, feed people. Then later, they asked Him, 'What happened there? What did it mean?' Then Jesus could tell them about how the Kingdom of God had come close to them. Their lives were changed."
This is joy, following Jesus and seeing lives changed.
The O stand for Others. We realize that we can gain wisdom from others, even as we are called to serve others. The list of admirable qualities that Paul quotes from, things that are true, holy, just, pure, lovely, worthy of praise, actually comes from Greek philosophy. We can find Jesus everywhere. We can take the best insights from anywhere.
Paul says that we are to show gentleness or generosity or consideration to all people. We begin right here in community. You are not going to believe it, but there was conflict in the early church! Do you know something about conflict in church? If you don't, you will. It is bound to happen.
Apparently 2 leaders in the church, 2 women were in disagreement. Paul invites others, an unknown person, Clement, and other co-workers, to help them resolve this.
Gerard, a member of this church, has been the leader on some 31 builds for Habitat for Humanity homes. I like to work on his Friday crew. I like to take my hammer and hit things. Once upon a time some years ago, 2 members of this church were in conflict and were part of the Friday crew. I noticed that Gerard paired them up, intentionally I think, to build cabinets together. Lots of little screws, nuts and bolts to put in. It was amazing how the differences dissolved as they worked together. There is much joy in resolution.
ReThink Church projects for others will help us overcome our conflicts too.
Y stands for You. You cannot do this Christian walk alone. You cannot know who you are except by being in relationship with Jesus and Others. There is great joy in knowing who you are and your purpose here.
ReThink Church Plus One will give you an opportunity for joy. You can fill out the hard copy insert in your bulletin, go on-line at our church website, or call the office. Join us in joy next Sunday.
Watch the video to see some more ways you can get involved.
I am encouraging you to invite someone to serve alongside of you, your Plus One. I have a story from a hero of mine, Fred Craddock, a professor of preaching. I will quote it almost verbatim to bring Jesus, Others, and You together.
When I was pastoring in Tennessee, there was a girl about 7 years old who came to our church regularly for Sunday School, and sometimes here parents let her stay for the worship service. They didn't come. We had a circular drive at that church. It was built for people who let their children off and drove on. We didn't want to inconvenience them, so we had a circular drive. But they were very faithful, Mom and Dad. They had moved from New Jersey with the new chemical plant. He was upwardly mobile; they were both very ambitious; and they didn't come to church. There wasn't really any need for that, I guess.
But on Saturday nights, the whole town knew of their parties. They gave parties, not for entertainment, but as part of the upwardly mobile thing. That determined who was invited: the right people, the one just above, and finally on up to the boss. And those parties ere full of drinking and wild and vulgar things. Everybody knew. But there was their beautiful girl every Sunday.
One Sunday morning I looked out, and she was there. I thought, "Well, she's with her friends." but it was her Mom and Dad. After the sermon, at the close of the service, as is the custom at my church, came an invitation to discipleship, and Mr. and Mrs. Mom and Dad came to the front. They confessed their faith in Christ. Afterward I asked, "What prompted this?"
They said, "Well, do you know about our parties?" And I said, "Yeah, I have heard about your parties."
They said, "Well, we had one last night again, and it got a little loud, and it got a little rough, and there was too much drinking. We woke up our daughter, and she came downstairs to the 3rd step. She saw that we were eating and drinking, and she said, "Oh, can I say the blessing? God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food. Good-night, everybody.' She went back upstairs.
People started saying, "Oh, my land, it's time to go. We've got to be going. We've stayed way too long." Within 2 minutes the room was empty.
Mr. and Mrs. Mom and Dad began cleaning up, picking up crumpled napkins and wasted and spilled peanuts and half-eaten sandwiches, and taking empty glasses on trays to the kitchen. And with 2 trays, he and she met on either side of the sink, they looked at each other, and he expressed what both were thinking: "Where do we think we're going?" The moment of truth.
There is more joy in heaven over one who repents that 99 that have no need of repentance. Joy comes in relationship with Jesus and Others. That's the good news I have to share with you today.
Sing with me, I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart, down in my heart.
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart to stay.
Is that true? Do you have that joy...in your heart?
Joy....life in Christ is marked by joy. Joy is much deeper than any passing emotion like happiness or sadness. You can have joy even though the scores from the football games of yesterday didn't go your way.
Paul writes to the church in Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia. He calls them "my joy and my crown." He tells them, "Rejoice in the Lord, always; again, I say, Rejoice."
Next Sunday, Oct. 19, we will observe ReThink Church Plus One, a time when we will go out into the world to serve others. We will do this not out of guilt or obligation, but joy.
I have a memory device for you. JOY will be an acronym. The J stands for Jesus. Our joy is rooted in him. Notice how many times in the passage Paul says, "in the Lord." Stand firm ...in the Lord. Keep your hearts and minds... in Christ Jesus, in the Lord. Rejoice...in the Lord.
I don't discount that there are other revelations of God and other world religions, but we have a particular revelation in Jesus Christ. When I was sharing this idea of ReThink Church Plus One this summer with some focus groups, Kevin said, "I really like it. It is exactly what Jesus did. He didn't say, 'Here's a bunch of theology or here's a lot of rules to memorize.' He said, 'Follow me.' When they followed Him, they saw him heal people, teach people, feed people. Then later, they asked Him, 'What happened there? What did it mean?' Then Jesus could tell them about how the Kingdom of God had come close to them. Their lives were changed."
This is joy, following Jesus and seeing lives changed.
The O stand for Others. We realize that we can gain wisdom from others, even as we are called to serve others. The list of admirable qualities that Paul quotes from, things that are true, holy, just, pure, lovely, worthy of praise, actually comes from Greek philosophy. We can find Jesus everywhere. We can take the best insights from anywhere.
Paul says that we are to show gentleness or generosity or consideration to all people. We begin right here in community. You are not going to believe it, but there was conflict in the early church! Do you know something about conflict in church? If you don't, you will. It is bound to happen.
Apparently 2 leaders in the church, 2 women were in disagreement. Paul invites others, an unknown person, Clement, and other co-workers, to help them resolve this.
Gerard, a member of this church, has been the leader on some 31 builds for Habitat for Humanity homes. I like to work on his Friday crew. I like to take my hammer and hit things. Once upon a time some years ago, 2 members of this church were in conflict and were part of the Friday crew. I noticed that Gerard paired them up, intentionally I think, to build cabinets together. Lots of little screws, nuts and bolts to put in. It was amazing how the differences dissolved as they worked together. There is much joy in resolution.
ReThink Church projects for others will help us overcome our conflicts too.
Y stands for You. You cannot do this Christian walk alone. You cannot know who you are except by being in relationship with Jesus and Others. There is great joy in knowing who you are and your purpose here.
ReThink Church Plus One will give you an opportunity for joy. You can fill out the hard copy insert in your bulletin, go on-line at our church website, or call the office. Join us in joy next Sunday.
Watch the video to see some more ways you can get involved.
I am encouraging you to invite someone to serve alongside of you, your Plus One. I have a story from a hero of mine, Fred Craddock, a professor of preaching. I will quote it almost verbatim to bring Jesus, Others, and You together.
When I was pastoring in Tennessee, there was a girl about 7 years old who came to our church regularly for Sunday School, and sometimes here parents let her stay for the worship service. They didn't come. We had a circular drive at that church. It was built for people who let their children off and drove on. We didn't want to inconvenience them, so we had a circular drive. But they were very faithful, Mom and Dad. They had moved from New Jersey with the new chemical plant. He was upwardly mobile; they were both very ambitious; and they didn't come to church. There wasn't really any need for that, I guess.
But on Saturday nights, the whole town knew of their parties. They gave parties, not for entertainment, but as part of the upwardly mobile thing. That determined who was invited: the right people, the one just above, and finally on up to the boss. And those parties ere full of drinking and wild and vulgar things. Everybody knew. But there was their beautiful girl every Sunday.
One Sunday morning I looked out, and she was there. I thought, "Well, she's with her friends." but it was her Mom and Dad. After the sermon, at the close of the service, as is the custom at my church, came an invitation to discipleship, and Mr. and Mrs. Mom and Dad came to the front. They confessed their faith in Christ. Afterward I asked, "What prompted this?"
They said, "Well, do you know about our parties?" And I said, "Yeah, I have heard about your parties."
They said, "Well, we had one last night again, and it got a little loud, and it got a little rough, and there was too much drinking. We woke up our daughter, and she came downstairs to the 3rd step. She saw that we were eating and drinking, and she said, "Oh, can I say the blessing? God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food. Good-night, everybody.' She went back upstairs.
People started saying, "Oh, my land, it's time to go. We've got to be going. We've stayed way too long." Within 2 minutes the room was empty.
Mr. and Mrs. Mom and Dad began cleaning up, picking up crumpled napkins and wasted and spilled peanuts and half-eaten sandwiches, and taking empty glasses on trays to the kitchen. And with 2 trays, he and she met on either side of the sink, they looked at each other, and he expressed what both were thinking: "Where do we think we're going?" The moment of truth.
There is more joy in heaven over one who repents that 99 that have no need of repentance. Joy comes in relationship with Jesus and Others. That's the good news I have to share with you today.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Christ for the World
from my message on World Communion Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014, from Philippians 3:4b-14
I got to thinking about it this past week. It was exactly 40 years ago that I found myself worshiping at Niccholson Square Methodist Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. Here's how I got there. I was a farmboy from the Panhandle of Texas and hadn't really traveled much. I had been to Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado. But I had received a Rotary Foundation Fellowship that allowed me to study anywhere I wanted to in the world. I chose Edinburgh University.
I thought that they talked funny. Ye looking all pealy wally (sickly, ashen faced). If ye can say it's a braw, bricht, moon lit nicht ta nicht, ye all richt, ye ken (if you can say it's a bold, bright moon light night tonight, you're alright, you know). Whooo r yu (who are you)?
They thought I talked funny. "My name is Ly--un." "Pleased to meet your Leon." "No, it's Ly-un." We Texans make one syllable words into two.
I arrived in Edinburgh at the end of September, 1974. I didn't know a single soul. I lived in a bed-sit, a family rented me a room with breakfast for a pound a day, 4 floors up in tenement housing, at 52 Leith Walk. At the end of my first week there, Sunday came around. I was used to attending worship. I found Niccholson Square Methodist Church, only 2 Methodist churches in this city of 1/2 million, next to the campus.
Worship was very similar to here. They sang hymns, had prayers, read scripture, received a sermon. It was the first Sunday of October, and they had the sacrament of communion. The preacher said it was World Communion Sunday. As I knelt there and received the bread and juice, it hit me. People in Littlefield, Texas, 4,000 miles and 6 time zones away, were also taking communion this day. People in Australia, Africa, Asia were also sharing in this meal. What a large table! Christ came for the whole world. Every nation, language, tribe, ethnicity is included.
After worship, I was hanging around talking with the preacher and some other families. One of the families asked if I had lunch plans. I didn't. They invited me into their home. I felt like the sacrament of communion was continued at their dining table as I was accepted there. They didn't ask who my parents were, how old I was, what grades I made, what my political beliefs were, or where I was on the theological spectrum. They simply accepted me as another follower of Christ.
In this passage of scripture, Paul gives his credentials, noting how righteous and educated and holy he is. However, he says that none of that matters at all. All of those accolades are worth nothing compared to knowing Jesus as Lord.
Today, at this table, we won't be checking ID's. All are welcome here. There are many who may not know that they are welcome here. You may be called to extend this sacrament, to take it home, to take it into the world, so all can come home.
Ronnie is doing that with the English Conversation Class with the Matu community in East Austin. Watch the video of one project that you might do on ReThink Church day Plus One, on Oct. 19.
I hope you are feeling called to your particular project where you can extend Christ's love out into the world. I hope you are feeling called to inviting your Plus One, that friend, relative, associate, or neighbor to serve alongside you. Please go online to register how you will extend this world communion feast on Oct. 19. There are many people who are hungry, not just for food, but also for shelter, for relationships, for meaning. The good news is that Christ came for the world, the whole world.
I got to thinking about it this past week. It was exactly 40 years ago that I found myself worshiping at Niccholson Square Methodist Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. Here's how I got there. I was a farmboy from the Panhandle of Texas and hadn't really traveled much. I had been to Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado. But I had received a Rotary Foundation Fellowship that allowed me to study anywhere I wanted to in the world. I chose Edinburgh University.
I thought that they talked funny. Ye looking all pealy wally (sickly, ashen faced). If ye can say it's a braw, bricht, moon lit nicht ta nicht, ye all richt, ye ken (if you can say it's a bold, bright moon light night tonight, you're alright, you know). Whooo r yu (who are you)?
They thought I talked funny. "My name is Ly--un." "Pleased to meet your Leon." "No, it's Ly-un." We Texans make one syllable words into two.
I arrived in Edinburgh at the end of September, 1974. I didn't know a single soul. I lived in a bed-sit, a family rented me a room with breakfast for a pound a day, 4 floors up in tenement housing, at 52 Leith Walk. At the end of my first week there, Sunday came around. I was used to attending worship. I found Niccholson Square Methodist Church, only 2 Methodist churches in this city of 1/2 million, next to the campus.
Worship was very similar to here. They sang hymns, had prayers, read scripture, received a sermon. It was the first Sunday of October, and they had the sacrament of communion. The preacher said it was World Communion Sunday. As I knelt there and received the bread and juice, it hit me. People in Littlefield, Texas, 4,000 miles and 6 time zones away, were also taking communion this day. People in Australia, Africa, Asia were also sharing in this meal. What a large table! Christ came for the whole world. Every nation, language, tribe, ethnicity is included.
After worship, I was hanging around talking with the preacher and some other families. One of the families asked if I had lunch plans. I didn't. They invited me into their home. I felt like the sacrament of communion was continued at their dining table as I was accepted there. They didn't ask who my parents were, how old I was, what grades I made, what my political beliefs were, or where I was on the theological spectrum. They simply accepted me as another follower of Christ.
In this passage of scripture, Paul gives his credentials, noting how righteous and educated and holy he is. However, he says that none of that matters at all. All of those accolades are worth nothing compared to knowing Jesus as Lord.
Today, at this table, we won't be checking ID's. All are welcome here. There are many who may not know that they are welcome here. You may be called to extend this sacrament, to take it home, to take it into the world, so all can come home.
Ronnie is doing that with the English Conversation Class with the Matu community in East Austin. Watch the video of one project that you might do on ReThink Church day Plus One, on Oct. 19.
I hope you are feeling called to your particular project where you can extend Christ's love out into the world. I hope you are feeling called to inviting your Plus One, that friend, relative, associate, or neighbor to serve alongside you. Please go online to register how you will extend this world communion feast on Oct. 19. There are many people who are hungry, not just for food, but also for shelter, for relationships, for meaning. The good news is that Christ came for the world, the whole world.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Running on Empty
from my message on Sept. 28, 2014, from Phil. 2:1-13
Here's something we rarely say to each other, "Have an empty day!" When we see our children off to school, we don't usually say, "Go and be empty!" We don't leave our friends with the words, "I wish for you emptiness!"
No, we are about filling up. We want full bellies....full bank accounts.....especially we want full calendars.
We are a little bit scared of emptiness.
A pastor friend of mine recently came back from a silent retreat at Lebh Shomea. This is a Catholic house of quiet and prayer near Sarita, Tx. You don't talk there. Even at meals, it is quiet. The only time you may talk is at morning communion service, where you exchange the peace of Christ and participate in the liturgy. My friend said he really needed to be there. He needed a time to vacate, to know emptiness.
We go on vacations, but we rarely experience them as emptiness. We often try to fill them. "We have just enough time to make it to the Battleship Texas. Let's go. If we hurry, we can make it."
We may fell like Jackson Browne in his song, Running on Empty. I never really listened to the words before. It seems like the faster he went, the more he tried to do, the more he felt empty. All of the trivial stuff didn't satisfy.
I heard from one of our members about a friend of his who went to a retreat house on a Greek island. It too was a house of quiet and prayer. The only one who spoke was the retreat master. This retreat master showed the man to his tiny room, with simple bed, desk, lamp. He wished him good night, saying he would see him for breakfast in the morning. It was so quiet, that the many slept hard. He woke up hungry. He went to the dining hall, late for breakfast. He asked the retreat master if he could still get something to eat. "Yes," the retreat master replied. "We were starting to get worried about you. You have slept for 3 days." Running on empty is our theme.
Before I get to Paul's counsel to the Philippians, I have one more encounter from this past week. I visited with Tina Carter, pastor at Parker Lane UMC. We have done several things with this sister congregation over the years. They are only 8 miles away, but a world away from us here in Westlake Hills. In East Austin, they have much more diversity according to race, languages, socio-economic levels, education levels. Tina says, "We do one thing really well." "What's that?" I asked. "We hang out really well. We do relationships really well." This is making room, clearing space, cultivating emptiness.
That's what Paul offers to the Philipppians. They were filled up with pettiness. I know we never get caught up in pettiness today! We never major in the minors! We never fill up on selfish trivialities! Paul's cure for their community was clever. He sang them a song, a song they knew. He didn't preach to them. He didn't offer a bunch of theology. He didn't give them a lot of rules. He sang a song from their hymn book. That's what verses 6-11 are, a song. The song says, "Have this mind among yourselves that was in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, freely accepting death, even death on the cross."
His counsel to them is emptiness. He says, "Learn your part in the song. Join in the harmony with others. Follow the example of Christ." I ask you, can you sing all the parts of a song. We had one person at the early service who said that they had that kind of range. But I asked, "Can you sing them all at the same time?" No, we are to empty ourselves, find our part, and do it well, for the sake of the community. There are many voices. Each is important.
I remind you about the nature of music. The notes are important, but so are the rests! The emptiness is part of the music.
I have a way for you to practice this song of faith; it is ReThink Church Plus 1 on Oct. 19. We are going to call off worship services here to be in service out in the world. We are going to invite a guest alongside of us, our Plus One.
You see the bulletin insert with its list of projects. New ones are being created each week. This past week Matt asked me if the youth basketball team that practices in our gym could go out and repair nets on city or church playgrounds. I said, Yes, that is exactly what I want to have happen here. Be creative. Be entrepreneurs of the Spirit.
Here's a video of Senior Caregivers. It captures well that idea of "hanging out," of having no agenda but simply to be in relationship with someone, of creating emptiness so Christ can move in.
Most of our projects this year are not just one shot, let's feel good about ourselves projects. They are about establishing relationships, about hanging out with God's people, about emptying ourselves of our agendas.
One other way you can practice this emptiness is with your Plus One. Someone in this church suggested it to me: take this list of projects to your Plus One and have them choose the one they feel drawn to. I hope you are praying for your Plus One, maybe have even invited them already.
I close with a story on altruism. I heard it on NPR as I was driving around this past week. Altruism is giving, even giving sacrificially with no thought of reward or payment, maybe even doing so anonymously. The story on the radio started with a woman on the east coast who donated a kidney to another woman she didn' know on the west coast. The researcher was trying to find out what motivated here to do that. She did a study of other altruists. She found in brain scans that altruists have enlarged amygdalas. They are sensitive to others' pain. She found that psychopaths have stunted amygdalas. What we do here in worship, our singing, our praying, our serving together in community is all brain training! It is growing our amygdalas. We can have the mind of Christ!
The researcher was asked why she was interested in this field. She said, When I was a young woman, my car broke down in the fast lane, the passing land on the interstate. I was stuck there. A man came along. He got my car off the road. He got cars to go around. He got me help. Then he drove away. I never got his name." We have Christ who has set for us an example to follow.
I wish for you emptiness, so that you may be filled with the presence of Christ. That's the good news I have to share.
Here's something we rarely say to each other, "Have an empty day!" When we see our children off to school, we don't usually say, "Go and be empty!" We don't leave our friends with the words, "I wish for you emptiness!"
No, we are about filling up. We want full bellies....full bank accounts.....especially we want full calendars.
We are a little bit scared of emptiness.
A pastor friend of mine recently came back from a silent retreat at Lebh Shomea. This is a Catholic house of quiet and prayer near Sarita, Tx. You don't talk there. Even at meals, it is quiet. The only time you may talk is at morning communion service, where you exchange the peace of Christ and participate in the liturgy. My friend said he really needed to be there. He needed a time to vacate, to know emptiness.
We go on vacations, but we rarely experience them as emptiness. We often try to fill them. "We have just enough time to make it to the Battleship Texas. Let's go. If we hurry, we can make it."
We may fell like Jackson Browne in his song, Running on Empty. I never really listened to the words before. It seems like the faster he went, the more he tried to do, the more he felt empty. All of the trivial stuff didn't satisfy.
I heard from one of our members about a friend of his who went to a retreat house on a Greek island. It too was a house of quiet and prayer. The only one who spoke was the retreat master. This retreat master showed the man to his tiny room, with simple bed, desk, lamp. He wished him good night, saying he would see him for breakfast in the morning. It was so quiet, that the many slept hard. He woke up hungry. He went to the dining hall, late for breakfast. He asked the retreat master if he could still get something to eat. "Yes," the retreat master replied. "We were starting to get worried about you. You have slept for 3 days." Running on empty is our theme.
Before I get to Paul's counsel to the Philippians, I have one more encounter from this past week. I visited with Tina Carter, pastor at Parker Lane UMC. We have done several things with this sister congregation over the years. They are only 8 miles away, but a world away from us here in Westlake Hills. In East Austin, they have much more diversity according to race, languages, socio-economic levels, education levels. Tina says, "We do one thing really well." "What's that?" I asked. "We hang out really well. We do relationships really well." This is making room, clearing space, cultivating emptiness.
That's what Paul offers to the Philipppians. They were filled up with pettiness. I know we never get caught up in pettiness today! We never major in the minors! We never fill up on selfish trivialities! Paul's cure for their community was clever. He sang them a song, a song they knew. He didn't preach to them. He didn't offer a bunch of theology. He didn't give them a lot of rules. He sang a song from their hymn book. That's what verses 6-11 are, a song. The song says, "Have this mind among yourselves that was in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, freely accepting death, even death on the cross."
His counsel to them is emptiness. He says, "Learn your part in the song. Join in the harmony with others. Follow the example of Christ." I ask you, can you sing all the parts of a song. We had one person at the early service who said that they had that kind of range. But I asked, "Can you sing them all at the same time?" No, we are to empty ourselves, find our part, and do it well, for the sake of the community. There are many voices. Each is important.
I remind you about the nature of music. The notes are important, but so are the rests! The emptiness is part of the music.
I have a way for you to practice this song of faith; it is ReThink Church Plus 1 on Oct. 19. We are going to call off worship services here to be in service out in the world. We are going to invite a guest alongside of us, our Plus One.
You see the bulletin insert with its list of projects. New ones are being created each week. This past week Matt asked me if the youth basketball team that practices in our gym could go out and repair nets on city or church playgrounds. I said, Yes, that is exactly what I want to have happen here. Be creative. Be entrepreneurs of the Spirit.
Here's a video of Senior Caregivers. It captures well that idea of "hanging out," of having no agenda but simply to be in relationship with someone, of creating emptiness so Christ can move in.
Most of our projects this year are not just one shot, let's feel good about ourselves projects. They are about establishing relationships, about hanging out with God's people, about emptying ourselves of our agendas.
One other way you can practice this emptiness is with your Plus One. Someone in this church suggested it to me: take this list of projects to your Plus One and have them choose the one they feel drawn to. I hope you are praying for your Plus One, maybe have even invited them already.
I close with a story on altruism. I heard it on NPR as I was driving around this past week. Altruism is giving, even giving sacrificially with no thought of reward or payment, maybe even doing so anonymously. The story on the radio started with a woman on the east coast who donated a kidney to another woman she didn' know on the west coast. The researcher was trying to find out what motivated here to do that. She did a study of other altruists. She found in brain scans that altruists have enlarged amygdalas. They are sensitive to others' pain. She found that psychopaths have stunted amygdalas. What we do here in worship, our singing, our praying, our serving together in community is all brain training! It is growing our amygdalas. We can have the mind of Christ!
The researcher was asked why she was interested in this field. She said, When I was a young woman, my car broke down in the fast lane, the passing land on the interstate. I was stuck there. A man came along. He got my car off the road. He got cars to go around. He got me help. Then he drove away. I never got his name." We have Christ who has set for us an example to follow.
I wish for you emptiness, so that you may be filled with the presence of Christ. That's the good news I have to share.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Job Openings
from my message on Sept. 21, 2014, from Matthew 20:1-16
How much are you worth? I came to be your pastor in June of 2007, just in time to walk with you through the Great Recession. Many of you lost jobs, or had your job down-sized, right-sized. You may have had to take a lesser paying position, or a longer commute. Some of you lost homes.
It was hard. What you thought was secure...wasn't. How you looked at yourself...well, you had to take another look. What you thought you were worth....was called into question.
It was especially hard on males. Many females suffered too, but we males have a lot of our identity tied up in what we "do." There was the feeling of shame, of "I feel less than" who I am intended to be. It was difficult for males to visit with me about their vulnerability. I remember an encounter with a man in our neighborhood whom I knew well. He had had a nice big house and a good steady job. But he got upside down in his house loan. The sale of it fell through. He lost his job. The replacement job he thought he had fell through. Temporary work and short term contracts were spotty. He drained his bank account. He came to see me when he need fuel for his car. I filled up his tank on his BMW with diesel so he could make an appointment with a possible temp job. His feeling of shame was palpable.
Those who went through the Great Recession felt like "this is not right," "this shouldn't be happening to me," "it's not fair," "I've got the MBA," "I've worked hard," "I have years of experience."
We feel the same way when we hear this parable that Jesus tells. We have a strong reaction. Especially when those who worked only 1 hour get the same pay as those who have worked all day long. We want to grumble, "It's not fair!"
It isn't fair. But hear the parable from another context. Justo Gonzalez is theologian who was born in Cuba. Those of you who have taken Christian Believer will recognize him as the weekly presenter. He was educated in Cuba and later in the USA. He has taught in seminaries in the USA and is a clergy member of the Rio Grande Conference of the United Methodist Church. When he reads this parable in a Latino setting, he gets another response. Many of the hearers may be day laborers. They may be those men standing outside of Home Depot. You have seen them when you have shopped there. They are waiting on a contractor to come by in his pickup truck, looking for framers, drywallers, landscapers, painters. When Justo reads that line where those who have worked only 1 hour get the same pay as those who have worked all day, the congregation breaks out into clapping. "Yes," they say, "that's the way it should be!"
Because it is not about fairness. It is about grace. Grace is always amazing. "Grace that can be calculated and expected is no longer grace." Get playful with me for a moment. Can you hear us complaining to God, "Susie got more heaven than I did. Johnny got more eternal life than I did." Will anybody receive any more grace than anyone else?
God revealed in Jesus Christ wants everybody to be invited to His holy work. There are job openings for everyone.....first, last, everyone in between. Jesus seeks out everyone. "You are valuable to me. I have work for you, " He says. Look at his hand stretched out on the cross. They are open to everyone. Isn't this the message of the whole Bible. All are welcome.
We are invited to be a part of these job openings. On Oct. 19, we are going to live into ReThink Church + 1. We are going to call off worship services here in order to be in service out in the world. Plus we are going to invite someone to join us in making a difference in the world, our Plus One. You can find more information and sign up at our website.
Watch an example of Mobile Loaves and Fishes.
When we first did ReThink Church 4 years ago, one of the projects we did was Church Under the Bridge. This congregation meets with homeless people at 7th and I-35. We were passing out clothes there. Stephen was helping one woman who was fairly well dressed. She had not been on the streets very long. She said, "Everyone of us is just one angry boss away from being where I am." We are all vulnerable.
One of our members was struggling last week with who to invite as her Plus One. Another member helped her with clarifying questions. "Is your son part of a sports team?" "Yes, he plays football." "Does he have friends on the team?" "Well, yes, he does?" "Do all of them have a church home?" "Well, no, they don't" "Could you invite one of them?" "What a great idea!"
Then this same member said, "But I don't know what service project to do." Our guiding member said, "Well, you could get a bunch of cookies and little sandwich bags. Put 3 cookies to each bag. We use these as desserts for the Mobile Loaves and Fishes meals." "What a great idea!"
That's how easy it is to find a project and invite someone to join you. There are job openings for everyone!
I invite you to be in prayer about the project that you are drawn to. I invite you to be in prayer about the friend, relative, associate, or neighbor who may be your Plus One.
There is a poem that is really resonating with me, especially as I consider job openings. It is only 5 lines written by John O'Donohue, an Irish poet, from his book, To Bless the Space Between Us:
May I have the courage today
To live the live that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my life on fear no more.
The good news is that God has many job openings for you and your plus one.
How much are you worth? I came to be your pastor in June of 2007, just in time to walk with you through the Great Recession. Many of you lost jobs, or had your job down-sized, right-sized. You may have had to take a lesser paying position, or a longer commute. Some of you lost homes.
It was hard. What you thought was secure...wasn't. How you looked at yourself...well, you had to take another look. What you thought you were worth....was called into question.
It was especially hard on males. Many females suffered too, but we males have a lot of our identity tied up in what we "do." There was the feeling of shame, of "I feel less than" who I am intended to be. It was difficult for males to visit with me about their vulnerability. I remember an encounter with a man in our neighborhood whom I knew well. He had had a nice big house and a good steady job. But he got upside down in his house loan. The sale of it fell through. He lost his job. The replacement job he thought he had fell through. Temporary work and short term contracts were spotty. He drained his bank account. He came to see me when he need fuel for his car. I filled up his tank on his BMW with diesel so he could make an appointment with a possible temp job. His feeling of shame was palpable.
Those who went through the Great Recession felt like "this is not right," "this shouldn't be happening to me," "it's not fair," "I've got the MBA," "I've worked hard," "I have years of experience."
We feel the same way when we hear this parable that Jesus tells. We have a strong reaction. Especially when those who worked only 1 hour get the same pay as those who have worked all day long. We want to grumble, "It's not fair!"
It isn't fair. But hear the parable from another context. Justo Gonzalez is theologian who was born in Cuba. Those of you who have taken Christian Believer will recognize him as the weekly presenter. He was educated in Cuba and later in the USA. He has taught in seminaries in the USA and is a clergy member of the Rio Grande Conference of the United Methodist Church. When he reads this parable in a Latino setting, he gets another response. Many of the hearers may be day laborers. They may be those men standing outside of Home Depot. You have seen them when you have shopped there. They are waiting on a contractor to come by in his pickup truck, looking for framers, drywallers, landscapers, painters. When Justo reads that line where those who have worked only 1 hour get the same pay as those who have worked all day, the congregation breaks out into clapping. "Yes," they say, "that's the way it should be!"
Because it is not about fairness. It is about grace. Grace is always amazing. "Grace that can be calculated and expected is no longer grace." Get playful with me for a moment. Can you hear us complaining to God, "Susie got more heaven than I did. Johnny got more eternal life than I did." Will anybody receive any more grace than anyone else?
God revealed in Jesus Christ wants everybody to be invited to His holy work. There are job openings for everyone.....first, last, everyone in between. Jesus seeks out everyone. "You are valuable to me. I have work for you, " He says. Look at his hand stretched out on the cross. They are open to everyone. Isn't this the message of the whole Bible. All are welcome.
We are invited to be a part of these job openings. On Oct. 19, we are going to live into ReThink Church + 1. We are going to call off worship services here in order to be in service out in the world. Plus we are going to invite someone to join us in making a difference in the world, our Plus One. You can find more information and sign up at our website.
Watch an example of Mobile Loaves and Fishes.
When we first did ReThink Church 4 years ago, one of the projects we did was Church Under the Bridge. This congregation meets with homeless people at 7th and I-35. We were passing out clothes there. Stephen was helping one woman who was fairly well dressed. She had not been on the streets very long. She said, "Everyone of us is just one angry boss away from being where I am." We are all vulnerable.
One of our members was struggling last week with who to invite as her Plus One. Another member helped her with clarifying questions. "Is your son part of a sports team?" "Yes, he plays football." "Does he have friends on the team?" "Well, yes, he does?" "Do all of them have a church home?" "Well, no, they don't" "Could you invite one of them?" "What a great idea!"
Then this same member said, "But I don't know what service project to do." Our guiding member said, "Well, you could get a bunch of cookies and little sandwich bags. Put 3 cookies to each bag. We use these as desserts for the Mobile Loaves and Fishes meals." "What a great idea!"
That's how easy it is to find a project and invite someone to join you. There are job openings for everyone!
I invite you to be in prayer about the project that you are drawn to. I invite you to be in prayer about the friend, relative, associate, or neighbor who may be your Plus One.
There is a poem that is really resonating with me, especially as I consider job openings. It is only 5 lines written by John O'Donohue, an Irish poet, from his book, To Bless the Space Between Us:
May I have the courage today
To live the live that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my life on fear no more.
The good news is that God has many job openings for you and your plus one.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Thinking of others
from my message on Sept. 14, 2014 from Romans 14:1-12
Warning! I am a doctor, but not a medical one. I have a doctor of ministry degree. Still, I give you fair warning. What I am about to say may cause you high blood pressure, heart palpitations, dry mouth, loss of sleep, skin rash, and other side effects. The word I have for you is Evangelism (gasp!).
This word has grown scary for us. I wish it weren't the case. The word evangelism simply means "good news." In fact, I think we Christians have the best news. We have been forgiven, set free from sin, offered new life in Christ, shown love in Jesus Christ, called to serve others. It is good news that we can live lives that matter.
When we Methodists began as a reform movement in the 1700's, we were the best in the world at evangelism. We sent preachers to meet the people where they were, in the market places, in coal fields. We offered communion to everybody; we still do. We sang Charles Wesley's hymns with fervor. We had small group accountability where people prayed for one another and learned to talk of their faith. We were advocates for the most vulnerable. We were against child labor, slavery, and debtors' prisons. We ministered to those with alcohol addictions, started schools and hospitals. We had good news, not just in words but also in deeds.
The problem is that we have more recently seen lots of bad examples of evangelism. We have endured televangelists. Some had makeup caked on that could stop a rocket propelled grenade. Can I get an Amen? Some had hair that could preach Jesus. Give me a Hallelujah!
We are afraid that we might have to get white shirts and black ties and ride bicycles, witnessing to strangers.
That's really scary for us, making cold calls about our faith. A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my LazyBoy recliner on a Saturday, doing the cross word puzzles in the newspaper. The doorbell rang. I admit that on my days' off, I sometimes don't answer the doorbell. These persons were persistent. Cathy wasn't around. I went to the door. There was a mom with a little girl, maybe 6 years old. The little girl was trying to back away. She was saying, "I don't want to. Don't make me." The mom was pushing her towards me, "You can do it. Go ahead and give it to him." The little girl handed me the literature from her church. I was really upset. It bordered on child abuse for me.
I am not asking you to do anything like this. So breathe. We are in the 2nd week of 6 weeks of welcoming others. We are getting ready for ReThink Church + 1 on Oct. 19. On that Sunday, we will not have worship services here; we will go out to be in service to others.
The first challenge I have for you today is to be drawn to a service project. We are highlighting IHN, Interfaith Hospitality Network today. This past week we hosted 4 families at our church who are waiting more permanent housing. In fact, on Wednesday, one of the families got their own apartment! So we ended the week with only 3 families. That's good news!
Watch the video of Morris Moore explaining IHN and how you can help.
Take the bulletin insert and look at the starter list of service projects. You can create your own too. Be in prayer about what project you are drawn to.
The second challenge is to be drawn to inviting someone to serve alongside you, your Plus One. In the Urban Dictionary, a Plus One is that unnamed guest that you bring with you to an event. "She's with me; she's my plus one."
We are going to start practicing our inviting today. We are not going to accost, badger, judge, etc. We are going to be talking to people we already know.
I share a true story at this point, from St. Andrew's UMC in San Antonio. This congregation spent 6 hours on a Saturday getting training in welcoming others, instead of the 6 weeks like we are doing here. At the end of the workshop, a woman of the church walks outside. There is someone she knows, but barely, an acquaintance from the neighborhood. This other woman is walking her dog, along the sidewalk right in front of the church. The woman from the church screws up her courage. She is going to do it. She is going to invite the dog walker woman. "Hello," she says. The dogwalker responds nicely, "Oh, hello." "Say, I want to invite you to my church." "Is this your church here?" Why, yes, we would love to have you." It is going so well.....The dogwalker asks, "So, you are a member here?" "Yes." The dogwalker says, "So, can I get in under your membership?"
Wow. We have a lot of misinformation to overcome. We have a lot of work to do in sharing good news with others.
Paul has some good counsel for us at this point from his letter to the church at Rome. It's not the best text for evangelism, but it will do. You may think it is just about what to eat or what holidays to observe, but there's more to it than that. Paul says for the strong to welcome the weak. His basic message is this: No one is superior to anyone else; be careful that you don't think you know best for someone else. He says we are all servants of one another, servants ultimately of God. We all belong to God. Who does God welcome? God welcomes everyone.
The word for welcome here means to receive or accept, to take in as a guest, even to partake food with. We invite someone to join in the feast of life with us.
We are going to practice thinking of others by talking in pairs about a friend you might have. Surely you have one friend. Do that visiting now.
Now take this yellow card and write these 4 letters down the side
F
R
A
N
They stand for
Friends
Relatives
Associates
Neighbors
Start generating some names under each category, some Plus Ones, you might invite to serve with you on Oct. 19, to make a difference in the world. Parents, siblings, cousins, business acquaintances, people on sports teams with you, people you see at Starbucks, people on your block. I bet you can come up with at least one name of a Plus One. These are the ones we know already and sometimes forget to invite.
I want you to be in prayer for that person or persons. Place this yellow card where you can be reminded of these names: on the refrigerator door, on the bathroom mirror, on your computer screen, on your car dashboard.
I believe that people are desperate for meaning and for belonging. We can be thinking of others and to invite them to God's good news in Jesus Christ.
Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah, that every knee shall bow and every tongue will give praise to God. God won't quit until all of God's children know how much they are loved. What good news!
What project are you drawn to? Who's your Plus One?
Warning! I am a doctor, but not a medical one. I have a doctor of ministry degree. Still, I give you fair warning. What I am about to say may cause you high blood pressure, heart palpitations, dry mouth, loss of sleep, skin rash, and other side effects. The word I have for you is Evangelism (gasp!).
This word has grown scary for us. I wish it weren't the case. The word evangelism simply means "good news." In fact, I think we Christians have the best news. We have been forgiven, set free from sin, offered new life in Christ, shown love in Jesus Christ, called to serve others. It is good news that we can live lives that matter.
When we Methodists began as a reform movement in the 1700's, we were the best in the world at evangelism. We sent preachers to meet the people where they were, in the market places, in coal fields. We offered communion to everybody; we still do. We sang Charles Wesley's hymns with fervor. We had small group accountability where people prayed for one another and learned to talk of their faith. We were advocates for the most vulnerable. We were against child labor, slavery, and debtors' prisons. We ministered to those with alcohol addictions, started schools and hospitals. We had good news, not just in words but also in deeds.
The problem is that we have more recently seen lots of bad examples of evangelism. We have endured televangelists. Some had makeup caked on that could stop a rocket propelled grenade. Can I get an Amen? Some had hair that could preach Jesus. Give me a Hallelujah!
We are afraid that we might have to get white shirts and black ties and ride bicycles, witnessing to strangers.
That's really scary for us, making cold calls about our faith. A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my LazyBoy recliner on a Saturday, doing the cross word puzzles in the newspaper. The doorbell rang. I admit that on my days' off, I sometimes don't answer the doorbell. These persons were persistent. Cathy wasn't around. I went to the door. There was a mom with a little girl, maybe 6 years old. The little girl was trying to back away. She was saying, "I don't want to. Don't make me." The mom was pushing her towards me, "You can do it. Go ahead and give it to him." The little girl handed me the literature from her church. I was really upset. It bordered on child abuse for me.
I am not asking you to do anything like this. So breathe. We are in the 2nd week of 6 weeks of welcoming others. We are getting ready for ReThink Church + 1 on Oct. 19. On that Sunday, we will not have worship services here; we will go out to be in service to others.
The first challenge I have for you today is to be drawn to a service project. We are highlighting IHN, Interfaith Hospitality Network today. This past week we hosted 4 families at our church who are waiting more permanent housing. In fact, on Wednesday, one of the families got their own apartment! So we ended the week with only 3 families. That's good news!
Watch the video of Morris Moore explaining IHN and how you can help.
Take the bulletin insert and look at the starter list of service projects. You can create your own too. Be in prayer about what project you are drawn to.
The second challenge is to be drawn to inviting someone to serve alongside you, your Plus One. In the Urban Dictionary, a Plus One is that unnamed guest that you bring with you to an event. "She's with me; she's my plus one."
We are going to start practicing our inviting today. We are not going to accost, badger, judge, etc. We are going to be talking to people we already know.
I share a true story at this point, from St. Andrew's UMC in San Antonio. This congregation spent 6 hours on a Saturday getting training in welcoming others, instead of the 6 weeks like we are doing here. At the end of the workshop, a woman of the church walks outside. There is someone she knows, but barely, an acquaintance from the neighborhood. This other woman is walking her dog, along the sidewalk right in front of the church. The woman from the church screws up her courage. She is going to do it. She is going to invite the dog walker woman. "Hello," she says. The dogwalker responds nicely, "Oh, hello." "Say, I want to invite you to my church." "Is this your church here?" Why, yes, we would love to have you." It is going so well.....The dogwalker asks, "So, you are a member here?" "Yes." The dogwalker says, "So, can I get in under your membership?"
Wow. We have a lot of misinformation to overcome. We have a lot of work to do in sharing good news with others.
Paul has some good counsel for us at this point from his letter to the church at Rome. It's not the best text for evangelism, but it will do. You may think it is just about what to eat or what holidays to observe, but there's more to it than that. Paul says for the strong to welcome the weak. His basic message is this: No one is superior to anyone else; be careful that you don't think you know best for someone else. He says we are all servants of one another, servants ultimately of God. We all belong to God. Who does God welcome? God welcomes everyone.
The word for welcome here means to receive or accept, to take in as a guest, even to partake food with. We invite someone to join in the feast of life with us.
We are going to practice thinking of others by talking in pairs about a friend you might have. Surely you have one friend. Do that visiting now.
Now take this yellow card and write these 4 letters down the side
F
R
A
N
They stand for
Friends
Relatives
Associates
Neighbors
Start generating some names under each category, some Plus Ones, you might invite to serve with you on Oct. 19, to make a difference in the world. Parents, siblings, cousins, business acquaintances, people on sports teams with you, people you see at Starbucks, people on your block. I bet you can come up with at least one name of a Plus One. These are the ones we know already and sometimes forget to invite.
I want you to be in prayer for that person or persons. Place this yellow card where you can be reminded of these names: on the refrigerator door, on the bathroom mirror, on your computer screen, on your car dashboard.
I believe that people are desperate for meaning and for belonging. We can be thinking of others and to invite them to God's good news in Jesus Christ.
Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah, that every knee shall bow and every tongue will give praise to God. God won't quit until all of God's children know how much they are loved. What good news!
What project are you drawn to? Who's your Plus One?
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