from my Lenten Series, from Luke 11:1-4
You were made to pray. God hard-wired you just for this. Prayer is talking with your closest friend. It is talking and listening. There is nothing weird or unusual about praying. You were made to pray.
Little children pray very well. Maybe it is only as we get older that we get self-conscious about praying. We start rating ourselves. We get intimidated. We say, "I can't pray like Billy Graham." So we stop.
What I teach is this: Pray as you can....not as you can't. There are many right ways to pray. Silence, journalling, art, meditation on scripture, breath prayers, with images/icons, singing, flashing prayers, mission projects, all are wonderful ways of praying.
When we don't know what to pray, there is a prayer waiting for us. We call it the Lord's prayer, but really it is our prayer, the model prayer that Jesus gave us. I am glad to see those closest to Jesus still needed help in praying. "Lord, teach us to pray," they ask. So we do today. It takes the pressure off. It is a learning process. We never finish. It is liberating. It is like a research project.
Today we use the model prayer as a way to get started praying. First, our Address of God. What name do you use to address God? In the model prayer, we say Our Father. Father is one of the most common ones. Father is used 15 times in the Old Testament and 245 times in the New Testament to address God. I went on the internet this past week and looked up names for God. There were 100's. How do call upon God?
Second, we offer praise to God. In the model prayer, we say Hallowed be thy name. Here we praise God for who God is, for what God does, for God's character, for God's attributes. How do you praise God?
Third, we ask. In the model prayer, we say, Give us, forgive us. I know that in other places Jesus says, that the Father knows what we need even before we ask. I also know that Jesus says we are to ask, seek, and knock. I think God likes to hear us ask even though God knows what we already need. It is part of the relationship, the asking. The more we ask, the better we get at asking for the right things.
Let me illustrate with my cell phone. Here I will take a selfie, that is a picture of myself. That is how we often begin our life of prayer, asking for ourself alone. That is not wrong. But it is a beginning place. Now let me turn around and take a selfie with you, just like they did at the Oscars. We are all in the picture. That's how our asking gets shaped, from me to us. Look at the pronouns in the model prayer. Our, us, ....they are all plural. We were made for community. God shapes our asking as we pray. What are you asking for today in your prayers?
Finally, we close. We leave with respect, with politeness. The model prayer does with a benediction. We often pray in Jesus' name, that is, praying as Jesus would have us pray. We often say, Amen. Amen means, So be it, may it be so, I affirm this, or Yes. In Battlestar Galatica, they say, So Say We All!
Take a moment to pray now.
There is another simple way of praying using the acronym ACTS.
The A stands for Adoration. How do you adore God?
The C stands for Confession. Here is something we need to do that we don't always do so well. We need to humble ourselves, to admit that we can't save ourselves. We need to come clean before God. Lent is like spring cleaning for the soul. We need to tell the truth about ourselves before God, trusting that God forgives. We need to make room for God to move in our lives, letting go of hurts and sins. What do you need to confess this day?
T is for Thanksgiving. This is one of our most basic prayers, paying attention to how God is moving in our lives. For what are you thankful today?
S is for Supplication. That is a big word for asking. Another way of talking about supplication is saying, Help. Where do you need help today?
The good news is that when we say, Lord, teach us to pray, He does. Amen.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Prayer Practice: Fasting and Prayer
from my message on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2014, from Matthew 6:1:, 16-18
Fasting. Fasting is going without food in order to get closer to Christ.
It is not the Christian diet plan. You may lose weight, but that is not the point of fasting.
It is not to manipulate God...or the government...or another person.
It is not for everybody. If you have a medical condition like pregnancy or a heart condition, don't fast. I don't recommend fasting for children. Don't fast if you are doing it on a whim. Only fast if you are called to do it.
It is not done for show. That's the warning that Jesus gives in this passage. We don't fast in order to show others how holy we are.
For me, it is always fasting and prayer. Prayer and fasting are always linked. The hunger we feel in our bodies reminds us to be hungry for God. One church member here calls fasting, biofeedback. Our body helps us remember to turn to God in prayer. We fast to clear out, to make room for God to move in our lives.
It is an ancient practice. We pick up our Bibles and find Moses the lawgiver fasting, King David fasting, Elijah the prophet fasting, Queen Esther fasting, the people of Nineveh fasting, and Anna the prophetess fasting. Of course, our prime example of fasting is Jesus. As he began his ministry, Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days of prayer and fasting. At the end of that time, the Tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread." And Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." What we are really hungry for is a relationship with God.
We get our 40 days of Lent from this example of Jesus. We prepare for the holy mystery of Easter by taking this time for prayer and fasting, to clear out the clutter of our lives, to grow closer to Christ.
I invite you to a season of fasting and prayer. You could begin by missing just one meal a week. That's what our Disciple Bible Study is doing this Lent. Ten people skipping one meal for 6 weeks, we are going to take the money that we would have spent on that meal and pool it together. We will amass a few hundred dollars that we will give to a mission. My wife Cathy reminds me that more than the money, there will a freeing of time. We will save the time we would have spent buying the food, preparing the food, and eating the food. We will find 1 to 2 hours a week that we can redirect to prayer.
You might try a Danial fast. Our associate pastor, Jim, put me onto this a few years ago. You can read about it in the Old Testament book of Daniel, just 12 chapters long. Daniel has been taken captive in Babylon. He wants to show that his God, the LORD, is better than the gods of Babylon. He goes on a 3 week fast, where he eats no delicacies, no meat, and no wine. Basically, he is a vegan, eating only fruits and vegetables, nuts and berries. He comes out much healthier. But the point was to show who really is God.
Cathy and I have practiced a Daniel fast in the recent past. We did with a specific issue in mind. What we found was that we grew less anxious and less invasive about this issue. We were able to let go of our control and give it over to God. It is good to fast with a purpose in mind, something you want to turn over to God, to show who really is God.
You could also fast from some distraction, like forgoing watching TV, or going on the internet, or getting hooked to social media or playing video games. You could use that time for prayer.
You could also fast from some behavior. I once had an associate pastor who used the season of Lent to fast from cursing. You may not believe it, but we pastor can cuss. After 40 days, she found that God had removed that tendency from her.
You may need to fast from overfunctioning, trying to do too much, overbooking. I had a spiritual director who said that for Lent, she was not going to take on any new thing. Of course, she was asked to lead a group to Rome and other holy sites in Italy. She answered, "No." What a powerful word.
Our fasting and prayer may reveal our deeper motives and desire and agendas. It is a powerful spiritual discipline.
You may think that you are giving up something. Thomas Merton came from a wealthy, privileged background. He felt a calling to become a Trappist monk. His friends thought he was crazy, giving up all that money and activity. He thought of it as liberation, being freed up to worship God.
That is the point of fasting and prayer, simply to focus on God, to grow in relationship with Christ. That is the good news I have to share.
Fasting. Fasting is going without food in order to get closer to Christ.
It is not the Christian diet plan. You may lose weight, but that is not the point of fasting.
It is not to manipulate God...or the government...or another person.
It is not for everybody. If you have a medical condition like pregnancy or a heart condition, don't fast. I don't recommend fasting for children. Don't fast if you are doing it on a whim. Only fast if you are called to do it.
It is not done for show. That's the warning that Jesus gives in this passage. We don't fast in order to show others how holy we are.
For me, it is always fasting and prayer. Prayer and fasting are always linked. The hunger we feel in our bodies reminds us to be hungry for God. One church member here calls fasting, biofeedback. Our body helps us remember to turn to God in prayer. We fast to clear out, to make room for God to move in our lives.
It is an ancient practice. We pick up our Bibles and find Moses the lawgiver fasting, King David fasting, Elijah the prophet fasting, Queen Esther fasting, the people of Nineveh fasting, and Anna the prophetess fasting. Of course, our prime example of fasting is Jesus. As he began his ministry, Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days of prayer and fasting. At the end of that time, the Tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread." And Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." What we are really hungry for is a relationship with God.
We get our 40 days of Lent from this example of Jesus. We prepare for the holy mystery of Easter by taking this time for prayer and fasting, to clear out the clutter of our lives, to grow closer to Christ.
I invite you to a season of fasting and prayer. You could begin by missing just one meal a week. That's what our Disciple Bible Study is doing this Lent. Ten people skipping one meal for 6 weeks, we are going to take the money that we would have spent on that meal and pool it together. We will amass a few hundred dollars that we will give to a mission. My wife Cathy reminds me that more than the money, there will a freeing of time. We will save the time we would have spent buying the food, preparing the food, and eating the food. We will find 1 to 2 hours a week that we can redirect to prayer.
You might try a Danial fast. Our associate pastor, Jim, put me onto this a few years ago. You can read about it in the Old Testament book of Daniel, just 12 chapters long. Daniel has been taken captive in Babylon. He wants to show that his God, the LORD, is better than the gods of Babylon. He goes on a 3 week fast, where he eats no delicacies, no meat, and no wine. Basically, he is a vegan, eating only fruits and vegetables, nuts and berries. He comes out much healthier. But the point was to show who really is God.
Cathy and I have practiced a Daniel fast in the recent past. We did with a specific issue in mind. What we found was that we grew less anxious and less invasive about this issue. We were able to let go of our control and give it over to God. It is good to fast with a purpose in mind, something you want to turn over to God, to show who really is God.
You could also fast from some distraction, like forgoing watching TV, or going on the internet, or getting hooked to social media or playing video games. You could use that time for prayer.
You could also fast from some behavior. I once had an associate pastor who used the season of Lent to fast from cursing. You may not believe it, but we pastor can cuss. After 40 days, she found that God had removed that tendency from her.
You may need to fast from overfunctioning, trying to do too much, overbooking. I had a spiritual director who said that for Lent, she was not going to take on any new thing. Of course, she was asked to lead a group to Rome and other holy sites in Italy. She answered, "No." What a powerful word.
Our fasting and prayer may reveal our deeper motives and desire and agendas. It is a powerful spiritual discipline.
You may think that you are giving up something. Thomas Merton came from a wealthy, privileged background. He felt a calling to become a Trappist monk. His friends thought he was crazy, giving up all that money and activity. He thought of it as liberation, being freed up to worship God.
That is the point of fasting and prayer, simply to focus on God, to grow in relationship with Christ. That is the good news I have to share.
Monday, March 3, 2014
just imagine: greater things
from my message on March 2, 2014, from John 14:12-14
Great things are still to be done.
Jesus said, "Those who believe in me will do the works that I do, and greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."
What did Jesus do? He healed....not just bodies, but minds, spirits, relationships, memories. He fed people, sometimes with bread and fish, and sometimes with his words. He forgave people, and gave them another chance. He even raised the dead.
So do we. We are called to do even greater works. I have been preaching 36 years now. I remember preaching on this passage decades ago when AIDS first came out. I said that I could envision the day when we would find a cure for AIDS. I open up my newspaper this very morning, and there is an article about a vaccine for AIDS in clinical trials. Not just medicines, but therapies, treatments, procedures. Not just physical healing but counseling, listening, praying, recovery programs. We buy mosquito nets, and have food pantries, and support groups, and housing efforts.
We are doing greater things than even Jesus. One, we have the multiplier effect of so many more years. Now, 2 millienia. Two, we have the multiplier effect of so many more people. How many billions of believers have there been over the years.
We realize that these greater works are not a matter of individual efforts. We are the body of Christ. All of our spiritual gifts are added together to do greater things for Christ, in His name.
There is that intriguing language, about asking for anything in Jesus' name, and Him granting it. What does it mean to pray in Jesus' name? We had that question last Sunday evening in our Disciple Bible Study class. Is it like magic? If we just say the right words, Jesus makes it happen? Is it manipulation? We just know the right formula to get Jesus to act?
Our Disciple Bible study came to the conclusion that to pray in Jesus' name meant to pray like He prayed, to pray for the things He prayed for, to pray with Jesus what He is still praying for today. We get so in tune with Jesus that His prayers are answered through us.
We continue to pray that our God will be honored, that God's reign will be recognized, that human needs will be met, that sins will be forgiven, and that we will be saved in times of trial.
Our greater works are not to draw attention to ourselves, but that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Is there still plenty of work to be done? Are people still hungry? Are there still hurts in the world? Is there still injustice? Is there still sickness? Is there still loneliness?
Great things are still to be done.
I was at a wedding yesterday involving folks from this congregation. After the wedding, I asked the bride and groom what were their plans for today. I fully expected to hear about their honeymoon. They said, "it's Interfaith Hospitality Network at our church. We are going to be helping those homeless families move into our church for temporary housing." I found that to be very encouraging.
Greater things are still to be done.
Great things are still to be done.
Jesus said, "Those who believe in me will do the works that I do, and greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."
What did Jesus do? He healed....not just bodies, but minds, spirits, relationships, memories. He fed people, sometimes with bread and fish, and sometimes with his words. He forgave people, and gave them another chance. He even raised the dead.
So do we. We are called to do even greater works. I have been preaching 36 years now. I remember preaching on this passage decades ago when AIDS first came out. I said that I could envision the day when we would find a cure for AIDS. I open up my newspaper this very morning, and there is an article about a vaccine for AIDS in clinical trials. Not just medicines, but therapies, treatments, procedures. Not just physical healing but counseling, listening, praying, recovery programs. We buy mosquito nets, and have food pantries, and support groups, and housing efforts.
We are doing greater things than even Jesus. One, we have the multiplier effect of so many more years. Now, 2 millienia. Two, we have the multiplier effect of so many more people. How many billions of believers have there been over the years.
We realize that these greater works are not a matter of individual efforts. We are the body of Christ. All of our spiritual gifts are added together to do greater things for Christ, in His name.
There is that intriguing language, about asking for anything in Jesus' name, and Him granting it. What does it mean to pray in Jesus' name? We had that question last Sunday evening in our Disciple Bible Study class. Is it like magic? If we just say the right words, Jesus makes it happen? Is it manipulation? We just know the right formula to get Jesus to act?
Our Disciple Bible study came to the conclusion that to pray in Jesus' name meant to pray like He prayed, to pray for the things He prayed for, to pray with Jesus what He is still praying for today. We get so in tune with Jesus that His prayers are answered through us.
We continue to pray that our God will be honored, that God's reign will be recognized, that human needs will be met, that sins will be forgiven, and that we will be saved in times of trial.
Our greater works are not to draw attention to ourselves, but that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Is there still plenty of work to be done? Are people still hungry? Are there still hurts in the world? Is there still injustice? Is there still sickness? Is there still loneliness?
Great things are still to be done.
I was at a wedding yesterday involving folks from this congregation. After the wedding, I asked the bride and groom what were their plans for today. I fully expected to hear about their honeymoon. They said, "it's Interfaith Hospitality Network at our church. We are going to be helping those homeless families move into our church for temporary housing." I found that to be very encouraging.
Greater things are still to be done.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Just Imagine: Rooted In Abundance
from Ephesians:14-21
There must be some mistake. Surely the scribe copied it down wrong over the centuries. Maybe the editor missed it. Maybe it's hyperbole. It sure sounds like a mistake, when Eph. 3:20 says, "Now to him who by the power at work within you is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all you can think or imagine."
Mistakes happen, even today, like in newspaper headlines. You are going to laugh at these:
Include Your children When baking Cookies
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Panda Mating FAils: Veterinarian Takes Over
Stolen Painting Found by Tree
War Dims Hope for Peace
It Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While
Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Local High-School Dropouts Cut in Half
Then there are those from church bulletins and newsletters:
Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.
The Pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth Into Joy."
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married in October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some others.
The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.
Those were mistakes. But it is not a mistake, what we read in Eph. 3:20, "Now to him who by the power at work within you is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine."
We make a mistake when we come from a stance of scarcity. I wanted to get you laughing. Seriousness cuts off options. I wanted to get you laughing, because anxiety cuts off options. When we get afraid that we don't have enough money, or people, or facilities, or spiritual gifts, we are choking off God's abundance.
Much scholarship has gone into who wrote Ephesians. If Paul is the author, Paul who started many churches in the first generation of Christianity, then Paul writes as a prisoner in chains. Just imagine him, saying, far more than all we can ask or imagine, from that viewpoint. If the school of Paul, that is, his followers who continued his thoughts, wrote the letter, then many of them were being persecuted and martyred. Just imagine them talking about God far exceeding all that they could think or imagine.
Our biggest mistake is when we forget to pray. This whole passage we read today is a prayer. It puts us in a place of humility, a place where God might work, a place where God's abundance might be made plain.
I have a story from a sermon by a seminary classmate of mine, John Thornburg, who serves in the North Texas Conference. It is from a sermon he delivered this past year, called, I'm thanking God in Advance.
He says that 29 years ago his life was changed by a crazy, wondrous powerhouse of a woman, named Elizabeth Blessing. What a great name! She was one who rejected common sense in favor of God's possibilities. She was part of a cooperative parish council, 6 churches in East Dallas, all slated for closure. The Bishop and District Superintendents saw more hope in the suburbs than in the central city. Some members thought it best to give the churches a decent burial.
The churches were struggling financially. There was never enough money to do what was planned and prayed for. In Dec. 1984, they were 10 days away from having the payroll checks of the 2 employees bounce. It was life or death.
Being Methodists, they decided to have a meeting. The parish council had 2 groups: one to make plans to continue the ministries if the money could be found and one to make plans for how to gracefully shut down the churches and lay off the employees. John was chosen to head the "shut it down" group.
The 2 groups met. They were quiet and sober. It was not easy.
They reconvened. The chair called on John to report from the "shut it down" group. But before he could speak, Elizabeth Blessing stood to her full height, about 5' 0'', and announced, "I refuse to hear the report of your group. As a matter of fact, I'm thanking God in advance for helping us to find a way for this cooperative parish to thrive."
So if you don't mind, we'll just move on to our report." She then announced the 4 or 5 strategies that her group had fashioned to see them through the end of the year and to launch them into the new year.
Mary Lou Swann, a real estate agent and loyal member said, "Good plan, Elizabeth, but it won't get those salaries paid. I'm passing the hat around. We need $1800 to meet payroll. There are 18 of us here. You do the math." The hat went around. They got the $1800 needed to get through Christmas. Within the next few weeks, they raised $40,000, and never looked back.
It was because Elizabeth didn't believe in common sense. She believed in God, the miracle worker. Those 6 churches would be closed by now if Elizabeth has settled.
Our church is in a process called the Healthy Church Initiative. We are not in trouble, but we could do better. We have been given 5 prescriptions for greater health. They are challenging. I believe with God's help, out of God's abundance, we can meet them. We make a mistake if we try to do it out of our own strength. We need to go to God in prayer. I allow for some time now for us to pray. You may do this in silence. You may journal. You may be led to a song, or a scripture, or a vision. But let's pray. Let's put ourselves before God's abundance. "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish far more than all we can ask or imagine."
There must be some mistake. Surely the scribe copied it down wrong over the centuries. Maybe the editor missed it. Maybe it's hyperbole. It sure sounds like a mistake, when Eph. 3:20 says, "Now to him who by the power at work within you is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all you can think or imagine."
Mistakes happen, even today, like in newspaper headlines. You are going to laugh at these:
Include Your children When baking Cookies
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Panda Mating FAils: Veterinarian Takes Over
Stolen Painting Found by Tree
War Dims Hope for Peace
It Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While
Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Local High-School Dropouts Cut in Half
Then there are those from church bulletins and newsletters:
Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.
The Pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth Into Joy."
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married in October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some others.
The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.
Those were mistakes. But it is not a mistake, what we read in Eph. 3:20, "Now to him who by the power at work within you is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine."
We make a mistake when we come from a stance of scarcity. I wanted to get you laughing. Seriousness cuts off options. I wanted to get you laughing, because anxiety cuts off options. When we get afraid that we don't have enough money, or people, or facilities, or spiritual gifts, we are choking off God's abundance.
Much scholarship has gone into who wrote Ephesians. If Paul is the author, Paul who started many churches in the first generation of Christianity, then Paul writes as a prisoner in chains. Just imagine him, saying, far more than all we can ask or imagine, from that viewpoint. If the school of Paul, that is, his followers who continued his thoughts, wrote the letter, then many of them were being persecuted and martyred. Just imagine them talking about God far exceeding all that they could think or imagine.
Our biggest mistake is when we forget to pray. This whole passage we read today is a prayer. It puts us in a place of humility, a place where God might work, a place where God's abundance might be made plain.
I have a story from a sermon by a seminary classmate of mine, John Thornburg, who serves in the North Texas Conference. It is from a sermon he delivered this past year, called, I'm thanking God in Advance.
He says that 29 years ago his life was changed by a crazy, wondrous powerhouse of a woman, named Elizabeth Blessing. What a great name! She was one who rejected common sense in favor of God's possibilities. She was part of a cooperative parish council, 6 churches in East Dallas, all slated for closure. The Bishop and District Superintendents saw more hope in the suburbs than in the central city. Some members thought it best to give the churches a decent burial.
The churches were struggling financially. There was never enough money to do what was planned and prayed for. In Dec. 1984, they were 10 days away from having the payroll checks of the 2 employees bounce. It was life or death.
Being Methodists, they decided to have a meeting. The parish council had 2 groups: one to make plans to continue the ministries if the money could be found and one to make plans for how to gracefully shut down the churches and lay off the employees. John was chosen to head the "shut it down" group.
The 2 groups met. They were quiet and sober. It was not easy.
They reconvened. The chair called on John to report from the "shut it down" group. But before he could speak, Elizabeth Blessing stood to her full height, about 5' 0'', and announced, "I refuse to hear the report of your group. As a matter of fact, I'm thanking God in advance for helping us to find a way for this cooperative parish to thrive."
So if you don't mind, we'll just move on to our report." She then announced the 4 or 5 strategies that her group had fashioned to see them through the end of the year and to launch them into the new year.
Mary Lou Swann, a real estate agent and loyal member said, "Good plan, Elizabeth, but it won't get those salaries paid. I'm passing the hat around. We need $1800 to meet payroll. There are 18 of us here. You do the math." The hat went around. They got the $1800 needed to get through Christmas. Within the next few weeks, they raised $40,000, and never looked back.
It was because Elizabeth didn't believe in common sense. She believed in God, the miracle worker. Those 6 churches would be closed by now if Elizabeth has settled.
Our church is in a process called the Healthy Church Initiative. We are not in trouble, but we could do better. We have been given 5 prescriptions for greater health. They are challenging. I believe with God's help, out of God's abundance, we can meet them. We make a mistake if we try to do it out of our own strength. We need to go to God in prayer. I allow for some time now for us to pray. You may do this in silence. You may journal. You may be led to a song, or a scripture, or a vision. But let's pray. Let's put ourselves before God's abundance. "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish far more than all we can ask or imagine."
Thursday, February 20, 2014
First Fruits: It's Professional
from Feb. 2, 2014, from Numbers 18:8-15a
It was Tuesday night, 8 p.m., when Cathy and I were watching TV, that I got the call on my cell phone. It was my mom. "I am in the Heart Hospital in Lubbock. I have an angiogram in the morning." My mom is a very private person. She is the kind who will have something major happen in her life, and it will be weeks or months later that I will learn about it. "I thought I should let someone in the family know. Now don't tell your brother or sister." Gee, thanks mom.
Wednesday morning, I called her early. "Still haven't gone in for the procedure. I haven't heard when it is scheduled. I called my mom's United Methodist Church in Lubbock. I got hold of their visiting pastor. He said that he would check in on her. I left my cell phone on. During staff meeting, about 11:15 a.m., I got the call from him. "I'm here with your mom and her nurse. She came through just fine. She had one stent put in, and she needed one anglioplasty. Her heart is not at 100%; it's at 98%." I thanked him. And then I went ....big relief...It was great to have an objective professional there to tell me exactly what was going on.
Then it hit me. This is what I do all of the time. I have been there 100's of times, maybe 1000's of times with a family in crisis, helping with communication. Mostly what I do is represent the fact that Christ is with them.
That's what priests do, represent the presence of God. We re-present. We are bridges to God. As a professional I do this all of the time.
You do too. You re-present God.
Our key verse in this stewardship series has been Proverbs 3:9, Honor the LORD with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce. We give to God our first in time and our first in quality gifts, realizing that all we have comes from God. In the scripture we had read today, these gifts were to be presented to the priests in the Temple in Jerusalem. These gifts were the only income of the priests. When the Hebrews entered the Promised Land, all the other tribes were granted a portion of land, but the Levites and priests were not. They were totally dependent upon God, upon what was given. They represent that we are dependent upon God too.
Our giving of our first fruits helps us have a looser grip on all the stuff we have. We realize that it all comes from God. We are dependent upon God too.
I am a priest, one who re-presents God. But so are you. All who profess Christ do. Martin Luther said that we are the priesthood of all believers. Not just the clergy or paid staff, but every follower of Christ can make a big impact on others.
I saw an example of this over this past weekend when 8 of our members volunteered to be small group leaders at Created by God where we taught about human sexuality for 5th and 6th graders and their parents. Talk re-presenting God. Talk about depending upon God. They did.
I see it in our Stephen ministers, 3 more who begin their training today. They learn to listen and to love with those undergoing some difficulty in their lives.
I hope that you can see that you are a priest too, one who re-presents God. That is your calling. Sometimes you call me and say, "I wish you could have been there, Pastor Lynn, for this family in need." I will say back to you, "That was your turn to profess your faith, to live into your calling." We will never be able to hire all of the staff to do all of the work of ministry. Christ depends on you. You depend on Christ.
Our giving of our first fruits reminds us that we depend upon God as we re-present God to others.
It was Tuesday night, 8 p.m., when Cathy and I were watching TV, that I got the call on my cell phone. It was my mom. "I am in the Heart Hospital in Lubbock. I have an angiogram in the morning." My mom is a very private person. She is the kind who will have something major happen in her life, and it will be weeks or months later that I will learn about it. "I thought I should let someone in the family know. Now don't tell your brother or sister." Gee, thanks mom.
Wednesday morning, I called her early. "Still haven't gone in for the procedure. I haven't heard when it is scheduled. I called my mom's United Methodist Church in Lubbock. I got hold of their visiting pastor. He said that he would check in on her. I left my cell phone on. During staff meeting, about 11:15 a.m., I got the call from him. "I'm here with your mom and her nurse. She came through just fine. She had one stent put in, and she needed one anglioplasty. Her heart is not at 100%; it's at 98%." I thanked him. And then I went ....big relief...It was great to have an objective professional there to tell me exactly what was going on.
Then it hit me. This is what I do all of the time. I have been there 100's of times, maybe 1000's of times with a family in crisis, helping with communication. Mostly what I do is represent the fact that Christ is with them.
That's what priests do, represent the presence of God. We re-present. We are bridges to God. As a professional I do this all of the time.
You do too. You re-present God.
Our key verse in this stewardship series has been Proverbs 3:9, Honor the LORD with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce. We give to God our first in time and our first in quality gifts, realizing that all we have comes from God. In the scripture we had read today, these gifts were to be presented to the priests in the Temple in Jerusalem. These gifts were the only income of the priests. When the Hebrews entered the Promised Land, all the other tribes were granted a portion of land, but the Levites and priests were not. They were totally dependent upon God, upon what was given. They represent that we are dependent upon God too.
Our giving of our first fruits helps us have a looser grip on all the stuff we have. We realize that it all comes from God. We are dependent upon God too.
I am a priest, one who re-presents God. But so are you. All who profess Christ do. Martin Luther said that we are the priesthood of all believers. Not just the clergy or paid staff, but every follower of Christ can make a big impact on others.
I saw an example of this over this past weekend when 8 of our members volunteered to be small group leaders at Created by God where we taught about human sexuality for 5th and 6th graders and their parents. Talk re-presenting God. Talk about depending upon God. They did.
I see it in our Stephen ministers, 3 more who begin their training today. They learn to listen and to love with those undergoing some difficulty in their lives.
I hope that you can see that you are a priest too, one who re-presents God. That is your calling. Sometimes you call me and say, "I wish you could have been there, Pastor Lynn, for this family in need." I will say back to you, "That was your turn to profess your faith, to live into your calling." We will never be able to hire all of the staff to do all of the work of ministry. Christ depends on you. You depend on Christ.
Our giving of our first fruits reminds us that we depend upon God as we re-present God to others.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
First Fruits: It's Personal
from my first fruits stewardship series, from Feb. 9, 2014, from I Cor. 15:20-23
Belongings...or belonging....which would you rather have?
Every morning I get up early, I sit in my chair with the Bible and the Daily Disciplines. I stay with the scriptures till I get my prayer verse for the day. The Daily Disciplines have a short devotional for each day. This past week, Jerry Haas was talking about a teaching mission to Mozimbique in 2001. He was part of a team from the Bd. of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. These rich, mostly white American Christians were going to one of the poorest countries in the world, in the southern part of Africa. The flight was long and hard. The team arrived in the village in Mozimbique tired and cranky. They were met with smiles, singing and dancing. Jerry says, "our faith was put to shame. We came with our full suitcases and weary bodies. They walked for days with nothing in their hands but their faith." At worship, Pat, one of the team got up to preach. What could she possibly say? She said, "We have great wealth, but we lack your joy. True wealth comes in relationships."
What would rather have....belongings ...or belonging? For followers of Christ, it is personal. We belong to Him.
Our key verse for these weeks has been Proverbs 3:9, Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce. We remember that the whole crop belongs to the Lord. We give the first in time and the first in quality back to God to acknowledge that all we have belongs to God.
Our scripture for today takes a new direction. Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection from the dead. All who belong to Him will be raised like him. He is the promise of God that the whole harvest of souls belongs to God. If he has been raised, then we will be also. We can count on his promises.
Do any of you have any stocks...any mutual funds? How have those done this first month of January, 2014? Are they down, 5%, 7%, 10%? I am glad that God's promises are sure, that they don't fluctuate.
On your death bed, which would you rather be covered by....certificates of deposit....or the prayers of the faith community? Which would you rather be surrounded by....stocks and bonds...or your family and friends?
Which would rather have....belongings or belonging? It's personal. We belong to Christ. Our hope is in Him and His resurrection.
That hope is found in community here and now. You have heard the phrase, "Your money is no good here." I once knew a women here in Austin, a writer for Texas Monthly magazine. This was years ago, back when the Soviet Union still existed and was just beginning to open its borders. This women got a last minute invitation to see some rare icons at a church or museum. She left in a hurry. She arrived just in time to stand in line with all of the bubushkas who spent all of their time standing in line to find bread or sugar or whatever was available. She finally got to the entrance. They would take her credit card or her check or her American dollars. Here she was, having travelled all of this way, to be denied entrance because she didn't have the right currency. The women around here, out of their poverty, gave all they had, their rubles, to let the American woman in.
It's personal. We belong to Christ and His community.
We find that resurrection hope begins right here and now in worship. I went very unwillingly to a meeting yesterday in San Antonio. I don't like church meetings on Saturday, that's my day off. This one had some positives. It was like a reunion for me. This young woman came up to me. "You baptized me. Now I am a delegate to the conference." "You performed our marriage. We are now retired to Kerrville." Another positive was that the Southwest Texas Conference united with the Rio Grande Conference to form a new Rio Texas Conference. Our primarily white, English-speaking conference joined with our primarily Hispanic/Latino, Spanish-speaking conference. An historic event.
And our bishop, Jim Dorff, can preach. He told the story of the time he led a mission trip to the Appalachian Mountains to do home repair, when he first started in ministry. There were some 70 people involved, with a bus, trucks, and vans. The work went well. He was trying to have all of the jobs finished by Friday, 11:30 a.m., so they could load up and be gone by 1 p.m. One group of youth asked, "Can we do a Bible study with prayer for the 2 women whose house we worked on?" "Yes, just be through by 11:30 a.m." That Friday morning, it started to rain. Jim got anxious. The roads back up in the hollers were dirt and rugged. He was scurrying around, trying to get everyone loaded up, so they wouldn't be stuck up in the mountains. He couldn't find them. He went to the house where the 2 women lived. The work on the porch had been finished. He knocked on the door. All of the youth were inside. They made him take off his muddy boots. They were having Bible study, prayer, and worship. They got it right. What really matters is relationship. Not belongings, but belonging. Thank you youth and children for helping us keep our priorities straight.
It's personal.
I close with some words of wisdom from some scholars of 50 years ago. You may have heard of them, as Ed Sullivan said on his Sunday night show, 50 years ago, "The Beatles." Remember what they said, "I don't care too much for money....money can't buy me love."
It's personal. That's the good news I have to share.
Belongings...or belonging....which would you rather have?
Every morning I get up early, I sit in my chair with the Bible and the Daily Disciplines. I stay with the scriptures till I get my prayer verse for the day. The Daily Disciplines have a short devotional for each day. This past week, Jerry Haas was talking about a teaching mission to Mozimbique in 2001. He was part of a team from the Bd. of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. These rich, mostly white American Christians were going to one of the poorest countries in the world, in the southern part of Africa. The flight was long and hard. The team arrived in the village in Mozimbique tired and cranky. They were met with smiles, singing and dancing. Jerry says, "our faith was put to shame. We came with our full suitcases and weary bodies. They walked for days with nothing in their hands but their faith." At worship, Pat, one of the team got up to preach. What could she possibly say? She said, "We have great wealth, but we lack your joy. True wealth comes in relationships."
What would rather have....belongings ...or belonging? For followers of Christ, it is personal. We belong to Him.
Our key verse for these weeks has been Proverbs 3:9, Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce. We remember that the whole crop belongs to the Lord. We give the first in time and the first in quality back to God to acknowledge that all we have belongs to God.
Our scripture for today takes a new direction. Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection from the dead. All who belong to Him will be raised like him. He is the promise of God that the whole harvest of souls belongs to God. If he has been raised, then we will be also. We can count on his promises.
Do any of you have any stocks...any mutual funds? How have those done this first month of January, 2014? Are they down, 5%, 7%, 10%? I am glad that God's promises are sure, that they don't fluctuate.
On your death bed, which would you rather be covered by....certificates of deposit....or the prayers of the faith community? Which would you rather be surrounded by....stocks and bonds...or your family and friends?
Which would rather have....belongings or belonging? It's personal. We belong to Christ. Our hope is in Him and His resurrection.
That hope is found in community here and now. You have heard the phrase, "Your money is no good here." I once knew a women here in Austin, a writer for Texas Monthly magazine. This was years ago, back when the Soviet Union still existed and was just beginning to open its borders. This women got a last minute invitation to see some rare icons at a church or museum. She left in a hurry. She arrived just in time to stand in line with all of the bubushkas who spent all of their time standing in line to find bread or sugar or whatever was available. She finally got to the entrance. They would take her credit card or her check or her American dollars. Here she was, having travelled all of this way, to be denied entrance because she didn't have the right currency. The women around here, out of their poverty, gave all they had, their rubles, to let the American woman in.
It's personal. We belong to Christ and His community.
We find that resurrection hope begins right here and now in worship. I went very unwillingly to a meeting yesterday in San Antonio. I don't like church meetings on Saturday, that's my day off. This one had some positives. It was like a reunion for me. This young woman came up to me. "You baptized me. Now I am a delegate to the conference." "You performed our marriage. We are now retired to Kerrville." Another positive was that the Southwest Texas Conference united with the Rio Grande Conference to form a new Rio Texas Conference. Our primarily white, English-speaking conference joined with our primarily Hispanic/Latino, Spanish-speaking conference. An historic event.
And our bishop, Jim Dorff, can preach. He told the story of the time he led a mission trip to the Appalachian Mountains to do home repair, when he first started in ministry. There were some 70 people involved, with a bus, trucks, and vans. The work went well. He was trying to have all of the jobs finished by Friday, 11:30 a.m., so they could load up and be gone by 1 p.m. One group of youth asked, "Can we do a Bible study with prayer for the 2 women whose house we worked on?" "Yes, just be through by 11:30 a.m." That Friday morning, it started to rain. Jim got anxious. The roads back up in the hollers were dirt and rugged. He was scurrying around, trying to get everyone loaded up, so they wouldn't be stuck up in the mountains. He couldn't find them. He went to the house where the 2 women lived. The work on the porch had been finished. He knocked on the door. All of the youth were inside. They made him take off his muddy boots. They were having Bible study, prayer, and worship. They got it right. What really matters is relationship. Not belongings, but belonging. Thank you youth and children for helping us keep our priorities straight.
It's personal.
I close with some words of wisdom from some scholars of 50 years ago. You may have heard of them, as Ed Sullivan said on his Sunday night show, 50 years ago, "The Beatles." Remember what they said, "I don't care too much for money....money can't buy me love."
It's personal. That's the good news I have to share.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Just Imagine: Beginning with the end
from my Just Imagine series, from Rev. 22:1-2
Broken. Do you know anything about brokeness? Broken promises, broken trust, broken hearts, broken heads, broken relationships, broken bodies, broken spirits.
"You said that you would be at my soccer game, but you never came." "We stood at the altar before God and those people. We both said, 'I do.' Now you are telling me that you don't, you don't love me any more." "You will never amount to anything!"
I found a Peanuts cartoon. Charlie Brown is talking with Lucy. "Look at my hands. These hands may someday do great things. They could build bridges. They could fly an airplane. They could perform surgery and save a life." Lucy says, "Your hands have jelly on them."
Broken. Do you know about brokeness?
The church is broken. She is a first time guest in worship who brings her little girl with her. She sits down in the pew, and the person behind her goes, "SSShhh. Make your child be quiet." Do you think she will return?
"The pastor looked right past me as if I didn't even exist." "I shared with the prayer group a confidential request, and now it is being gossiped all around the church."
Broken. Do you know about brokeness?
The nation is broken. Our globe is broken. Broken treaties, broken pacts, broken agreements. It sometimes sounds like children on the playground. "We can't trust the other party." "He hit me first." "She took my toy."
Broken. Do you know about brokeness? I am here to share some amazing good news. You were not meant for brokeness. God's intent for us is wholeness. Our scripture comes from the very last chapter of the very last book of our Bible. You can't get any closer to the end than this. God's final vision for us, for humanity, for creation is of a garden. Not a return to the garden of Eden, but a new garden, with a river of life, with a tree of life that bears fruit all through the year and the leaves are for the healing of the nations.
We are broken, but God's final vision for us is one of healing. My spiritual director told me this past week, "Are you broken down....or broken open?" God's intent is not to harm us, hurt us, break us. God does not cause our brokeness. But God can work through any brokenness to bring about healing, about transformation.
I will tell you the story of my chalice. I got it from a potter in San Antonio named Rob Grimes. I used it one evening, I think it was Holy Thursday night, before Easter. I had broken the bread and poured the grape juice and served the people. I was taught that the left over elements were to be returned to the ground from which they came. Cliff was helping with that process. This was at my former church, down on the Texas Gulf coast. He poured the juice back onto the ground and set my chalice down. He broke the bread into small pieces for the birds to pick up. Do you know that the wind can gust down on the coast? My chalice blew over on the sidewalk and broke. Cliff came back in. "Lynn, Lynn, I am so sorry. I broke your chalice. I will do whatever you say. I will buy you a new one. I will go to San Antonio to the potter and get you another one." I said, "No, I want that one. I want you to put it back together." And he did, as you can see. But it still broken. There is a crack here and a chip out here. When I pour grape juice in it today, it bleeds.
This is the kind of God I can believe in...One who has been broken like we are. One who has joined us in our brokenness. One who can transform our brokenness into healing.
The writer of Revelation is a prisoner on an island off the coast of Turkey. In the awful situation, God gives John a vision of the last things, the lasting things, the ultimate things. God's end vision is one of healing. John is not broken down, but broken open.
Our church has been broken open. We have gone through the Healthy Church Initiative. We have been a good church for 40 years, but we could be better. A team came here last October and pointed out some things that need to change. Frankly, it hurt me a bit. But I realize that we need to address some issues.
In the Healthy Church Initiative, we were given 5 prescriptions for greater health. We have started on them. We have had a day of prayer. We have had a day of visioning with 80 people participating. I am supposed to come up with a vision by March 15. I am working with 3 other people, Jim, David, and Liz, on this statement. I don't have it for you today.
But I was asked by this team of 3 to make a first attempt at it. Here's my vision for Westlake UMC. In 25 years, I want people to say, "Don't go to that church unless you want to be changed. If you want to be entertained, go somewhere else." Don't get me wrong. We like to have fun around here, like at the Super Bowl party where the game was just an excuse to eat and talk together. I loved seeing some 5th graders playing Twister. We have That's Amore', Mon, coming up this Saturday. We laugh and have fun around here. But we have a deeper joy too, not just entertainment.
I said, "Don't go to that church unless you want to be changed. If want to be comfortable, go somewhere else. It will be a safe place for you to share your brokenness. But you will be invited into a relationship with Jesus Christ. You will be given an opportunity to learn leadership skills. You will grow in prayer. You will learn about stewardship, so that you can move beyond our grasping greedy culture to a place of gratitude."
Finally I said, "Don't go to that church unless you want to change the world. You will learn about your spiritual gifts, how you can make an impact on others, how you can fulfill God's purposes." We already do a pretty good job here. But we need to learn how to add words to our deeds so our witness will be complete.
That's what I imagine. What do you imagine for us for the future?
We are broken, but God can use broken things, even us, for the transformation of the world.
One of my favorite books is Strong in the Broken Places by Leonard Sweet. He tells a story of a grandmother on the porch, sitting in her rocking chair, mending clothes, sewing on patches. Her granddaughter is at her feet. "Grandma, what does God do all day?" She replies after a pause, "God spends all his time fixing broken things."
That's the good news I have to share.
Broken. Do you know anything about brokeness? Broken promises, broken trust, broken hearts, broken heads, broken relationships, broken bodies, broken spirits.
"You said that you would be at my soccer game, but you never came." "We stood at the altar before God and those people. We both said, 'I do.' Now you are telling me that you don't, you don't love me any more." "You will never amount to anything!"
I found a Peanuts cartoon. Charlie Brown is talking with Lucy. "Look at my hands. These hands may someday do great things. They could build bridges. They could fly an airplane. They could perform surgery and save a life." Lucy says, "Your hands have jelly on them."
Broken. Do you know about brokeness?
The church is broken. She is a first time guest in worship who brings her little girl with her. She sits down in the pew, and the person behind her goes, "SSShhh. Make your child be quiet." Do you think she will return?
"The pastor looked right past me as if I didn't even exist." "I shared with the prayer group a confidential request, and now it is being gossiped all around the church."
Broken. Do you know about brokeness?
The nation is broken. Our globe is broken. Broken treaties, broken pacts, broken agreements. It sometimes sounds like children on the playground. "We can't trust the other party." "He hit me first." "She took my toy."
Broken. Do you know about brokeness? I am here to share some amazing good news. You were not meant for brokeness. God's intent for us is wholeness. Our scripture comes from the very last chapter of the very last book of our Bible. You can't get any closer to the end than this. God's final vision for us, for humanity, for creation is of a garden. Not a return to the garden of Eden, but a new garden, with a river of life, with a tree of life that bears fruit all through the year and the leaves are for the healing of the nations.
We are broken, but God's final vision for us is one of healing. My spiritual director told me this past week, "Are you broken down....or broken open?" God's intent is not to harm us, hurt us, break us. God does not cause our brokeness. But God can work through any brokenness to bring about healing, about transformation.
I will tell you the story of my chalice. I got it from a potter in San Antonio named Rob Grimes. I used it one evening, I think it was Holy Thursday night, before Easter. I had broken the bread and poured the grape juice and served the people. I was taught that the left over elements were to be returned to the ground from which they came. Cliff was helping with that process. This was at my former church, down on the Texas Gulf coast. He poured the juice back onto the ground and set my chalice down. He broke the bread into small pieces for the birds to pick up. Do you know that the wind can gust down on the coast? My chalice blew over on the sidewalk and broke. Cliff came back in. "Lynn, Lynn, I am so sorry. I broke your chalice. I will do whatever you say. I will buy you a new one. I will go to San Antonio to the potter and get you another one." I said, "No, I want that one. I want you to put it back together." And he did, as you can see. But it still broken. There is a crack here and a chip out here. When I pour grape juice in it today, it bleeds.
This is the kind of God I can believe in...One who has been broken like we are. One who has joined us in our brokenness. One who can transform our brokenness into healing.
The writer of Revelation is a prisoner on an island off the coast of Turkey. In the awful situation, God gives John a vision of the last things, the lasting things, the ultimate things. God's end vision is one of healing. John is not broken down, but broken open.
Our church has been broken open. We have gone through the Healthy Church Initiative. We have been a good church for 40 years, but we could be better. A team came here last October and pointed out some things that need to change. Frankly, it hurt me a bit. But I realize that we need to address some issues.
In the Healthy Church Initiative, we were given 5 prescriptions for greater health. We have started on them. We have had a day of prayer. We have had a day of visioning with 80 people participating. I am supposed to come up with a vision by March 15. I am working with 3 other people, Jim, David, and Liz, on this statement. I don't have it for you today.
But I was asked by this team of 3 to make a first attempt at it. Here's my vision for Westlake UMC. In 25 years, I want people to say, "Don't go to that church unless you want to be changed. If you want to be entertained, go somewhere else." Don't get me wrong. We like to have fun around here, like at the Super Bowl party where the game was just an excuse to eat and talk together. I loved seeing some 5th graders playing Twister. We have That's Amore', Mon, coming up this Saturday. We laugh and have fun around here. But we have a deeper joy too, not just entertainment.
I said, "Don't go to that church unless you want to be changed. If want to be comfortable, go somewhere else. It will be a safe place for you to share your brokenness. But you will be invited into a relationship with Jesus Christ. You will be given an opportunity to learn leadership skills. You will grow in prayer. You will learn about stewardship, so that you can move beyond our grasping greedy culture to a place of gratitude."
Finally I said, "Don't go to that church unless you want to change the world. You will learn about your spiritual gifts, how you can make an impact on others, how you can fulfill God's purposes." We already do a pretty good job here. But we need to learn how to add words to our deeds so our witness will be complete.
That's what I imagine. What do you imagine for us for the future?
We are broken, but God can use broken things, even us, for the transformation of the world.
One of my favorite books is Strong in the Broken Places by Leonard Sweet. He tells a story of a grandmother on the porch, sitting in her rocking chair, mending clothes, sewing on patches. Her granddaughter is at her feet. "Grandma, what does God do all day?" She replies after a pause, "God spends all his time fixing broken things."
That's the good news I have to share.
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