Monthly Archives: July 2010

What Shall We Say?

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I am preaching at Dover United Methodist Church in Dover Plains, NY, this morning.  Here are my thoughts for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, 29 July 2007.  The Scriptures for this Sunday are Hosea 1: 2 – 10, Colossians 2: 6 – 19, and Luke 11: 1 – 13.

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I have edited this since it was first posted.

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Several years ago a member of the congregation where I was serving asked me to present a message about the meaning of the Apostle’s Creed. His concern was that the congregation was merely saying the words from memory and was not concerned about what it was they were actually saying.

No, as it happened, I did not give that message. But this member of the congregation did and thus began his own lay speaking career. His concerns prompted me to begin a practice of using the various creeds found in the United Methodist Hymnal instead of solely relying on the traditional Apostle’s Creed.

A creed is a statement of what we believe. If we merely say what we were taught in confirmation class, we are quite likely to forget the meaning of the words that we are saying.

The same can be said about the Lord’s Prayer. It is entirely possible that each one of us learned a different version of this prayer. Even the version in the Gospel that we read this morning (Luke 11: 1 – 13) is slightly different from the version presented in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 6: 9 – 15). If anything, we need to know what the words themselves mean and what it means to say them.

First, as Jesus Himself reminded us in Matthew (Matthew 6: 7), we are to pray in this manner, not necessarily simply pray these words. There is a strong temptation to reduce this prayer to just an empty recitation. This is exactly what Jesus did not want His disciples or us to do.

So, how do we learn what these words mean and what it is that we are actually saying? Well, we could go and get original copies of Luke’s and/or Matthew’s Gospel and read the words in the original Greek. Or, we could get a copy of Mark’s Gospel or a copy of the mysterious “Q” document that served as the source for Mark in the writing of his Gospel. But there is no copy of the “Q” document available and it has only a theory that there was such a document available to Mark, Matthew, and Luke as they wrote their Gospels. And I don’t speak much Greek, let alone read it so that would not help us. So we must look at how others have translated or written the Lord’s Prayer. For me, that means a trip to the cotton patch.

The Cotton Patch Gospels are a translation of the New Testament prepared by Clarence Jordan. Dr. Jordan was a Southern preacher committed to the fulfillment of the Gospel through words and action. In the early 1940’s, he fought against segregation by creating the Koinonia Farm in Georgia. Though the citizens of Sumter County, Georgia, did everything they could to destroy the farm and scare off the residents, the farm has remained a witness to non-violence and equality to this day (http://www.koinoniapartners.org/History/brief.html). The testimony of the message that this place has carried over the past sixty years is that it is the birthplace of Habitat for Humanity. It is also where Dr. Jordan worked on his two loves, agriculture and the church. He had earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Georgia and then worked on a doctorate in Greek from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He used his agricultural background to help Georgia farmers and he brought new meaning to the Bible through his translation from the original Greek into what is called “The Cotton Patch Gospels.”

This version of the New Testament expressed the words and works of the early church in Southern dialect and uses Southern places and Southern terms in place of places and terms that we do not understand. This is how Clarence Jordan wrote the Lord’s Prayer as it is found in Luke’s Gospel.

He said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Father, may your name be taken seriously. May your Movement spread. Sustaining bread grant us each day. And free us from our sins, even as we release everyone indebted to us. And don’t let us get tangled up.’” (From Clarence Jordan’s Cotton Patch Gospels, Jesus’ Doings 11: 1 – 13)

When we hear or read this prayer in a different setting, it becomes easier to understand what we are saying ourselves.

We are not praying for the establishment of a religious-based government here on earth when we pray that God’s kingdom will come. We are praying that the revival that began with Jesus and continued with John Wesley will continue today. This, of course, does not set well with a number of people who today seek the imposition of a such a religious based government as a means of solving the problems of today’s society.

But the society that Jesus worked and lived in was just such a society. It was a society that was impersonal and uncaring when it came to those on the fringes of society. Jesus was saying that we should pray for a society in which all its members were welcomed and in which all of its members were cared for. That was not the case then and I fear that it is not the case today.

Second, when we ask for our daily bread, we are remembering the days in the wilderness when the people of Israel began the journey from slavery to freedom, from Egypt to the Promised Land. The daily bread was the manna that God gave them each day. Each person received what they needed and they only took what they needed. Those who took more than what was needed quickly found out that the extra manna spoiled and was of no use to them.

Yet today, we hear so many preachers claim that we can ask God for just about anything that we want and God will give it to us. Jesus said that we should only ask for what we needed and nothing more.

The second portion of the reading from Luke for today would seem to suggest that we can in fact ask God for whatever we want. But when we stop and look at what Jesus said to His disciples, we see that we can only ask for what we need and we will only gain that which is spiritually beneficial.

This passage was also put in terms of a community, not an individual. That is the other note we should make about this prayer and how we pray. The Lord’s Prayer is a community prayer, meant to be said in community, not individually. “Grant us” and “free us” are not words we say by ourselves but with others.

Putting in this context reminds us of the communities that began some two thousand years go. Those were communities that cared for all the members.

Early Christians were simply referred to as people of “the Way.” They were associated with a particular pattern of life, one that produced a discernible lifestyle. This lifestyle grew out of their faith and their testimony to that faith. To all who saw them, there was no mistaken them for any other group; Christian belief became identified with a certain behavior. Unlike today, it was one that was recognized by believers and non-believers alike.

They became known as a caring, sharing, and open community that was especially sensitive to the needs of the poor and the outcast. Their love for God, for one another, and for the oppressed was central to their reputation. Their refusal to kill, practice racial discrimination, or bow down before imperial deities was a matter of public knowledge.

It is also important that we recognize that they were a community as well as individuals. The first thing that Jesus did when he began His ministry was form a community. To follow Jesus meant sharing in His life and sharing it with others. From the beginning, it was clear that the Kingdom would manifest itself through a common life (Adapted from The Call to Conversion by Jim Wallis, 2005).

Putting the Lord’s Prayer in the context of the community also reminds us of the early Methodist societies that established schools and hospitals to benefit all members of society, not just those who could pay for the services.

Is it not time for us to think about what we have said this morning? We say that we are a Christian nation yet we are quick to close the doors of the town hall to those who differ from us by their economic status, their origin, or their lifestyle. We say that we are a Christian nation but while we may have compassion for the less fortunate among us, the sick, the homeless, the needy, and the oppressed are quickly left behind in our own personal desires for earthly riches.

The prophet Hosea was presented with possibly the most unenviable task any of the prophets ever undertook. First, he was to marry Gomer, a known prostitute. And he knew that she was going to be repeatedly unfaithful to him during their marriage. Second, he was to name each of his own children with names that would remind the people of their unfaithfulness to God and their rejection of Abraham’s covenant with God. It does not say in the Bible how the children felt about their names but it does note that Hosea later rescued Gomer from slavery caused by her unfaithfulness. Hosea’s actions serve as a reminder that we are the ones who forget what God means and what God can do (Hosea 1: 2 – 10).

How much is the contrast between the prophets of the Bible and those today who say they are prophets of God? Which of today’s prophets would be willing to do what Hosea did? Which of today’s prophets would be willing to give up the riches their ministries have amassed? Which of today’s prophets would be willing to say that their life styles are worthy of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross?

Paul warned the Colossians to be wary of those who seek to take them away from the path of Christ. Listen to Clarence Jordan’s words as he warns us today of the same modern day charlatans and their destruction of the Gospel.

Keep on walking in Christ Jesus the Lord just as when you first received him. Sink your roots in him; bet your life on him; plant your feet firmly in the faith as you were taught it; bubble over with joyful thanks.

Watch your step now and don’t let anybody make a sucker of you with his intellectual jazz and his smooth-sounding baloney, which is based on human concoctions and worldly standards, not on Christ. For the whole spectrum of Deity resided corporately in him, in whom your own lives find meaning. He’s the boss over every ruler and big shot. And by him you’ve been initiated into his fellowship—I don’t mean physical initiation—when he relieved you of your lower nature. This indeed is Christian initiation. Likewise, in baptism you were buried with him, and with him you have been raised by the inner working of faith in God who raised him from the dead. And to you all, corpses rotting in your sins and moral estrangement, God gave new life along with him. He freely forgave all our wrongdoing; he scratched out the signed charges against us which were then pending, took them out of the courtroom and tied them in the noose! And having frisked the top brass and the power boys, and made them his prisoners of war, he publicly exposed them.

Therefore, don’t ever let one of those big shots jump all over you about official regulations or special observances or denominational programs or Sunday activities. Such things are but forms, whereas Christ is the real stuff. And don’t let anybody browbeat you into an assumed piety and into prayers to saints, insisting on some vision he has had. He’s a worldly-minded muddlehead who has lost his grip on the true Head, under which the rest of the body, outfitted and bound together by its joints and muscles, grows into God’s maturity (From Clarence Jordan’s Cotton Patch Gospels, The Letter to Christians in Columbus 2: 6 – 1).

Now, listen to those today who claim to hear God’s voice or who claim to be God’s prophet. They ask only for themselves and their lifestyles. They would take us away from the path that we should be walking.

When we pray as we were taught to pray, we are praying for the Gospel to come true. When we pray as we were taught to pray, we are praying not just for ourselves but for our community. And when we pray as we were taught to pray, we are saying that we will work to make those words come true.

We are reminded that John Wesley saw his life in Christ in such terms. After Aldersgate, Wesley could no longer remain the country preacher of his training. No longer content with preaching or saying words with little meaning, he sought ways to bring the Gospel into action.

John Wesley saw his ministry as a challenge, both in terms of place and the way that it would be conducted. On August 18, 1739, Wesley recorded the following dialogue between Joseph Butler, the Anglican Bishop of Bristol, and himself.

Butler – “You have no business here. You are not commissioned to preach in this diocese. Therefore I advise you to go hence.”

Wesley – “My lord, my business on earth is do what good I can. Wherever therefore I think I can do most good, there must I stay so long as I think so. At present I think I can do most good here. Therefore here I stay. “ (Frank Baker, “John Wesley and Bishop Butler: A Fragment of John Wesley’s Manuscript Journal (also noted in http://frterry.org/History/Chapter_15/Chap.15%20Handout_205.htm))

So we have said the words that we were taught. What shall we say then when Christ calls us to carry out those words? What shall we say when we are called, when God asks who to send out into the world?

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What Does It Mean To Be Ahead Of The Curve?

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In a piece that I posted way back in 2008 (“How Did You Get On The Information Superhighway?), I pointed out that many students are not what we could call computer literate.  Now it might be that I should have said technologically literate instead of computer literate because our society has evolved from a collection of items to a combination of items.

But having a device that allows you to make phone calls and search the web and send messages and take pictures doesn’t mean that you really know what you are doing.  As I said a couple of weeks ago, , “What Does It Take?”, what we have is really a very fancy and, perhaps, expensive toy.  We have all of this wonderful technology but we don’t know how to use it. 

And now, some of the experts are beginning to say the same thing; see http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/07/16/techliteracy.

When you consider some of the challenges that we face in today’s society, we desperately need to be ahead of the curve.  Right now, it appears that we are on the upside of the curve and falling back.

I welcome your thoughts.

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Are We Watching The Same Game?

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I am at Hankins UMC this Sunday.  (Location of Hankins – the church is just past the intersection of NY 97 and NY Co 94 (on church road))  The service starts at 11 and you are welcome to attend.  The Scriptures for this Sunday, the 8th Sunday after Pentecost, are Amos 8: 1 – 12, Colossians 1: 15 – 28, and Luke 10: 38 – 42.

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This has been edited since it was first posted (among other things, I forgot what time the service started).  🙂

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I grew up as a fan of the St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball team. I can’t tell you exactly why that it is but I suppose that it has a lot to do with my roots being deep in the Midwest and especially St. Louis. Then again, I remember nights back in 1963 and 1964 when we were living in Denver, Colorado, and my father would set up his Hallicrafters radio receiver and stretch the antenna across the family room so that we could pick up KMOX radio. Back then, there were no baseball teams other than the Cardinals between the Mississippi River and the Rockies and if you could pick up KMOX, you listened to the Cardinals’ broadcast.

I would listen as Harry Caray and Jack Buck described the exploits of the team, especially and probably during the 1964 World Series against the Yankees. When we moved to the St. Louis area in 1965, I even got a chance to go to a couple of games. And it was interesting to do so, because if you listened to the game as Harry Caray described it while you were watching it, you sometimes wondered if you and he were watching the same game. Later, when we moved to Memphis and I listenedd to Jack Eaton broadcast the Memphis State Tigers basketball games on radio, I got the same feeling; that he saw an entirely different game than the one that was being played.

It isn’t that Harry Caray and Jack Eaton were bad announcers but rather that they were loyal to the teams whose games they announced. Loyalty is fine and I don’t want an announcer to be rooting against a particular team but, at the same time, I want to make decisions about the game myself.

I say this because, when I read the words of the Old Testament for today and the words of the prophets and I contrast them with the words of many today who profess to believe in the Bible, I wonder if we are reading the same words and looking at the same world.

When you read the words of the prophets, to a man they point out the fallacies of a society that favors the rich and ignores the poor. Despite what those who say that God wants everyone to be rich, provided, of course, that they send the minister the proper amount of seed money, the theme of the Old and New Testament is our relationship with people and more emphasis is given to the needs of the old, the infirmed, the helpless, the poor, and the oppressed.

In the passage from Amos for today, God spoke of those “Listen to this, you who walk all over the weak, you who treat poor people as less than nothing, who say, "When’s my next paycheck coming so I can go out and live it up? How long till the weekend when I can go out and have a good time?" Who give little and take much, and never do an honest day’s work. You exploit the poor, using them — and then, when they’re used up, you discard them.”

But what I see in this world today is such a world, a world in which the poor are exploited by the rich; where those who have so much care so little for those who have nothing. I see a world in which many so-called Christians care little for their fellow man and think that any expression of help is an expression of secularism or governmental interference or some “bleeding heart liberals.”

And it is a world where if one speaks out against the system, calls for compassion and repentance, of changing the values of society, they are apt to be called a socialist or some sort of secular humanist or ever worse.

Such a person is Jim Wallis. He has been writing and speaking out against the direction this country has been headed for many years now. He was asked to present a message to a Christian-based youth gathering in Wisconsin the other day. But from the screams and the outcry from some of the ministers in Wisconsin, you would have thought the devil himself had been invited.

I read the words of Jim Wallis and they ring true for me. Perhaps it is because I understand through my own life what he is describing. There comes a time in everyone’s life when you look around the world and ask yourself, “if there truly is a God, why then is there such hatred, violence, poverty, and despair in the world.” It is a question that demands an answer but it is a question that causes many people to turn away from the church because they see the church as either supporting the status quo or hiding from the reality of the world.

If I understand history and especially the history of the church and Methodism, even John Wesley asked that question. But John Wesley also saw in the Gospel message a promise of hope and renewal. It was the same message that I came to understand when I began to seek answers to the same questions.

But certain ministers in Wisconsin would tell you that Jim Wallis’ words and his thoughts are an expression of secular humanism and the youth of Wisconsin, who he was to speak to, would be in great “spiritual peril” if he was allowed to speak. I would think, as did others, that our youth should hear these words and begin to make up their own mind. The ones in peril are those who would deny individuals the opportunity to decide for themselves.

What I found most interesting in all of this was that this organized outcry against Jim Wallis and the “threat” that he posed to the youth of the state of Wisconsin was an echo of the very thing that they said he represented.

But the threat to the youth is not in denying them the right or preventing them from hearing someone like Jim Wallis speak; it is in the attitude that says that those who are in power know the answers and they will determine what answers will be given and what the people will know. And those who present this attitude also, in my mind, say that free thought and creative thought is not acceptable.

I shall make the assumption that many of those who wanted to deny Jim Wallis the opportunity to speak also openly oppose the teaching of evolution in the science classroom and argue for the inclusion of supposedly alternative theories for the process of life on this planet.

But these arguments are not based on the scientific process and amount to nothing more than (and I wish there was an easier way to say this) mind control. The theory of evolution is treated as a threat to Christianity and can only be opposed by limiting what is said or taught in today’s public classrooms. And while those who seek acceptance of their ideas decry the attempts of others to limit the publication of their ideas, they fail to mention the number of times that they have limited those who oppose them.

Now, I will also state that those who feel that religion is a threat to society are just as wrong as their counterparts who feel evolution is a threat. It is proper and permissible to oppose something that runs counter to what you think and what you believe but opposition through oppression is wrong, no matter what is being discussed. If we do not prepare ourselves and our children to think critically and creatively, then we will quickly find ourselves incapable of having visions. And people without a vision will perish.

And it should be noted that when Jim Wallis challenged his critics to explain why he was wrong, where in the Gospel his words contradicted Jesus or the prophets, but they could not respond or would not respond.

Despite the pressure and threats of those who opposed Jim Wallis and to their credit, the organizers who invited Jim Wallis to speak at their event did not rescind the invitation and Reverend Wallis was allowed to speak.

In the end, the pressure to keep Jim Wallis out of Wisconsin failed and he presented a message of hope and reconciliation to the youth of the state. But the ministers and the churches who argued that he shouldn’t be allowed to speak pulled their support for this Christian festival. (http://blog.sojo.net/2010/07/15/controversy-in-wisconsin/)

What Jim Wallis speaks and writes about is called in today’s society “social justice.” I came to know it as the social gospel, a way to live in today’s society that mirrors the words and actions of the people of the Old and New Testaments. Now, I will admit that what I first saw in the social gospel was the act of speaking out against injustice and oppression and of doing good works in life as a way through the door to heaven. In reality, it is the path that one walks after accepting Christ. There is a big difference and it is one that many people today still do not understand.

But those who oppose this message do so for one reason and one reason alone, selfishness. Oh, they couch their opposition in many different ways but it always comes down to the fact that they are unwilling to share the rewards of life with others. They think it is perfectly alright to take as much as one can and then take some more and not leave anything for the rest of the world. We are reminded that in the Book of Ruth that the people were commanded to leave parts of the harvest so that others would be able to have sustenance.

We live in a world today where we think it is perfectly alright for CEOs to earn more money in a year than many people could even dream of earning in their lifetime. We are more fascinated by the salary negotiations of sport superstars than we are the salaries of the teachers and coaches in high school who taught the superstars how to play the game. And someone needs to explain to me why it is permissible to allow the very rich to keep their tax cuts while the unemployed lose their benefits.

There are those who oppose what has become known as social justice, saying that it takes from the productive and gives to the unproductive. But what happened in the 40s and 50s when blacks sought to earn a livelihood and were denied the opportunity solely because of the color of their skin? What happened when women sought opportunities outside the home and in the traditional classroom? In the world of chemistry and physics, how many women (such as Rosalind Franklin, Marie Curie, and Lisa Meitner) made discoveries that changed the world but were met with opposition because of their gender?

Justice is demanded when laws are passed to maintain a system that maintains inequalities and injustice. (My thanks to “Liz” whose comment in response to the story at http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/07/christian-radio-station-jim-wallis-promotes-secularism-unholy-government-alliance/, assisted me in these thoughts.)

Is a message that speaks of justice for all and hope for all only for a select few, chosen by individuals here on earth or is it for everyone? Is a message which warns of danger if we do not treat everyone equally and fairly, if we do not give everyone an opportunity not an echo of the words of Amos and the other prophets, of Jesus and the Gospel?

Can we in this world even begin to think that these words should be denied or hidden? It has seemed to me for a long, long time that that those who do not want this message out into the world, who would seek to control what we can hear, what we can say, and what we think are the ones who would have agreed with Martha.

Martha was upset with her sister sitting in the living room listening to Jesus. From one standpoint, she had a right to be upset; considering the number of people who were probably visiting their place that day, she needed the help. But Jesus had begun his ministry by not limiting it and by going beyond the standards of the time. He ate with sinners; He broke countless religious-based medical and dietary laws; He treated everyone who sought Him with respect and courtesy. The traditional standards of society were replaced by a greater set of standards, equality in the eyes of God. If Mary wanted to be in the living room, that was her right and privilege in God’s Kingdom.

Too many people are like Martha in that they see each person they encounter as having a proper place in life. And they define what that proper place is. They see Martha’s place as in the kitchen and they want Mary to be there as well.

Now, and don’t get me wrong on this point, there are those whose ministry in this world is in the kitchen. They take the skills that enable them to prepare dinner for 20 or 30 or even 500 people and make sure that people who do not have a meal are fed. We should be encouraging them, not limiting them. But by the same token, when you say that someone’s place is only in the kitchen, then you have placed limits on them that shouldn’t exist. I have had the opportunity this week to hear and read about others who refused to let society’s restriction stop them from them from beginning ministries that reach out and touch the lives of countless people.

Social justice may not be the proper term but it speaks to the desires of each human to reach their potential. Anything done to limit that potential represents the worst that civilization has to offer.

If we see this life as a game, we have to realize that under the present rules it is a game that we are destined to lose. And some people, who understand this, see the only way to change the outcome is to control the players because they cannot control the game.

And the prophet’s words still echo throughout history; that those who control the players will suffer the greatest loss – go back and read the Old Testament reading again and tell me that Amos wasn’t speaking to the doom that faced the powerful and the greedy if they did not change their ways.

Go back and read Paul’s words to the Colossians again. Hear the words of promise and hope of renewal that come through Christ. It is not that we are watching the same game but, rather we are all participants in the game. And through Christ, the outcome of the game has changed.

I don’t want to just be watching the game nor do I want to be denied the opportunity to play in the game. In Christ, I have the chance and the opportunity to be in the game, even when others will deny me that right and that opportunity. The opportunity comes today to accept Christ as one’s personal Savior. The opportunity comes today to allow the Holy Spirit to empower your life and let you be a presence in the world.

“Let’s Think About This For A Moment”

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When I opened my e-mail this morning, there was a note from my ISP telling me that there was a problem with my log in and I needed to send them my e-mail address and password so that they could fix the problem.

There were some problems with this request. It was a straight text message instead of something official looking. There were no links to a company website and I could read the e-mail address of the person or persons who sent it. It was clear from the beginning that this was a phishing attempt and it wasn’t a very good one at that. We have received some interesting e-mails that were far cleverer than this one.

So what were these people thinking? That I wouldn’t see this for what it was? I suppose that there are some people who don’t bother to think through such e-mails and immediately send back information that will allow someone to ransack their files and steal their identity.

At least we haven’t gotten any requests recently from Nigerian refuges asking for help getting funds out of the country; though we did get one from the F. B. I. requesting our assistance in dealing with the Nigerian bank scam (that was a good one!).

This isn’t the first time that I have written about the issue of thinking about the e-mails that one reads (see my thoughts about e-mails that warn you about the viruses – “So Where Is He?” and “For What Is The Truth?”; and if you should decide that I need such an e-mail, I may have to send you “The Bad Times Virus”.)

But it speaks to our educational process that people think that they can pull something like this and get away with it. But this was just the beginning of a day where one had to question the content of an e-mail. We got one e-mail that told us of five things that one can do with their cell phone (from emergency phone numbers that you can dial from anywhere, even when you don’t have cell phone service to saving battery life to opening a locked car). The only one of the five things on the list that was anywhere true was the part about disabling your phone and it all depended on what cell phone you had. So, as I do whenever I get something like this, I checked the information. This particular e-mail warranted a post on not only the “Snopes” website but the “Urban Legends” and “Truth or Fiction” websites as well.

But it was the other e-mail that we received that was disturbing. This particular e-mail, sent anonymously but forwarded by countless friends, speaks of the atrocities that women in the Muslim world are facing. The only problem was that it completely distorted the truth about Islam and it, as one person noted, quickly transformed from what appeared to be a pro-woman rights piece into an anti-Muslim tirade. The claims started off absurd and became even worse as we read it.

But that is the nature of what is happening in this world today. We receive notes or messages from friends that they haven’t bothered to read or even think about and because it is set up to touch a nerve, the notes or messages are quickly forwarded to all of their friends as a way of warning them of the dangers in this world.

I can deal with the person who thinks that they can scam me by sending a very poor quality imitation of a request by a security officer. And the old adage, “if it appears too good to be true, it probably is”, still works. But I can not effectively deal with what is has become mass ignorance or an attempt to keep people paralyzed by fear.

When you receive an e-mail that warns you of impending danger, stop and think for a moment. Would someone who wanted to harm you actually tell you that they were going to do that? Or might it be that those who have their own agenda are the ones responsible for turning you against someone? I was told once that one of the ways the mill owners in North Carolina kept the unions out of the mills in the 60s was to tell the white workers and black workers conflicting stories that would pit black against white, even when the union would have been beneficial for both black and white workers.

We live in a world that gets more and more complicated every day and it is hard enough to survive without someone trying to incite anger and hatred through ignorance and fear. Freedom is a precious thing and it seems to me that if you don’t think about what you are doing to keep your freedom, your ignorance and fear will help you lose it.

For What Is The Truth?

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Here are my thoughts for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost, 23 September 2007.

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I have edited this since it was first posted.

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In Paul’s first letter to Timothy he proclaims “I am telling the truth, I am not lying.” (1 Timothy 2: 7 ) He says this because he needed to say it; there were many times when opponents to Paul’s ministry would accuse him of saying something else or they would say that their words were the truth. One has to almost wonder what has changed in the two thousand or so years since Paul wrote those words. It seems to me that each day someone says something and proclaims it to be truth. It also seems to me that every time someone says that they are telling the truth they should add “as I know it.”

Now, I know that I spend a lot of time in my writings and in my sermons arguing against those ministers and churches who are proponents of the prosperity and the “word-faith” gospels. I also spend a lot of time pointing out, or trying to point out, the fallacies of fundamental Christians. And I have lately spent a lot of time pointing out that those who argue for a scientific-based approach to belief are also wrong. Or at least I think they are wrong.

Now the truth is that most churches, congregations, and ministers support the Gospel message as Christ first gave it to us some two thousand years ago. And most churches, congregations, and ministers are neither on the left or right side of the theological spectrum. And most scientists, no matter what field they are in, do believe in God. It is just that when you look at the world around us, all you see are ministers promising wealth beyond your wildest dreams or proclaiming the pending destruction of the world because of the sins of the world. And the only scientists that you hear offer faulty reasons for turning against religion.

If I may be so bold and quote Shakespeare, “the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.” (“Julius Caesar”) The reason that so many people can get away with faulty reasoning in today’s society is that we, the people, allow it to occur. We allow people to speak falsehoods, misunderstandings, or outright lies because we either agree with their thinking or we are not willing to take the time to determine the validity of their arguments.

We think that “God helps those who help themselves” is somewhere in the Bible so we allow ministers to preach the false gospel of prosperity. We can’t find it in the Bible because it isn’t in the Bible; it was first phrased by Benjamin Franklin. We don’t argue with those who say it is Biblical because their thoughts often match our own.

And though we might be amazed by the growth of these ministries and the amount of wealth they bring to the practitioners, we should not be surprised. People will buy the trinkets these charlatans offer because they are the only ones offering hope. Yes, it is a false hope but it is the only hope that many people see today.

We live in a culture that emphasizes personal wealth and material prosperity. We seek to put our luxuries before other people’s necessities. Remember that Job has endured almost every possible calamity that we could imagine. He lost his property, he lost his children, he lost his wife and he lost his health. All of his friends proclaimed with the certainty of true believers that these calamities were the cause of Job’s sin; their responses were the responses of the present world.

We have accepted the notion that equates poverty with sinfulness because we agree with that idea. And when ministers offer words of hatred and exclusion or proclaim that the ills of society are either indicative of society’s faults or caused by others, we willingly accept this judgment. We are neither Bible scholars nor noted theologians, so we accept the words of so-called experts. These modern day Biblical experts are also rewriting history so as to justify their view of the world. Why are more people not crying out and questioning this blatant manipulation of our country’s history?

Is it because these “experts” say we are not to question them. When we are told not to question the words of the Bible, we agree. In the minds of these “experts”, to question the Bible is to question God. But to be told that we cannot question takes away our capability to think. Consider the words in Matthew 18: 15 – 17.

“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

In all of Jesus’ parables, he challenged the listeners to hear the Gospel of God’s love in different ways, through different experiences, and with different languages. This passage goes beyond anything we might comprehend; it goes beyond the tokenism of inclusiveness to a radical inclusivity where we take others seriously, listen to each other and dare trust that he or she belongs in God’s love as much as we do. (Adapted from “A Careful Read” by Deanna Langle, The Christian Century, August 23, 2005)

If you stop and think about it, these cannot be the words of Christ. As you read this passage, you have to be struck with the paradox posed. If you have a problem with a member of the church, meet with them in private. If there are still problems, then bring along some witnesses and try to work out the problem. If that fails, then they were to be expelled from the church.

Did Christ not seek all those who had been excluded from church? Did not Christ seek those who were expelled from society? So how could He say throw out those with whom you disagree? There are those who feel that this passage from Matthew comes from the later church and not from Christ. How could Jesus have been speaking for the church when there was, at that time, no church? Would He really have said treat someone as a Gentile or a tax collector when His own actions ran counter to those words? Remember that on a number of occasions He healed Gentiles and even had dinner with Zaccaheus, a tax collector. Even Matthew (or Levi in some translations), one of the twelve was a tax collector. So there are problems with this passage. It is possible that these verses are the reflection and thoughts of the early church.

What it means is that we have to be able to critically think and analyze what we have read, not simply blindly accept what is before us. To accept something without considering it is simply blind faith and you cannot see where you are going if you are blind.

Each day that I hear the hateful and exclusive words of the fundamentalists or the words of the “get rich quick through Jesus” ministers, I become more and more convinced that I am hearing the words of Satan. Their words are not the words of the Bible nor are they anywhere close to the ideas that Jesus preached throughout Galilee. And when you challenge these charlatans and false prophets, you are rebuked and told that you are a fool or do not know what you speak. Yes, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and the political leaders, for their words were the false words. Would not Satan cloak his words in words that we think are Biblical so as to hide his true intentions?

And this notion goes beyond the words offered on countless cable channels at all times of the day and in many pulpits on Sunday. It is a notion that transcends each day in our news and our politics. Our politics have become the politics of fear rather than the politics of hope. Our news is tempered by the notion that the truth is only told by a select few who have complete understanding of the world while we, the people, do not. We have willingly sent young men and women to fight in a war that was based on a series of lies. And every time a lie about this war has been exposed, our patriotism and our devotion to this country are questioned.

When I was a college student, the most frequent cry of support for the Viet Nam war was “my country, right or wrong.” But like so many statements uttered by both sides in the civil conflict that accompanied the real war, this was an incomplete statement.

The phrase itself is attributed to Stephen Decatur who actually said, “Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations, may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong.” He gave it as a toast during a dinner in 1816. ( ) This quotation was later modified by Carl Schurz, a senator from Missouri, in remarks he made on the Senate floor on February 29, 1872. His actually words were “The Senator from Wisconsin cannot frighten me by exclaiming, “My country, right or wrong.” In one sense I say so too. My country; and my country is the great American Republic. My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.”

Senator Schurz would later say, ““I confidently trust that the American people will prove themselves … too wise not to detect the false pride or the dangerous ambitions or the selfish schemes which so often hide themselves under that deceptive cry of mock patriotism: ‘Our country, right or wrong!’ They will not fail to recognize that our dignity, our free institutions and the peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism: ‘Our country—when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right.’” (http://www.bartleby.com/73/1641.html ) For Senator Schurz and many others, patriotism requires vigilance and an understanding of what this country is doing. To blindly accept the directions the leaders of this country wish to take us is neither patriotic nor wise.

Somewhere along the line, we stopped emphasizing critical thinking and the ability to decide for one’s self. It wasn’t done deliberately but is simply a reflection of our society. From generation to generation, the previous generation worked hard to insure the next generation would have a better life. But each generation is often faced with problems the previous generation never had to face and the work, instead of getting easier, gets harder. We have unconsciously lessened the intensity of our efforts. And the results can be seen in the quality of the country’s leadership and in the quality of the media we use to transmit information.

And it is not just the news media. When you compare the quality of production for television over the past forty years or so, it appears to me that it is declining. Yes, there was some pretty silly stuff produced when television first came out and there is quality material produced today. But it seems to me that the quality of entertainment on television today lessens with each passing day.

If we would only stop for a few moments and think about what some of the so-called experts are saying, then we would be crying “the emperor has no clothes!!” We seek the simplest possible answers and when faced with challenges, our reactions are made out fear. We do not critically question the information that is given to us because we do not know or we do not want to know what the truth is. And many are too lazy to question or too willing to let others tell them what to believe and do.

It used to be that people would send me e-mails about a new virus or some instance that requires my attention. Now, viruses are the bane of computers. They are nasty pieces of programming that take advantage of some obscure weakness in a computer system and are designed, intentionally or otherwise, to wreak havoc on the recipient’s computer. I have often said, with my tongue firmly planted in my check, that if I wanted to wreck a network, I would send a warning about a virus. Because recipients of this warning would quickly send out messages to their friends, who would send out messages to their friends, and they would do likewise, until the message networks were filled with messages about a hoax.

Any time you receive such a warning, you should be skeptical and verify them before you forward them. There are a number of places on the Web where you can find out what is happening. And, when I get such a warning from someone, I mail the address of one of those sites to the people who have forwarded the e-mail to me; it tends to cure the “virus” spreading.

Now, this is not to say that you cannot get a virus through the e-mail but generally speaking, the virus will be an attachment to the message, not the message itself as many warnings imply. When in doubt, never open an e-mail with an attachment from an address you do not know and be wary of attachments whose file name ends in ".vbs" or ".exe". And always make sure that your anti-virus software is current.

I mention this because it fits within our need to have a convenient conspiracy theory. For some reason that no one has been able to explain, the world loves a good conspiracy and the Internet has given rise to various conspiracy theories. Every incident that gathers worldwide attention today will quickly be followed by rumors on the Internet as to its real cause or how it really is something else.

It is our responsibility to determine when something we are told is true or when it is a hoax. The rules that apply to determine the validity of an e-mail warning about a virus apply just as well to determining the validity of a conspiracy theory. The same can be said about religion and Christianity today.

Gordon Atkinson, pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in San Antonio and host of the website RealLivePreacher.com writes:

I keep getting e-mails from people who say, "Your church sounds nice. I wish I could find one like that." So Atkinson responds: "Let me guess. You’re looking for a cool church, filled with authentic Christians who aren’t judgmental but also have convictions, and are hip and classic in just the right mixture. A church where people forgive each other, love children, and worship in meaningful ways. A church with a swinging’ preacher who makes the Bible come alive, tells great stories, is a wonderful inspiration — plays, too. A church that isn’t liberal or conservative but seems to transcend weak-ass categories like those. A church where the hunger for truth is honored and people can disagree but still love each other and share a plate of tacos.

That’s what you’re looking for? I got ya. I understand. Here are some tips to help you in your search:

  • You won’t find that church.
  • Surely, I don’t need to say anything about churches that have billboards and commercials featuring preachers with $200 haircuts.
  • Let’s talk about my first point again. As I said, you won’t find the church you’re looking for. Go ahead and grieve. You’ll have to make do with a silly bunch of dreamers and children prone to mistakes, blunders, and misjudgments. (Printed in the February issue of Context (originally from Christian Century, 11/16/2004 – see http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=752)

The people looking for a church must change their way of thinking. Somewhere along the line, we must accept that the present state of our society is our fault and that we are the ones who must fix the problem.

It was very difficult to read today’s Gospel reading (Luke 16: 1 – 13 ) because of its apparent support for dishonesty. The owner of the property tells the property manager that his job is in danger. The manager then settles outstanding accounts for less than the total amount in order to be in good standing with the account holders. This will allow the manager to get good references in case he is actually fired by his current boss. Yet, the owner/boss commends the manager for actions which worked against the best interest of the owner.

But this commendation is conditional. It only works with those for whom such actions are normal. In other words, if your business practices are unethical then the only ones who will appreciate you are those whose business practices are also unethical. Those whose practices are ethical will have nothing to do with you. As Jesus points out, if you have not been faithful with what belonged to someone else, who will give you what is your own? (Luke 16: 12 )

And if anything, we have not been faithful to God. We were created in His image yet we have wasted our talents, our time, our thoughts, and our service. We willingly destroy this world through environmental neglect and war. We turn people against people in God’s name; we use fear, hatred, and ignorance as words of the church. We deny others the right to believe in God in their own way because it is not the way we believe in God. We have driven how many people away because they are not the right race, the right economic state, or lifestyle. It is no wonder that, in the words of the prophet Jeremiah, God weeps for His people. (Jeremiah 8: 18 – 9: 1) Look at what we have done with God’s creation and wonder why we are not crying.

The truth is that we have been a great opportunity and we have thrown it away. We have transposed words of hope and joy into hatred and greed. We have left a path that moves us forward for one that leads us backwards. We have closed our eyes and let others lead us to destruction.

God’s Son was given to us and we wasted the gift. And, what is worse is that we did not understand the value and the timelessness of this gift. We do not understand that God’s grace is there if we would simply repent and change our ways. Jesus told us to seek the truth and the truth will set us free. (John 8: 32) The truth is found in Christ and we must be the ones who seek it. We are given a great opportunity this day. Let us not give it away again in our ignorance.

Looking to the future

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This is the message that I gave at Tompkins Corners United Methodist Church for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost, 22 July 2007.  The Scriptures for this Sunday were Hosea 1: 2 – 10, Colossians 2: 6 – 19, and Luke 11: 1 – 13.

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In my collection of statements I find interesting is one attributed to Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the U. S. Office of Patents. In 1899, Mr. Duell is supposed to have said, ""Everything that can be invented has been invented." However, in a series of notes to the Chemical Information Internet list, it was discovered that Mr. Duell never said this. Kenneth W. Dobyns in his book on the history of the Patent Office, “The Patent Office Pony: A History of the Early Patent Office “, said that this quote was attributed to Mr. Duell by Richard Nixon in 1988.

It was the first Commissioner of Patents, Henry Ellsworth, who actually made the statement that became the basis for this quote. In his 1843 Annual Report of the Patent Office, Mr. Ellsworth wrote, "the advancement of the arts, from year to year, taxes our credulity, and seems to presage the arrival of that period when human improvement must end." (From a series on notes to the Chemical Information List on July 29, 1999)  Mr. Ellsworth’s view of the world can only come true if the day ever comes where we have no hope for the future and creativity dies.

I find it interesting that we could even consider a time when the creativity of the human race comes to an end, for that is to say that there is no future. But it is also not surprising when you stop to think that today’s society is more interested in the here and now than in what the future will bring. We live in a society of instant gratification. There are people who expect to have the fruits of the Christian life, joy, peace, trust, courage, confidence, and all the rest without the discipline of the Christian life. There are people who think that they can "get" the Christian faith in a weekend. But there is no quick, easy payoff when it comes to our relationship with God. (Adapted from "A Plea for Persistence" by William H. Willimon, Pulpit Resource, July, August, September 2004)

Many people say that God is distant from them. For them, prayers to God are simply times when they talk to themselves. God has never said or done anything to or for them. But the problem is that they have become distant from God, not the other way around. Their relationship with God is in their own terms and you cannot define this most important of relationships that way.

Paul tells us through his letter to the Colossians that we have to be careful that we don’t mix the philosophy of the world with our knowledge of Christ. There were those in Colosse who were attempting to combine worldly philosophies with the message of the Gospel. But in doing this, they created a system that was in conflict with the basic message of the Gospel. The mystery of the Gospel cannot be understood through the application of worldly philosophical systems.

This is because philosophers try to use portions of, not the whole part of the Gospel message. This makes it an incomplete system. Those who seek an understanding of God and an understanding of the Gospel in this way will never be able to do so, simply because it is incomplete. You cannot build a relationship on incomplete information and you cannot expect a relationship to exist if incomplete.

The focus of Hosea’s prophecy is Israel’s relationship with God in the present and what it might be in the future. The relationship is demonstrated to the Israelite nation in terms of Hosea’s own life. First, God tells him to marry a prostitute, Gomer, but tells him that she will then be openly unfaithful to him. This was to illustrate Israel’s own unfaithfulness in the covenant with the Lord. His children are to be named in terms that remind the nation of Israel of what it has done and what is going to happen to them. Hosea names his children Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, or "not loved", and Lo-Ammi, or "not my people." In naming his first child Jezreel, Hosea reminded the people of Israel of the atrocities that occurred in the city with the same name and the military defeat that was to come. Giving rather unfavorable names for children are meant to show God’s impending rejection of Israel and His termination of the covenant relationship with His people.

But Hosea’s prophecy and life were not always so gloomy. For in the same passage that tells us of God’s rejection of Israel, Hosea reports that Israel and its descendants will be as numerous as the sands on a beach. But this future can only come if the people of Israel change the way in which they live their lives, focusing once again on their relationship with God. In the coming passages of Hosea’s prophecy, we read of the reversal of the future that comes when the people of Israel make the changes.

It is interesting that this passage from the Old Testament is paired with the introduction of the Lord’s Prayer. But Jesus teaching his disciples to pray is also about relationships. In praying to the Father, we see a far different relationship from the one that existed before, when God was omnipotent and unreachable. Now, we see our relationship with God much like a loving parent with his children. Now, our prayers are to a Father who loves us enough to give us what we need rather than what we want.

Jesus used the accompanying parable to illustrate that the answers to our prayers only come through persistence. We have to be persistent in what we do, especially in terms of our relationship with God, or we face the likelihood that we will gain nothing and what we gain will be worthless.

The introduction of the Lord’s Prayer is also about the future. First, in our persistence, we seek a future; we are not willing to stand pat on what we have. Second, it is part of that relationship that we have with God. The disciples have seen Jesus in regular prayer, asking His Father for the support and strength that humans do not always have. So now they wished to be able to pray like Jesus. We know that the disciples did not know what the future was for them; for they never truly realized that Jesus’ ministry must end on the cross.

But they saw hope and promise in a prayer that reestablished the relationship between themselves, as children of God, and God Himself, their Heavenly Father. They began to see a new and different future.

So, as we look to the future, we have to ask ourselves what lies ahead? If we choose to do nothing, then we are faced with a future described over 160 years ago, a future that doesn’t exist, a time where there is no creativity, no results of human effort. Like the people of Israel as they see Hosea’s children, we will see nothing but doom in front of us. We see a world without a relationship with God.

But if we hold onto the relationship to God that we were given through Christ’s death on the cross, we see a better future. This is a future of hope, one in which the efforts of human endeavor come to the fruition of the Gospel message. It is a message that we can and must give to others. In a world that cannot see the future, or sees one bounded by the limits of today, through the Gospel we can give others a chance to look to the future once again.

 

Are You Waiting For The Lord?

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This was the first of three Sundays where I was at the Mulberry (KS) and Arma (KS) United Methodist Churches.  This was the 8th Sunday after Pentecost and I used 2 Kings 4: 8 – 17, Colossians 1: 21 – 29, and Luke 10: 38 – 42 as the Scriptures.

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I was reminded of the story about the two vultures sitting in the tree where one vulture turns to the other and says, "I am tired of waiting; I’m going to do something." Waiting is part of life for vultures, for they could not survive otherwise.

But waiting is somehow not in our makeup. Occasionally, our lives are made enjoyable because we are impatient. The excitement of the Indiana Jones movies comes from the transition between scenes as Indy is caught in one predicament after another.

Still, for the most part, we do not find it convenient to wait. Our news and view of life is based on sound bites, short scripts that we can ingest. It is said that the average attention span is around 15 minutes. If a politician wants to make a point, it has to be done in less than 15 minutes or we lose interest. A great deal of time and money has gone into the "fast food" industry. If we are in a hurry to eat at home, we "zap" things in the microwave. And if our lives are rushed so much that we don’t have time to even microwave things, then there are businesses which will deliver a complete dinner to your door (though I don’t know such a business here in the Pittsburg area).

Our impatience even enters into our church life as well. Many a pastor is judged not on the content of his sermons but only on the length of the message. Fortunately for me, as one of my preacher cousins has told me, my sermons are just the right length. But sometimes in our own church services, we begin to watch the clock rather than listen to the words. And many times we find ourselves saying, "I can’t come to church today but I will be there in spirit." Sometimes we can’t come to church. We might be on the road traveling (though I would hope you go to church somewhere) and I don’t think a person who is physically exhausted should come to church. But too often, when we get up on Sunday morning, it is that little ache which keeps us from going to church.

We find ourselves trapped in a paradox. Society demands a pace that we often cannot maintain and we find ourselves seeking a moment of rest. Yet, while Sunday was meant to be a day of rest, it was also meant to be a day of celebration of God’s presence in our lives.

So while Sunday still serves as the day of rest, we find ourselves too weak to celebrate. And when we begin losing touch with those things that give life meaning and purpose, then all the work and pressure put on us by society begins to takes it tolls. Jesus asked to consider the pace of our lives when he said "What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?"(Luke 9: 25)

Consider the Gospel message for today. Martha is busy in the kitchen and dining room getting dinner ready. This is a formidable task because there was a few more guests than normal and she wanted to make a good impression. Wouldn’t we all, especially considering who was visiting.

But there was Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, along with the other disciples. Consider how Martha felt, trying to get everything done, with more things to do than there was time and what was her sister Mary doing just sitting there listening to Jesus.

No wonder Martha exclaims "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me."(Luke 10: 40)

But, what does Jesus tell her? "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10: 41)

Jesus’ message is that our relationship with God and the time we spend with him is more important than whatever else we might do. This message suggests that we change the way we behave in society.

Human nature in Jesus’ time was no different from human nature today. In our rush to get things done, we miss the important parts of life. The prophet Amos said to the people of Israel, "Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it." (Amos 8: 12)

I think that was what Paul was trying to tell the people at Colossae.

And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him — provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. (Colossians 1: 21 – 22)

Even with their faith in Christ, they were having trouble understanding when the promise of a life in Christ would come. Paul was cautioning not to turn back to their previous live because they did not see immediate results and to never lose hope, even if it meant waiting for the Lord.

When we turn to God in prayer, we often find that our prayers are not answered immediately. Often times, we are not prepared to hear the answer. Perhaps we did not hear the answer because we were too busy. We must pause in our daily, not weekly, lives so that we can hear His answer. In the resource that I use for my daily devotions comes the following

Complete serenity of mind is a gift of God; but this serenity is not given without our own intense effort. You will achieve nothing by your own efforts alone; yet God will not give you anything, unless you work with all your strength. This is an unbreakable law. ”The Art of Prayer”

While we may not understand the time frame that the Lord works on and we may find it very hard to wait, we know that there are rewards for what we do. The Shunammite woman offered to help Elisha and the reward for her help was a son, even though she and her husband probably felt they would never have children. Her waiting was rewarded. It is hard to tell but if Martha had taken time to hear what Jesus was saying, when He was done, everyone there would probably have pitched afterwards and the dinner would have come out okay.

Now I will not be the first pastor who has ever said this, nor will I be the last to do so. And I know that there are those who already start each day dedicating the work of that day to the Lord. Still, I want to remind you, as you go through this week, to take a few moments to enter into prayer. And when life gets a little hectic, stop and ask yourself "Are you waiting for the Lord?"

Drawing a Straight Line

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I am at the Cornwall United Methodist Church (Cornwall, NY – location).  The Scriptures for the 7th Sunday after Pentecost (10 July 2010) are Amos 7: 7 – 17, Colossians 1: 1 – 14, Luke 10: 25 – 37.  The service starts at 9:30 and you are invited to worship with us.

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I do not know about you but I have only encountered the Verrazano Narrows Bridge twice. Each time, though, was in a peripheral way while I was teaching in Brooklyn.

The first time a student called to tell me that she would be late for lecture because of an accident on the bridge. She wasn’t sure if she could make the lecture but was certain that she would get across and make it to the lab. The second time occurred when I was somewhere in Brooklyn close to the Atlantic Ocean, when I actually saw the bridge.

Now, because of where I was, my unfamiliarity with New York City at that time and because it didn’t look like any of the bridges I saw on my daily commute, I wasn’t really certain which bridge I was looking at. But, as I looked at this amazingly long bridge and a brief examination of the map that I was using, I realized what I was seeing. That one could delineate features from so far away spoke of the true size of the bridge and made it a very awesome sight.

I was reminded of that because of a show on cable television the other day that talked about the building of the bridge. If you measure the distance between the towers, you will find that the tops of the towers are 5-1/8” further apart then the bases. That is because the bridge is so long that the curvature of the earth comes into play.

The towers themselves are perfectly straight and to our eyes, they appear to be parallel. But if you could hold a plumb line next to each of the towers, you would see that they are not parallel. The towers are in line with lines perpendicular to the surface of the earth that go through the center of the earth and, if you could see those lines, you would see that they are not parallel.

Now, the architects who designed the Verrazano Narrows Bridge understood that the curvature of the earth would have an impact on the bridge because of its length and they took that into consideration in its design. But it is a difference that we cannot immediately see and it has no essential impact on our daily lives.

But I do think that it does illustrate the opening verses of today’s Old Testament reading. It is the only time that the Hebrew word that translates as “plumb line” is used. In the opening of the passage, Israel is being compared to a wall that was built true to the plumb line, to the standards set by God. But the people of Israel no longer held to those standards and were now “out of plumb.” Because of their focus on earthly matters, they could not see that they have strayed from that line.

It seems to me that our country and our society have done that as well. Our treatment of the environment and the world on which we live, both in terms of the resources we have in place and our thought for the future speak of a people who have heard the word of God to be good stewards of the planet but who believe that we can do anything we please and that we do not need to fear the consequences. Our lack of concern for the future of the planet extends to how we treat people, both in this country and around the globe. We see war as the answer to conflict; we ignore poverty and sickness; we see greed as viable and acceptable. Each day we receive more news that says that we are further and further away from the line set by God.

Now, there are those who will hear these words or read these words on my blog and dismiss them as meaningless because they do not have God in their lives. They have abandoned God because they see no evidence that God exists; they wonder how a God could allow the evil and lack of caring that exists in the world today. They see no evidence to suggest that there is a God. But to borrow a quote from Carl Sagan, the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. To find the presence of God, especially in a world that has perhaps rejected Him, is a daunting task but not an impossible task.

Now, there are those in this world who claim that we need to be forcibly returned to the goals and standards that God as set. They see the only solution as the creation of a government based on “God’s laws”. But such a government, besides being a mirror image of the government of Israel in Amos’ time, would be one where it is their interpretation of the law.

It would be a very legalistic and unbending world, with very little room for thought and creativity. It would be a world in which “that’s the way things are and one cannot question such things.” It would be a world where the godly person does not bother with the person on the street because such interactions would defile them. It would be a world in which the church is inside the walls of a building and access is limited to those who meet their approval. Those outside the walls of the church are cast off and forgotten. This world would be a world of the Old Testament, not a world of the New Testament.

There are those who acknowledge the existence of God but it is an accommodating acknowledge. Sunday is the day for God and it is best if God were kept on Sunday because there is no room for him during the rest of the week. For these individuals, Christianity is a part-time thing and a hobby, something to do in one’s spare time.

They remember the way church was when they were growing up and that’s the church they want today. We want the Bible to be “long ago and far away”, not “here and now.” They don’t mind being told about the Cross but they want a shiny and golden cross, not a wooden one soaked in blood.

All of this has allowed us to create a world in which we feel “one size fits all”. It is a world entirely devoid of creativity. It is a world where people speak of seeking their own individuality yet everyone appears the same. It is a world where we want people to draw only straight lines and not color outside those lines.

In preparing for today’s sermon, I first focused on the last part of the reading in which Amos points out to Amaziah that he never intended to be a prophet or a preacher and that he wasn’t trained to be one either. In that society, sons followed their fathers in their careers and Amos’ father was a shepherd so Amos was a shepherd. Now I am an engineer’s son but it became quickly evident that I would not become an engineer. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I cannot draw a straight line with a ruler. But it also was related to the fact that I was given an opportunity to take a different path; one that would allow me to become first a chemist and then a chemical educator.

Now, I supposed that, if I had walked along this typical straight and narrow path, this straight line that I was able, with some difficulty, to draw, I would never be standing here today.

But something about seeking information about the world around me, the task of a scientist, also allowed me to begin hearing God calling me to do something with my talents on Sunday morning. It is interesting in this society that there are those who feel that I can be a chemist or I can be a lay speaker but I cannot be both. It is an attitude that pervades our world today, that says that you can only do certain things and that because of who you are, where you live or how old you might be, certain things are off-limits to you.

But that is the message of society, not the message of Christ. Christ came to this world to show us what was possible, not what was limited. It is a world where drawing outside the lines was allowed, where creativity is an expression of God in you.

We live in a world where to discuss salvation is to focus on a single point or moment of decision in one’s life that determines one’s eternal fate. But the biblical notion of salvation has more do with what happens here on earth and is only secondarily concerned with otherworldly matters. Salvation should be more a question of “am I walking the right path” than “am I doing what others think is the appropriate thing” or “will I escape the fires of Sheol?”

To early Christians, being “saved” meant that you had converted from living for yourself to living for God. This put you on a new path or way of life. We need to recall that the early Christian movement was called “The Way”. It was on this path that you found your true identity and purpose, one that had been a part of you from the beginning but never really grew or blossomed until God

Somewhere in all of this, we have strayed from the line, the path that leads us to God. We offer reasons for not getting involved. What was the priest thinking when he walked by the injured man? What was the Levite thinking when he walked by? What was the Samaritan thinking?

Some years ago, I was introduced to a different version of the New Testament called The Cotton Patch Gospels. It was written by Clarence Jordan, a Southern Baptist preacher and scholar. Because he was a Greek scholar, he would often write his own translation of the scripture that he wanted to use. Ultimately, this lead to a version of the New Testament planted in the cotton fields of the south. As he wrote in his introduction to The Cotton Patch Version of Paul’s Epistles,

We ask our brethren of long ago to cross the time-space barrier and talk to us not only in modern English but about modern problems, feelings, frustrations, hopes and assurances; to work beside us in our cotton patch or on our assembly line, so that the word becomes modern flesh. Then perhaps, we too will be able to joyfully tell of "that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes and have felt with our hands, about the word of life"   (I John 1:1) (from http://www.rockhay.org/cottonpatch/intro-pauline.htm#01)

In his version of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest became a white preacher, the Levite became a white Gospel Song leader, and the Samaritan became a black man. In the footnotes, Jordan wrote the probable thoughts of each man.

The preacher’s homiletical mind probably made the following outline:

  1. I do not know the man.
  2. I do not wish to get involved in any court proceedings.
  3. I don’t want to get blood on my new upholstering.
  4. The man’s lack of proper clothing would embarrass me upon my arrival in town.
  5. And finally, brethren, a minister must never be late for worship services.

As for the Gospel song leader, Jordan noted that we would probably never know what his thoughts were but that he probably whistled “Brighten the corner, where you are” as we whizzed past. But the black man who stopped surely was thinking something like "Somebody’s robbed you; yeah, I know about that, I been robbed, too. And they done beat you up bad; I know, I been beat up, too. And everybody just go right on by and leave you laying here hurting. Yeah, I know. They pass me by, too."

Now, it does not matter whether you hear the Parable of the Good Samaritan in words that come out of the Deep South or words that came out of Israel or 17th century England, the message is still the same. There are those who walk a straight line but it is a line that they have defined themselves while there are those who walk a straight line that leads them to God. Others will look at that path and wonder where that person is headed because it doesn’t look straight. But, the journey to God, to salvation, is a journey of discovery, of finding who you are and what you are meant to do. No matter where we have been or where we are now, no matter what others see, the line that has been drawn for us is a straight line to God through Jesus Christ.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul speaks of how as one learns more and more about how God works it becomes possible to see what it is that one is supposed to do. We are reminded that we have been created in God’s image so we cannot, neither should we trust someone else’s conception of what we should be doing to know if that is the right thing to do. God will never call you to do something that you cannot do nor what will bring you alive.

Individually we are called to find that path that leads to God. But we are also called as a group to develop ways that will enable others to find that path. This is the most daunting task that I can imagine because it requires that we consider who we are and where we are.

We are not called to draw the line that will lead to God; it has been drawn for us. And if we look, we will see that it is a line pointed to a cross on a hill far away. But it is a line that goes beyond the cross and it is a line that says our journey continues far beyond that hill. No, we are not called to draw the line. We are called to find that line that has been drawn for us and to help others find their own line. We have been called and we must answer. How shall you do that?

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I utilized information from The Phoenix Affirmation in preparing my thoughts about salvation, and the path that we walk.

A New Way of Looking At Things

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This is the message that I presented at Tompkins Corners UMC for the 7th Sunday after Pentecost, 22 July 2001.  The Scriptures are Amos 8: 1 – 12, Colossians 1: 15 – 28, and Luke 10: 38 – 42.

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In his book, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", Thomas Kuhn coined a phrase that has developed a life of its own. The phrase in question is "paradigm shift" and is bandied about by commentators whenever there is a perceptual shift in public behavior. In actuality, a paradigm shift is used to explain a change in one’s thinking when one looks at a problem from a conceptually different viewpoint.

To Kuhn, the development of new theories could only occur when old theories could not explain new data. The shift from an earth-centered view of the solar system to a sun-centered view was such an example of a paradigm shift. It was possible to explain the observed motion of the stars and the planets in terms of the earth being the center of the solar system but, with each additional piece of information, such an explanation became more and more complicated. By making the sun the center of the solar system, the explanations became easier to accomplish. This change in the view of the solar system radically changed how other things were viewed, and thus could be considered a paradigm shift.

Now, it is possible to read today’s Gospel story about Jesus visiting the home of Martha and Mary in the old ways. But I think that, especially in the context of the Old Testament and Epistle readings for today, there is a new way of understanding what is happening in that house in Bethany.

The traditional view is that we should not put other things before our relationship with God. Martha is upset with her sister because Mary is not helping her clean up after the meal. Jesus calms Martha and points out that there are far greater things in the world, specifically one’s relationship with God, that are more important than doing the dishes.

But I think that there is a subtler message in what transpired in that house. Understand that in those days, women and children were on the peripheral edge of society. They weren’t counted in the census of the day and were often excluded from normal day-to-day activities. Keep in mind that when we speak of the multitudes fed by Jesus, the numbers that were given, 5,000 in Matthew 14 (Matthew 14: 17 – 21) and 4,000 in Matthew 15 (Matthew 15: 32 – 38), reported only the men who were there. In both cases, Matthew wrote "besides the women and children." We also know that on those occasions when children were present, the disciples were apt to push them away, only to be told by Jesus to, "let the children come to me." (Matthew 19: 13 – 14)

So, for Mary to be sitting in the room listening to Jesus teach is an indication that there is a change taking place. By societal conventions of that time, Mary should have been in the kitchen with Martha cleaning up, not listening to Jesus teaching.

But Jesus’ ministry was meant to change the ways of society, and that also meant the way individuals treated each other. There is nothing wrong with what Martha was doing but it was wrong to expect others to behave in the same manner. And this carries over into today’s society. We often expect others to behave in a manner similar to how we would behave. Or we hold to a hierarchy that may no longer be appropriate. What Jesus wants us to do is change our view of others and see them in the same light as God sees us, not in terms of how we might see them.

God’s presence changes the way things are seen. The presence of God in one’s life changes the way one is seen by people. But the reverse is also true. Taking God’s presence away also changes things.

Amos tells the Israelites that because they have angered God, he is pulling his support from them. Instead of a famine in terms of food, there will be a famine of faith. God’s words and works will no longer be present in their daily lives; the blessing bestowed on Israel will be removed. And while the Israelites may be celebrating the harvest and plenty, the season will actually be one of death, pestilence and destruction. Amos’ prophecy speaks of the promise of the final harvest of the year but in terms of it being the last harvest ever. What the people see is not what is reality.

The church today is much like the church back then, especially in terms of Paul’s words. Before Jesus, the view of the world was only in terms of the world itself. And a worldly view is one that is limited and bounded; it offers no hope and no possibility. But a view of the world through Christ changes what one sees and what is capable of doing.

In this world, we see conflict resolution in terms of greater force. If we have the greater force, then we will be able to resolve any problem. Our defense policies for many years were based on the realization that we had the power ten times over to destroy the world and that the Soviet Union also had the same power. This balance of power kept us from ever, hopefully, thinking of using this power.

We live in a different world these days. The Soviet Union no longer exists but that has not taken away the threat of violence and evil. It is just that such threats come from other sources, even as we still hold to traditional thoughts of evil being incarnate in the policies of other governments. Evil and violence are the products of mankind, not political systems; and the solution to evil and violence will never be found in similar approaches.

We also still seem used to this power mode of governance in our daily lives. We are reluctant to engage in politics because we are convinced that the rich and powerful control the process. We would much rather try to gain the power that others have and keep it for ourselves than seek ways to share power and make sure that all benefit.

If there is to be a radical shift in societal thinking, it has to come from the lowest levels. It cannot come from the top down. Interestingly enough, many of the great innovations in today’s business world have come, not from the top of the organization but from individuals working at the bottom who have been given the freedom to develop ideas.

I received a newsletter from another church organization the other day. In it were two statements that particularly appealed to me. But in looking at the newsletter a second time, I found a third statement of an equal value. If we are to see things in a different way, it sometimes help to step back and take another look.

There is a thought these days that peacemaking is something that happens "over there" or in some other country. But the issues that create dissension between peoples, which lead to violence and repression, are issues that are also found at home. While we may think of the problems in terms of a global vision, we must practice them in a local setting. Beverly Wildung Harrison is quoted as saying, "Like Jesus, we are called to a radical activity of love, to a way of being in the world that deepens relation, embodies and extends community, passes on the gift of life. Like Jesus, we must live out this calling in a place and time where distortions of loveless power stand in conflict with the power of love." The pastor who used this quote noted that the local expression of who we are is the congregation. So, if we are to be peacemakers in the world, we must be peacemakers in our own congregation. (From the On Earth Peace summer newsletter, page 1)

A second pastor noted that if we are committed to the cause of peace in this world, it must be because the Spirit and compassion of Jesus compel us. It would be very difficult to have that commitment simply because we happen to attend church and are nominal in our commitment to Christ. This same author noted that she was the pastor of a small church in Maryland and, as such, had to work hard to discern the various differences between the members of congregation. Such work is necessary so as not to be blown away by the conflicting opinions, personalities and factions.

But she also noted that this congregation has to work hard at bridge building and maintaining relationships so that the focus on peace that is brought back from conferences is not lost on the congregation. (Note from Paula Browser in the On Earth Peace summer 2004 newsletter)  Now, the focus of this church is on peacemaking in the world but it is a point well taken. If we are not in accord with what Jesus asked us to be, we are going to have a hard time accomplishing what Jesus asks us to do.

And it is that challenge of what Jesus asks us to do that is so difficult. In a world where the schedule seems to work against us, it seems easier to make a casserole for a grieving family than to offer words of hope. It is easier to welcome new neighbors with a fresh baked loaf of bread than to invite them to worship on Sunday. The former are acts that require no commitment or true effort on our part; the latter require that we show someone else who we truly are.

Our own view of the world has taken us away from the true sense of the Sabbath. Worship is no longer the focus of lives but just something else that must be crammed into an already crowded schedule. We end up so tired from trying to do everything we no longer have the strength or time to come to church on Sunday. While in keeping with the scripture that the Sabbath be a day of rest, it is a view that deprives us of being with God. It is a view of the scripture driven, not by a desire to be with God, but rather by the demands of the world. I can understand the need to have alternative services and have services at other times besides Sunday mornings. But are they services that bring people closer to God or are they services driven by this world’s schedule demands?

We know one thing that those in Mary and Martha’s house do not know. We know that hearing and doing are not parts of the law but rather parts of the Gospel. We know that the view of the world has changed because of Jesus’ ministry. (From "Living by the Word", Stephanie Frey in Christian Century, 13 July 2004)

In a world where power was the key, where economic status determined your future, Jesus showed that there was another view. He showed the world a view that was free from political or economic status; He showed a view that offered hope and promise. It was a new way to see things.

And as those who have heard Jesus’ call we are called to love one another, to break down the walls of hostility, to build bridges across differences, and to make conscious choices about how we act in this world and how we treat others. We are asked to show others that Christ is in our life.

We see the choice very clearly. The prophet Amos tells us that when the people ignored God and the covenant they had made, they were forgotten. What they saw as celebration was death; what they saw as prosperity was poverty. But, as Paul pointed out, there was a way out of that world. But, in accepting Christ as our Savior, we see the world differently.

Perhaps, at a time when we are struggling, we need to stop and find a way to look at things in a new way. Instead of looking at or to the world for the solutions to our problems, perhaps we need to invite Jesus into our hearts and see the world through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Opportunity We Have

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This is the message that I presented at Walker Valley UMC for the 7th Sunday after Pentecost, 22 July 2001.  The Scriptures are Amos 8: 1 – 12, Colossians 1: 15 – 28, and Luke 10: 38 – 42.

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Word on a Wire
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This week’s readings deal with the theme of justice, with a specific focus on wealth; as disciples, our source of hope and life must be God alone. Through Amos, a shepherd turned prophet, God calls those "who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land" to account for their greed. The consequences of such idolatry will not be fire and brimstone, but "a famine upon the land, not…of bread or thirst for water but for hearing the word of the Lord." For a people formed and nourished on God’s Word, this was a bleak prospect indeed. And for Christians, for whom the Word is now flesh, the threat of famine is utterly unthinkable.

The cover story in last week’s issue of Fortune was entitled "GOD and Business — The Surprising Quest for Spiritual Renewal in the American Workplace" (Marc Gunther, Fortune, July 16, 2001). This was quite ironic when you consider the passages from Amos that was this week’s reading from the Old Testament and Luke that was this week’s Gospel reading.

The story speaks of how people have found that goals based on material success are not always the goals that will guarantee true happiness and success. Like Jesus reminding Martha, spending all your time working does not necessarily give you the opportunity for spiritual success. Jesus’ comment to Martha indicates that Martha was spending too much time worrying about ordinary matters while Mary was right in devoting all of her time to Jesus’ teaching.

Amos pointed out that many of the people who heard his prophecy were more interested in profit and gain in the material world than they were in doing what was right and just.

One of the points that was made in the Fortune article was that we spent much of our time in the 60’s trying to find freedom. What many found was that freedom comes with a price and responsibilities; that the concept of total freedom was in actuality total slavery because, at some time, one would be called to pay for all that one had done.

The time of the late 70’s and the 80’s brought about a time of trying to find that which would you give the stability and the structure needed for gaining the freedoms brought about from the 60’s. And now, people are finding out that stability, that structure cannot come from material gains.

To that end, many churches are trying to find ways of providing that stability. But I believe that they are doing it wrong. At a time when people should be finding Jesus and being given the opportunity to bring Him into their hearts, churches are presenting a world in which one set of secular rules are changed for another set of secular based rules.

Many churches today try to provide an insight into Christ through an adaptation of today’s technology. In one of the many e-mail newsletters that I receive each week was this little article,

Soul Works
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Lord’s Prayer for cellular believers
The Lord’s Prayer has been translated into the language of the text message as part of a new plan to send church services to worshippers on their mobile phones. "Our Father, who art in heaven" has become dad@hvn while "forgive us our trespasses" is rendered as "4give r sins."
Other prayers, readings, and meditations are also to be translated to give worshippers an entire service in text message format. The idea is to bring Christianity to a generation that is "too busy to go to church." The Muslim community has already seen the benefits of text-messaging believers with their five daily "calls to prayer."

The mobile phone church services will be launched at the Greenbelt arts and music festival in Cheltenham, UK, in August. When their messages arrive, it is hoped the young people will stop what they are doing and read them aloud to friends around them, creating a new form of simultaneous virtual worship.

The idea came from a religious service conducted by text messages in Germany. The Lord’s Prayer was conceived after an on-line competition to find the best version, cutting it from 372 characters to 160 or fewer. A history student at York University came up with the accepted version. (SOJO Mail, July 20, 2001)SOJO Mail, July 20, 2001)

The only problem that I have with something like this is that it trivializes the Lord’s Prayer. Nor does it place the idea of church and worship in the context that it needs to be in. After all, if the people receiving such text messages are too busy to go to church, how is abbreviating the text to a short sound byte going to make it easier for them to understand what the words of the prayer mean.

I have spoken before about the new "virtual" churches that are springing up almost daily on the World Wide Web. For me, one crucial aspect of worship and renewing my connection with Christ comes from the time I spend here on Sunday morning among people. Also, as we were constantly reminded throughout the Old Testament, there were always people around Jesus; to be in a situation where I am not among people makes it very difficult to achieve what worship is about. To go to church on the web does not give me the satisfaction that I have found being in the sanctuary on Sunday morning.

I am not opposed to technology but technology is not always the answer. In the same issue of the newsletter that told me about the new version of the Lord’s Prayer was an article about a church in England that had bought a karaoke machine because the organist had moved away.

Religion & Society
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Vicar in tune with karaoke hymn-singing

By Maurice Weaver

UK Telegraph

A vicar has improved the singing of hymns in his church by installing a karaoke machine. The Rev. Brian Duckworth’s congregation failed to make the heavens ring after their organist moved away. But the karaoke machine has made all the difference to services at St. John the Evangelist’s Church in Hucknall, Notts.

Rev. Duckworth can control the karaoke machine from his pulpit and even take it with him for outside services. "After the organist departed, one of our worshippers stepped in with a guitar but then she left, too," said Duckworth. "Our services were getting very dull. I’m afraid singing unaccompanied just wasn’t the same," he added.

Stephen Langford, assistant secretary of the Southwell Diocese, which approved the vicar’s music-making idea, said: "This machine is making its mark on St. John’s in a way the original organ probably did 100 years ago." The congregation raised £2,850 to pay for the Digital Hymnal, an American-made ecclesiastical version of the Japanese sing-a-long device. It plays 2,400 hymns. (SOJO Mail, July 20, 2001)

Also I also think that many churches today are wrong in their notion that in order to come to know Christ, you must follow a particular path or set of steps. Giving a set of rules does give structure and discipline to one’s life and that is what many people are seeking in order to gain the peace and security that they crave. But a reading of the Bible tells us that the Israelites let the rules and order of their life take them away from the connection with God. One of the primary reasons that Jesus came was because the Israelites spent more time dealing with the structure of daily life and making sure that they followed the rules than they did in fellowship with God.

Amos warned the people that a time would come when there would be a famine, not of food, but of God’s word. There would be a time when people would seek God and His word but not be able to find it. The story in Fortune struck a chord with me. How can we give people to the opportunity to find God’s word in this society?

Over the next four months, we are going to have four church brunches. These brunches are the beginning of many opportunities for this church to reach out to those seeking to find a connection with Christ or renew their connection.

One of those brunches, scheduled for November 4th, is associated with our annual charge conference and will be essentially for church members and family. It will not be a closed meeting, for I don’t think that would be right. But it is the one meeting that is devoted to the work of the church for the coming year and thus would not be a good Sunday for others to come.

The other three meetings are ones were we have the opportunity to bring the community to Walker Valley United Methodist Church. The Sunday after Labor Day brings back our traditional "Rally Day" and the resumption of Sunday School. This year we will have a class for the older students seeking to be confirmed in the church. If you know of any student in junior high, high school, or who has just finished high school, have them get in contact with me so that we can begin making plans for that class. Also, we need at least one person and I would like to get several people to help with the middle Sunday School class. Some might say that it was requires a special person with special training but I know from my own experience that you must simply be willing to work with kids in order to be successful. It does require some training but that is easy if you are willing to work with the children of this church. Even if you don’t think that is how you will serve, make sure that you let everyone know that our Sunday School is starting and that all children are welcome.

The brunches in October and December are paired with special services and are our opportunities to have the community come to Walker Valley. Each of these services will require work and planning on the part of the congregation.

There are a number of vacancies in the church administrative structure that need to be filled most notably that of Lay Member to Annual Conference and Lay Leader. The Lay Member to Annual Conference is this church’s representative at Annual Conference. Walker Valley has not been represented at either of the last two Annual Conferences and, if this congregation is to have any input into the work of the United Methodist Church in New York and the country, this position must be filled.

The Lay Leader position also has been vacant for the past two years. While the Lay Member position takes up about four days in June plus some administrative work (this person is on the administrative council, the finance committee, and the PPRC), the Lay Leader is more of an active participant in the day-to-day operations of the church. The primary role of the Lay Leader is to serve as chief representative of the laity of the church and provide an awareness of how the laity, i.e., the congregation can make the ministry a part of their life, both in the church and in the community. This is a tough position to fill because of the demands that it places on the person. The Lay Leader is not the chair of the Administrative Council, though in some churches the same person fills both positions. Similarly, the Lay Leader is more than just a liturgist, sitting in the other seat and reading the lessons each Sunday, though that is something many Lay Leaders do. In fact, in many churches, that is all the Lay Leader does.

Lastly, I want us to think about opening the church on a couple of nights each week. I don’t want anything special to happen, at least in the sanctuary. I don’t want special music playing in the background, I don’t want the sanctuary lit up with candles to create a special mood. I simply want the church open so that someone coming by can come in and pray. To the person lost in the world seeking comfort and solace that may be all that is needed.

Now, I am also a realist. Someone needs to be here, simply as a guardian. But they can be in the education wing, quietly working on other things. Perhaps, it will be a Bible Study, not a Bible Study designed to provide an entrance into heaven but rather an active discussion of what the writers were trying to tell the people about God and the impact it has on daily living.

One night a week we should have set aside for the youth, especially the high school youth. Perhaps it will be nothing more than a time of studying and preparing for their classes. Perhaps it will be a social time. If nothing else, it will be a time where they can gather.

Some might say that these are times to present the Gospel and have times of pray. But I would say, and I hope that you agree, that these are also times that we simply have to let people know that Christ is a part of this community and that He is here today. I do not want these times to be overburden with the trappings of a spiritual world that drives people away. I want these times, and I hope that you all do too, to be a time for people to come to Christ, just as He wanted people to come to Him.

All of this requires people willing to do the work. It turns out that being a Christian is not as easy as people think it is. It does require work; that is why Paul’s words to the Colossians are so important today. A struggle to do Christ’s work in this world is tough and the rewards are not always immediate but the rewards go beyond simple material pleasure.

The opportunity that we have today is not a fleeting one. It will always be here; after all, that is one of the things Paul stressed about God, that He was always here.

How often do we miss out on the voice and presence of God? One of the themes throughout the Bible is to hear the word of God. To stop, to sit still, like Mary in the Gospel lesson and pay attention to the Divine in our presence. For God is always seeking to speak to us, if we will listen. Sure, God can be heard in the temple, in worship. Our texts today challenge us to pay attention to the myriad ways God comes to us and speaks to us. It is also a challenge for us to find ways so that others can do the same.

But the longer we wait to take advantage of these opportunities, the harder it will be to make them actualities of life. Our challenge this day is to make those opportunities come true so that others may come to know what we already know and what we sing about in our closing hymn, that the victory of life is a victory in Jesus.