Luke 19:1-10

Luke 19:1-10

“Saint Zacchaeus?”

October 31 2010

Well – Happy Hallowenn!

Today is Halloween — a day we usually associate with ghosts and goblins — with trick or treaters and witches — but we hardly ever associate it with saints.

But did you know that the truth is it is all because of saints that we have Halloween?

Well – now you know!

You see — it all began centuries ago when the church instituted the day of November 1 as the Feast Day Of All Saints.  This was a day to honor all the saints who did not have their own Feast Days — and it became a day to remember and lift up prayers for friends and family who had died.  People even began using All Saints Day – November 1 – as a day to come to Church – remember in prayer friends or loved ones who had died – and even visit their graves to lift up prayers in their memories.  Some Christian churches still celebrate All Saints Day.

Well — people being like they are — some decided that if saints — Godly people — could have their day — then not so saintly or not so Godly things should have theirs, also — and if All Saints Day was going to be a time to visit the graves of loved ones, then the graves of others needed some attention, too.  That’s when the tradition began of making the night before November 1 – or All Saints Day Eve –  or All Hallowed’s Eve — a night for the opposite of All Saints Day – a night for mischievous things in cemeteries instead of Godly things.   Well, the All Hallowed’s Eve — or Halloween — focus of October 31 soon became more important than the All Saints Day focus of November 1.

So that’s how Halloween began.

You know — maybe we need to recapture that All Saints Day focus.

A few years ago while serving a Church in North Carolina I was sharing about how All Saints Day was approaching and I was planning a special service for it.  Someone made the comment:

“Well – that day can’t be for me!  I am certainly not a saint!”

Everyone laughed and nodded in agreement – maybe because they agreed this person was no saint – but also because they did not believe they were saints either!

Most of us don’t think of ourselves as saints!

When you think of a saint — what do you think of?

Someone who is so good that no one can ever be as good as they are?

Someone we all want to be like — but don’t think we will ever be?

Someone who prays for hours every day?

What do you think of when you hear the word “saint”?

Well — I want to offer a thought today.

A Saint is a person who sees their need for God – and tries to serve God in the very best way they can.

Someone who sees their need for God – and tries to serve God in the very best way they can.

Not perfect — not constantly praying — just seeing their need for God — and  doing the best they can.

And maybe that’s something we all can strive to be.

A young girl was visiting a church one Sunday and was impressed with the stained glass windows that were along the walls of the church.  The windows were particularly beautiful that day as the sun shone brightly through them — making their colors brilliant.  She asked about who these people were in these beautiful windows — and was told these were some of the Saints of the church.  That morning in Sunday School she was asked if she knew what a Saint was.  Thinking back on the bright, colorful windows that had impressed her so — and the fact that she was told these were of the Saints — she replied: “A Saint is someone who lets the light shine through.”

“A Saint is someone who lets the light shine through.”

Maybe not a dictionary definition of a saint, but a good one none the less — someone who lets God’s light shine through them.

And that is indeed something we all can do – something we can all strive to be.

We all can be saints.

It may sound strange to hear that – but the truth is – we all can be saints. Maybe not in our normal way of thinking about saints, but saints nonetheless.

We can all be saints – people who realize our need for God –  people who do the best we can to serve God –  people who let the light of God shine through our lives.

Yes – in these ways — we all can be saints.

Like Saint Zaccheus.

What?

You may be thinking.

Saint Zacchaeus?

Never heard of him!

You mean that short man who was up a tree when Jesus came by?

That “wee little man” I sang about as a child?

Him?

Saint Zacchaeus?

Yea – him.

Saint Zacchaeus.

Maybe not a saint in the normal way of thinking about who a saint is – but a saint as far as someone who realized his need for God – and then did what he could to serve God.   A saint who may have not begun his story as a person who wanted to show God to others – but by the end of his story did what he could to let the light of God shine through him.

Now – when the story before us in our Gospel reading begins – the people of Jericho would have never classified Zaccheus as a saint – or a holy person – or even someone who saw his need for God and did what he could to share God’s love with others. As the story begins he was not someone who let God’s light shine through. His name meant “Pure” — but old Zacchaeus was anything but that. The people of Jericho hated Zacchaeus — and with fairly good reason.  He was the Chief Tax Collector — a Jew who worked for the Romans — collecting taxes the hated Roman government placed on the people — and even collecting more than the Romans demanded.  He kept the excess — and became very rich doing so.  In other words, he got rich off his own peoples misfortune.

It doesn’t sound very much like a “Pure” or righteous person — does it?

Doesn’t sound much like a saint – however you describe what a saint is!

We can’t really blame the people for hating Zacchaeus. We don’t particularly like his type of person ourselves.

But – something happends.

Zacchaeus – as sinful and imperfect and impure as he was – found himself up a tree one day – and that’s where Jesus found him. Jesus called – accepted – and loved Zaccchaeus – and Zacchaeus responded to Jesus.

He became a different person.

He repented of his wrongs. He gave half his wealth – and that   was a lot – to the poor. Then – with the other half – he gave back 4 times what he had defrauded people of – and we can only imagine that was a lot, also.

Jesus called Zacchaeus and he responded. He changed. He was confronted by Jesus – and he changed. He saw his need for Jesus – his need for God – repented of what he had done wrong. He realized his need for God – and then did what he could to serve God.  From what he says in this passage we can imagine that he became someone who let God’s light shine through him.

So – you see  – it is possible to talk about Saint Zacchaeus.

Just as it is possible to talk about Saint Bill – or Saint Sally – or Saint Jim  – or Saint Edna  – or whoever.

We can all be saints.

We can all be people who realize our need for Jesus – who realize our need for God – but also realize the forgiveness God offers us and try to show God’s love to others in the best way we can.

We can all be people who let God’s light – God’s love – shine through us. We can all be saints – filled with a sense of God’s love – and sharing that with others.

We can all let God’s love and light shine through us in every way we can.

We can all be saints – much like Zacchaeus.

The poet Ann Weems wrote a poem in her book Searching for Shalom about Zacchaeus.   She wrote:

Zacchaeus —

Small and sinful (accroding to the Scriptures)

Didn’t want the parade to pass him by.

Zacchaeus —

Little and lost (according to the Scriptures)

climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.

Zacchaeus —

Chief tax collector and cheat (according to the Scriptures)

Was called by Jesus.

Zacchaeus —

Rich and ready to give (according to the Scriptures)

Gave exuberantly, cheerfully, abundantly.

Zacchaeus —

Sought and saved (according to the Scriptures)

Understood that excited celebration of God’s love

Is the thank-you of the heart.

Accroding to the Scriptures,

So can we.

Weems.  Searching for Shalom. p. 39

We can be saints.

We can understand that – as Weems writes

excited celebration of God’s love

Is the thank-you of the heart

Like Zaccaeus, we can be people who realize our need for Jesus – for God.

Like Zaccaeus, we can be people who realize the forgiveness God offers us.

Like, Zaccaeus, we can be people who try to show God’s love to others in the very best way we can.

Like Zacchaues, we can be people who let God’s light – God’s love – shine through us.

Like Zacchaeus, we can be — like Weems wrote  – be people who know that  know that

excited celebration of God’s love

Is the thank-you of the heart

These things will make us saints – yes — strange saints – but saints nonetheless.

These things will make us people who know our need for God.

These things will make us people who do all we can to show God’s love to the world.

These things will make us people who let God’s light shine through us.

When I celebrated my 50^th birthday 5 years ago someone sent me a card that read:

You may not be and angel

And you’re surely not a saint

But I like you for what you are

And not for what ain’t.

The grammar may not be the best – but you get the message.

Jesus loves us for who are — and Jesus can change us – and help us be what we can be.

Jesus can change us and help us be saints.

With Jesus’ help we can be saints  — people who realize our need for Jesus –  people who realize the forgiveness God offers us — people who try to show God’s love to others in the very best way we can — people who let God’s light  — God’s love – shine through us.

In these ways, we can be Saints.

Amen.

Luke 17:5-10

Luke 17:5-10

Serving Does Not Make You A Servant

October 3, 2010

Communion

I have a question for you today:

Do you see yourself as a servant, or as a volunteer?

There’s a world of difference between the two.

A volunteer picks and chooses when and even whether to serve, but a servant serves no matter what. A volunteer serves when it is convenient, but a servant serves out of commitment.

1 Peter 2:16 challenges us to “…live as servants of God.” As disciples of our servant – Lord, you and I are called to be servants, not volunteers. We are called to a life of being a servant – and let that calling lead us to loving acts of service. We are called to have a heart of a servant – and look for ways to serve God through serving others. We could say it this way: Serving doesn’t make you a servant; but if you are a servant you will serve.

In our passage for today, Jesus reveals the importance of serving with no strings attached. Mind you – this passage is not for the faint of heart. If you’re serious about growing as a disciple of Christ, your “spiritual syllabus” as it were  contains some pretty tough assignments – including the one we find in Luke 17:5-10.

Jesus is indeed pointing out that serving doesn’t make you a servant, but if you are a servant you will serve.

I see four secrets of servanthood in this passage:
1. A servant’s work is not always glamorous (7a).

In the first part of verse 7 Jesus says:

“Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after sheep.”

Maybe Jesus is referring to a farmer with only one servant who had to multi-task throughout the day. The servant would do the back-breaking work of plowing and then the tedious work of watching sheep. Maybe his muscles would scream as he plowed – then he may have screamed out of boredom as he watched the sheep. A  day would be filled with these activities — and then he’d get up the next day and do it all over again.

Kind of sounds like some of our jobs, doesn’t it?

My guess is that over time, this servants daily responsibilities became routine and his tasks were not thrilling.

At the risk of stating the obvious, let me say that sometimes serving is not very sensational. Many times it involves exertion and often exacts a price. If you find yourself picking and choosing how much or where you will serve and only wanting the more glamorous or noticeable tasks, I suggest that you check your motives. In fact, if you’re not willing to do whatever is needed and whenever you are needed, you may not really be committed to serving God.

Bill Hybels puts it this way: “I would never want to reach out someday with a soft, uncalloused hand – a hand never dirtied by serving – and shake the nail-pierced hand of Jesus.”

Something to think about, is it not?

Serving doesn’t make you a servant; but if you are a servant you will serve.
A servant’s work is not always glamorous.

Here’s the second secret to servanthood I see in this passage:

2. A servant’s service never ends (7b-8).

After working all day, the servant comes back to the Master’s house. He’s probably tired and hungry but it still is not time to relax.

A servant’s service may change locale and the specific job description may change but the truth of the matter is that service never ends.

Actually, the job description for a servant is very simple and straightforward: “Do everything your Master commands.” Listen to how Jesus said it in the second half of verse 7 and verse 8:

“Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’”?

The servant moves from outdoors to indoors, from day to evening, and from hard labor to home life. He goes from the fields to fixing food. The point is that a servant serves whenever and wherever – and serves whoever. A servant does whatever it takes to get the job done.

We could say it this way: “It’s not break time yet.”

If we are going to be servants of Christ, we need to be serving all the time.

Matthew Henry puts it this way:

“We must make the end of one service the beginning of another.”

That means when you get up in the morning you look for ways to serve your family, during the day you look for ways to serve others, when you come home you keep looking for ways to serve your family, and when you are at Church – guess what? You look for ways to serve.

No – a servant’s work never ends.

I heard about a little girl who finally learned to tie her shoes. Instead of being excited, she was overcome with tears. Her dad bent down and asked her why she was crying. “I have to tie my shoes,” she said. Her dad responded, “You just learned how. It’s not that hard.” The little girl started wailing and said, “I know, but now I’m going to have to do it for the rest of my life.”

I suspect that some of us feel like we’ve already put our time in. Maybe we feel that we’ve done the hard labor and now its time to sit and relax a bit. Well, here’s the thing:

If you’re alive, you’re still a servant.

The location and intensity of your serving may change as the seasons of your life change, but no Christ-follower has the option of not serving when there are things still to be done.

Notice in Jesus’ instructions to the disciples here that the servant is to spend time preparing and getting himself ready — and then the servant is to serve. In the same way we need to make sure we are prayed up and studied up and pumped up and ready to serve. The servant had to get himself ready before he could wait on his master. In the same way, if your role as a servant is being a teacher, make sure you have your lesson ready. If you’re working with the youth, pray before an activity that God will bless you and bless the young people through you. If you are serving by serving on a committee or on the Session, pray that God will show you what He wants done and how to do it. If you are serving in the community, pray that God will help you see the needs around you.

Be ready to serve.

Maybe one way to put it is “Be a servant, not a slacker”.

The servant in the story Jesus told is able to sit down to a meal only after he has served his master. Likewise, there is a time coming when we will receive a reward, but it’s still in the future, isn’t it? Until then, keep serving.

D.L. Moody once said, “The reward of service is more service.”

In 1 Corinthians 15:58 Paul writes:

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

And in Revelation 22:12 John has Jesus saying:

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done ”

A missionary couple was returning from Africa during the time when Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United Sates. It happened that they came back on the same ship as President Roosevelt, who was returning from a big-game hunting expedition in Africa. When they pulled into New York harbor there was a band playing the president’s favorite songs, and all the high officials of the city were there to meet him. But the missionary couple slipped off the ship unnoticed, and rented a run-down flat on the East Side of New York. The man was utterly crushed, and said to his wife, ‘It isn’t fair, it just isn’t fair! Here we are, we haven’t any money, and we don’t know who is going to take care of us or where we are going. God has promised great things, but nothing’s happened. We’ve given him everything we’ve got, and what has he done for us? But just look at what happens when the president goes on a big-game hunt! It isn’t fair!’ His wife said, ‘Dear, I know it isn’t fair…Why don’t you go into the bedroom and talk to the Lord about it, and see what he has to say?’ He went in and knelt by the bed, alone. He was there a long time, but when he came out his face was alight…She said, ‘What happened?’ And he said, ‘I got down on my knees and poured out the whole story to the Lord. I told him that I thought it was so unfair… I told him that he was treating us all wrong. But you know what the Lord said to me? It was almost as though I could hear the voice, he leaned down and said, ‘But you’re not home yet.’”

Serving doesn’t make you a servant; but if you are a servant you will serve. Why? Because you’re not home yet. The work of the servant never ends.

Here’s the third servanthood secret I see in this passage:

3. A servant should not expect to be thanked (9).

After going all out and working from sunup to sundown, the servant in Jesus’ illustration is no doubt tired. A word of appreciation would mean so much to him, but it never comes. Look at verse 9:

“Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?”

The implied answer is a strong “no.”

Some may think that God somehow owes them for all that they do  for Him. This kind of thinking gets us in deep trouble because God doesn’t owe us anything. In fact, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, God doesn’t owe us, He owns us:

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

We are not entitled to a word of thanks or appreciation when we serve God and others. Our focus is often on our feelings whereas the servant in Jesus’ story was focused on just doing his job. Here’s the amazing thing — the farthest thing from his mind was the feeling that he should be thanked for doing what he was supposed to do. Too many people serve with way too many expectations. This gets them frustrated and angry and mad when they don’t get “appropriately thanked”  for their service.

Here’s a point we need to remember: God does not need us to serve Him, it is our duty and delight to do so — and He is under no obligation to reward us.

Now — let me clarify something.

I don’t think it’s wrong to show appreciation when someone is serving. In fact, we need to do more of that. Most people, including me, get discouraged from time to time — and a word of encouragement can go a long way. We need to encourage each other, and acknowledge what is done. However, it is dangerous to expect affirmation and wrong to expect acknowledgment and make that the motivation for our service.

Serving doesn’t make you a servant; but if you are a servant you will serve.
A servant should not expect to be thanked.

Here’s a fourth secret of servanthood I see in this passage:

4. A servant does what is expected (10).

Jesus concludes this story with some corrective words to those of us who feel they have done special things when they serve.

“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

Unfortunately, too many people want to know what serving will cost them and how it will benefit them – and if the benefits outweigh the costs, and they can fit it into our schedule, then will do it This verse helps us see what being a servant is all about. A servant’s heart is intent upon, and their will is bound to, the will and wishes of the person they are serving.  In other words, if I am your servant, what you say goes. Someone put it this way

“Regardless of how much we do, we cannot do more than is expected of us.”

Can we really say that we’ve “done everything we’ve been told to do?”

Instead of having a feeling of entitlement, we need to see ourselves as unworthy servants. The idea is that we are “unworthy of any praise.” It means “no one owes me anything extra.”

You know — the happiest servants are those who consider themselves to be unworthy.

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 123:2:

“As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God…”

When the master moves his finger, the servant falls in line. When he says, “jump” the servant says, “how high?” The servant does not waffle or hedge or complain or bargain or debate. He or she simply obeys the master.

So we should be with God.

Most of the time God doesn’t call us to be sensational — He’s called us to be servants.

Lorne Sanny, the founder of the Navigators, was once asked how we can really know when we have the attitude of a servant. His answer was to the point and very profound – and worth pondering:

“You know you’re a servant by how you act when you’re treated like one ”

When you’re treated like a servant, do you get offended? When someone forgets to say thanks do you get upset? Do you think you’re worthy of recognition? Or when recognized do you feel that you have been treated better than you should, because you’re just a servant.

Gayle Erwin writes in The Jesus Style :

“A servant’s job is to do all he can to make life better for others…a servant’s first interest is not himself but others.”

You know — the issue is really one of obedience.

You have to decide if you are going to serve yourself or serve others. The servant does their duty out of devotion to the master. The Danish philosopher Soren  Kierkegaard once said:

“Christ’s teachings are not that hard to understand, but are hard to obey.”

That’s true, isn’t it?

Serving doesn’t make you a servant, but if you are truly a servant, you will serve.

Yea –
1. A servant’s service is not always glamorous.
2. A servant’s service never ends.
3. A servant should not expect to be thanked.
4. A servant does what is expected.

Yea — serving doesn’t make you a servant, but if you are truly a servant, you will serve. Amen.

Luke 16:1-13

Luke 16:1-13

“Don’t Try To Cheat God”

September 19, 2010

You may have heard about the young man who bought a horse for $100.

The young man paid for his horse – and the farmer he bought the horse from agreed to deliver it the next day. The young man was excited about getting his horse – but when it came time for delivery the farmer reneged on his promise.

“I can’t deliver the horse – it died.” he explained.

So the young man replied:

“Well, then give me my money back.”

“Can’t do that. I spent it already” the farmer replied.

The young man thought for a moment and said, “Ok, then, just bring me the dead horse.” “What you going to do with a dead horse?” the farmer asked.                     The young man said, “I’m going to raffle it off.”

“You can’t raffle off a dead horse!” the farmer declared.

“Sure I can. I just won’t tell anybody it’s dead.” the young man replied.

A month later, the farmer met up with the young man and asked, “What happened with that dead horse?”

The young man said, “I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $998”

The farmer said, “Didn’t anyone complain?”

The young man said, “Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back.”

That young man sounds like a real con man, doesn’t he? And the farmer also! They are about as crafty as the dishonest manager in the parable Jesus tells in the passage before us today.

This Parable — this story that Jesus told of the dishonest manager — is hard for us to understand.

What is Jesus saying here? we may wonder.

What does all this mean?

Well how do you think Jesus would tell this Parable today if He were here — teaching us?

You know — Parables are stories that are intended to teach and instruct.

How would Jesus tell this story if He were here?

Of course — we can’t really be sure — but maybe it would go something like this:

Joe worked for a major textile corporation.  This corporation made a variety of products — carpets, towels, rugs, sheets — almost anything you desired in textiles were manufactured by this company.

Joe was always looking for ways to make money — ways to “get ahead” — and he didn’t care if the money was made honestly or otherwise.

He came up with a plan to make some extra money — lots of extra money.  Sense he was one of the top executives in the corporation, he learned months in advance what new products they were planning to distribute and what innovations would be introduced to products already on the market.  Every year when he was told of new products or innovations on old ones, he would immediately inform the competition — and — as you can imagine — he would be paid a great deal of money for doing this.

Everything went as planned until one day at a staff meeting his boss informed the group that they thought that someone was tipping off the competition — and they would discover — and fire — whoever it was.  The boss seemed to look directly at Joe when he said this.  Instead of confessing to the boss, however, Joe got busy learning all the advanced styles and techniques in the business.  If he was going to be fired, he was going to make sure he knew everything there was to know about the business so he would be able to secure another job with one of the other textile corporations in the area.

Sure enough — one day Joe’s boss called him into the office.  He had been discovered — and was fired. He acted as if he were upset — but the very next day it was announced that Joe had secured a higher-paying job at one of the competing textile firms.

Now — what do you think Jesus would say about Joe?

Would Jesus say that Joe had done a good job — and that our business ethics and dealings should be like his?

No — of course Jesus wouldn’t say that.

But — what He may say is:

“I wish my people would be as crafty and scheme as much about how to get

my work done as this man was in planning how to get his job done.”

No — Jesus would not condone Joe’s actions.

He didn’t condone the actions of the man in the parable.

Jesus doesn’t condone the actions of the dishonest steward.

This man was a scoundrel – a cheater.

Jesus is not condoning shady business practices at all.

But — I do think Jesus is saying in this Parable:

“Why can’t y’all be just as worried about my work as this manager was about his?”

“Why can’t y’all plan — scheme — and plot ways to get my work done?

You do yours — why not mine?”

I think it boils down to a question of our priorities — and a question of how we use what God has given us.

How do we use what God has given us?

How do you use what God has given you?

Do you use all you have for God’s kingdom — to spread God’s love to the world – to tell others about God and get God’s work done in the world —

Or do you use what we have for your glory — for your will — to satisfy what you perceive to be your needs – and not worry about God’s work or God’s glory or doing what God wants you to be doing?

The question is — where are your priorities?

Are your priorities in using what you have — what God has blessed you with — for worldly things – like your job — your entertainment — your material needs — or are your priorities to use what you have and what you can do in  the Church and in the world to let others know about God?

Are you committed to using everything God has blessed you with for His glory and to get His work done – or do you try to hold back part of what God has blessed you with – and even cheat God out of what He should be getting from you?

Jesus is not saying that the actions of the manager were right — but He is saying that we need to be as concerned with getting God’s work done as the dishonest manager was in getting his own done.

So — are you all that different from this manager in Jesus’ story?

Sure — maybe you don’t cheat and defraud as this manager did — but I believe you have your ways of making sure that your business is a success — and that your needs are taken care of — and that your job is secure.

I’m sure that you make certain that you use everything that you have to make yourself a success in the world.

But what about God’s work?

What do you use to make sure that the work of God will get done?

And – what about the Church?

What do you use to make sure that the work of the Church gets done in the best way possible?

I’m afraid that many times God’s work gets what’s left over after we get our work done — the leftover time — the leftover energy — the leftover ideas — the leftover enthusiasm.

Friends – God is being cheated when you give Him nothing but leftovers.

Don’t try to cheat God!

Serve God with what we have — not what you have left over.

You know — God has blessed you with so much.

God has given you abilities and gifts. God has given you blessings.  Now it’s up to you to look for — plan for — and yes — even scheme ways to use what God has blessed you with for His work in the Church and in the world.

God has blessed you with so much!

Don’t try to cheat God – but use what He has blessed you with to do His work and His will.

Use what you have — and all you have — to get the work of God in the world – and the work of the Church — done.  Spend as much time planning how you are going to help us accomplish God’s work as you spend time planning how you are going to accomplish yours.

Make God’s work in the Church and the world just as important to you as your work is. Take the work of God — the work of the church — as seriously as you  do your other jobs.

If you’re like most people you spend hours planning how to make your business a success. Well — how much time do you spend planning how to make the work of God in the world and in the Church a success?

God has indeed blessed you. It’s up to you to use what He has blessed us with.

God needs your gifts and talents He has given you.

Don’t try to cheat God.

Plan how to use what God has given you to get God’s work done! Get involved in the work of God in the world! Get involved in the work of God in the Church! The work of God in the world and the work of the Church are of vital importance to us — and to the world. It takes commitment. It takes time. It takes planning. It takes all you have. It takes using all that God has blessed you with. It takes seeing what God has blessed you with – and using it for His glory and His work.

Take the time to participate in the work of the Church — the worship – the learning — the fellowship — the outreach. Take time to help plan how the work of the Church can be done.

You know – the work of God in the Church takes time and planning – and so does the work of God in the world — the work of the Church as it reaches out into the world with the love of God.

It also takes money. It also takes commitment.  It also takes imagination.  It also takes participation in all of its aspects.  It takes all these things — just like your daily job does. It takes all you have. It takes all God has blessed you with. It takes using what God has given you for God’s glory. It takes using all the time – money – imagination and ideas God has blessed you with. It takes using all these things for God – and not cheating God.

Don’t cheat God – but use what God has blessed you with!

Get involved in the work of God in the Church!

Get involved by participating.

Participate in worship – in Sunday School – and on Wednesday nights.  If you like music and enjoy singing, use your gift in the Choir or the Praise Choir.

Get involved by helping plan.

Participate in the planning of what we do here at Hopewell. Each part of our Church life has a committee that plans what we do and an Elder who chairs that committee. Whether your particular interest or gift is in the area of Building and Grounds, Christian Education, Congregational Care, Fellowship, Mission and Evangelism, Stewardship and Finance, Worship and Music, or Youth, you are needed to help plan what we do in each of these areas of the Church.

Get involved by leading.

We always need more leaders and teachers. We need teachers and “back up teachers” for Sunday School and Wednesday Night classes and leaders for our Youth Groups. As I am sure you have heard, we need folks to feel and respond to God’s call serve on the Session.

You have been blessed with gifts, talents, and abilities to use to serve God. Don’t cheat God by not using what He has given you – but use your gifts and abilities to plan and take part in God’s work.

Many of you may remember the Chichen Soup For The Soul books edited by Jack Cranfield and Mark Victor Hansen. In the book A Third Serving  Of Chicken Soup For The Soul the following story is told of how a woman discovered how rich she really was — and how she could use what God had blessed her with.

The lady tells the story this way —

One cold winter afternoon two children in ragged outgrown coats stood at the door of her house – bracing against the cold.

“Any old papers lady?” they asked.

She was busy. She wanted to say no – until she looked down at their feet. Thin little sandals, sopped with sleet – gave then little protection against the sleet on the ground.

“Come in and I’ll make you a cup of hot cocoa” she offered.

They came in – but there was no conversation. Their soggy sandals left marks upon the hearthstone.  She served them cocoa and toast with jam to fortify against the chill outside. Then she went back to the kitchen and started again on her  household budget…

The silence in the front room struck through to her – and she looked in.

The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked her:  ”Lady…are you rich?”

“Am I rich? Mercy, no!” she replied.

The girl put her cup back in its saucer – carefully.

“But — your cups match your saucers.”

They left then, holding their bundles of papers against the wind.

They hadn’t said thank you. They didn’t need to. They had done more than that.

The woman began thinking — plain blue pottery cups and saucers. But they matched. She tested the potatoes and stirred the gravy for supper – and thought:               Potatoes and brown gravy, a roof over my head.

She moved the chairs back from the fire and tidied the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon her hearth. She let them be. She wanted them there in case she ever forget again how very rich she was.

Yes — we are rich!

You are rich!

God has richly blessed you with so much that you can use in the Church and in the world! It’s up to you to use what God has blessed you with — and not cheat God.

Why can’t we all be like the manager in Jesus’ parable – planning – plotting — talking about – getting involved in – and discovering new ways to be about the work of God?

The work of God in the world – and the work of the Church — is not something to give just what you can when you can. It takes all God has blessed you with. Don’t take what God has blessed you with for granted – but use it.

God has given you so much and needs you to give so much for His work.

Don’t cheat God. Amen.

Luke 14:25-33

Luke 14:25-33

The 3 Towers

September 5, 2010

The Sagrada Famimilia – or Holy Family – Catholic Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain has been under construction since 1882 – and it is projected that it won’t be completed until 2026.  If it is completed then, that would be 144 years of construction on this Cathedral. While this may not be a world record, it would certainly be a long time! When construction began on the Cathedral Chester A. Arthur was President of the United States and Queen Victoria the Queen of England. The only things we remember about them is what we read in history books!

The outstanding feature of this Cathedral are the four main towers that look like they are parts of a giant drip sand castle on the beach. 17 other smaller towers – one for each of the twelve apostles — separate ones for the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – and one for the Virgin Mary – are also a part of the building.  When it is all completed the other towers will be dwarfed by a 550 foot high “Jesus Tower” which will be capped by a cross.

The Cathedral, with it’s towers, will surely be a sight to behold – an architectural expression of faith – and a testimony to not giving up and being persistent in bringing projects that are started to completion.

The 21 towers are the important part of the architecture of the Cathedral – and will make it stand out in the skyline of Barcelona.

One thing about towers is that they stand out in the middle of a landscape and catch our attention.

Some towers are intended to lead us to worship – like the towers of the Sagrada Famimilia Cathedral  or other great Cathedrals – or even steeples on top of churches.

Other towers serve as watchtowers so folks can climb them and see what’s going on.  If you ride through the countryside you are familiar with the “Firetowers” – towers built with steps leading up to an enclosed area on top where a Forrest Ranger can keep watch over the surrounding woods and notice fires that have started. When I was a child there was one of these in a community close to Rock Hill where I grew up – and every time we would pass it I would want to climb it and look for fires.  I was sure that the Forrest Rangers needed my help – in fact I was a Junior Forrest Ranger – complete with badge and “Smokey the Bear” hat. Maybe some of you helped “Smokey” also.

Sometimes towers are built to show power and prestige. As September 11 comes this Saturday I am sure we will be hearing more and more about the “Twin Towers” of the World Trade Center in New York that were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. These towers that were built as a symbol of prestige and power have become symbols of terror.

Sometimes towers are built to honor folks who have done great things. The Washington Monument, a towering obelisk that pays homage to George Washington, took over 30 years to build thanks to the War Between The States and political wrangling, but it now stands as a monument to Washington and – as Glen Beck reminded us last weekend – has the words “Laus Deo” – “praise be to God” on the east side of the pyramid that sits on top of the structure.

Towers are built for various reasons – and more times than not it takes a great deal of effort and commitment to build them.

One of the parables Jesus tells in our passage for today talks about how – if you want to build a tower – you need to see if you are committed enough – and have what you need – to build it.  You wouldn’t want to get partially completed and not be able to finish.  You need to weigh the cost of building your tower before you start.

I believe that Jesus wants us to build towers with our lives – towers that – like the towers of the Sagrada Famimilia Cathedral or like steeples atop churches – can point others to Him and lead them to worship and praise Him. Jesus wants us to live in such a way that we point others to Him. The thing is that, like building architectural towers, building towers that point to Him with our lives takes time and commitment.

In our passage for today we see that large crowds are following Jesus.

That’s great! We might think.

Fantastic!

Praise God!

Jesus’ message and ministry is reaching many people — many are responding to Him and following Him.

Well you’d think he’d be excited.

We’d be excited if we attracted large crowds to our church — to our ministry – and we assume Jesus would feel the same way — and yet — He doesn’t sound so excited — does He? In fact — what He says probably scared some people off.  What He says probably makes some have second thoughts about following Him.

It’s as if Jesus wanted to threaten them. It’s as if Jesus were trying to scare some away — or give some second thoughts. It’s as if Jesus were placing such harsh demands on the crowd that He knew some would turn away.

And we may well wonder: “What’s going on?”

Doesn’t Jesus want people to follow Him?

Why are Jesus’ demands so great that many will turn away from Him?

Why all this talk about hate – and letting go?

Doesn’t Jesus know that people don’t like too many demands being placed on them?

Jesus seems to be calling for total commitment here.

Indeed — what’s going on?

Well, I think what’s going on is that Jesus is describing what it really means to follow Him. I think what’s going on is that Jesus is describing the life of discipleship – the life of being a disciple who is committed to following Him and committed to paying the price that it takes to be His disciple.

You see, it does not take much to be a “follower” – to be part of the crowd tagging along behind Jesus – but it takes a great deal to be a disciple.

I see 3 things that it takes to be a disciple in this passage – or 3 towers that you have to build that will help you live a life of discipleship – a life where you will  follow Him and that will point others to Him.

I see that it takes a tower of commitment – a tower of sacrifice – and a tower of giving.

First is the tower of commitment.

Jesus begins his speech to the crowd by saying:

“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple” (v. 26).

You can just imagine the members of the crowd looking confused and saying, “Hate? Hate my father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters? Sure, they can be annoying sometimes – but hate them? I don’t know if I can do that!”

But I don’t think Jesus is talking about hate in the sense of intense anger or strong hostility. No, I think he’s talking about what’s the most important thing in your life. He’s talking about where your loyalties are. He’s talking about who you follow. He’s talking about who you are the most committed to. He’s asking –

“Are you committed to me – or something else – even if that something else is your family?”

The tower of commitment Jesus wants us to build in our lives is a tower that drives us towards Him – and helps us make decisions that will help us live lives that will lead others to Him. It is a tower that will drive us to live lives that will be committed to Him above everything else that can vie for our attention and our commitments – and can point others to Him in the process.

Will Willimon is now a Methodist Bishop in Alabama – but for years he was the Chaplain and a Professor at Duke University. He tells the story that he once got a call from an upset father.

“I hold you personally responsible for this,” the father began the conversation.

“For what?” Willimon asked – having no idea what the father was so upset about.

After a few minutes of a tirade from the father Willimon gathered that he was upset because his daughter – who he had big plans for once she got her degree in engineering from Duke — had just informed him that she was going to “throw it all away” as the father described it and go do mission work with the Presbyterians in Haiti.

“Isn’t that absurd!” the father shouted over the phone

“A BS degree in mechanical engineering from Duke and she’s going to dig ditches in Haiti.”

“Well, I doubt that she’s received much training in the Engineering Department here for that kind of work, but she’s probably a fast learner and will probably get the hang of ditch-digging in a few months,” Willimon assured the father.

“Look,” said the father replied “this is no laughing matter. You are completely irresponsible to have encouraged her to do this. I hold you personally responsible.”

As the conversation went on, Willimon pointed out that it was actually the parents who had started this ball rolling. They were the ones who had her baptized, read Bible stories to her, took her to Sunday School, encouraged her to go to Church Camp and attend Youth Group. Willimon finally said “You’re the one who introduced her to Jesus, not me.”

The father paused before responding: “But all we ever wanted to do was make here a good Presbyterian.”

How about it?

Do you want to be committed to Christ above everything else in your life – or are you content to just be a “good Presbyterian” who comes and is “part of the crowd” but never lets Christ make a difference in your life and never tries to make a difference for Christ in the community and in the world?

Christ calls us to build towers of commitment in our lives that will drive us to live lives that will be committed to Him above everything else that can vie for our attention and our commitments – and can point others to Him in the process.

But here’s the thing: When you decide to be committed to Jesus and above all else that vie for your attention and your commitments – when you decide to build that tower of commitment to Jesus and His will for you in your life, your family actually benefits. A husband who has a tower of commitment to Jesus in his life is going to be faithful to his wife. A mother who has a strong tower of commitment to Jesus will be committed to her family. A teen who knows that Jesus loves him and has a strong tower of commitment to Jesus in their life isn’t going to search for approval by following a dangerous crowd. A child whose parents are trying to instill a tower of commitment to Jesus in them and is taken to church will learn the God loves them and wants a relationship with them.

The tower of commitment is one tower for you to build in your life – and is vital for you to build if you are going to go beyond being a follower of Christ – being a “good Presbyterian” — to be a disciple for Christ – and live a life that will point others to Him.

There’s a second tower that you need to build in your if you are going to be a disciple for Christ – follow Him — and live a life that will point others to Him.

The second tower is the tower of sacrifice.

Jesus says:

“Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (v. 27).

He’s making it crystal clear that you cannot truly be a disciple unless you’re willing to make sacrifices for what you believe in. For each of us, the sacrifice is going to be different — for some it will be a sacrifice of time and energy, while for others it will be the giving up of a habit, a hobby or a particular career path. The only common denominator is a willingness to lay down our lives, as Jesus did.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian during the time of World War II, wrote the famous line in his book The Cost Of Discipleship :

“When Jesus calls a man, he bids him to come and die.”

Man or woman, boy or girl, part of what it means be a disciple of Christ – and not just a follower – is a willingness to sacrifice ourselves for Him – to build a tower of sacrifice in our lives so that we can live our lives in His ways and point others to Him.

Maybe for you it will mean sacrificing time – or giving up time every week – to show God’s love to someone else. It might mean volunteering time for an agency that helps others – it might mean volunteering to serve in the Church as a teacher – it might mean volunteering to sing in the choir or Praise Choir – but whatever it is that you can volunteer to do to serve Christ, do it. It might mean giving up – or sacrificing something else – but it will mean building a tower of sacrifice in your life so that you can live your life in His ways and point others to Him.

You don’t have to be called sacrifice yourself as Bonhoeffer did when he was hung by the Nazis for refusing to follow their ways of killing and violence. You don’t have to be called to sacrifice as the heroes in the film The Hurt Locker who defuse IEDs — improvised explosive devices — in Iraq at the risk of their lives – to save others. For most of you it will be a willingness to live a life where you look for ways to serve God and others and are willing to do what it takes to serve.

The tower of sacrifice is a second tower for you to build in your life – and is vital for you to build if you are going to go beyond being a follower of Christ to be a disciple for Christ – and live a life that will point others to Him.

So – it takes a tower of commitment and a tower of sacrifice in your life to move from being a follower of Christ to being a disciple of Christ.

It also takes a third tower if you are going to go beyond being a follower of Christ to being a disciple for Christ – and if you are going to live a life that will point others to Him. That’s a tower of giving.

It takes building a tower of giving in your life if you are going to move from being a follower of Christ to being a disciple of Christ.

Jesus says:

“none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions” (v. 33).

The tower of giving must be built by everyone who wants to be a disciple and not just a follower of Jesus. It’s constructed by your gifts of time and talent and money and effort, offered in the service of something much bigger and more lasting than yourself.  If you want to be a disciple of Christ then you have to hold nothing back but give your life and all He has given you to following and serving Him and those around you.

Of course, the irony of giving is that it enriches rather than depletes you. When you give to a Christian cause, you make the world better for yourself and people around you. When you share your time and talents, you build up the kingdom of God in ways that never would have happened if we had kept to ourselves. When you do things that need to be done in the Church everyone benefits. The giving you do in Christ’s  name leaves you feeling richer, not poorer, with a sense that you’re leaving the world better than we found it.

So – a tower of commitment, a tower of sacrifice, and a tower of giving.

These are “three towers” I believe you need to build in your life if you are going to move from being a follower of Christ to being a disciple of Christ – and point others to Christ. I believe that these are 3 qualities that it takes to truly be a disciple of Christ.

You see – being a disciple does not just mean believing in Christ. “Discipleship” does not mean “believer-ship”. The crowds following Jesus probably believed things about Him, but He wanted them to move beyond being believers to being folks who lived in His ways. Yes – believing is part of what it means to be a disciple – but only a part.

Being a disciple also does not mean just following Jesus. The crowds were following – but Jesus wanted then to move beyond just followers to being folks who lived in His ways. Yes – following Jesus is part of what it means to be a disciple – but – like believing – it’s only a part.

Being a disciple means committing to learning about Jesus – or believing things about Jesus – and it means committing to following Jesus – but it also means being committed to living in His ways.

Being a disciple means building towers of commitment to Jesus, towers of sacrifice, and towers of giving in your life so you will live in the ways of Christ and show Him to others.

If you can build these 3 towers of commitment to Christ, sacrifice, and giving in your life, you can truly be a disciple of Christ.

Are you willing to build these towers?

Like Jesus says, you have to weigh the cost and make the commitment if you want to follow Him and build these towers in your life – but the costs are far outweighed by the blessings you receive when you embark on a life of discipleship – of building towers of commitment, sacrifice, and giving in your life.

The life of discipleship is not just about “wanting to be a good Presbyterian” as the father of the girl graduating from Duke and preparing to go dig ditches in Haiti told Will Willimon he wanted his daughter to be – but it’s about being a great disciple – living your life with commitment to Him, sacrifice, and giving,

Build these towers in your life and you will grow in His love – and lead others to Him. Amen.

Luke 12:49-56

Luke 12:49-56

Decide!

August 15, 2010

Our Lord was a Lord who turned

things upside down and inside out

A man who dined with sinners

A man who befriended prostitutes and tax collectors

A man who was called a heretic

A man who broke the Sabbath rules

A man who changed water into wine.

And He bids us to follow Him

To turn things upside down and inside out

To go where the hurting is

To change water into wine

To change who we are into the kingdom of God.

Weems Searching For Shalom p. 66

So writes the poet Ann Weems.

You know – these are strange words — but not nearly as strange as the words in our Scripture lesson for today.

We look at words like:

I came to bring fire

I did not come to bring peace — but a sword

and we want to say:

“Did Jesus really say that?”

“Are you sure?”

But — there it is:

fire – stress — division

No – it’s not at all what we might expect from Jesus.

You might be thinking –

Wait — hasn’t Jesus come to bring peace — personal peace as well as peace with others?

Yea — we are used to talking about Christ the peacemaker — not Christ the home-breaker – but as we look at these words we see things like families being divided.

Indeed –  when we look at this passage we might wonder —

Did Jesus really say that?

Are you sure?

Well, Jesus indeed said these words –  if you haven’t done so already you can look them up — so we are left to decide 2 things —

First – what did He mean by them — and second – how are we going to respond to them?

What did Jesus mean when He said:

I came to bring fire – and I did not come to bring peace — but a sword

Fire –s tress – division — what do these things have to do with the ministry of Christ?

Maybe the words of Ann Weems’s poem make more sense now.  Listen to it again:

Our Lord was a Lord who turned

things upside down and inside out

A man who dined with sinners

A man who befriended prostitutes and tax collectors

A man who was called a heretic

A man who broke the Sabbath rules

A man who changed water into wine.

And He bids us to follow Him

To turn things upside down and inside out

To go where the hurting is

To change water into wine

To change who we are into the kingdom of God.

Weems Searching For Shalom p. 66

Jesus’ ministry did not leave things as they were.

Jesus had a way of turning things upside down and inside out.

Dining with sinners — befriending tax collectors and prostitutes — doing and saying things that seemed heretical — breaking the Sabbath rules — showing God’s gracious, forgiving love to all people

He certainly did things differently from anyone else — and not only did He do things differently than anyone else — He called on those who followed Him to do things differently, also.  He called on them to do the different things that He did.  He even said that these new and different things were God’s will for His followers — and for the world.

So — those who saw and heard Jesus do and say all these different things had to decide — were they going to follow Jesus — or not?

Instead of leaving things the way they were or blessing the status quo Jesus’ ministry had a way of turning things upside down and inside out.

You see — in Jesus Christ something new was happening.

God’s love — grace — and power were being shown in a new way.

The Kingdom of God — with all its glory — was breaking into the world.

God’s will to change people’s lives was breaking into the world.

God’s will for justice — healing — and peace was being proclaimed and fulfilled in new ways — and those who saw and heard all this were forced to decide if they were going to follow Christ in these new and different ways or not.

Maybe it was going to mean leaving their family — maybe it was going to mean being cast out of the Synagogue — maybe it was even going to mean being killed — but they had still seen and heard marvelous new things — and they had to decide what they were going to do about it.

So – yea — Jesus’ ministry indeed brought fire — stress — and division.

There was indeed a fire — a fire that completely changed people’s lives. There was indeed stress — the stress of having to decide whether to let Jesus really make a difference in their lives and have their lives turned upside down by Him or not. There was indeed division — as some decided to let Jesus change their lives and have their lives turned upside down by Him and some decided not.

Can you imagine how it must have been for a family when a son or daughter burst into the house one day and announced they were going to follow a wandering teacher named Jesus?  It may have not been a peaceful conversation.

Jesus’ ministry turned things upside down. Jesus’ ministry brought fire — stress — and division.

Ok —   but that was then.

Wasn’t it?

This is now.

Well do you think that following Jesus any easier today?

Let’s listen one more time to what Ann Weems writes:

And He bids us to follow Him

To turn things upside down and inside out

To go where the hurting is

To change water into wine

To change who we are into the kingdom of God.

Weems Searching For Shalom p. 66

You see — the fire — the stress — the division — that Jesus’ ministry brought into the world is still just as destructive — just as stress-filled — just as divisive — today as it ever was.  The ministry of Christ still turns things upside down — it still goes against what we might expect — but He still calls us to be a part of His ministry and be His people in the world – and what that means is that you still have to decide.

You have to decide if you are going to let Jesus make a difference in your life — or not.

You have to decide if you are going to let Christ change who you are — how you live –what you think — what you do — what you say — or not.

You have to decide if you are going to follow Jesus with wholehearted commitment — or not.

You have to decide if the things of Christ are going to be important to you — or not.

You have to decide if you are going to follow Christ instead of the things of the world — or not.

You have to decide if you are going to be the loving, caring, forgiving person God calls you to be – or not.

You have to decide if peace and security is more important to you than taking risks for the Kingdom of God — or not.

You have to decide if you are willing to reach out to those that others may not want to have anything to do with — or not.

Deciding to let Jesus make a real difference in your life — to let Christ change who you are — how you live — what you think — what you do — what you say —

Deciding to follow Jesus with wholehearted commitment —

Deciding to let the things of Christ be important to you –

Deciding that you are going to commit yourself to doing what God wants you to do regardless of what others may want you to do —

Deciding that you are going to follow Christ instead of the things of the world —

Deciding to be the loving and forgiving person God calls you to be —

Deciding to show God’s love to all people –

Deciding to get involved in ways to show God’s love to others and that you are going to get involved in the Church and use the gifts God has given you for His glory –

Deciding that you are going to tell others about Christ and show Christ to others —

Deciding to do all these things – well – it won’t be easy – and it may not make us very popular.

People may not be able to understand why you let Christ change you — or  why you are making such a wholehearted commitment — or why the things of Christ are more important to you than anything else — or why you follow Christ instead of the things of the world — or why we are so loving and forgiving — or why we go out of our way to reach out to folks that they don’t want to have anything to do with – or why you step up and get involved in Church or do what Jesus calls you to do in school or at work or in the community when no one else will.

Some may condemn you or laugh at you or take advantage of you or even ostracize you. Even your family may not understand.

But – here’s the thing – you will be following God’s will — and that is more important than anything else or anyone else’s opinion of you or approval or disapproval.

So –

Can you decide?

Can you decide that God’s will is more important to you than anything else?

Can you decide to let Jesus make a real difference in your life — to let Christ change who you are — how you live — what you think — what you do — what you say?

Can you decide to follow Jesus with wholehearted commitment?

Can you decide to let the things of Christ be important to you?

Can you decide that you are going to follow Christ instead of the things of the world?

Can you decide to be the loving and forgiving person God calls you to be?

Can you decide to show God’s love to all people?

Can you decide to get active in doing God’s work in the Church – using the gifts and abilities God gave you for His glory?

Can you decide to live differently than others – and show Christ to others – instead of letting them dictate how you are going to live and what you are going to do?

Some of you are starting a new school year this week. Can you decide to be an example for Christ for your classmates instead of letting those not following Christ pull you down? Yea – you might stick out like a sore thumb – but you’ll be doing God’s will.

Teachers — can you decide to be an example for Christ to the students and staff at your school?

What about those of you who work? Can you decide to start being an example for Christ at work instead of keeping your faith a secret? Again – you might stick out like a sore thumb – be laughed about – made fun of – taken advantage of – talked about – but you’ll be doing God’s will.

Can you decide?

I heard a story of a Law School student in the 1960’s who began to feel the call into the ministry.  Before he could begin Seminary, however, he was drafted into the army — and had to do a years stint in Viet Nam.  Before he left he anounced to his family that he felt the call to go into the ministry when he returned from Viet Nam.  His family could not accept this.  They had dreams of his being a successful and influencial lawyer and possibly a politician.  His father wrote him — and told him he never wanted to see him again.  His mother persuaded all her friends that he was Missing in Action in Viet Nam.  He, however, remained faithful to his commitment — and returned home — attended Seminary — and became a minister.

His family never accepted him again.

He had made a decision. He had decided to follow Christ — even though his family disowned him.

Can you decide?

Friends – it’s time to decide!

It’s time to decide that God’s will is more important to you than anything else!

It’s time to decide to let Jesus make a real difference in your life — to let Christ change who you are — how you live — what you think — what you do — what you say!

It’s time to decide to follow Jesus with wholehearted commitment!

It’s time to decide to let the things of Christ be important to you!

It’s time to decide that you are going to follow Christ instead of the things of the world!

It’s time to decide to be the loving and forgiving person God calls you to be!

It’s time to decide to show God’s love to all people!

It’s time to decide to be active in the work and ministry God can do in the Church – and use the gifts and talents God has given you for His glory.

Yea –following Jesus can sometimes bring with it fire — stress — and division — but it can also brings God’s will. It means being the changed person God calls you to be – it means being a person who makes God’s will more important to than anything else!

It means being a person who lets Jesus make a real difference in your life — who lets Christ change who you are — how you live — what you think — what you do — what you say!

It means being a person who gets involved in the work and ministry of God in this Church and the community – making a difference at your school – or at your work – or wherever you might be.

Yea – it means taking Jesus’ call to be His disciple seriously – and following  Jesus with wholehearted commitment!

Indeed — as Ann Weems writes – -

He bids us to follow Him

To turn things upside down and inside out

To go where the hurting is

To change water into wine

To change who we are into the kingdom of God.

Weems Searching For Shalom p. 66

Friends – it’s time.

Decide. Amen.

Luke 11:1-13

Luke 11:1-13

Keep Praying!

July 25, 2010

Last week we looked at the story in Luke 10 of Martha and Mary – and discovered how we need to be – as I called it – “Prayerfully Active” – not feeling like we have to choose between being like prayerful Mary or active Martha – but realizing we need to be both prayerful and active. As we looked at this we noticed that being prayerful is the first step to being prayerfully active – but as you thought about it afterwards you may have thought – well – how should I pray – how often should I pray – and what about those times I don’t feel like praying?

I thought that we might need to look at the passage that immediately follows the passage on Mary and Martha – the passage in Luke 11:1-13 – because here Jesus teaches us not only how to pray – but to keep praying!

Here in our passage for today we have Jesus leaving the group of followers  to go off by Himself to pray. When he finished and rejoined the group, one disciple asked what the rest of them might have been thinking: “Master, would you teach us to pray?”

Now — what do you think they had seen that prompted them to want to pray like Jesus was praying? Was it the language Jesus used? Was He using complicated theological terms? Was He being dramatic or did He have a special stance He was using that they wanted to copy? Was He using some kind of special effect that prompted their curiosity?

I don’t think so. I think the disciples could sense something in Jesus’ praying – they could sense the depth of spiritual community Jesus was experiencing with the heavenly Father when He prayed. I think they saw a kind of fellowship Jesus had with His Father as He prayed – and they said: “I want that” – “I want that closeness and fellowship.”

Several years ago a friend of mine and I went to a weekend Blue Grass Concert in North Wilkesboro, NC.  After the Friday night festivities we stopped at a Mexican restaurant on the way back to the cabin we were staying in and noticed that — at a table nearby — there was a woman and a man holding hands across the table, talking quietly, gazing into each other’s eyes. They were obviously in love. My friend and I noticed what was going on at that table – and both of us reached for our cell phones at the same time and said: “Excuse me. I have to call my wife.” I’ll never forget thinking about what was motivating the calls. It was that picture of a deep, satisfying, relating conversation. It made us think: That’s what I want to participate in with my wife. I want to talk to her. I want to call home.

Jesus’ followers might have seen something in the way Jesus related to his Father, and said: “Teach us to pray like that.”

You know – it’s sad but true that many Christians find their prayer life diminishing over the years.

One of my colleagues shared with me  not long ago that he had folks confide in him over the years that, to their shame, they don’t pray like they had prayed earlier in their lives. I’ve had folks tell me the same thing from time to time. My colleague related to me that one person described it this way:

“When I was a new believer, the thought of talking with the God of the universe, the thought of him listening to me, responding to my cares and concerns, was so overwhelming I could barely take it in. I prayed all the time when I first discovered I could. I prayed when I got up. I prayed on my way to work. I prayed when I sat at my desk. I prayed at lunch. I prayed with my kids at dinner. I prayed with my kids when I put them to bed. I was a praying monster. It brought me such joy. God was answering my prayers. My life was changing, and I could see others’ lives changing. Then, I don’t know what happened. The whole deal just cooled off. I don’t pray much any more.”

My colleague assured me that this fellow was still a Christian and active in the church, but he was going through a rough period in his prayer life.

My colleague said he told him: “Almost every follower of Jesus Christ experiences exactly what you’ve described. I have.”

And, you know – it’s true – at least it is for me. When I look back over the course of my spiritual life, I see times in which I prayed eagerly and often, filled with joy and anticipation. At those times it seemed that supernatural things happened in and around my life and the lives of those people for whom I prayed. Then for some unknown reason, my prayer life would begin a mysterious descent, until I almost gave up on praying. I’d still pray at meals and at church functions, but not a lot more than that. Then something would happen that would get me going again and the activity of God would flood into my life again, and I would pray like crazy for a time. Then the fade would begin again.

Can any of you relate to the rhythm of prayer I’m talking about?

I think you probably can.

Why do you think it is that people stop praying?

One reason might be a lack of consistent prayer patterns.

I think people stop praying or at least start to fade when the life is calm and everything is ok. It’s human nature. When the storms are raging in your life, you find yourself praying like crazy. Almost all of us pray, fervently, repeatedly, hopefully, maybe even desperately when there are storms and problems in our lives.   Then when the storm passes and the seas settle down and life is calm and God proves Himself faithful one more time, a big part of our motivation for fervent prayer subsides. And the great prayer fade begins.

In the Old Testament, God traces His kindness to the children of Israel. He says, “Every time you got in a jam and you prayed for divine intervention, every time you needed protection and guidance and you pleaded for rescues, I came through. Then after the storm passed, you didn’t remember me. You don’t talk to me much once the storms pass.”

How do we keep this from happening in our lives? Most of us don’t want it to happen that way. One way I know to keep a “big fade” from happening in my prayer life is by keeping to a regular pattern of praying that is not contingent upon the ups and downs of my life. Jesus said in Matthew 6,

“When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to the Father, who is unseen Then your Father will reward you. Avoid vain repetitions.”

When Jesus was teaching on this way of praying, he was making some points for us to ponder. First, he was saying establish a time of praying. He says when you pray, not if you pray. He’s asking us who claim to be his followers to arrive at a daily rhythm for a quiet time of prayer. Be it early morning, midday, late at night, late afternoon, it doesn’t matter. It might change over the course of your life. Jesus then tells us to establish a place. Choose a spot that can become a refuge or a sanctuary for your prayer time, a place that affords you sufficient comfort and privacy, a place that over time you begin to think of as a holy place for your prayers.

Some of us studied Richard Foster’s book The Celebration of Discipline a few months back and found that establishing a consistent time for private, personal prayer was one of the “spiritual disciplines” he says we need to grow in our walk with God.

My time for personal, private prayer is early in the morning – from around 6:00 to around 7:00 — and my place is the room in the house we call “the office” because that’s where the desk top computer is set up – and – until we bought a laptop and a wireless printer – that was where I would work when I worked at the house. Your time for personal, private prayer might be different from mine – but whatever seems to “work” for you, find a time and a place for daily personal, private prayer.  As much as I love and benefit from the Prayer Group I participate in at the store most mornings, I still need that personal, private time for prayer – and I believe we all do.

I read about one guy who prays on the Northwestern commuter train in Chicago five days a week. He prays from the time he gets on the train until he arrives downtown. He says the seat of the Northwestern commuter train is like a holy place for him. While this would not work for me, it might for others. Whatever time and place works for you, do it – have a time of private, personal prayer every day.  This is the best way I know of to really have a relationship with God and keep from the habit of going through “dry spells” in your prayer life

Jesus tells us to avoid vain repetitions. Beyond having a set time for consistent, personal and private prayer learning to pour your heart out to God is another way to improve your prayer life. Don’t just go through mechanical motions. Don’t get in a formula that can become repetitive and the same all the time. There aren’t any special words you have to use when praying. If you’re struggling with something, tell God in your own words. If you’re being tempted, tell Him in your won words. If you’re feeling defeated talk to Him about it in your own words. If you’re feeling lonely and discouraged, tell Him. If you’re feeling good and are rejoicing in what God has done in your life, by all means – tell Him – in your own way. You don’t have to use special words in your prayers – your own words that express your own feelings work the best.

Some folks do this verbally. They whisper their prayers to God in their private places. Some write out prayers to God because it helps to stay on focus. Some of use lists. Some of us read Psalms of praise to God from our Bibles. I do that myself. Some put on worship tapes and sing along with them.

How you do it is not the main thing — the main thing is that you integrate a personal, private prayer time into your daily life — just like you would eating or sleeping. I dare say you don’t go very many days without sleeping or eating – and in the same way you need to have such a commitment to your daily personal prayer time. If you will make this time important to you, you can begin – or continue – or close your day saying: “I just met with God. I talked with him. I listened to him, and we connected on a soul level” – and that is so important to be able to say that.  If you do that on a consistent basis, you’re likely to take the big swings out of your prayer life.

Sally and I went to North Carolina last Thursday to help a friend celebrate her 80^th birthday.  On the way we saw a sign in front of a church that said:

“Pray every day of the week that ends with a Y”

That’s pretty consistent prayer!

Beyond not having a habit of consistent, personal and private prayer, there’s something else that can affect your prayer life – and that is clinging to sin. Yea — clinging to sin tears us away from God – and is a second cause for that slide from relating to God.

At the times I have talked to folks about a lapse in their spiritual lives, I might say: “Let’s backtrack. Do you know where the train left the tracks?” Some folks will say something like, “It was about the time I started partying heavily. I started running around a lot and letting my life get out of control.” Or someone else might say, “It was when things got really busy at work and greed got its hooks in me, and making money started to be the driving force in my life. Then I started to drift.”

Yea – sin is strong enough to create an gap in your relationship with God. The wider the gap, the less likely it is that you’ll pray consistently.

I know that one time in my life I was letting my anger over something that had happened take over my life — and at the same time I was wondering why my prayer times seemed cold and mechanical. I had the time and the place for personal, private prayer down pat — but when I got to the “be real with God ” part, when I was trying to pour out my heart to God, it seemed did not want to talk to God about my anger. I wanted to avoid confessing that. Then I read Malachi 1:9, where God confronts His people for sinning: “After you blatantly sin against me, and won’t confess it, you have the gall to entreat me for favors? You pray and you expect me to come through like I usually do? You rebel against me and don’t confess it – and expect me to bless you? You shake your fist at me, and then you expect me not to be affected by your disobedience and waywardness?” God says, “Excuse me, I am affected by it. It breaks my heart. I feel betrayed when one of my precious children says, ‘I’m going my way, not your way.’” Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked.” If we don’t live in submission to Him and confess your sins to Him, you’ll lose the warmth and closeness that accompanies a loving obedient relationship with God.

Back when we lived in North Carolina we had a fenced in back yard.  The fence had 3 sides – the back of the house was the fourth side – so when we put our dogs out at night we would just put them our the back door – then call them when we were ready for them to come back in. Well, sometimes I’d put Buster out at night and – when he was finished doing what he needed to do — I would call him to come back in. I might call: “Buster, come on in.” And sometimes under the light of the backyard spotlight I would see him sitting and looking at me – tilting his head back and  forth as if deciding if he was going to come in or not. I then might say: “Come on. Get in here.” and sometimes he would but sometime he might keep looking at me like: “Maybe I will, and maybe I won’t.” Then I would usually say: “I’ll give you a treat if you come in.” – and most of the time that gets him and he’d come running in. He would run into the house — stand by the laundry room door where the treats were – and once I gave him a treat, he would walk away. At other times, though, I would call to him:  ”Buster, come on in,” and for some reason he would run the other direction and look back at me – as if to say: “You want me? Come and get me.” So I would chase him down. When I finally would grab hold of him and take him into the house, he’d run over to the laundry room door – stop — look at the door – and look up at me, begging for a treat.  I’d then say something like: “What are you thinking? Get away from that door.” He’d then take off and dive under the couch or the bed. He would know there were no treat for him with the way he acted. You see — even a dog knows you don’t defy the powers that be and expect business as usual.

Someone once wrote: “There is no fellowship with a superior without total obedient to them.”

Some Christians don’t pray because they have an inner spirit of conflict. There’s part of them that wants to be in close fellowship with God – they may want to pray and have it be like it used to be — but they know the barrier they’ve created by their sin. They know they’re going to have to get squared away before they can be in that completely yielded, warm, and loving fellowship with God again – but they are not ready to do that just yet.

Is that how you are?

Is there a sin you aren’t confessing that is creating a barrier between you and God?

Scriptures says that God stands with an extended arms and invites you to come back. In Isaiah 1:18, God says, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” He says, “Admit your waywardness. Tell me you fouled up. Come back and we’ll relate closely again.” God knows your sins – but stands ready to forgive you – if you will confess them.  Then you can enjoy that fruitful prayer life with Him you long for.

So – a lack of a consistent, personal prayer time and the presence of unconfessed sin in your life can make you drift away from God and affect your prayer life.

There’s another reason why people drift away from God and give up on prayer. It might be the most obvious — disillusionment. Maybe they prayed fervently that Dad would survive the surgery, but he didn’t. Maybe they prayed that their wife would reconcile their marriage, but she wouldn’t. Or maybe they prayed that their business would withstand the new competition, but it couldn’t. So they gave up on prayer – feeling that it did not work.

For some, it’s a hard, cold, practical reason why they don’t pray any more. Why waste your breath? If heaven doesn’t listen, if God doesn’t care, if he lacks the power to change things, why pray? Let’s all stop kidding each other about this stuff. It just doesn’t work.

I would bet every honest Christian who has had a crushing disappointment that prayer didn’t fix has felt this way. When you feel like that, you’ve got to regroup and say, “What do I believe about this thing called prayer?” It’s true Jesus would say the Father doesn’t answer every prayer the way we fallible humans wish He would, for reasons we will understand only in heaven. But Jesus says: “Keep praying. Don’t lose heart.”

You have no idea how much your conversations – your prayers — mean to God. Every time you pray, God feels excited that you have come to Him. You have no idea how carefully God listens to every one of your concerns. You have no idea how thoroughly He enjoys you spending time with Him. You have no idea how earnestly He engages in the concerns you bring his way and how eager He is to do that which is best for you not always exactly what you want.

I read about a minister who baptized an older woman who had come to accept Christ. After the service he bumped into her daughter — who was sobbing. The minster thought that this was a little odd, since the service was so joyful – but the daughter told him she was crying tears of joy.

“My mom was baptized today.” She said. “I prayed for her every day for almost 20 years. The reason I’m crying is because I came this close to giving up on her. At the 5 mark I said, ‘Who needs this? God isn’t listening.’ At the 10 mark I said, ‘Why am I wasting my breath?’ At the 15 mark I said, ‘This is absurd.’ At the 19 mark I said, ‘I’m just a fool.’ I just kept trying, kept praying. Even with weak faith I kept praying. Then she gave here life to Christ, and she was baptized today. I will never doubt the power of prayer again.”

Well — what about you? I know some of you have had some prayers that have gone unanswered, and you’ve almost bailed out on prayer because of that. I would tell you again on behalf of Jesus Christ, don’t lose heart.

You want a close relationship with God?

Keep praying!

Establish a consistent time for personal prayer where you can pour your heart out to God.  Having a personal prayer time with God on every day of the week that ends with a Y is indeed excellent advice!

Confess sins that may be blocking your relationship with God.

Pray even when you are disillusioned and don’t feel God is listening.

Yea — Keep praying!

Amen.

Luke 10:38-42

Luke 10:38-42

Be Prayerfully Active

July 18, 2010

A few Wednesday nights ago we were discussing the “hard sayings of Jesus” in our study of James Moore’s book Yes Lord I Have Sinned (But I Have Several Excellent Excuses) and we named some of the “sayings of Jesus” we found hard to follow such as “turning the other cheek” or giving someone our cloak when they ask for our coat or going “the extra mile” for someone or loving our enemies. I must admit that this passage we have before us today is one of those “hard passages” for me that I struggle with. It is not one I like to preach on – in fact I can probably count on 1 hand the number of times I have   preached on it very often in the 25 years I have been in the ministry. I suppose my struggle with this passage comes in feeling like I have to identify with either Mary or Martha – and live like either one or the other – and I am not comfortable with having to make that choice.  Yea, this is one of those “hard sayings of Jesus” or “hard passages” for me.

What about you?

Do you feel you have to identify with either Mary or Martha in this passage?

Well – if  you had to make a choice – which would you identify with the most?

Would you identify the most with Martha — busily trying to be a good hostess — but being distracted — perhaps to the point of forgetting what was truly important in this situation — what was really important when Jesus was this close to her — when she actually had the opportunity to fellowship with Him — listen to Him — learn from Him — even worship Him — and get to know Him better? Or – would you identify the most with Mary — sitting at Jesus’ feet — listening to Him — fellowshipping with Him — learning from Him — even worshipping Him — getting to know Him — but — leaving Martha with all the work?

Are you a Martha — or a Mary?

Martha — intent on getting things done — or Mary — intent on a relationship with Jesus?

Martha — or Mary?

Which one will you be?

A lot of times that’s the way we feel we have to respond to this lesson — isn’t it?

We feel this lesson calls us to choose — to decide which one to be — to decide if we want to be active like Martha — or prayerful like Mary.

We feel we have to choose one or the other.

Maybe you can understand Martha’s frustration because you have been in situations like hers in your life when you feel everyone is just “sitting around” and you’re having to do all the work!

Yea – we might feel – when we read this passage — that we need to choose which we want to be like – which way we want to live – either like active Martha or prayerful Mary. It’s almost like the categories “Martha” and “Mary” were added to the Myers-Briggs personality test – although I am not sure how they would be abbreviated.

But wait —

Is that really what this lesson is all about?

Do we really have to choose?

Do we really have to be like Martha or to be like Mary?

Or – - Is there a way we can be both?

Is there a way we can spend time nurturing our relationship with Christ being prayerful like Mary — and also spend time doing things for Christ – like Martha?

Is there a way we can live that gives us a balance between active Martha and prayerful Mary?

Maybe – and maybe that’s what this story is all about.

Maybe that’s what God is trying to say to us in this lesson.

Maybe we don’t have to choose to live like active Martha or prayerful Mary — but  can find a way to be both. Maybe we can find a way to nurture the Mary within each of us that yearns to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Him — and the Martha within each of us that is excited about stepping out into the world with actions.

Maybe we don’t have to choose to be Martha or Mary — but can choose to be Martha and Mary.

Can we be both?

Can we nourish both sides of our relationship with God and the world?

I believe that we not only can — but I believe we need to.

I believe that it’s time to learn to nourish both our prayerful Mary side — and our active Martha side.

It’s time for us to be Mary and Martha.

I call this being prayerfully active.

Prayerful Mary and active Martha.

Prayerfully active.

We don’t need to choose to be one or the other – we need to choose to be both.

We need to choose to nourish both our prayerful, Mary side — and our active Martha side. It takes a delicate balance between the two to be the prayerfully active disciples and Church that God is calling us to be – but it can be done.

The first thing we need to know is – which is the most important in these 2 qualities – the one we need to develop first?

In the passage before us Jesus says that it’s Mary who does the most important thing.

She is listening to Him — getting to know Him — establishing a relationship with Him – and letting Him change her life — worshipping Him – and fellowshipping with Him.

That’s the first step to being prayerfully active — and the most important step for us.

Without the prayerful side of our lives — the worshipful side — the side that listens — gets to know — establishes a relationship with — and fellowships with Jesus — the side that spends time with Jesus and lets Jesus change our lives — without this side — the active side will tire out too soon — and we also put ourselves in danger of either not doing things that God would have us to do – or doing things that God would not have to do.

We need to start by being prayerful.

But — without the active side of our lives — our prayers — our worship — our time getting to know Jesus and establishing a relationship with Him — our time letting Jesus change our lives — these times might help us — but what help would they be to others?

We need prayers — but we also need actions.

To be the Christians – the Church – God would have us be – we don’t need to be prayerful or active – but we need to be prayerful and active.

We need both sides in our lives.

Prayerfully active.

It’s not time to be prayerful Mary or active Martha — it’s time to be both.

You know — sometimes we may feel that our lives are so confusing that we don’t know which way to turn.

We get that way sometimes, don’t we?

Like Martha we get so busy and so preoccupied with doing things and getting things done that we miss opportunities to worship God and let Him speak to us — let Him really change our lives so the things we get done are the things He would have us to get done. Like Martha — sometimes we get distracted and worried about many things — and forget the one thing that is really necessary.

Do you ever feel that way?

I know I do.

We all do.

There are also times in our lives we may feel that way as a community of faith — as a Church — so distracted with so many things that we forget what’s really important.

This might be one of those times for us as a Church.

We might feel the future is very uncertain – and not know what God would have us to be doing.

So — what do we do?

Do we become distracted like Martha — rushing around — trying to do many things – or like Mary — do we spend time in prayer — time listening to Jesus — time asking God what direction He would have the Church to go — time trying to discern God’s will for our lives and our Church?

This may be a time for us to learn to be prayerfully active.

This may not be a time for us to be either prayerful or active – but both. This might be a time for us to prayerfully consider what God would have us be doing – and then busy ourselves doing it.

This may be a time for us to truly be prayerfully active.

About 10 years ago I was the pastor at a Church that was at a crossroads in their faith journey. They had been yoked with another Church for almost 100 years – but the other, larger Church felt it was time for them to dissolve the yoke and go out on their own.

Where would this leave the smaller Church?

Where would that leave Sally and me?

What were we going to do?

While we were going through this struggle I went with the youth from the 5 church youth group I was working with to a camp in Tennessee on the Doe River. This was a camp was not like Camp Pee Dee – but was much more intentional on building leaders. It was equipped with a lot of high ropes courses and white water rafting – and also had great worship and fellowship opportunities. I remember one of the messages we heard that week dealt with King Jehoshaphat.  It was based on the story from II Chronicles 20.  If you keep up with the Read Through The Bible In A Year plan we attached in your January newsletter read the passage last week. I’m not going to read that story to you — but I urge you to go home and read it.

In this passage Israel is about to be attacked by an enemy much stronger that they.

What does Jehoshaphat do?

Instead of acting impulsively — rushing out into battle — he calls for a national prayer service — and prays for God to reveal His will to them.  God answers them — and they step out in faith – and are victorious.

It took prayer and action for Jehoshaphat to learn and do God’s will.

Prayer to discern God’s will — then action to act on it.

I don’t mind saying that this particular message brought me to tears — because I saw how I was not listening to God in my own situation.

I went back to the smaller Church and we prayed – and learned what God wanted us to do. I continued serving the smaller Church and working in the school system and as Director of an Outreach Center for around 6 more years – until I came here.

I had to learn that I needed to be prayerful and active.

I needed to be prayerfully active.

I must admit that it’s not easy for me to be prayerfully active.

It’s not easy for me to take time to pray and wait for God’s answer when a problem presents itself.

Maybe it’s not easy for you, either.

Too many times I become like Martha — worried and preoccupied over many things — and forgetting what’s important.  It’s not easy for me in the middle of a problem or a major decision to stop — pray — and wait for God to speak. But it’s necessary.  Then — it’s necessary to act on what God says – which can be difficult, too.

Maybe – like Jehoshaphat – you feel like the enemy is about to attack.

Maybe you feel that your life is under siege.

Maybe you feel the Church is somehow under siege that we have to do something – but you don’t know what.

Well — don’t just act — but pray — then act.

Be prayerfully active.

Lets’ be prayerfully active.

At the same camp they had what they called the “Pamper Pole”. You were strapped in a harness and others from your group were on the ground holding a cord that was attached to your harness – and you were supposed to climb to the top of a telephone pole — then jump — swing on a Trapeze — before you let go and your teammates lowered to the ground. I must admit that I learned about prayer and action on that pole.  As I got near the top of the pole — I was scared.  I prayed.  But guess what — my prayers couldn’t get me down.  I had to act.  I had to continue climbing – and when I reached the top – I prayed again. But even then my prayers could not get me down – I again had to act. I had to jump.  And when I did — I was lowered down by those holding the rope I was secured to.

It took prayer — and it took action.

You might feel that you’re on top of that pole right now — scared — knowing you have to do something — but not knowing what to do. We might feel that — as a Church — we are on top of the pole right now — scared — knowing we have to do something — but not knowing what to do.

Let’s be prayerful – and let’s be active.

Pray.

Listen for God to tell you what to do.

Listen for God to tell us what to do.

Then — act.

Jump.

Make that leap of faith.

And know that God is not going to let us fall — as long as we seek and act on His will.

We can’t choose to be prayerful or active.

We can’t choose if we are going to be prayerful Mary or active Martha.

We can choose to be both prayerful and active.

We can choose to be prayerfully active. Amen.

Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25-37

Go And Do

July 11, 2010

I want to tell you about two men today.

One of them is Thomas.

Thomas is a Minister.

He attended one of the finest Seminaries in the country — and finished in the top of his class.  He has served several Churches — and completed work on his Doctor of Ministry degree.  Now – after 20 years in the ministry — he serves a large Church.

Thomas is a respected Minister. He is known for his wonderful sermons and administrative skills.  He is known as a leader in his denomination and his community. Along with the responsibilities of leading a large Church, Thomas has many community and denominational responsibilities.  He stays very busy — so busy, in fact, that he doesn’t notice that he doesn’t have time for people any more — he is  so busy, in fact, that he doesn’t notice that he has become pretty pompous about his importance – and feels very self-important about his ministry. He likes it when folks call him “Dr. Thomas” – and refer to his Church as “Dr. Thomas’ Church”.

I think you’ve got a pretty good idea about Thomas for now.

Peter is the other man I want to tell you about.

Peter is a completely different person from Thomas. He has no education. He has no job. Most people don’t see him as having any importance at all. In fact, Peter is a man most people try to avoid.  You see, Peter is a street person.  He lives in an abandoned building behind “Dr. Thomas’s Church”.  Thomas sees him every once in a while standing outside the building — or walking around the Church grounds.

Thomas doesn’t know Peter – but even though he does not know him he doesn’t like Peter. Thomas thinks that Peter is a bum and wishes that there were some way he could keep Peter and his friends off the Church property – and out of their neighborhood.  He wishes the Church could buy the old building Peter and his friends live in — tear it down — and build a nice Recreational Center / Fellowship Hall that would be bigger and better than the ones at other churches in town.  The Officers of the Church think that’s a great idea — and plans are in the making to do just that. Maybe they would name it after him – Thomas muses.

Well, one hot July day Thomas is sitting in his office — preparing for a sermon on Luke 10 — the Good Samaritan story.  He has been delayed getting to his office that day as there were many things he had to do that morning – meetings to attend and things to look after.  He passed a broken down car with a family in it as he was rushing down the street to get to his office – but only thought about how busy he was and how he had no time to stop as he rushed on to work.

Now, as he is studying, Peter appears at the door of his office.  Well, Thomas is surprised — and even angry — to see him. Where is the Secretary — Thomas thinks — who is — among a myriad of other things – supposed to keep anyone from getting to the door of Thomas’ office without having to go through a screening process?

I’ll have to speak to her about this – Thomas thinks. I can’t have people like this interrupting my busy schedule.

But — right now – -  it is up to him to see what Peter wants. His clothes are dirty and smell of garbage — sweat — and dirt.  He has obviously not had a shower in a long time. He just stands there in the doorway of Thomas’ office — not saying a word — just standing there.

“Well — what do you want?” Thomas snaps at him.

“If you can — sir – - I need some money”  Peter meekly replies.

“Money?” Thomas roars —

“Do you think I’m going to give money to the likes of you?

I know what you’ll do with it — you and your friends will buy some wine — or drugs — or whatever — and have a grand time at my expense.  There is no way I or my Church members are going to support that!”

“It’s not for me.”  Peter quietly replies. “There is a family whose car has broken down down the street — they need some money for repairs.  I’ve come to you to help me help them.”

“O sure!”  Thomas replies. “Now I’ve heard it all!”

“Well — come and see”  Peter says.

Thomas looks at all he has to do stacked on his desk – but decides he can spare a few minutes to check out Peter’s likely story.

And so Thomas does with Peter.

Down the hall they go — passing the Secretary who has now returned to her post.  She shrugs her shoulders as they pass — and Thomas glares at her.

Peter leads the way as they go out into the heat – and all along the way Thomas is feeling the heat of the sun — and is leery that Peter may jump him — or lead him to a group of his friends who would beat him up and rob him.

They finally arrive at a car loaded with suitcases and children — broken down on the side of the road.

Thomas remembers that he had passed that car an hour ago rushing to the office.

Peter speaks with the driver — who gets out and introduces himself to Thomas.

He is a lawyer.

His family has been on vacation and is now on their way home.  It has not been that great of a vacation, however.  They had been robbed the day before — and now this. The lawyer explains that when his car broke down they had sat there on the side of the road for some time with many people passing them  –

Yes, me included – Thomas thought to himself

– until finally Peter stopped to see if they needed help.  He had been scared of Peter at first — after all — they had been robbed the day before — and Peter looked so scary to them.  But — what else could they do?

After Peter began talking to them, the Lawyer explains, it became apparent that Peter was there to help — not hurt them.

If Thomas can lend his family some money to get their car repaired — the Lawyer explains — they would be most grateful and repay him as soon as they get home.

Thomas offers the Lawyer money out of his Church’s “Good Samaritan Fund” — but as he makes the necessary arrangements — he begins to feel very ashamed of himself.

He feels ashamed that he has not trusted Peter.

He feels ashamed of all the negative thoughts he has about Peter and his friends.

He feels ashamed that he had passed by this same family on the side of the road an hour or so ago but had felt that he was too busy to stop.

As the Tow Truck takes the car in for repairs and Thomas helps the family make arrangements for their stay  while the car is being repaired, Thomas turns to make an apology to Peter —

but Peter is gone.

As he walks back to the Church, Thomas thinks it quite ironic that he has used the “Good Samaritan Fund” to help this family — that he was studying the passage just that morning –  but has not acted like the “Good Samaritan” at all.

In fact, he thinks to himself — he has acted more like the Priest — or the Levite.

Thomas thinks about the story of the Good Samaritan. The man in that story who had been robbed and beaten. The Priest and Levite who passed by.  The hated and despised Samaritan who helped. The words of Christ:

“Go and do likewise!”

As he arrives back at the Church, Thomas looks towards the run-down building Peter and his friends call home.

Yes — he thinks  — he will do something to that building — but not what he had originally planned.

Thanks to Peter — he has a change of plans.

Thanks to Peter — he has a change of heart.

Thanks to Peter — he has a major change in his life.

He no longer sees folks like Peter and his friends in the same way.

God has used Peter to speak to him in a forceful way — and change his life.

He has seen what Peter did — and has heard God say:

Go and do likewise.

Thomas looks for Peter to thank him — apologize to him — tell him of the change in his life — but Peter is not to be found.  No one at the old building knows where he has gone — just that he is no longer there. Thomas never sees Peter again — but he never forgets him — or the lesson he taught him — or maybe we should say the lesson God taught him through Peter.

Not long afterwards a check arrives in Thomas’s office.  The Lawyer paid back what Thomas has given him — plus sent the Church a check for $10,000 to do with as the Church wished.

Thomas knows what he has to do.

He begins to see how much it would cost to renovate the building the street people live in.  He no longer wants to tear it down and build a Fellowship Building — he now wants to renovate it — make it more livable — make it into a better place for the street people to stay.  He gets some estimates — raises the money necessary —  and gets the work done.  He then makes sure those staying in the building know they can come to him or his Church to worship — fellowship — or for assistance — at any time.  He even has his phone numbers posted in the building. Even though Thomas never sees Peter again — he never forgets the lesson God used Peter to teach him.  Every time he goes to the Church and sees the renovated building — he thinks to himself:

Go and do likewise.

Go and do.

It took a rather hard lesson for Thomas to learn exactly what Jesus meant to “Go and do likewise!”

It took a hard lesson for Thomas to learn what it means to

love the Lord your God with all your heart,

and with all your soul, and with all your strength,

and with all your mind;

and your neighbor as yourself

It took a hard lesson for Thomas to learn — but he learned — and he changed his heart — and he changed his life.  He never thought about God or others in the same way — not ever again.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart,

and with all your soul, and with all your strength,

and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself

Go and do likewise.

Go and do.

That was Jesus’ message to the Lawyer who asked Him how to obtain eternal life. That was God’s message to Thomas. That is God’s message to us — here and now.

“Go and do likewise!”

“Go and do”

The question is — do we go — and do likewise?

Do we go — and do we do?

Do we?

I’m not sure we do.

Do we go into the world — and show the world that we love God with all our heart — soul — strength — and mind — and that we love others as ourselves?

Do we “go and do likewise”?

Do we “go and do”?

Do we?

Do we really love God with all our heart — soul — strength — and mind — and do we really love others as we love ourselves?

Who do you think are you in the story of the Good Samaritan?

Are you the one robbed and lying on the side of the road — or the one in the broken down car in my story?  Are you the one in need of help — but keeps getting passed by?

Or — are you the Priest or Levite — or in my story Thomas — too busy with other things to really take time to see the needs others around you have — and to help someone else?

Or — are you the Samaritan — or Peter in my story — willing to love — and willing to help — willing to

Go and do likewise

Willing to go and do?

Too many times we are not willing to

Go and do likewise

We are not willing to

Go and do

We are not willing to love God with all our hearts — souls — mind — and strength — and not willing to love others as we do ourselves.

We don’t love God — and don’t show God’s love to others.

We don’t even show God’s love to each other very well — much less to others.

What we need is a change.

Like Thomas — we need a change in our lives.

We need a change in our hearts.

We need to love God more.

We need to love others more.

We need to learn that lesson that Thomas learned.

Will it be as hard of a lesson for us as it was for him?

Will it take hurting others to learn how to love God and others?

What will it take for us to learn how to

love the Lord your God with all your heart,

and with all your soul, and with all your strength,

and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself

What will it take for us to learn to

Go and do likewise

What will it take for us to learn to

Go – and do?  Amen.

Luke 8:26-39

Luke 8:26-39

“Who’s Possessed?”

June 27, 2010

What a powerful story we have before us today.

A story of powerful conflicts and transformation.

A story of an amazing transformation from terror to wholeness.

Jesus takes a man possessed by demons and heals him.

A powerful story indeed.

And yet — a hard story for us to understand.

How are we supposed to understand this story?

Do we look at it and say;

“Well — demon possession was a phenomenon of ancient cultures — or at least of cultures foreign to me.  It’s just how folks explained things at that time that didn’t make sense to them.  It has nothing to do with anything I have ever experienced — or will ever experience.”

Is this just a thrilling story — like the hit movie “The Exorcist” or something off some science fiction TV show?

While the story does have supernatural, mythic qualities to it — I wonder —

Is there something here that speaks to us — that really speaks to us — that speaks to the depths of our souls — that speaks to a need for healing and wholeness in our lives — and a place where the healing and wholeness we may need can be found?

Maybe you have a problem relating to the Geresene demoniac.  You’ve never been possessed by demons — never known anyone to be possessed by demons — and it’s a pretty sure bet that you never will.

But — then again —

Let me tell you a story about a man I’ll call Frank.

Frank is married – he and his wife have a teenage son – he has a good job – he lives in a nice home in a good neighborhood.  It seems that he has his life pretty much in order.  He seems to be in control.

But — look again.

There are things that are tormenting Frank.

It seems that there are too many things changing in Frank’s life for him to cope with them all. His life seems to be spinning out of control.  If you asked him, he may not say that he is possessed — but — quite honestly — he feels possessed by many problems — and he is in great need for some sense of wholeness and even healing in his life.

A multitude — what you might even call a legion — of changes and problems are possessing Frank at this time.

One is his job.

The changes taking place sense the sale of the company he works for are very disorienting and discouraging to Frank.  New faces — forces — and rules have come swirling in on him from the new corporate headquarters.  There are too many new hoops to jump through to please the boss.  Though he’s worked there happily for twenty years — nothing is normal any more.  He can’t make much sense of what is happening — and certainly feels that he has no control over it. If it were one or two specific work-related problems, he could handle it.  But it seems to be everything — then again it seemsto be nothing.  He sullenly suffers along — but his work just doesn’t give him much pleasure any more – and he wonders if he ever will.

But that is only one of the legion of problems and changes that Frank is having to deal with.

There is also his teenage son.

Almost overnight his on has become like a dark shadow in his life.

It is almost spooky the way he seems to always find the way t to upset Frank.

Frank doesn’t like his son’s friends.

His son’s general attitude in recent months is terrible.

Frank can’t believe some of the things that come out of his son’s mouth.

And these are only the things he knows about.

He shudders to think what is going on in his son’s life that he doesn’t know about.

When Frank tries to confront his son — to talk about it — it quickly lead to arguments in which they both say terrible and destructive things.  So — lately – Frank just tries not to think about it.  But that doesn’t work, either.  It keeps gnawing away at him.  It depresses him.

But – - even though his job and his relationship with his son worry him — these are these are not all the demons in Frank’s life.

There is also his relationship with his wife.

He is increasingly haunted by a sense that their relationship is heading downhill fast. O — they are not on the verge of divorce or anything like that — at leas he hopes not.  There is, however, a rapidly growing irritation and impatience between them.  After what had been some particularly viscous fights they are now both trying to tiptoe around anything that may cause another eruption.  In other words, they stay out of each others way.  The result is that they barely communicate about anything except for the most mundane of matters.  Frank is certain that his wife doesn’t like what is happening between them any more than he does — but neither of them seem to have the energy or the  desire to get to the bottom of whatever it is that is happening between them.

So — instead of his home life being a relief from the problems at work — his home life only adds to the list of demons that torment him.

His work — his son – his relationship with his wife — what a legion of problems — a legion of demons bedeviling Frank!

But — there are more problems to the legion that bedevil him.

His drinking sure doesn’t help matters any. He knows that his intake of alcohol has steadily increased over the last several years.  It isn’t that he can’t think of several others who certainly drink more heavily than he — but — in his best moments — he knows that this is a stupid rationalization — and a very poor source of comfort.  He even promised himself that he would quit drinking for two weeks just to prove to himself that he could — and he had done it.  Unfortunately, he remembers how glad he was to see those two weeks end so he could get back to his drink.  He has this humiliating sense that his drinking is out of control — that his drinking is controlling him, not him controlling it.

His work — his son — his marriage — his drinking – all seem to be demonic forces problems in his life – but — as if these were not enough — there are other aspects to the bedeviling legions that has begun to haunt him.

One is that a good friend of his — the same age — recently died of cancer.  Losing a good friend was bad enough — but as he watched someone his own age suffer and die he began to deal with a sense of fear about his own death.  Despite the fact that — as far as he knows — he has no serious health problems, he still thinks about his own death — and even a momentary twinge of pain in his chest — or a couple of hours of a dull ache in his abdomen — or an awakening in the night with the feeling that his heart is beating faster than it should — or a feeling that he is breathing heavier than he should after walking several flights of stairs — badger him with the possibility that he, too, may find death or serious illness waiting around the corner.

And then there is the question of his fathers deteriorating health.  Although he doesn’t like to think about it, Frank  knows that before long he will have to place his father in a Nursing Home — but he can not even think about that himself — much less talk to his dad about it.

Problems at work –problems with his son  –problems in his marriage — problems with his drinking — the death of a close friend and the feeling that death is waiting for him, too — his fathers deteriorating health — indeed, Frank feels possessed.

He feels possessed by too many changes and problems in his life for him to handle.

Half the time he can’t concentrate.

He can’t think straight.

No matter where he is or what he is doing, he seems to always be on edge.

Nothing can quiet his agitation.

He knows that he is not himself.

Have you ever thought that one — or several — of the problems possessing Frank were your problems?

Do you have a better understanding now of how the demoniac from the land of the Gerasenes must have felt?

I’m afraid we all might.

I’m afraid that there are too many Frank’s in our world.

Too many in our community.

Maybe some sitting here today.

What about you?

Are you like Frank?

Do you struggle with demon-like problems – either those Frank seems to be struggling with or the legion of others that can torment us?

Do you sometimes feel that your life is out of control and that you need a sense of balance?

Do you sometimes feel that that you just can’t stand the pressure any longer?

Then maybe you understand the demoniac better that you first thought.

So – who’s possessed?

Have the problems of life seemed to have just taken you over?

What do you do?

Well, the Geresene demoniac discovered Christ – - or actually it can be better said that Christ discovered him — and he was healed in an amazing way.

Maybe you need to discover Christ — or let Christ discover you – or re-discover Christ — whichever the case may be for you.

Maybe you need to establish — or deepen – your relationship with Christ.

When Christ confronted the legion of demons in the demoniac the demoniac found healing and wholeness.  He returned to living his life — but with a new sense of purpose — that new purpose being to tell everyone about what Christ had done for him.

If you feel possessed by life’s problems — let Christ help you find healing — wholeness — and peace again.

Prayer can be a first step in this healing and wholeness process.

Worshipping with — fellowhsipping with — and sharing with other Christians — and knowing they are praying for you — is another.

Sometimes Christian-based counseling is in order.

But — the first step is letting Christ help you with your problems.

Who’s possessed?

We are all “possessed” to some extent — aren’t we? There are times when all of our lives seem out of balance — out of kilter.

At these times we can come to Christ. We can give our problems to Christ — the one who cares for us and can heal us and make us whole.

If you feel possessed by problems and worries, let Christ possess you and fill you.

Let Christ make you whole.

Take that first step — and let Christ possess you.

Then — step out in faith — with Christ — to make the other steps necessary for healing and wholeness in your life.

It’s never easy.

Dealing with the legion of demon – like problems in life is never easy.

But — when you pray — and Christ possess you — it is indeed possible.

Then – - as you come to greater wholeness and healing in Christ — you can share your healing with others needing to experience God’s healing in their lives.

Who’s possessed?

If you feel possessed by problems, come to Christ – and let Him possess you.  Amen.

Luke 7:36-50

Luke 7:36-50

Remember To Love

June 13, 2010

Of all the things that could be said about Simon the Pharisee, one thing was that he was obviously a good person.

We can imagine that he had been good all his life.

He had probably always been careful to do what was right – or what looked good and right even if it wasn’t right. We can imagine him as being a good boy growing up – not giving his parents any trouble at all.

Yea — he was probably a good person.

We can imagine that he was well educated – to be a Pharisee took years of education. He was probably the most educated person in his family – and maybe even the best educated person in his community.

Yea – he was probably very well educated.

We can also imagine him being meticulously groomed – with not a hair out of place and his fingernails and toenails clean and perfectly trimmed. As a religious leader he probably wore the best clothes – – probably from the best tailor in town – and his clothes would have always been clean and straight – no wrinkles for Simon the Pharisee!

Simon the Pharisee.

A good, well educated, well groomed, Pharisee.

The perfect Jew.

One everyone admired.

One any mother or father would have proud to call “son” – or to point to in a crowd and say – “That’s my boy over there!” and beam with pride.

But – with all his goodness – education — appearance – and grooming – there was something he did not know. He did not know how to truly love.

I can picture him hosting the banquet Luke describes in our passage for today.

Everything perfectly in it’s place.  Everyone in their places. The food and wine ready. It looked to be the perfect party hosted by the perfect Pharisee — when suddenly in walks someone who was definitely not on the list of invited guests.

Even before they recognized her everyone could tell she was not the type of person Simon would invite to his party. Her hair was not cut the neatest possible way. She had on way too much makeup. She was definitely not the kind of person Simon would have invited to a dinner party – and for that matter not the kind of person Simon would have invited anywhere.

As she got closer everyone recognized her. She was someone everyone knew. Not many people admitted to associating with her or knowing her, but everyone knew who she was.

When I worked for the Outreach Center in Reidsville, NC our offices at one time were next door to a beauty shop that had a reputation of – let’s say – selling more than haircuts – or permanents.  Anything from illegal drugs to sex to “hot:” cars, stereos, and tools could be bought at that shop. Sometimes they would actually cut someone’s hair or give someone a permanent – but not often! Well, a lot of times when people would ask where the Outreach Center was located I would ask them if they know where this particular beauty shop was.  Many of them respond:

“O yea – I know where it is.  Not that I’ve ever been there – mind you – but I know where it is.”

Then I would tell them we were next door.

Well – that’s the way it was with this woman who had crashed Simon’s party. Everybody knew her – but everyone – especially the men – acted like they did not know her. Some of the men may have found some excuse to leave the table as she approached – thinking she might be there to confront then about not paying her or that she might make some comment like: “Are we still on for tonight?” and ruin their reputation.  She was the town prostitute –and she had raided Simon’s perfect little dinner party.

Well, I am sure Simon was beside himself.

Then this prostitute came to Jesus – - and humbly bowed at his feet. She then began to kiss his feet – wash his feet with her tears – and dry them with her hair.

Everyone seemed embarrassed. Everyone – that is – except for Jesus.

Simon must have thought that Jesus was not as good a man as he pretended to be — or maybe He did not know as much as people thought He knew  –  for if He were as good as He pretended to be – and if He knew as much as people said He knew – then He would know what kind of woman this was and order her to stop kissing His felt and drying them with her hair.

“If this man were a prophet” … Simon thought – “He would have known what kind of woman this was touching him – that she was a sinner”

So – we have Simon the Pharisee and we have the prostitute.

Who do you think loved Jesus more?

Who had more love for Jesus here?

Simon – the good — educated – rich — well g roomed Pharisee – or the prostitute who was washing Jesus’ feet and drying them with her hair?

You know the answer to that question.

Jesus knew the answer to that question, also.

Simon – in all his finery – his goodness — his education — his riches — did not know how to love. He did not know how to be thankful or how to truly say “thanks” to God – or how to live in a way that thanked God – or shared God’s love with others. He knew the law and could quote all the scholars and teachers — but he did not know how to love.

The woman, on the other hand — with all her sins and reputation – knew how to love. She may not have known all the Jewish laws and teachings, but at least she knew how to love.  She knew how to be thankful to God and Jesus for forgiving her. She knew how to share God’s love with others

Yea – the woman had a reputation – the woman knew how to sin – but once she gave her life to Jesus she knew how to love

She remembered to love.

Simon did not.

What about you?

Do you remember to love?

Do you?

Friends, God calls us to love.

God calls us to remember to love.

God calls us to experience His love and grace – and then share His love and grace with others. God does not expect us to be perfect – in fact He expects us to realize that we are not perfect – but He expects us to know that – in His mercy – we have been loved and forgiven – and He expects us to be willing to share His love with others and forgive others.

He calls us to remember to love.

Knowing and remembering scripture and reading scripture and praying and coming to Church and doing “all the right things” are good and commendable – but – unless we also live in ways that share the love of God with others – we can become like Simon the Pharisee – good and knowledgeable and proper – but not loving.

Of all the things God wants us to remember, the most important thing He wants us to remember is to love.

So – how about it?

Do you remember to love?

I’m afraid that too many times we sit back like Simon the Pharisee and – instead of being quick to show God’s love to others – we are quick to condemn them – or judge them   – or talk about them – or try to correct them – or set ourselves apart from them and want to have nothing to do with them. Too many times we look at people and feel everything but love for them.

But God calls us to have love.

God calls us to remember to love.

Now – you may ask;

Why love those who you know have not lived as God calls us live?

Why love those who are not as “good” – so to speak – as we are?

Well – maybe you are different from me – I don’t know – but let me tell you — I am not all that perfect myself – and if I try to condemn others for their sins I will not get very far before I end up condemning myself.

Someone pointed out to me one time when I was busy “pointing fingers” at someone else that when I did that I had 4 fingers pointing back at myself.

How true that is.

I’ve come to believe that instead of being a “finger pointer” God wants me to be a person with an open embrace for all who will come to Him and want to experience His love.

How about you?

Are you perfect?

Can you judge someone else without being afraid of exposing your own sins?

Can you stand and point a finger at someone else and not be worried that there are 4 fingers pointing back at you?

I doubt it.

It’s not that I know “dirty little secrets” about each of you –but I doubt it because I know that all of us are human, and that means that none of us are perfect – all of us have sinned.

Let’s face it – all of us have sinned.

I remember in a Confirmation class I taught one of the girls read Romans 3 from a translation that was not one of the more modern ones.

“All men have sinned and come short of the glory of God” she read.

She then closed her Bible and sighed a sigh of relief.

“I sure am glad I don’t have to worry about that” she said.

“What do you mean?”

I asked.

She replied:

“Well, it says all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God – and I’m not a man!”

I quickly explained that – in this case – the word “men” covered women also!

Everyone has sinned. But – by the grace of God – everyone can be forgiven. By the grace of God everyone can find new life. By the grace of God everyone can live in new ways. By the grace of God everyone can discover God’s love and share God’s love with all people.

By the grace of God we can remember to love.

We can remember to love those whom we know have not lived perfect lives because we ourselves are not perfect. We can remember to share God’s forgiveness with all people because we ourselves have been forgiven. We can remember to show God’s love to others because we have experienced God’s love for ourselves.   We can remember to love because God – in His infinite love – has loved us – and calls us to share His infinite love with others.

We can remember to love those who have sinned – because we have sinned, too.

When folks that we know are not living – or have not lived — “perfect” lives come to us as a Church or as individuals for an experience of God’s forgiving love, dwe can remember to share it with them.

When we see folks not living perfect lives, we can remember to show them God’s love – and pray it will make a difference in their lives — because God has loved us and made a difference in our lives.

When we see people who are not living in God’s ways we can remember to show them a better way to live – but not in a way that condemns them but in a way that shows them God’s love and concern for them – and our love and concern for them.

You see — God has loved and forgiven us – and calls us to remember to love.

Friends — we can be individuals who remember to love.

We can also be a Church that remembers to love. We can be a Church that sees itself as a Church that remembers to love.

We can be a Church that understands that it’s mission – it’s calling – is to show God’s love to all people.

We can be a Church that understand that it’s mission – it’s calling – is to show those who are living in ways that are wrong how they can live in ways that are right – but we can do this in the same loving and caring ways God has made His love known to us.

We can be a Church that understands that it’s mission – it’s calling – is to show those living without God in their lives how they can live with God in their lives.

But we can do all this in a spirit of love and acceptance and graciousness – not a spirit of haughtiness and condemnation or “holier that you”.

We can do these things in much the same spirit of love and acceptance God has shown to me and you and each and every one of us.

We can remember to love.

A minister who works at a large city church tells the story of a prostitute he befriended as she came to his church for food.

Maggie was her name.

The first time he saw her, he says, she was selling herself on the street like hundreds of other runaway teenagers he had seen before.  Lost in the big city, doing what they had to do to survive. Most of them were the used, abused, and neglected of the world — the children whose experience had convinced them they were unloved and unlovable.

His church offered them hot coffee, sandwiches, and a safe place to sleep if they wanted it. Some just took the coffee and the food and went straight back into the night. Maggie was one of those.  But — one night Maggie hung around. She seemed to need to talk, so the minister sat beside her on the curb and listened.  She told him about her family — the abuse she had taken from her father — how she had run away. And how she now felt that no one loved her.

The minister assured her that God really loved her.

She shook her head “no” and walked away.

A few weeks later he saw her again – and they started talking.  He again assured her of God’s love. This happened for several months – until finally one night she said she wanted to give her life to God.

If God could love her, she said, she could love Him.

That’s what it’s all about, my friends.

That’s what it means to remember to love.

I’ve talked about this for awhile now – I even mentioned it in my sermon last week – but it’s on my mind and heart right now.  Next Sunday several of our Senior High youth won’t be here for worship – and it won’t be because they slept in or skipped Church.  Gretchen Huggins and Philip Smith and I won’t be here either.

Where are we going to be?

We’re going to be on a mission.

We’re going to be at the Group Work Camp in Kingstree with over 300 other young people from all over the country.  We’re going to be making new friends and worshipping and praising God. We are going to be repairing houses – doing light carpentry work and painting.  But – as we do all these things – we are going to be sharing the love of God with people who are in need.

We’ll probably meet the folks we are helping. We’ll probably have a chance to talk to them.  Some may share with us how they came to be in need of having these young people help them. Some may be disabled.  Some may have lost their jobs. Some may go to church and some may not. Some may read the Bible and pray every day and some may not. Some may have problems with drugs or alcohol and some may not. Some may have wasted a fortune and some may not have. We may never know how some came to be in need or became eligible for having these youth and adults from all over the country assist them for a week. But – here’s the thing – it doesn’t matter how they came to be in need – what matters is that they are – and that God loves them – and that we need to show God’s love to them.

We are going to be remembering to love.

Did you pay attention to Sally’s “Mission Moment” earlier in the service?

We’re hoping to do this every Sunday to help us remember what we can do to show God’s love to those in the community and around the world.

If you paid attention today you heard a lot of things that we are doing and that we are planning to do. You heard a lot of ways that we as individuals and as a Church are remembering to show God’s love to those in need.

When you think of what we are doing, it is quite a list – so let’s not say

“We’re a small Church – we can’t do anything”

because by the grace of God – and with God’s strength — we have done a lot – and we are still doing a lot – and we will continue to do a lot – to show God’s love to those around us and around the world.

Let’s see what other things we can do!

Let’s see how else we can remember to love!

Dream and pray and think about what else we do as God’s presence in this community to show His love to those around us.

You may have read in the newsletter about the Action Plan Team.  This is a group of folks – 2 from the Session and 3 from the congregation – that will be meeting with me to prayerfully consider God’s will for us at Hopewell – specifically how we can get some of our inactive members involved again and how we can reach out into the community and bring more people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Maybe you noticed that we are having our first meeting this afternoon.

I invite you to pray for us. Pray with us. If you have any ideas don’t be afraid to share them with us. Believe me – we are not experts – but are willing to prayerfully consider what can be done and do some things we feel God is leading us to do.

Friends — remember to love.

Remember to show God’s love to others in tangible ways – so they can learn of God’s love – experience it – and let it change their lives.

Sure – the minister in my story about Maggie could have been judging – like Simon the Pharisee – but instead he was loving – and made a difference in Maggie’s life.

The folks who go Kingstree can be “preachy” and turn the people we are helping away from God – but instead I pray that we be loving and let God make a real difference in their lives through us.

As we consider what God wants us to be doing as a Church we can be quick to judge and condemn those who we need to reach out to – but instead I pray that we find ways to love them and get them involved in what we are doing as a Church.

Friends — let’s remember to love. Let’s be people – let’s be a Church – that makes a difference in the lives of others with God’s love and for God’s glory.

Yea – let’s remember to love. Amen.