Being Methodist: Amazing Grace

I want to make a case for mainline Protestant Christianity, which gets a bum rap these days.  According to statistics, people no longer are flocking to our churches. There is a marked increase of people in the U.S. identifying themselves as "spiritual but not religious," or as "nones," no religion at all. I don't understand how one can be "spiritual" on one's own, and not part of a community which holds one accountable and  helps one in the practice of one's spirituality.  I do understand the concept of no religion at all, but am saddened by it.
There is also an increase in membership in non-denominational churches, and what are commonly called independent, Bible churches particularly in the South and Southwest.  That's fine.  But we shouldn't forget why mainline Protestant churches exist in the first place and how they came to help shape and form the identity of us as Christians and to a certain extent as Americans. 
It was the mainline churches who, in all their denominational diversity, helped spread the Gospel as our country was formed and expanded westward.  It was the mainline churches who, with their boundaries of faith and doctrine, helped articulate a pro-active Christian faith, devoted not only to spreading the Word, but to DOING the Word of God in mission and ministry.
I have always said without denominations, there is no denominational accountability and relatively little oversight.  And that is a good thing, when overseen properly and used for the honor and glory of God, not the honor and glory of a preacher, a building, or a church.
But we have also become closed-off in our denominationalism, the danger being that those of like mind and belief may not be welcome in our midst.
This is why I really want to make a case for United Methodism's brand of mainline Protestantism, with a bow of love and respect to our brothers and sisters in other denominations.  We aren't supposed to behave that way.  Our motto is "Open Minds. Open Hearts. Open Doors."  We are a big tent with room for diversity.  In many ways, we need to be better about explaining that, so here goes:
What does it mean to be a Methodist?  I can sum it up in two words -- "amazing grace."  
There are others who articulate a theology of grace, God's unmerited love unconditionally given in the person of Jesus Christ.  But (and I am biased to be sure) I don't think others articulate it as well.  Methodism started as a reform movement in the Anglican Church in England in the 18th century.  It started with accountability groups of a dozen or so, meeting every week to explore the Gospel, hold one another accountable, and answer the Gospel's mandate of mission and ministry to those who were hungry, sick, illiterate and downtrodden.  It grew because its founder, John Wesley, preached a Gospel not of condemnation but of God's abiding and enduring grace, forgiveness, generosity and love.  Methodism grew and became a formal denomination of its own in the brand new United States, growing with the country, and taking its identity right alongside it.  Methodists have always been known as people of action.  We haven't always done it well (see Civil War era split of Church between the Northern abolitionists and the Southern slave owners), but the mechanisms have been in place to try. 
I went to Perkins School of Theology in the early 1990's as a Roman Catholic, to study to be a  hospital chaplain.  I didn't know much about the Methodists except that they were the cool folks my parents always did civil rights work with back home when I was growing up in Mississippi in the 1960's.  I certainly didn't know much about Perkins, except they welcomed me unconditionally, and honored my presence there and valued what I thought and contributed.  But what really made me finally convert to Methodism was my seminary colleagues, all shapes, sizes, colors and from all parts of the globe.  Many had sacrificed so much to study and commit to the church.  Many faced uncertain futures and had come from troubled pasts, but understood one thing: amazing grace.  And they lived it, every day. 
I never dreamed of becoming a minister, much less being Senior Pastor of a vital, wonderful church.  Yet, God's amazing grace has never ceased to support, to beckon, and to lead.  That's what I STILL see in my United Methodists, and am grateful each and every day.
We are doing a sermon series for Eastertide about our denomination, and how its central doctrine of grace still gives life to the church today.  Come. Listen. And, receive --- a.

Peace, peace and more peace. Please . . . .

Goodness sakes . . . it is 2013 already! I can't believe how the time -- and life -- flies by.  It seems to drag when one is younger and anxious to get on with life.  But it seems to fly as one gets older, and life gets on with us.  But life is life -- and it beats the alternative as my mother used to say.
Always, when the end of a year approaches with a new one on the horizon, we get nostalgic and reflective -- and we should.  We remember what has passed, what and who we have lost all the while looking forward with excitement to what the future will bring. 
And we pray.  I hope sincerely that we pray. 
My prayer for 2013 is a simple one:  "Dear Lord, give us peace -- peace, peace and more peace.  Please."
We need peace in our lives -- so we aren't driven by anxious doing, running here and there and everywhere, and mostly feeling like we accomplish nothing.
We need peace for families, many of whom are torn apart and fractured.
We need peace for our children -- that the world they inherit from us will be a good one, one that affirms and supports them as created in the image and likeness of God.
We need peace in our community, where so many still suffer from so many things -- addiction, separation, fracture, and violence.
We need peace in our country -- not contentious disagreements that dominate the discourse and our relationships with each other.
We need peace in the world.  Too many places and people suffer from violence and war, with lives shortened by disease, malnourishment and neglect.
We need peace.  Period.
Yet, it seems that in 2013, as always, peace must begin with us.  I hope and pray each and every one of us finds a center of peace in our lives.  For me, that center is God -- the one, loving, transcendent, very present and accounted for God who created us, redeems us and -- daily -- sustains us.
The God  I know in Jesus the Christ, who said -- at a time when he was about to face the worst violence humanity could throw at him on the cross -- "Peace I leave you, my peace I give you."
Dear Lord, give us peace -- peace, peace and more peace.  Please!

Just a silly little bracelet and a great big scary world . . .

When I was in 9th grade, 'scarab' bracelets were popular and I asked for one for Christmas.  My mother saved her money and bought me a beautiful gold one.  It had precious stones engraved with the a beetle, the ancient Egyptian symbol of luck, rebirth, optimism, and good fortune.
I didn't know anything about that beetle or its symbolism or even that it was Egyptian. I just liked the style for some reason and those kind of bracelets were 'in'. Like any teenager, I wore it for a while, and got bored with it and eventually it got pushed to the back of my jewelry box, replaced over the years by other pieces of jewelry at various times more 'in'.  But, because my mother gave it to me, I always kept it. 
In the fall of 2009, Ted and I visited Egypt while we were in the Middle East with our son, who was working in Dubai. We wanted to go to Israel and the Holy Land, but were told by the State Department that we could not enter Israel with a Dubai stamp on our passport, or vice versa. That kind of restriction of movement seemed really odd to us but is a matter of course in a part of the world wracked by violence and mistrust for millenia. We looked for an alternative place to visit and chose Egypt.
We were there about a week and visited all the wonderful archeological sites in and around Cairo and in Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes.  I fell in love immediately -- with the sand-drenched landscape, with the ancient ruins (some of which go back over 4,000 b.c.e.), with the languid Nile, with the huge, bustling city of Cairo, with the music and the food and . . . pretty much with all things Egyptian.
But it was the people we encountered that I most loved.  They were kind, considerate, and respectful to us as foreigners.  And, no matter the differences (nobody could even grasp the fact that I was a clergywomen and they only referred to me as "Mrs. Ted" -- never by my given name), we found their concerns simply mirrored ours:  to live faithful lives and to love and provide for their children. 
There is something magical and mystical and enticing about Egypt, but mostly -- there is something wonderful about Egyptians.  I found, despite the poverty and cultural restrictions on  women, that it is a fascinating anbd mind-boggling place. I enjoyed every minute of our time there, and would go back in  a heartbeat.
Our hotel, the Inter-Continental, was right across the street from the American Embassy, and only a block away from Tahrir Square, the heart of metropolitan Cairo.
So, in February of last year as the revolution unfolded in Tahrir Square, I began to really root and pray for the people of Egypt that they would triumph, and be able to find a way to make a better future for their children without violence or bloodshed.
I remembered that bracelet in the bottom of my jewelry box, got it out, polished it off, put it on and haven't taken it off since.  It just a small act of solidarity with human beings half-way across the world, a way to remind myself every day to pray for God's peace, and their well-being.
Today, I am looking at that bracelet and praying -- not just for them, but for us. 
I am praying that my Christian faith not be coopted by radical extremists who have no tolerance for the beliefs of others, and who in their zealotry forget that love, mercy and inclusion were the hallmarks of Jesus Christ, and by his example, we know the heart of God.
I am praying that freedom of speech always be balanced by a respect for others.
I am praying for lives lost in the service of our country, and for lives at risk in that service all around the world.
I am praying for President Obama and Hilary Clinton, that they be wise and strong in their leadership.
But mostly, I am praying for the people of the Middle East -- and Egypt in particular -- that in our common humanity, we find the blessedness of peacemaking with one another, and that zealots and extremists on either and any side of a disagreement do not get the last word.
Each little stone beetle on that bracelet is a prayer bead for me these days, and the circle on my hand is a reminder of our connection to all.
I am praying, and will continue.  I hope you do the same.
a.

The Reality of Easter = A Life

We are in the throes of Holy Week, 2012. This Thursday we will gather at 7 pm to praise God and remember the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, as Jesus charged us to when he did it. Thursday of Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday, 'maundy' from the Latin 'mandate' which means "do it!" "DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME!" That's what he said on the night before he died.
On Friday, the darkest day of the Christian year, we will gather at 7 pm once again to remember when and how he died with the ancient Tennebrae service of darkness and light. This year we are blessed to be joined by the choirs and members of Wylie First UMC and Cornerstone UMC, our neighbor churches.
In these worship times, we are brought to the very heart of our Christian faith -- by living into the story of how Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, suffered, died and was buried that we might might learn to live in his name. His death on a cross, by our understanding, means the full measure of "Emmanuel," or "GOD WITH US." It means that sin, suffering and even death itself does not get the last word in our lives -- God does.
On Easter Sunday morning, we celebrate that good news! Christ is alive, risen and present . . . and calls us each as His own to arise from sin, endure suffering with his strength and witness, and not to fear even death itself.
Easter is not a concept, it is a way of life! When he came out of that empty tomb, the entire course of humanity was changed forever. God's power and might overcomes all that we have to face in this world, even and including our willful turning away from God in sin.
For Christians, as I have said many times (echoing St. Paul), if we don't have the cross and resurrection, we got nothin'. Nothin'!
But, because we do have God with us, through the worst of life, in Christ we can claim the BEST of life and life abundantly, and life eternally.
Praise be to God for the gift of life! Praise be to God for the gift of Christ! Praise be to God for the reality that Easter is for each of us. Let us live it accordingly.
He is risen! He is risen! He is risen, indeed!
Allelulia! Allelulia! Allelulia!
a.

March Madness . . .

I think this may have to do with basketball, specifically NCAA basketball. It involves something called brackets whereby one counts down in groups of four (? or so) until winning teams play other winning teams and all are eliminated except one, the winner of March Madness.
Is this correct?
If not, somebody let me know. (And, just so you know -- I'm pulling for Mississippi Valley State because I grew up in the Mississippi. Besides, the Hornfrogs are having their own problems this year, and my other alma maters -- SMU and Mississippi State -- aren't anywhere on anyone's bracket as far as I know.)
I do believe, however, there's another kind of March Madness this year. And its not about fun and basketball and wonderful, dedicated young athletes.
Its about words.
Mean words.
Hard words.
Shout so loud no one can be heard over you words.
Words of exclusion.
Words of control.
Words of oppression.
This other March Madness has to do with all the highly charged rhetoric in the public sphere in the midst of this election year. Anxiety is high. Emotions are high. Frustration is high on all sides. We get that. But when words are used to slander rather than thoughtfully debate, it is a sin. When words are used to denigrate, rather than lift-up, no matter the perspective, it is a sin. When words are used to win at all costs, no matter who is hurt, rather than seek compromise for the good of all, it is a sin.
I don't care how you vote. Just vote.
I don't care who you vote for. Just make an informed choice.
I don't even care what you think about things. Just think -- really THINK -- about things.
And be grateful that we live in such a place and time that we can say what we feel compelled to say without fear of retribution or oppression.
But, when words are unfounded and hurtful, used just to prove a point or to bully, we do not honor that gift called free speech or the blessed souls who have died to protect it, or the Creator who has given us this life in the first place.
Use your voice to lift up, not tear down. Seek what is best for all people and all creation, charged to our oversight. Don't let this kind of 'madness' prevail. And, may the best team win.
See you in church this Lent.
Pastor a.
PS Go Mississippi Valley State!!!!!

Being a Methodist -- Move IT or Lose IT!

What is 'IT'? Well, for United Methodists "IT" first refers to the center of our faith and belief system, Jesus Christ. HE is IT! In the early days of the Methodist Movement in England, (1700's) brothers John and Charles Wesley realized that Jesus Christ must be the center of life for anyone who professes the Christian faith. They were members of the Anglican church, and began gathering with likeminded spiritual seeks, only in an effort to revitalize the Church as they knew it. They gathered in groups of 12 or so, and the first thing they asked each other was not "How are you?" but rather, "How is IT with your soul?" In other words, "how are you doing with Jesus these days?" From these small groups, they developed a way or "method" of prayer, discernment, holy living, and outreach based on the life and teachings of Christ. They began, for instance, to preach and teach not to the landed and the wealth of the Church, but on the highways and byways, in the coal mines and with the poor. Their "method" spread not because it was something new, but because it was something genuine -- real discipleship. This "methodist" movement grew and spread first in England, then to the colonies, then in a free United States, then around the world. This "movement" owes not only its origins, but its source to the one thing that matters: HIM. One of the challenges for our denomination today is to figure out how we can reclaim our status as a "movement" -- that is, people of faith seeking to live out the way of discipleship with all of its challenges, and for all of its calling: to self-examination and repentance, to mutual support and accountability, to the poor, the sick, the dispossessed, those in need in body, mind and Spirit. These weeks in between Epiphany and Lent we are examining "IT" -- in light of our heritage and Mark's Gospel. Come, and see if you are "moved".
Pastor a.

A Baby Changes Everything . . . .

Wonderful song. I think Faith Hill sings the most recent version I hear on 103.7, the "Christmas" channel on the radio. I hear it a lot and it is a lovely narrative ballad about a single, young, teenage mother who gets pregnant. Society is against her. Her fiance is aghast. And, she is terrified. But as the ballad goes, once the baby comes . . . life and her world is changed forever, to the good. Babies in their innocence and complete and total dependence on us, do that. They change life, forever. Babies, once they come, help us know a glimpse of the power of unconditional love, so strong we as their parents, and those who love them, would die for them. No questions asked. Of course, the song is about Mary and Joseph, and Jesus. This little child, born so long ago into such humble and difficult circumstances, not only changed the lives of his reluctant parents, he changed the lives of all in the world who claim him as their own. Our prayer this season when we recall his birth is that we remember our lives have been changed by him -- and remain so forever by the unconditional love of God, who sent him. This God, our God, known in and through that tiny baby who grew to be a man who loved so much, he died that we may know life, and freedom from sin and death. A blessed Christmas season for all, with prayers that the coming year will be the year when that baby "changed everything" for you.
a.

Judgement

Jesus tells a wonderful story about how we will be judged as human beings in Matthew 25, starting at vs. 31. It is the only time he ever really mentions the criteria for judgement -- and he does it in his weird, Jesus-in-your-face way. He talks about separating animals -- sheep and goats. In his time, at the end of the day when the farmers came in from the pastures where the livestock grazed, they had to count the number to see if they returned home with all the ones they had left with in the morning. And when they counted, the separated sheep and goats. I don't know why -- maybe because sheep don't get along with goats. But, sheep are so dumb and stupid and slow, it seems like they could get along with anybody.
Anyway, Jesus the Good Shepherd, has a soft spot for the sheep, I guess, because he beckons them at judgement to come and sit at his right hand. The goats -- well -- they get consigned in another direction, and go off left -- to eternal hell and damnation.
Pretty tough spot for the goats.
But Jesus didn't have anything against goats. Neither did he express love for sheep more than anyone else. What he had a soft spot for is those who recognized him in others -- particularly others who are in need -- the sick, the sad, the prisoner, the hungry, the lame, the thirsty, the marginalized, the alien among us. What the sheep did that the goats missed was, according to the parable, see him in the faces and lives of others who are usually ignored.
This Sunday, Pastor Grant and I will do a dramatic dialogue sermon between one of the sheep (Sammy) and one of the goats (Greta) to get their personal take on the experience of judgement. Advent is traditionally a time of waiting, but not of comfort -- not the warm cuddly kind. It is a time when we have the Holy Spirit confronting us daily in our encounters with others to see if we, too, recognize the Christ in those nobody cares about, has time for, or wants anything to do with.
Come see -- if you are a sheep -- or a goat.
See you in worship this Sunday.
Pastor a.

Hope Floats

I have never understood that phrase much at all. It was the title of an old Sandra Bullock movie which was (I think) about a woman of questionable reputation coming home after some tragedy and trying to get her life together. She fell in love with a local -- played by Harry Connick, Jr. -- and it ended well. In other words, in the midst of tragedy -- there is hope.
Hope is a funny thing. It is what rises up like a clear bubble in the middle of the muck and mud of our messy lives. Hope, at times, needs to be rearranged. In other words, what we hope for is sometimes a bubble that bursts in the face of life's difficulties. But it can rise again, in another form -- usually, more deliberate and more beautiful than we could ever imagine.
This is the first week of Advent and the theme for this week is simply that: Hope. The world HOPES for salvation, and ultimately a savior comes. But we in the world -- those during Jesus' time as well as those of us living now -- have to rearrange our hope. He wasn't who or what was expected, or even hoped for. On the contrary, he was so much more . . . . .
Advent teaches us to wait, hope and expect -- and one other lesson: nobody, ever, gets to take away -- or get in the way -- of our hope.
It ALWAYS floats.
Come, and share this season as we begin to tell the story of the God who loves us in Jesus the Christ one more time.
a.

The Good Shepherd . . .

I think it is kind of hard for us to relate to all that biblical imagery about sheep and shepherds. Last time I looked, there aren't that many sheep in suburban Dallas. Although, for a number of years we lived right north of the Haggard farm in Plano, and every day when I took my kids to Harrington Elementary School, we passed a bunch of sheep and a few llamas and a donkey or two, plus some cows. It was a pleasant bit of the pastoral and rural smack dab in the midst of Plano. Thank you, Haggard family -- even though news reports just last week said the Haggard family is selling off most of that property for development, and the sheep will be gone.
A pity.
But even with our brief glimpses of the little animals, we didn't truly get an understanding of shepherding -- not like in the days of Ezekiel and later Jesus, who referred to himself as "The Good Shepherd."
Back in the old days -- not the '90's, but biblical times -- shepherds worked 24/7, usually alone with a couple of dogs and on a isolated hillside, where the sheep could find food. Shepherds were low down on the list of people who mattered, yet they were as important as anyone in those societies, not only because they provided food, but because they were a constant presence -- and a quiet and faithful one at that, whose only mission in life was to protect what God had given them -- silly, stupid, wandering, flighty sheep, who were always running off looking for the next best thing to eat over the next hill.
Jesus didn't make that title up regarding himself. It comes right out of the 34th chapter of Ezekiel, a prophet who wrote 600 years before his birth, when the people of Israel were about to lose everything -- home, country, temple and their place in the world -- to the conquering King of Babylon. It was a terrible and difficult time of great anxiety for them, and seemed to be without end.
Ezekiel, never one to mince words, called again and again for them to find the center of their being in God, and return to the core of their faith, and thus protect their existence both as a nation and as individuals. They didn't listen. Silly, stupid, flighty people who kept wandering away from God.
And, ultimately, they did lose everything, just as the Prophet had warned.
But in the 34th chapter, Ezekiel speaks words not of condemnation, or "I TOLD you so." Rather, he brings words of hope and restoration for the people. He talks about God as the only shepherd we need, the one who loves us and cares for us, even and especially when we are lost and alone, even and especially when those silly other things around which we construct our lives fail.
Come this Sunday to worship for the last Sunday of the Christian calendar year, the Feast of the Reign of Christ, our Good Shepherd.
Pastor Grant Palma is preaching and he is always a treat. Don't miss it!!!
a.

Why are these dumb old stories important, anyway?????

Like the story of that cool lady Deborah in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Judges . . . It is a story that has been around for over 3,000 and it is like a combination of CSI and The Mentalist and Dexter and The Good Wife all in one, with an added dose of reality tv thrown in just for grins. Here's the gist: AFTER the Israelites had been busted out of slavery in Egypt by God (and Moses), and AFTER they'd wandered around in the Sinai desert for 40 years, and AFTER they'd been led to the Promised Land by God (and Joshua), they still lived a tentative and relatively nomadic existence for 200 years or so. Each Tribe had its own territory and they didn't intermingle too much - - except when they needed each other. There were ongoing skirmishes with the native Canaanite peoples, and every so often, things got ugly. But mostly, every so often, they completely forgot about God, and turned their lives and focus to gods of their own: money, power, intrigue -- you get the picture. When things got really rough, God would raise up a leader, or 'judge' -- one who was empowered by God to lead the people through whatever rough patch they had encountered. You remember some of these Judges: Samson, Gideon and Jepthah. There were others, too, less notable. But perhaps the most notable was a mere woman, Deborah -- known as a prophetess and wise, 'fiery' leader in her own right. The people were oppressed by a Canaanite king and this went on for 20 years. Finally, they'd had enough. It was time to do battle with their oppressors. Barak was a general -- really the leader of a rag-tag bunch of Israelite guerrilla fighters -- and he was charged with taking on the Canaanites, under the leadership of another General, Sisera. The Hebrews were outmanned, out-armoured, out-spent, and out maneuvered. It looked to be a suicide mission. But Barak did not back away. He just asked Deborah to go to the battle with them. And she did. And, they won! Against all odds, the Israelites won. Not only did they win, every member of the opposing army was killed, except the General, Sisera. He escaped to the hills, and found refuge in the tent of what he thought was a neutral woman, Jael, a Kenite (not Hebrew, but a neighboring tribe). Jael offered him refuge, milk to quench his thirst, and a place to rest and hide. While he slept, she took a tent peg and put it to his temple and hammered it through his brain (yuk!). When Barak and his army came looking for Sisera, he found yet another woman, who had delivered the ultimate victory for them -- all of their oppressors were wiped out.

I think this is a very cool story, and not just because the heroes were actually heroines. The women shine in this tale of deliverance, but God shines brighter. What do we learn? That our God is constant through the ages, and hears our cries of despair. That God has a heart for those who are oppressed. That God provides, and is always vigilant.

All of the above.

But mostly we learn, I think, that God uses whoever God chooses, when and where -- for God's own purposes of mercy and deliverance.

People haven't changed much in 3,000 years. We, like the Hebrews, can be constantly distracted away from the True God. Yet God, fortunately, doesn't get distracted from us or our needs or care.

Yup. Cool story. And very, very important . . . still.

See you in worship this Sunday when we celebrate the story of Deborah, the fiery lady Judge, and her willingness to take part in God's work of redemption.

a.

Top Ten Reasons Not to Attend Worship on Sundays . . .

and here they are . . .
1. The _______________ (insert 'music' and/or 'preaching' and/or 'prayers' and/or 'offering') "just doesn't do it for me".
2. I can worship in other ways.
3. Sunday School class is enough for me.
4. My friends don't go.
5. Sunday is the only time I have to sleep in.
6. My schedule is too busy to make the time.
7. I get bored.
8. It is a waste of my time?
9. My Dallas Cowboys are playing.
And my all-time favorite . . . here it comes . . . are you ready . . . . here goes . . . ............
10. God is not the center of the universe. I am.

Nobody ever says that, of course, they say they other nine -- and other excuses that are equally as self focused, which is the point.
Do you see that the common denominator in all those reasons is "I", "me", or "my"?

Now, granted, there are good reasons for not attending worship on Sundays. But they usually have little to do with "I," "me," or "my" and more to do with care for others: jobs through which we provide for our family; illness; care of sick friends, relatives, doing/caring for others in general, of course.
What we really need to face is our own 'why' -- squarely, and honestly.
So, I ask you --
Think about it.
Just think about it.
Where are you in/on this top ten list, if you are even on it?
Is the last reason really the first reason not to make time for what we are called to do FIRST AND FOREMOST, what we were CREATED TO DO?????
. . . And that is worship the Living God who saves us and makes us healed and whole.

Talk amongst yourselves on this one . . . and I'll see you in worship this Sunday.
a.

Forget Ten Percent, what's a tithe -- REALLY?????

This is what we commonly call 'Stewardship Emphasis' time in the life of our church. Really, every Sunday is 'Stewardship Emphasis' time because each time we worship, we are called to respond to the goodness of God by pledging our entire selves, body, mind and spirit, to God. But, once during the year we make a special emphasis on sharing of resources so that the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ though this church might not only continue, but be expanded. This year, we decided to name the thing most Protestants don't want to name: Tithing. In our Judeo-Christian history, a tithe meant offering ten percent of the first fruits, the best we have, to God. It is all over the Hebrew Scriptures and spoken of in the New Testament as well. But, ten percent is an arbitrary designation when it comes to the best we have, and a tithe really is an emotional commitment to far more than that. On the first week of our Emphasis time, September 11th, we spoke of King David, who, during a war with the Philistines (wasn't he ALWAYS at war with the Philistines????) longed for water from a well near Bethlehem, which they occupied. Three of his mighty warriors stole through enemy lines to bring him a drink, which he promptly poured out as a sacrifice to God.
So, a tithe is a sacrifice, first and foremost. The question we are called to ask is: Is God worth our sacrifice? Certainly, God thought we were worth God's sacrifice -- see Jesus Christ, cross, death, etc. for reference.
The second week, we spoke of the Prophet Jeremiah, who, in the middle of a war -- again, (weren't the ancient Hebrews always at war with someone?????) and while imprisoned himself, buys a field, a plot of land as an investment in the future. Even though the war was sure to be lost, and the people were sure to suffer.
So, a tithe is like a field. The question we are called to ask is: What's our field? And is our field worth stepping out in trust of God?
This week, Pastor Grant Palma will be preaching (his first sermon here, YAY!) on the passage in St. Matthew's gospel where Jesus calls his first disciples.
So, a tithe is calling. And the question we are called to ask is: Who is calling us, and to what? And, is that calling worth sacrifice, trust and investing in a future we cannot even know or see.
Come and share worship this Sunday, hear Pastor Grant, and let the Holy Spirit of God work on your heart and in your life.
Come and share your 'tithe' -- a.

Blessed are the Peacemakers . . . right!

Matthew 18:15-20 is a text about conflict resolution. In fact, Jesus could be considered an expert mediator in that text. In it, he gives clear directives as to how those whose business is peacemaking are required to operate: directly naming the issue that is the source of the conflict TO the people who are involved. Try to work things out one on one, he says. That is ALWAYS better than going to a third party, or harboring resentment and anger internally and saying nothing. If that doesn't work, bring in the experts (in this case the faith community) -- first the priest/pastor, then the leaders/elders. Try to work things out. If THAT doesn't work -- separate, but remain connected to one another, in love and with grace. When Jesus says "treat them as tax collectors and Gentiles" we all need to remember how he treated tax collectors and Gentiles: as valued friends, despite differences, despite what his culture said about them.
He loved them.
I really love this text because I have developed a life's passion for peacemaking, and to me it says it all: the how, the why, and the who. In fact, in this text, Jesus calls us TO conflict when it arises, not to duck and run from it as we usually do. There is a role for the church to play in all this -- especially in its witness of modeling this kind of peacemaking in the world today.
Man, we really need peacemakers here and now. Not only on personal and local levels -- church, school, families, extended families, among friends. We need real peacemakers on a national, global level as well. We just experienced a long, hot summer where leaders in our nation couldn't even make the first directive: talk face to face without assuming the other is 1. wrong; and 2. intractable. What we got: deadlock all round, and lots of others, innocents, hurt in the process. So, we need to take Christ seriously when he says, "blessed are the peacemakers" and BE peacemakers. We can do this by addressing perceived ills in our own lives directly, with truth in love. And, together as His Church, we can take it from there.
Let me know what you think -- talk amongst yourselves. And, come Sunday to learn more about how we can do this, and each in our own way, transform the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
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The Crux of the Matter

"Do not be overcome by evil, rather overcome evil with good."
So St. Paul tells the new church in Rome, right before he is about to sign off his famous letter to them. This Letter, an early part of the Christian scriptural canon, contains the crux, the very core of Christian theological proclamation: that God has formed a new relationship with humanity through the person and work of Jesus Christ, who saves us from our sins and brings complete healing. The way we understand what God has done and is doing in Christ is "by grace through faith." This Letter has been definitive for our understanding of the core of Christianity almost since the very beginning. In fact, some argue there would BE no Christian faith had not Paul of Tarsus, the Apostle who never met the earthly Jesus, only the Resurrected one, articulated so clearly the basic faith. Be that as it may, in the first part of the Letter, Paul sets forth the theology. In the second section, chapters 13-15, Paul gives a basic directive, dependent on that theology: it does no good unless Christian belief is part of Christian witness, part of the everyday lives of Christians. Christ lives through us; God saves through Christ; the world needs the example of Christ, lived-out through in small and practical ways by all who claim to be His disciples.
The preaching text this week is part of that section: 12:9-21. It is a beautiful part which begins with "Let love be genuine." And,it gets better from there:
"hate what is evil,
hold fast to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not lag is zeal,
be ardent in spirit,
serve the lord.
Rejoice in hope,
be patient in suffering,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints;
extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse them . . . . ."
There's so much more. You'll just have to read it. But the final verse is the most convicting to me: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Our world is no different in many ways from Paul's world, the Greco-Roman world of 2,000 years ago. Evil abounds, and it is almost always pretty and enticing.
According to St. Paul, the only way to make Christ real and alive in the face of it is to live as Christ did, and as Christ commands us to do also.
That's the 'crux of the matter.'
Talk amongst yourselves and let me know if you agree.
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Mudwrestling with God . . .

You gotta know the backstory: twins who hated each other, and fought constantly. One, big, brawny, and maybe not so bright. The other, smaller, smarter, quicker and 'graspy' -- all for him, nothing for anyone else. He was the center of the universe, and if he forgot that fact, his mother reminded him. He was her favorite. Twin Two steals not one, but two valuable things from slower Twin One. Twin One explodes in anger, threatening to kill Twin Two. Twin Two, smaller and more wiley -- escapes and hides out at the home of relatives in the East. Years pass. Parents die. Families grow. Twins One and Two have had no contact. Twin Two gets older, wiser, and yearns for home. So, he packs up the fam and heads in that direction. It is a long, long trip. They are camping along the way. They reach a river, and he knows Twin One is on the other side waiting for him to cross. He also knows he has to face what he has done, what he has stolen from his only brother. But it is night, and he won't cross the river to face what he knows he deserves as the consequences of his past, selfish actions. Not just yet. Everyone else is sleeping but he can't. He is alone at the river. And in the dark, a stranger appears. No words are exchanged and he can't see the stranger's face. But the stranger attacks him -- and they wrestle. The fight and fight in the dark until dawn. As the day breaks, neither has won -- and Twin Two has, finally, the upper hand. He won't turn the stranger loose until the stranger cries 'uncle' -- and blesses him. The stranger does, and in the blessing, changes his name. He is no longer Twin Two, graspy and selfish . He is now the "one who has struggled with God." Or, "Israel." Twin Two, now in older middle age -- is finally a man. He has faced God, and his own demons -- and come away, not broken, but changed. He will go on to be a good father of great people -- people charged to bring such wrestling to the world -- in order that it might be changed, as well. Twin Two/aka Israel does come away wounded, however -- marked for life in his hip joint. He limps. He who wrestled with God was not vanquished, but transformed forever. He now is marked, with courage and hope.
We'll be talking about Jacob on Sunday -- come and join the conversation.
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What does God "expect" of us?

We know what God requires of us from the prophet Micah. He says it clearly: "What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God." But requirements are different than expectations, aren't they?
We are required to pay taxes, but we are expected to behave according to the laws set up by the entities those taxes support.
We are required to have car insurance, but we are expected to drive in such a way as to NOT have to use that insurance.
We are required to go to school, but we are expected to get something out of that schooling.
In our texts this week (Matthew 13:31-33; 44-52), Jesus is talking not about requirements for discipleship, but rather expectations. By this time in Matthew's Gospel, he's has pretty much set up the requirements for discipleship. It is all in Chapters 5-7, what we know as "The Sermon on the Mount."
Required for disciples of Jesus is a passion for justice, unconditional love and provision for those in need, acceptance of others no matter our differences, a heart filled with mercy, and keen devotion to God.
Expected of those disciples: Do this -- all of the above.
Jesus once again tells parables in this section of Matthew. He's on a parable roll, it seems. Here he's talking about the Kingdom of God being LIKE a mustard seed, yeast, a buried treasure, a fine piece of jewelry, and a net full of fish that needs to be sorted. Translation: the Kingdom of God is recognized through faith, even when it is small; it is subtle and surreptitious and spreads like leavening, quiet and on its own timeframe; it is a treasure worth sacrificing everything for; it is as precious as the most precious pearl; and there will be judgement (hence, the fish-sorting story).
In this last section, Jesus speaks directly to the disciples and, basically, says to them: DO THIS -- all of the above. To paraphrase, he says, basically: "You are the ones who have been given a glimpse and knowledge of the Kingdom. You are my disciples. I EXPECT that you will see that it happens, today -- here and now -- by being people of justice, mercy and humility in my own name."
Requirements, sometimes, can make us feel like we have fallen short when we don't meet all of them. I find expectations, however, to be far more appealing where behavior and decisions are concerned. We don't want to disappoint. In this case, Jesus has high expectations for anyone presuming to claim the mantle of discipleship. And, we don't want to disappoint Jesus most of all, do we?
Talk amongst yourselves and letme know what you think.
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What's a parable?

Yeah, we all know what a parable is: a story that is not really a story, but sort of a riddle -- with a point we may or may not get.
Half-right.
A parable is a story, from everyday life, which tells of bigger meaning in everyday life, using the things and people of everyday life.
For Jesus, parables seemed to be his favorite way of talking, his favorite way of telling. And, he was ALWAYS telling stories about one thing: the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven. He was ALWAYS trying to illustrate what it IS like (note present tense, as in PRESENT REALITY, as in "the KINGDOM IS AT HAND"). This Sunday's scripture is from the section in St. Matthew's Gospel that is almost nothing but Jesus telling parables, chapter 13. There's just one after the other, after the other, and they are all about the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven, what it looks like, what it feels like, what it IS like. A couple of times in all this telling, the disciples get perplexed because to them (and to us) those parables seem like riddles. But he calms them, and explains, giving answers to their confusion. This week, Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23, he explains about how the Kingdom is based on the Word of God, which is like a farmer who sows seeds indiscriminately in his fields. Some seeds land where the birds come and eat them. Some seeds land on rocks and thus get no root. Some seeds land on soil that is not deep and they can't grow. Some seeds land where the sun parches them and they die. But a few, just a few, land on fertile soil with all the right conditions for growth. And these few provide a rich and bountiful harvest, a harvest so great it is hard to even imagine.
Later he explains:
God is the sower, and God's word is the seed. It is out there, provided for us richly and lavishly. God's word either takes root, or it doesn't.
But here's the clincher: God doesn't just sow once, but again and again and again and again through every season imaginable, every harsh condition for growth, including flood and drought . . . God is tireless and relentless in pursuit of us, no matter what. And God's word is eternal. It will not die.
Jesus tells a nice story here with the sole purpose of giving hope and meaning to our everyday lives.
THAT'S a parable. A good one.
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The Worst Story in the Bible . . .

. . . is the Akedah, or commonly called The Binding of Isaac. It is found in Genesis 22:1-14. If you don't know it, the story goes like this: God commands Abraham to go to the "holy mountain" and there to build an altar upon which to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. This is the SAME son that God has promised to be the heir of the covenant, and through whom children too numerous to count will descend. (The logic, then, of God making such a demand is questionable). As the story goes, Abraham does as commanded, and the boy (we don't know how old he was but we know he could walk) Isaac accompanies his father, carrying the wood for the altar fire. When they get to the appointed place, Abraham does as he is charged: he binds the boy, lays him on the altar and hoists the knife to kill him. But just in time, an Angel of the Lord appears and directs Abraham to a ram caught in the brambles nearby. The ram is sacrificed instead.
I hate this story!
What was God thinking????
It is an abhorent request. As a mother, it infuriates me. I can only imagine what Sarah must have thought -- if she ever even knew.
Through the centuries, Jews, Christians and Muslims all have tried to unlock its meaning. It is in the Qu'ran, too. Most argue it is a story of Abraham's obedience and faith, that God knew what God was doing in making that request. There are some who offer it was Abraham rather than God who was doing the testing. Perhaps. Some argue that it was the ancient Hebrew's way of condemning what was common practice among the Semitic people of the era (1500+/- B.C.E.): child sacrifice. The One True God, YHWH, rather than demanding child sacrifice as the pagan gods were thought to do, actually was against it and not shy about proving that. Interesting. Maybe . . . ? I rather adhere to another interpretation: that God was pushing Abraham (and us) to turn loose of what we hold dearest in the world, entrusting it to God's faithful care. That makes more sense to me. I guess you could argue that interpretation is about faith, as well. But it also is about trust -- trusting that there is nothing, no one in our lives that we can love more than God loves them. I like that . . . because it is not only reassuring, it is also convicting. It is a warning against idolatry in whatever form it presents itself, that is -- turning ourselves, or others, or things into 'gods' in our lives, making them the central focus of our existence, instead of the One who created us and calls us to service for good. To understand that interpretation, we need to view sacrifice not as "killing" but rather as "freeing up." I like it, too, because it seems like that is exactly what God did those centuries later, on Calvary. There, the One so precious to God, God's own Incarnate Son, was loosed to the world. It didn't turn out so well, either. There was no ram caught in the brambles at Golgotha. Yet, in that real and grizzly sacrifice -- in the "killing" sense of the word -- God gave to us the possibility for eternal freedom in God and God alone. Maybe, then, the Akedah is the Second Worst Story in the Bible -- but ties with the Cross for turning out the best.
Talk amongst yourselves . . . and let me know what you think.
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The Work of Creation __________________...

Fill in the blank.
The work of creation -- goes on.
The work of creation -- is finished.
The work of creation -- is described in Genesis, blah . . . blah . . . blah . . . .
The work of creation -- is boring.
The work of creation -- is evolving.
The work of creation -- is just a story.
The work of creation -- is amazing.
And so on.
This weeks Scripture passage takes us back to the very taproot of the Bible: Genesis 1-2:4a. It is the story of how and why God created the world. Not much about when, however. Timeframe -- we just don't know. It speaks of a God so magnificent and powerful as to be ABLE to create something/everything out of a big black hole. It speaks of a God so meticulous as to be able to PLAN that all things work together for the good of that same creation. It speaks of a God so involved with this creation that there is NO LINE OF SEPARATION from it. It speaks of a
God so pleased with the work as to prounounce it, over and over and over again, "GOOD!" How does it feel to be a part of that creation, still? Don't think about it much? Maybe you should . . . because it is pretty overwhelming that the same God who made all of this, cared enough for it to dive into to it full-force in the person of Jesus of Nazareth -- no matter the consequences. It is also pretty reassuring to know that the same God who made it, and cares so much for it, is still involved, active and present -- with no plans to turn it or us looose. This Sunday, June 19th, is Trinity Sunday: Creator/Redeemer/Sustainer = One God = Our God. Father/Son/Holy Spirit.
Come, and give thanks for YOUR creation as we worship together, and remember our partnership in it with God that we sometimes -- oftentimes -- forget.
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