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.
a.

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.
a.

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.
a.

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.
a.

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.
a.