Pastor Mike Lowery - Sermoncast

Visit us at https://www.cartecayumc.org/   Time to Wake Up Acts 9:36-43 Happy Mother’s Day! Good memories… Some ine: apple trees, drink cups, “time to wake up” We are thankful this day for the love God shows us through the mothers and mother-figures in our lives And we single one out of scripture as an example… Tabitha/Dorcas (maybe a mother; certainly a mother-figure) She lived in Joppa, a port town on the Mediterranean just south of what is now Tel Aviv. The modern name is Jaffa, & it remains a thriving town in Israel. Was called a “disciple” One who is seeking to grow in the ways of faith and life, trusting God and serving God. But THIS “disciple” in this passage is the ONLY feminine form of the word used in the whole Bible. She is the only woman in the Bible that gets labeled a DISCIPLE. She was called by God to works of charity Showed God’s love to widows (and orphans?), who were among the most vulnerable of society Was she a widow? We don’t know.  A mother? We don’t know.  Were the widows followers of Christ?  What we DO know, and what her story should teach us: We do know that the widows loved her! Probably because she had first loved them.  Sound familiar? We know that she was not just fond of doing works of charity (agape love) but devoted to them. Moms tend to be devoted to their child’s well-being.  Tabitha had widened her circle. We know that she used what skills she had for God’s purpose. She probably did her good works up to the last. We can imagine how she hung on to complete her work and then, finally, though that her work was done.  But we KNOW that God wasn’t done with her, and that MANY were saved! Let us not grow weary of well-doing!  Wake up!  Be thankful for those examples of holy love that God sets before us and become those examples for others!  People need more Tabithas in this life!

Visit us at https://www.cartecayumc.org/   Grace for the SkepticJohn 20:19-31   What is the Big News here? Jesus is alive! Jesus breathes upon them the Holy Spirit! Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created John 1:1a In the beginning was the Word Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God …breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. John 20:22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit." But Thomas steals the show.. He wasn't there, he didn't see, he wouldn't believe! How did Jesus respond to him? With compassion, by letting him see. With a final Beatitude Why is there so much “active unbelief” nowadays? God interferes with their "good time" God has let them down (or God’s people) These are often the “burned” or the wounded... like Thomas.  Such skepticism is very often the result of pain, and leads to emptiness We imagine Thomas' disbelief as intellectual, but maybe it was relational He didn't believe his friends' eyewitness accounts, or his Rabbi's past teachings & miracles He was grieving, and this was "too good to be true;" But what are we to make of what Jesus said to Thomas? Can you imagine a case where demanding evidence is wrong? (How about "Prove that you love me!”) Some may think that what is "leaped over" through faith is a lack of evidence. But in my experience, it is more about the struggle in our hearts (insecurities, fear of being hurt, etc.) than the struggle in our heads Like "love," we can say a lot or a little when we say, "I believe" ex 1: "I believe it's going to rain." ex 2: "I believe this airplane is safe." ex 3: "I believe in my wife." "Belief in Christ" is that kind of belief that starts with a realization and moves quickly to trust, then over time permeates the center of your being and fills every corner of your life... (Like Thomas says: "My Lord and my God!") I LOVE talking with those who have honest intellectual struggles, for they are searching for the truth But for MANY this last beatitude could effectively be translated "blessed are those who believe without an injured heart impeding their way" Will we be there to assure them that God in Jesus felt the same grief and pain at the unjustness of this broken world? That is at the CORE of the Good News!    

Visit us at https://www.cartecayumc.org/     Then They RememberedLuke 24:1-12  Why are we here? Almost 2,000 years ago... A man was betrayed, captured and killed; his followers scattered, his mother mourned; hopes were dashed ...and then the unbelievable happened Have you believed the unbelievable, and found it true? That you could find love, or self-worth, or meaning? That your child would look into your eyes and call you Mamma or Dadda? That you would look into the mirror and see your mother or father? Have you ever doubted the words of someone you trusted, because they were too bad, or good, to be true? A Catastrophic Joy... Why do we have no word like "catastrophe" for something good? Could it be that life hasn't caused us to need one? J RR Tolkien: "I coined the word 'eucatastrophe': the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears... because it is a sudden glimpse of Truth, ...that this is indeed how things really do work in the Great World for which our nature is made.” - Letter 89 But we need a better word. Redemption, maybe? ...at Odds with the World Why Mary was disbelieved: Not just because of the legal disregard of women, or even pure chauvinism But because this is not the way the world works, but we feel it should! Why did Peter (and John) not fully believe? Mary and the women REMEMBERED, and they saw the light at the end of the tomb, but the “menfolk” were still “stuck” at Golgotha, in the land of shattered hopes and dreams. Why are you here, some on most Sundays, some for the "high" holy days? Not just because "I was made to come," surely But because: You have seen the brokenness of your work, maybe even yourself And a part of you cries out for the "happy ending," the sudden undoing of the catastrophes of our lives, the healing of the harms and hurts, the world to be as your heart cries out that it should be What is the promise of Easter? That on that most blessed of mornings, the world finally worked as it ought to! That on a blessed morning to come, the ways of this broken world will change, heaven and earth will join, and Joy will come! And that until that day, our calling is to look upon the brokenness, the hurts, the little and large catastrophes of our lives and of those around us and proclaim that this is not how it has to remain! And to each day, and with the Spirit's guidance, help each other and all of those in this world full of brokenness and hurt, to REMEMBER Christ’s promise, and to see the Lord!

Visit us at https://www.cartecayumc.org/ The Long-Awaited KingLuke 19:28-40 Do you like waiting? Does anyone? Waiting for a certain date & time vs. Waiting for something to happen… when? Waiting for the world to change? Did you know TWO processions into Jerusalem? From the West: Pilate's Procession The rulers, the soldiers and cavalry Many "gods" represented by Caesar Peace through Roman power Pilate was an expert in the “game of thrones”… Maneuvering for position; stabbing others in the back Gaining power at the expense of others Who will win? Who will lose? But today we celebrate the Triumphal Entry! From the East: Jesus' Procession The "peasants," the poor, the faithful Proclaiming the Kingdom of God Peace through God's strength, shown in our weakness Jesus was a King who refused to “play the game” Humble ourselves to be exalted by others Turn the other cheek; forgive a brother 77 times... Praise a widow giving a penny vs. others giving fortunes A STRONG person who turned down the lure of power to stand between us and death Which King Will We Choose? The irony: many people wanted Jesus to be more like Pilate Let Jesus Be Jesus! Come to Him, not trying to "redefine Jesus for the 21st century." Jesus is just fine, thanks. Jesus’ approach seemed doomed to failure, but (and here’s the kicker) how many of us remembered Pilate had a procession that day?  Seems like in this case, the world did change for the better!  Maybe if we let Jesus be Jesus IN US, it will continue to!

Visit us at https://www.cartecayumc.org/   Extravagant Love John 12:1-8 Two weeks before Good Friday, before Easter Jesus and the disciples are in Bethany At the house of Simon the Leper Martha was serving (but not grousing) Lazarus was eating Mary showed her (and possibly her family’s) devotion and gratitude What is the greatest gift you’ve ever received, or given? Have you ever poured out a year’s wages on a loved one’s head and feet? An Extravagant Gift 12oz spikenard Imported from India (the Himalayas) 300 denarii (a year's wages of a working man) Probably used as an investment; possibly her (and her family’s) life savings Econ 101: When you spend something, you have not just lost its value, but all the other possible uses of it Pension? Unemployment? Food in a famine? Their little bit of hard-earned security? An Anointing: Of His head as King before a Triumphal Entry Of His feet as her savior, showing Mary’s humility She could not know it was also the only burial anointing He would ever receive She was only opposed by false piety Judas (and others?) tried to tarnish her gift What Mary did was astounding, and beautiful Makes me feel a little cheap This was the kind of action you must be CALLED to do. Not every person has every calling, but if we stay in love with Jesus, we will find that answering His specific call upon our lives leaves our hearts at peace and our souls filled with Joy.

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.     GREAT JOB EMILY!!!

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   “Seeing Is Believing?" John 20:19-31   Learning from Thomas The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is not the easiest truth to grasp and believe. Thomas was not shunned by the other disciples, and was not condemned by Jesus.  This should give us all courage. Thomas believed, lost faith and returns to even greater faith.   The Character of Thomas: A Different Take Thomas the Negative? John 11:16 - "Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”" John 14:5 - "Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”" These two passages reveal a man who is not giving in to fear. BUT he does seem to be a bit of a pessimist... AND being brave while others hide in fear can make you a bit "puffed up..." Thomas the Offended? Easy to imagine: "Why would he choose to show up when he knew I wasn't there? Here I am being brave (unlike these fair-weather-disciples) and he doesn't appear to me?!?" Thomas the Testy? We do know this: Thomas failed the "do not put the Lord your God to the test" test. (see Deut 6:16; Luke 4:12) Thomas the Honest He did not try to hide his doubts... Doubts which are left unattended can fester and grow, and can tear you apart. Jesus knew Thomas. And Jesus knows you! Jesus knows your doubts. He knows where you struggle in your faith. If you honestly admit where you struggle with doubts, but you really want to know God in spite of them, He will lead you to a place where you will be content with the answers. Joy in the Presence of the Risen Christ The Reaching-Out of God “Religion is about our reaching out to God; Christianity is about God’s reaching out to us.” Willimon: “The resurrected Christ goes back to, and appears before the very same rag-tag group of people who so disappointed him, misunderstood him, forsook him, and fled into the darkness." This is the dynamic of the Easter message. We don’t find Jesus, he finds us! The nature of a post-Resurrection faith Thomas was the pattern of what was to come: faith beyond (immediate) sight; finding Jesus in the midst of his followers; confession of Jesus as Lord and God The Last Beatitude: Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 20:29) The Last Beatitude was reserved for us! Seeing What Cannot Be Seen There are things we believe that we cannot directly see (love of parents; faithfulness of a spouse). They are often the most important things of all!

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   “An Easter People" John 20:1-18   "Christ our Lord is Risen!" "He is Risen, indeed" “Early on the first day... Mary Magdalene went to the tomb…” “It was still dark.” “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light..." In the Gospel of John darkness represents chaos, despair, unbelief.  Light is truth, faith, & salvation. Mary was living in a state of chaos & despair... She had watched as the person she had loved more than anyone in the world was tortured, and murdered... And she was one of a small handful of people who did not desert Him when He was arrested and crucified. She heard Jesus say: “It is finished”  She knew where He was buried. All her hopes and dreams had died along with Jesus And so, she would weep. And she would remember all the good times.  But her meaning in life had gone away.  The Empty Tomb But when she got to the tomb, “the stone had been removed” She ran, in pitch black darkness, to tell Peter and John that Jesus’ body had been stolen!!! And when they got to the tomb, we are told that they saw Jesus’ grave clothes, but no body. Peter and John went back to their homes, but not Mary. Mary stayed and wept, and wept and wept. She “saw two angels," but she seems oblivious that they are angels.  Is it possible that in our darkness, misunderstanding and unbelief that we have been stumbling over angels as well? She tells these angels that someone has stolen Jesus’ body, and she turns away from them. And when she turns away, there is another figure standing in her line of sight. But she does not recognize that it is Jesus Himself. How many times do we fail to recognize Jesus as we are walking in the darkness of this world? And yet Jesus is all around us. Do we see Him? Mary “saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was him. ‘Woman,’ he said, ‘why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”  You can almost hear His tender smile.  But Mary was looking for a dead body, not a living Jesus. “Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” At this, “Jesus said to her, “Mary.” And suddenly, everything changed!!! Jesus simply calls her name! And in John’s Gospel this is the moment when the Resurrection is declared.  And it’s not done by Jesus telling Mary Who He is, it’s done by Jesus telling Mary who she is!!! This is the turning point. Nothing will ever be the same again! The world seems without meaning until God speaks our name and calls us to Himself, and everything is changed. The Resurrection took place for Mary when Jesus spoke her name! The chaos, despair and hopelessness and darkness was gone as she ran to the Light of Life!!! Mary went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And that is what we are called to do…not just with our mouths, but with our entire lives. You see, belief in the resurrection is more than some intellectual agreement to the story of the gospels.   The power of Easter is not found in mere assent that Jesus walked out of the tomb. The power of Easter is the power of the resurrection itself, present in the life of those who truly follow Christ. Jesus is raised by the power of God into a new way of life, a new existence. The power of Easter comes as the resurrected Lord is raised to a new way of life, and then shares that life with us. Those of us who follow Christ share not only in his name but in this Life to which he is raised. Because he is risen, we share in his new existence.   We are an Easter people. We are not just a people of a spring-time celebration... For us to be an Easter people means the daily realization that the very power of God which raised Jesus from the dead is also the very same power which flows in and through us as His followers To be an Easter people means that even as the long dark nights come, even as the daily grind wears at us, even as the tugs and bumps of the problems of each day come our way, we know that it is not our own strength which sustains us. Rather, "Because he lives, I can face tomorrow." Because he lives, and lives in me; because my true life is hidden with Christ in God, and will be fully revealed in that great day a-coming, I can live today with grace and power no matter what comes. For "Christ our Lord is Risen!" "He is Risen, indeed!

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   “The King of Israel!” John 12:(1-11) 12-16   Is the King of Israel the Lord of my life? Is Jesus both our Savior and our Lord? One way to see is to look at our priorities. We all have our priorities... Ever sat down and thought about what your priorities are? Spouse, children and grandchildren, work or study, etc., etc. What about God or church...? John 12:1-11 - Martha, Mary, and Judas Martha: Jesus is again in Bethany enjoying a dinner put on for him Martha is serving the meal... One of Martha's top priorities seems to be service to others, and by extension, service to God. In Jesus' presence, her first impulse was to serve Him Mary: Mary comes and kneels at Jesus feet to anoint him. John probably wants us to connect this anointing with the triumphal entry. Jesus is anointed then proclaimed King. The cost of the ointment was worth about 300 denarii, about $55,000 U.S. dollars. Mary had probably spent her life savings for it. Mary's priority was adoration of Jesus; receiving His teaching and showing Him extravagant worship. Do you notice that neither Martha nor Mary's priorities had themselves as the object? Judas: Remember Jesus saying: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also? It also works the other way around. Where your heart is that’s where you’ll invest your treasure. Judas is more worried about what might be done with the money that this jar would bring in the market place – particularly if he could get his hands on it. Judas doesn’t have kingdom priorities. He seems to be in it for what profit he can get out of it. John 12:12-16 - The Chief Priests and the Crowd The Chief Priests: They’ve already decided Jesus, and now Lazarus, needs to die. They’ve closed their minds to the possibility that Jesus is the Messiah. "All the world has gone out after Him!" The chief priests probably meant by this, "our world, our people, are going after Him, instead of us!"   They were afraid of what He was going to cost them: power, prestige, control... How different from Mary! The Crowd: They cry out a royal welcome: “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” "Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord." - Psalm 118:25-26 (NRSV) But why did they praise Him? Was it adoration like Mary's?  Was it self-interest, like Judas?  What were their priorities?  Most likely a mix, which surely the Lord understands... "For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you!  At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster." - Zephaniah 3:15 (NLT) Yet also, surely Martha's and Mary's priorities, committed service and extravagant adoration, are the examples for us to follow... Closing thoughts and a Challenge We have seen a range of responses to Jesus based on different priorities. Where do our priorities lie when it comes to Jesus, to God, to God’s church? A bit of "homework:" Prayerfully consider what are most important things in your life, and what you believe your priorities should be.  Then consider, are those things which I believe are the most important things in my life, also those things that my actions proclaim to be the most important?  

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   “We Wish to See Jesus” John 12:20-36   Into the Midst of Holy Week As we come to John 12, Jesus has ridden into Jerusalem on the donkey. Jerusalem is full of people from all over the world, gathered for the feast, and among the crowd, there are some Greeks. They would have been Jewish converts, but they’re not native-born Jews. Do you see their question in verse 21? ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ It’s not obvious on the surface how Jesus’ reply relates to the Greeks’ desire to see Him. Instead, it is the question, and who it comes from, that is the signal for Jesus, the indication that his time has come. So That All May See Jesus The Hour has now come... Up till now, there has been a repeated theme in John’s Gospel that Jesus’ hour or time has not yet come. ...for the Son of Man to be Glorified... But now, in response to the request of these Greeks to see Him, Jesus announces (John 12:23), “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Salvation would now be proclaimed to the whole world. The hour had come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ...in the most unexpected of ways. Now, when you think of Jesus being glorified, what is it that comes to mind? You might think of the crowds in Jerusalem shouting their praise; or being elevated high on people's shoulders. But as Jesus is glorified, as he is lifted up, it means his death on the cross - as John says: 'he said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. So That As We See Jesus, All May See Jesus In Us The Necessity of Death “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit...” Somehow death and seeing Jesus are intimately related. To see Jesus is more than looking at him. It is more than just believing the things he said and did. We follow Christ as participants not spectators. If we want to see Jesus then we must also learn to die. The Process of Death see Galatians 2:19b-20 Seeing Jesus means dying to our own self-sufficiency. We let go of our life to receive God’s life. This work of dying (to self) is difficult and painful. But in the process of dying is what begins to heal our vision. We see a new life, and a new way of living, and this new way looks a lot like Jesus, and his way of living and being. That’s a big part of what Lent, and Holy Week, are about. The Purpose of Death "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." When we hear of the next tragedy, the next shooting, the next suicide, we need to hear the words, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Bearing Much Fruit The Foster Care service and churches: In 2012 there were 397,000 foster care cases; by 2016 there were 437,500 children in the system. In 2012 there were 384,000 functioning churches in America.  So if every church in America had one family willing to take in a foster child or two, we would empty the system out, at least for a time.  Imagine if all these children were shown what a loving family looks like? What Jesus' love looks like? When was the last time in Western world that the Church did something that was shockingly good? Do we wish to see Jesus? Do we want others to see more of Jesus in us? If Jesus said that where He is, his servant will also be found, then Jesus calls us to stand in the place of self-sacrifice with Him. If we hear His call, then we will see Jesus...

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   When God Sends Encouragement Luke 2:22-40 One last look at the first Christmas... Mary & Joseph The "scandal" of Mary's pregnancy Herod's attempt on the life of Jesus In the midst of the trials, God gave them gifts: The baby Jesus! Messages of encouragement! Treasured Words and Experiences What do you do when you are "running on empty?" Seek comfort Remember moments of encouragement the Lord has sent Mary's approach Luke 2:19 "But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart." As God's children, we know they come from Him How often have words of encouragement come right when we needed more courage! And how often do they come from Him, but come through His children? A community of encouragement Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." How grateful we are for even a drop of encouragement; how amazed we are when others encourage by word and by deed! A call to reciprocity Luke 6:36-37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” Pay it forward!  Listen when God directs you...

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   Love Is ___________! 1st Corinthians 13:4-8a Let's Talk About Love  We apply these verses most often to marriage, don't we? These verses were originally written to a church The Corinthian church was blessed. And when we are blessed, don't we assume God is pleased with us?  (see 1 Cor 1:4-11 )  These verses show us what real love looks like in action.  Paul's words on Love Breaking it down  Agape love: “a caring, self-sacrificing commitment which shows itself in seeking the highest good of the one loved.” Love is patient. If you’re patient, you’re slow to anger, you endure personal wrongs without retaliating. You bear with others’ imperfections, faults, and differences. You give them time to change, room to make mistakes without coming down hard on them. Patience says, "you are worth the wait." Love is kind. Patience in action. The kind person shows kindness in response to harsh treatment. (see Luke 6:33, 35; Rom. 2:4). Kindness, not harshness, motivates others toward positive change. Love is not envious/jealous. The envious person wants what others have. In relationships, they have to have all the attention. James says that jealousy is often the source of quarrels and conflicts (James 4:2). Love is not boastful or arrogant. “Jealousy is wanting what someone else has. Bragging is trying to make others jealous of what we have. Jealousy puts others down; bragging builds us up” (John MacArthur) The humble, loving person is aware that everything they have is a gift from God (1 Cor. 4:7), not something they "deserve." Love is not rude. Love does not needlessly offend. It is courteous, polite, sensitive to the feelings of others and always uses tact. Love does not insist on its own way. It is not selfish, does not demand its rights. Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t insist on His rights? He would have stayed in heaven and we wouldn’t be saved! Love is not irritable. Phillips: “It is not touchy.” Love does not have a hair-trigger temper. Some people make everyone around them walk on eggshells. When you’re angry, usually you’re not loving. Love is not resentful. This word is used of God not imputing our guilt to us, but instead imputing the righteousness of Christ to us ( 4:6-8). One married man said to his friend, “You know, every time my wife and I get into a conflict, she gets historical..." Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. These qualities are the flip side of one another. The Moffatt translation: “Love is never glad when others go wrong.” If someone you don’t like falls into sin, you don’t gloat; you grieve. If they repent, you rejoice. Love bears all things. Love doesn’t broadcast the problems of others. Love doesn’t run down others with sarcasm or put-downs. Love defends the character of the other person as much as possible within the limits of truth. Love won’t lie about weaknesses, but neither will it deliberately expose and emphasize them. Love protects. Love believes all things. This does not mean gullibility; it does mean that love is not suspicious and doubting of the other person’s character and motives without good reason, even if the actions offended you. Sometimes you will get taken advantage of when you trust, but love persists in trusting. Love hopes all things. It is not pessimistic. It does not expect the one loved to fail, but to succeed. Love refuses to take failure as final. It rests on the promises of God, that He is working all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Love endures all things. The word “endures” is a military word meaning to sustain the assault of an enemy. It has the idea of holding up under trial, of perseverance in spite of difficulties. It means that love hangs in there. There is a trend among in our culture of bailing out of tough situations. Aren't you glad Jesus didn't bail on us? Love never ends Real love doesn't fail. It does not dependant upon the behavior of others, but upon God.  It's a "father, forgive them" kind of love. Conclusion And we can all probably do better.  I encourage you to make each of these "love is" statements a point of prayer over this week, especially the ones that are personally the most challenging...

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE. A Difficult Journey (sorry, but the computer ate my sermon notes)

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   “Sacrificial Victory” Mark 8:27-37   Spending your life for Christ The Rev. Billy Graham The Rev. Dietrich Bonhoeffer   Peter: Right belief, wrong goals Peter's great confession of faith: that Jesus was the Messiah. He was correct. He was even inspired by the Father to make that statement of faith. But when Jesus began to openly teach the necessity of the Cross, Peter - of all people - took Him aside, and began to rebuke Him. This the sternest rebuke that Jesus ever gave (Mark 8:31-33). Was this the "more opportune time?" Hard enough to endure temptation from Satan, but what about those from your friends...? Also notice the "get behind.." Jesus had called Peter to follow Him; now Peter was trying to talk Jesus into following what Peter wanted instead.  Taking up the Cross If you wish to follow Jesus, you must learn self-denial. You must “deny yourself” (Mark 8:34). The Christian life involves choosing the way of God rather than our own path. You must follow the example of Jesus, who surrendered Himself to the will of His Father (Luke 22:42). If you would follow Jesus, you must be willing to walk with Him, and to go wherever He leads. Sometimes this is spending a life in service, like Rev. Graham. For others, it has been giving up their lives for Christ, as Rev. Bonhoeffer.  It means surrendering our goals to God. That's hard... Conclusion We are told by this world to place our will at the forefront "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."- from Invictus by William Ernest Henley And yet the message of Christ still shines through the lives of His children: In her book, Out of the Saltshaker and into the World, Rebecca Manley Pippert relates that she was afraid of becoming a Christian, because (she thought) she would cease to be herself. But surprise!  In losing herself to Christ she found the authentic "self" she was always meant to be.  The truth was that in Sacrifice she found Victory. You have a choice: Savior or Self “The opposite of wasting your life is to live by a single, soul-satisfying passion for the supremacy of God in all things. If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on into eternity, you have to know one great all-embracing thing—and be set on fire by it. Like Paul, declare, ‘I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.’” (Don’t Waste Your Life, p. 43-44)

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   “When Jesus Got Mad” John 2:13-22    Why talk about anger? ...especially on Communion Sunday? We are in the season of Lent The lectionary reading for today is Jesus clearing the temple If we are in any way connected to the larger world via news reports, podcasts, social media, anger is now in the air we breathe. Earlier this past week, while the news was still focused on the Parkland.. Did you watch the CNN town hall meeting? I listened to it, and when the NRA spokeswoman was speaking I did indeed hear a cry of "burn her," although it could have been someone mangling the word "murderer." So much anger. Did you hear the Broward county deputies (multiple) stayed outside? We have since learned they were told to set up a perimeter So much anger over that. What do we do with this anger? Write nasty replies on social media? Take it out on other people during the day? (or worse, when at home in the evening?) WWJD? What Jesus did... Why was He upset? (Yes, He really was upset. The "wrath of God" is real...) Disrespecting God's holy place was a part of the story... (John 2:16) The other part was the "unjust scales" alluded to in Matthew 21:13 with the "den of robbers" quote How often had Jesus and Mary and Joseph traveled to the temple, and how often had Jesus seen exorbitant prices demanded of the poorest people? How did He respond? Not politely! But not out of proportion, either... A "whip" would have been used to get the animals moving Turning over the tables and chairs got the moneychangers moving He did not go around wailing on the money changers... And when it was over, it was over! It doesn't say Jesus was carrying the anger around with Him, even against those who crucified Him. How are we to follow Him? Paul speaking to the church as a whole: Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. - Ephesians 4:26-27 (NRSV) The writer of Hebrews (maybe Paul) addressed lingering anger: See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled. - Hebrews 12:15 (NRSV) Ever let a bull thistle grow in your garden? Do not allow yourself to be infected by this era of anger that we are living in If your anger is just, do not allow it to become sinful Treat others as persons deserving respect and understanding Do not respond disproportionately Do not in frustration take past wrongs out on present family, friends, churchgoers, coworkers, motorists... In short, give your frustration and anger to God! Allow just anger to move you to action, but don't allow it to curdle into bitterness. Make no room for the devil, but make room for love and forgiveness instead. Do your best in this age of anger to spread love, not hate, through the power of Jesus Christ. Even if you don't feel it yet, set an example by your actions not only for others, but for yourself! If you do this, the feelings will start to change...

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   “The Heart of the Gospel” John 3:14-21   Those very special verses... The Golden Rule The Great Commission John 3:16 Our focus: "For God so loved the world..." The Context: Jesus has been speaking to Nicodemus Jesus recalls the story of the Israelites, judged for idolatry and bitten by serpents, who only had to look to the bronze serpent Moses placed on a pole to be healed (Numbers 21) In coming to see Jesus at night, Nicodemus had moved from darkness into the light The Heart of the Gospel For God so LOVED...            For God IS.. Love stretches back through eternity past, BUT God chose to share that love by creating others with the capacity to love each other and to love Him For God so loved THE WORLD... NOT "worldliness!" God so loved every fallen, broken person that has ever been or ever will be; though He hates the evil that we do, he loves each and every person He created so much that He bore our sins in Christ on the cross. Are we sharing God's Love? Are we sharing and living the message that God loves everyone He created? Or do we send the message that God only loves some? We are all human. We have our "comfort zones." Christians have a reputation for being a clique. Is that fair?  Are we sharing God's love within our fellowship? John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you..." How well are we doing this? Christians have a reputation as divisive and combative, with churches splitting even over little things. Is that fair?  Are we sharing the kind of love God has? God's kind of love is not content with those that already share in it. God's kind of love is explicitly self-sacrificing. How many times have we placed our wants before others' needs? Jesus said, "Be ye perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) Many Christians, including Methodists, understand that to mean "perfected in love," so that every decision, every action, has love of God and love of others as its motivation.  Example: In 1st-century Rome they practiced sex-selective infanticide.  Imagine living in a world so callous that the cries of abandoned infants are ignored as an accepted, necessary part of a "modern society."  Then imagine this one, crazy group of people who start to say, "we will take them!  Don't kill them!"  That was a shock to the Roman world that left an impression of God's kind of love.  And such extravagant love went on to transform the world... That is the kind of love that can fill our hearts, our minds, our very lives... if we let it.

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   When the Time Comes Mark 13:24-37  What were you doing on Monday, September 26th, 1983? ...In Hickory Level the high temperature was a perfect 72 degrees, with 8 miles of visibility. It was also the day our world almost ended.... Stanislav Petrov, the man who quite possibly saved the world, died this past May at 77. The first Sunday in Advent is one of hope: the hope that Light will shine amidst the darkness Jesus spoke of a time of darkness: Signs in the heavens, light being extinguished! Jesus spoke within a time of darkness: Israel occupied by Rome, 400 years since God had spoken through the prophets And the darkness still tries to surround us: 34 years ago we were so close to destruction, and never even knew it!  And this week we find out that North Korea can now reach Washington DC with their brand new ICBMs But Jesus assures us that Light will overcome the darkness, and councils us to keep awake! The problem with the darkness is it makes you want to pull the covers over your head, to go to sleep. But He tells us not to, even though it might be more comfortable to be lulled by things that don't matter, to drift off into distraction. Are we awake? We are ready if it were to BE now?, if an angel appeared and said, "It is time to stand before Jesus...?" Would you be comfortable with... your prayer life? ...your treatment of others?...your patience or lack thereof?... If the answer to all of that was yes, then are you maybe too comfortable? Final words Do you remember David Cassidy? 1983's Joseph in his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat? Teen heartthrob star of the Partridge Family? He also passed away this year, this past week actually, at 67. His daughter Katie Cassidy (Laurel Lance on "Arrow") shared this on Twitter: "Words can't express the solace our family’s received from all the love & support during this trying time,” the Arrow actress wrote. “My father’s last words were ‘So much wasted time.’..." Yet we serve a God who "redeems the time," who takes what this world calls a waste and makes it fruitful and holy. "Arise, shine, [people of God] for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you." "Wake up, and strengthen what remains..." May God open our eyes, convict our hearts, lead us to repentance, forgive us our sins, and fit us for His service.

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   On the Word of the King 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Are We Confident in the Word? "From childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." As true for many of us as it was for Timothy. "... for the Bible tells me so." The secular culture replies, "so what?"  That HAS to have an impact. If not on you, then on your children, or grandchildren... So let's spend ONE Sunday just on this Word of our God and King You Can Be Confident in the Bible's Construction Let me tell you the story of the New Testament... Sharing the Stories of Jesus, reading letters from the Apostles Letters being recognized AS scripture (2 Pet 3:16) As the Apostles start to pass, the Stories are written down Matthew, Mark (Peter), Luke (Paul), John Each local church has their own copies of letters and gospels, each deciding whether they are genuine, with the same Jesus The earliest list was compiled in AD 170. It included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, and 3 John. Some of them accepted the Apocalypse of Peter, although others "will not allow [it] to be read in church."  They rejected the letters claiming to be Paul's letter to the Laodiceans and to the Alexandrians. Over time, a consensus developed as to what was accepted: (1) Because the apostles were the eyewitnesses of Jesus, the writing had to be directly connected to an apostle. (2) The writing had to be "orthodox"; that is, it could not contradict Old Testament or the teachings of the apostles. (3) The writing had to be accepted in churches throughout the known world, not just one group of believers In 367, the Festal Letter of Athanasius listed as authoritative the same twenty-seven books that appear in our New Testaments. In 382 a group of bishops and theologians, including some eastern representatives, met in Rome. The list was discussed, formalized, and published. Not at all like Dan Brown's claim that " books were compiled and edited by men who possessed "a political agenda... to solidify their own power base." You Can Be Confident in the Bible's Translation American Bible Society: "the number of printed English translations and paraphrases of the Bible,... complete or not, is about 900." Things to remember as an informed consumer: Modern translations have better sources than older translations All translations come from a particular time, place, and people, which effects the translation choices : NIV "the man of God" vs NRSV "everyone who belongs to God" in verse 17 Paraphrases translate idea-for-idea, rather than word-for-word. “And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads)” (Acts 26:14 KJV). But The Message? "Why do you insist on going against the grain?’" My personal choice? A more literal translation with study notes to explain the meaning or background of difficult passages... A good practice: test the translations against one another (easy for you, or your grandkids, to do now); weed out the bad ones You Can Be Confident in the Bible's Teachings "I have a problem with..." v16: "ALL Scripture..." Things to remember The letters were, for the most part, written to particular churches with the understanding they would be shared with others. You can expect them to target the particular problems at that church. The entire NT was written within a first-century context. Sometimes that means we have to step back from the particular practice to look at the principle underlying it before we can apply it to our lives. Within their context of a small, persecuted religious minority, the status quo was subverted instead of protested Can you find the letter to Philemon?... A slave is sent home to his master, but the master is told the slave is his brother.  How can slavery survive?  The church challenged Rome by rescuing babies from exposure in trash heaps, taking care of the poor, etc. We are more distant from the first century, but have greater resources than any of the generations that have gone before. Granted there is a lot of chaff mixed in with the wheat, and a lot of people with agendas, but they usually reveal themselves. If I could leave you with one thing, it would be a holy excitement for the Word of God, and a desire to spend TIME studying this Word, given by the Creator of the universe, whose message to us is Life and Love.

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   Consider the Lilies Matthew 6:25-34 The Enemy of Thanksgiving Taking things for granted/Always wanting more? Good candidates, especially in our consumer culture! But there is another: fear, worry, stress I want to be thankful. But all these things I'm stressed about keeps getting in the way! And even if "life is good" for you, there is a whole smorgasbord of stress offered up to you each day! So much to fret over, to say "what is this world coming to" about! Cares and Lures of life: Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23): 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. Most of the Christians that I spend time with, and I myself... we seem to have a pretty good handle on the lures. It is the cares that are tripping us up. ...And that's why I always seem to return to these verses in Matthew 6... Giving Thanks, Being Content In Matthew 6, Jesus seems to be talking to those distracted by the cares more than the lures They weren't the rich (whom Jesus did spend time with) They were stressed over things most of us take for granted Q: Are you more concerned with having too little this Thanksgiving, or eating too much? Jesus redirected them: Your Father knows what you need... yes! But also, isn't if "funny" that Jesus directed them to look at the birds flying overhead, and the flowers blooming all around them? Doesn't that sound restful? Paul said "whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy... think about these things!" (Philippians 4) Jesus seems to be saying, "look at them, seek them out!" Against Our Society of Lures and Cares... Advertisers offer us lures; the news offers us cares Jesus offers us contentment, and thankfulness is key. They go hand-in-hand.  Homework: You know yourself (God knows you better, but...) If you are vulnerable to the lures... Remember that story (maybe you lived it) of the parents who spent a fortune on a Christmas gift, and the child had more fun with the cardboard box it came in?... BE THAT CHILD If you are vulnerable to the cares... If you've got the weight of the world bearing down on you, quit trying to prepare yourself for how bad things can be, take it one day at a time, and be thankful for what, and who, you have. Consider the lilies and the birds flying overhead, that God provides for them, and will provide for you... If you've learned how to practice thanksgiving, if you've learned (as Paul did) the secret of contentment beyond your present circumstances, help your family to see it.

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.    For The Coming Generations Psalm 78:1-8 It Makes a Difference My Dad was a soldier Paratrooper, purple heart recipient Didn't talk much about it; only shared a few stories But he handed down to me a fundamental respect for soldiers, for their struggles, for why they fought And having received this from him, and having seen my father's service respected at his funeral, it is almost painful to see the American flag held in contempt... That connection is becoming more rare Recent statistics show just one-half of one percent of American adults have served on active duty at any given time. Fewer that one-third of those under 30 have immediate family members who served.  And if you look at the difference between those who live in the big cities and those from the rural areas, the differences get larger. And with the loss of that connection comes a loss in understanding, respect, and common values. That happens when the important things are not passed on to the next generation... So it is with our Faith, and its Foundations Remember that push years go to "not force our kids into our faith?" Against this today's scripture says: " We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. " How well do you think we've done? Noah, Jonah, Moses, Sampson...ok Do they know the story of David and Jonathan? Or David and Absalom? Do they know that a prostitute named Rahab became the ancestor of Jesus? How Elisha prayed so his servant could see God's armies defending them, and he saw the hillside surrounded with "chariots of fire?" They know the 23rd Psalm; do they know that the 22nd Psalm was the cry of Jesus on the cross? For that matter, have we told them of our personal struggles with faith, when God delivered us, or gave us strength to carry on? These are the foundations of our shared faith, mutual understanding, common values... Are our foundations solid? Will "the children yet unborn,... set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;... that they should not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God"? (God's church is there to equip you and support you in this calling; this is something God's church and God's families do together. But the church can never take your place.) Beyond the Foundations, we must Build Well But even if we get that RIGHT, that is only the first step! Do you think the Pharisees had a strong biblical foundation?   And yet they put Jesus to death... Of all the national instances of violence in the last few months, only one was (possibly) seeking fame. The others killed, at least in part, because they thought they were in the right... just like the Pharisees when they had Jesus killed. The foundations must be solid, yet Christ-like love is the mortar that holds them together... Every story we share is told in the light of Jesus' love, sacrifice, and resurrection... done so ALL may come to Him Please consider this well... God has given us infinite grace, but in this world we have a limited amount of time We know (hopefully) that our faith has made us "better," in how we handle the trials of life, how we reach out to others... But bringing it down to that limited resource of time, please consider this question: What practical difference has it made in my family's life that we identify as Christians, excluding all church-based activities? And should I be satisfied with the answer? Maybe there should be more time with my spouse, with my kids, sharing the stories, talking about the faith, praying for the hurting and lost?

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   On That Great Day 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 Those Who Have No Hope Hope is in retreat in a world "too sophisticated" for faith There was an inscription in Thessalonica which read: “After death, no reviving, after the grave, no meeting again.” A typical inscription on a grave: ‘I was not, [then] I became, [now] I am not, [and] I care not.’ Is that so different from today? The members of the church at Thessalonica were surrounded by this, had grown up hearing this, and their hearts were troubled by this. The Gospel of Hope Against this, Paul offered them Hope in Christ Paul, who proclaimed to the Athenians in Acts 7:31 that the proof of the Gospel was the resurrection of Jesus. That is worth our consideration: Mohammed is in his tomb, as is the Buda, but not Jesus of Nazareth, for His tomb is empty Paul told the Christians at Thessalonica that he did not want them to be uninformed, and "grieve as others do who have no hope." He is not saying "do not grieve." Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus! He is saying that our grief should be mingled with HOPE.  And that hope is of reunion! On That Great Day! Verses 14-17: The Rapture verses Books have been written, movies have been made, but while the method of our reunion is important, Paul tells us the reason even mentions it in verse 18: "encourage one another with these words." The Dead in Christ are Resurrected Elsewhere Paul had said that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. In verse 14, "through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died," those who have been "absent from the body." And in verse 16, "For the Lord himself... will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first." At that moment the promise is fulfilled, that what was sown perishable, is raised imperishable, never to die again. Those Living in Christ are Changed Verse 17: "Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them..." "Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 A Completed Reunion! Verse 17: "Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever." No more tears of reunion in Heaven while tears of parting on Earth. The Shadows are over.  Now comes the Morning! Let no one steal your Hope Let us give the last word to Peter (which no doubt would have made him happy) Does this sound at all familiar? "I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” 2 Peter 3:3b-4 (NLT) "But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. " 2 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT) Less than two days since Jesus arose?  Yes, we still have our sure and certain hope!

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE. Reformation Day Romans 3:19-28 Happy Anniversary Protestants! You can't know where you're going until you know where you've been. In 1517, Martin Luther started the Reformation The New World was barely known John Wesley, the Methodist Movement, and the American Revolution were still 200 years in the future Perhaps most significantly, their image of Jesus was not one of joy, but of fear... Christianity in the World of Martin Luther Christians had faced on/off persecution until the mid 300's and emperor Constantine, who united east and west under a Christian banner But Constantine had a problem, and he solved it by delaying his baptism until it became evident that he was dying The problem? Christians still sinned after becoming Christians! The Sin Conundrum Their baptism imagery was "died in Christ, raised a new creature, sins washed away" so you could now enter righteously into heaven! But how do you wash away the sins you will commit tomorrow? The guilt is forgiven in Christ. They thought the "stain" of sin had to be balanced out, washed away by works of righteousness "Solutions:" I still have sinned! Receive forgiveness in Christ, delay entrance into heaven, the sin stains are "purged" in the fires or purgatory The saints have more righteousness than they need. The Pope can distribute that righteousness as he sees fit, and can delegate that distribution to those under him.  So, if you do something nice, like give money to the building fund, you can have your accounts balanced, your sin debt reduced.  You earned an "indulgence."  By the 1500s, indulgences were for sale... AND their image of Jesus had become "Righteous Judge" rather than "Blessed Redeemer" Martin Luther... NOT from a well-to-do German family. Going to become a lawyer, until a lightning storm set him on the path of being a monk He cried (through St Ann) "God save me!" And took his vow seriously... He became a monk, professor of theology, composer, priest... Scandalized by the corruption he saw in the church in the sale of indulgences Also terrified by the sin he kept uncovering in his own heart Like Wesley, he struggled with finding peace! On 31 October 1517, Luther wrote to his bishop protesting the sale of indulgences, with a copy of his "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences", which came to be known as the Ninety-five Theses. As the story goes, Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg on 31 October.  And it went viral... Quotes as saying, "Here I stand. I can do no other. May God help me" His great insight? Luther, along with his contemporaries, viewed the righteousness of God as that which separated even the committed Christian from God, for we could never be that  He knew, because he had tried, over and over again. That the righteousness of God was given as a gift through faith, that in Christ we were clothed in God's righteousness, that was the great engine of the Reformation, and perhaps its greatest recovery of Christian truth. Recovering the image of Christ as Blessed Redeemer Lessons from the Unfamiliar Perhaps the biggest change from then to now is the lessening of our anguish over sin. They obsessed over it; they monetized the washing away of it, all to feel secure. If on All Saints Day you visited the list of relics and holy sites it was possible to receive over a million years off of your time in purgatory, which means it had to be possible to get a million year sentence! We have almost done away with the word, except for Sunday. Small sins are mistakes, the tendency to sin is "being human," we blame our behavior on our parents or our genetics, and when we feel worthless we shore it up with a healthy self-esteem.  There are many examples... I'll give you one of mine... What about you? What have you done this week, this day, that you regret, or feel guilty about, or know you really should have done differently?  What if that's not just "being human?"  What if it's the buildup of "little things" like that which are separating you from God? The insight of the Reformation was that we are not saved by doing; we are saved by Jesus. But that doesn't mean "go out and paint the town red!" Remember Luther had this conviction, the conviction that John Wesley had, that the publican had in the parable, that Paul had when he thought of all his good works and qualifications and called them refuse compared to God's holiness: we are sinful creatures who break God's heart by our wounding of ourselves and others, sometimes without even trying, sometimes (God forgive us) with malicious glee.  If we shrug that off without dealing with it, without weeping over it, and then try to say, "but God forgives me"...  that's not the Gospel.  That's us fooling ourselves. But thank God Luther also had this insight, the insight John Wesley had upon hearing Luther's preface to Romans being read, the insight taught through Jesus' parable of the "publican", the realization that we do not have to cower before the unattainable righteousness of God, for what we cannot attain has been given to us...

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE. New Wine Luke 5:33-39 Change is hard... Even if the old is worse, the old is familiar, maybe even comfortable In matters of faith, maybe even harder... Jesus was asked why He and His disciples did not "look" like the others that had come before, why their practice or "forms" had changed. He used it as an opportunity to communicate that in Him, the New had come... #1: The Wedding Party - A celebration is not a time for fasting; also linked up to His references to the bridegroom coming to take the bride away... #2: Patching Old Clothing - New material has yet to shrink in the wash, so patch made of it would pull away and rip an old cloth when washed. Purely about form it seems, and an image for those who thought Jesus had come to put a new "shine" on the old ways. #3: Wine and Wineskins - New, still fermenting, wine needs a container that can be stretched... it needs a new flexible wineskin. This was about the change in form needed by the change in the covenant. Wine in the New Testament (literally, "New Covenant") Wine is Jesus' "blood of the new covenant" in communion Wine was featured in Jesus' first miracle, the wedding at Cana (wedding imagery again) Acts 2:13 " But others mocked them and said, "They are drunk on new wine!"" Luke (who wrote Acts) includes this intentionally, linking the Spirit back to Jesus' new wine parable... What does this have to do with us? We shouldn't expect that ANYTHING is included in the New Testament simply as a record of what Jesus taught others, with no claims upon us! #1: We are still in love with old forms... We don't like change, even when that change is necessary! In every age's and every place's receiving of the Gospel (the New Wine), the forms have changed, though the Gospel remains the same If we get too stuck on the way we worship rather than the God we worship, we're in danger of making a mess of things. : Once upon a time, the pipe organ was considered a disruptive innovation in worship, and people DIED to give us the Bible in anything other than Latin #2: In this modern age, we are too easily distracted and disconnected from the Vine, the New Wine, Christ, the Holy Spirit... We neglect our relationship with God yet expect to remain "OK" Imagine a new wineskin filled with old wine, alongside one filled with the new: As fermentation happens the skin with new wine is stretched, grows, firms up, while the one with old wine remains limp and unstretched. Soon the difference becomes obvious. So the questions of the day: Lord, have I become more in love with "doing church" than I am in love with you? Has it been too long since I humbled myself before you, and let your will be done in me and through me?  Have I started to substitute my judgment for an honest seeking after yours? Lord, am I just going through the motions? Have I started to replace our relationship with other things, maybe even good things, but things which will leave me dry and exhausted?  Am I trying so hard to be this person that I know you desire me to be, but feel like I'm running in place?  Lord, am I willing to dust off my Bible, renew my prayer time, avoid that which draws me further from you and sours my spirit, cling to that which renews me and fills me with your love?

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   The sermon for Laity Sunday was delivered by our youth director Mark Stich, speaking about true happiness. Thanks Mark; well done!

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   Where Is This Coming From? Mark 7:14-23 And yet again this past week, we've dealt with horrible news... The Shooter (I will not use his name) Two Questions: HOW can we prevent it? WHY did it happen? Some would say because we haven't prevented the HOW But the reason...? The topic of Evil is once again in our minds... The Ever-Present WHY Woke "coincidentally" this morning to the song The Hurt & The Healer by MercyMe which starts off, "Why? The question that is never far away..." Basically why do bad things happen to the good? We've seen disasters and asked: why did God allow it? The Bible has answered, because sin has entered the world and broken it Others have answered that we encourage people to take risks through regulatory incentives, but the truth is that we believe that people have a right to be foolish if they want, and if the consequences are theirs alone. "Foolish" for me and for you might be different... But that has to do with disasters and tragedies; Las Vegas was a perpetration of violence, and so we ask... Why did he do it? How could he have done such a thing?  We wish to make it comprehensible, we then feel safer We hope he had a mental break, for that would mitigate his responsibility (and we can convince ourselves that we would seek medical help if we find ourselves at risk) We alternatively hope he was a hidden monster, for that would make him other than us We want, maybe without admitting it to ourselves, reassurance that we would never become like this, perpetrators of evil That is why studying Nazi Germany, or Communist Russia is such a challenge: We cannot lie to ourselves that they are not people like us 4 Kinds of Evil (one of MANY models) The Ends Justify the Means An Example: Romans 3:7-8 To lie, cheat, steal, use others all for yourself An Antidote: "Love your neighbor as yourself..." Blind Idealism Two Examples: 1 John 4:1; Matthew 7:15-18a Noncombatants killed: 12 million by Nazi Germany, 9 million by Stalin's Russia, 30+ million by Mao's China... all in service to their "ideals" Leonard Lyons in “The Washington Post:” "In the days when Stalin was Commissar of Munitions, a meeting was held... One official arose and made a speech about ... the tragedy of millions of people dying of hunger.… Stalin interrupted him to say: “If only one man dies of hunger, that is a tragedy. If millions die, that’s only statistics.”" THE Antidote: The Gospel, wherein God asks us to come and "reason together" with Him Vengeance An Example: Romans 12:19-20 A response to being threatened or harmed, physically or otherwise But are we content with "an eye for an eye?" An Antidote: Romans 12:19-20 Sadism The true monsters: Those who were born without connection to others, or who have followed the above paths, to the extent that harming others becomes "fun." The Antidote: Don't start down these paths... Leaving the "Why" in God's hands We may never know why, in this case (and in others) At some point we have to trust God, and move forward, and not get "stuck" in the moments of darkness that mar our lives At some point we say, "As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice." – Psalm 55:16-17

To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   You Are Gifted 1 Peter 4:7-11   The End is Near! But it wasn't fulfilled on the 23rd... The end is near in the same way that: A nervous young man is just about to call that special girl for hours Our personal end is only a few missed heartbeats away Strangely, every writer in the New testament sees that as a call to action, not inaction! You are gifted for this "just about" time! Gifted with communion with God Gifted with Love for one another Gifted with the talents and resources to enable your calling, which is ultimately the sharing of God's Grace in this time and place: a time when many face an uncertain future, and a meaningless present a place that is 3 miles south of 1-20, which is America's #1 highway for human trafficking (part of an $150 billion industry that FAR surpasses in shear numbers the historical estimates of the pre-Civil War slave trade) Our mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ, so that their lives, their worlds, and THE world, may be transformed through the presence of God's grace!

 UMW MEETING Our UMW was excited to have a special guest for our October meeting.  Ms Gisela Mann, whose family survived the Holocaust, is now a hospice chaplain and a dynamic speaker.  She spoke to our group on Wednesday, October 4th.  

Wrong Turn: Jonah - Refusing God’s Call Jonah 1:1-4, 12-17   To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   The Story of Jonah: the biggest "fish story" ever? Difficult for the modern mind... BUT for those who believe that the God of the universe was born 2,000 years ago in a small Jewish town, this is small potatoes! ...AND Jesus did say, "For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights." - Matthew 12:40 The Sequence: God calls Jonah to proclaim judgment to Nineveh, the capital of an enemy nation Instead Jonah runs away and winds up in the belly of a fish Jonah cries out to God and is spit up on land Jonah preaches to the people of Nineveh The rulers, people, and animals of Nineveh repent, and God spares them Jonah is petulant, set up a shelter to watch what he hopes will be Nineveh's eventual destruction God had a bush to grow to give Jonah shade, then a worm to come to kill the bush; Jonah is more upset and basically says "kill me now!" God replies in Jonah 4:10-11; and the book ends on His question...         Interpretation So tempting to say, "Do what God says or you'll wind up in the belly of a fish!" But no, this story is about... The wideness of the mercy of God Jesus refers back to this no doubt because God is showing mercy to the Gentile people who were declared enemies of Israel Jonah wanted them dead for the sake of his people; God wanted them brought out of spiritual darkness How we deal with the call of God upon our lives that we disagree.. Do we run? Do we ignore it? Some may say, "If God speaks to me then I'll certainly do it!" God does speak to us, through His word, in prayer, sometimes even through the "coincidences" of our lives and in the stillness of our hearts Do we make a habit of listening? Do we grudgingly act? Then complain? Jonah's story was intentionally left on a question: Shouldn't God feel compassion for those in spiritual darkness?  And shouldn't we? This was as much about Jonah's spiritual development as Nineveh's, yet we know Nineveh How do you think Jonah answered the question? "Well yes, Lord, BUT..."  I think this was his answer, because it has often been my answer.  Maybe it's often been yours as well.  But doesn't the Lord deserve more than our resistance?

Alone In The Dark Daniel 6:1-23   To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   Didn't we just do this? Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego and "Even If" Differences: Different king The list: King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, to Belshazzar the co-regent of Babylon, to King Darius I of Persia, and Cyrus king of Persia Also manipulated by politics Closer to other Biblical images More reminiscent of depression Depression? Finding someplace to hide might sound good right now... Two BIG hurricanes 1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico (90 dead) North Korea has an H-bomb! Scripture does acknowledge these times people hide in caves, BUT in that scenario, caves mean safety we're looking at when the "caves" are traps Biblical Examples: Jonah in the fish, under the tree Elijah in the cave Jesus in the Garden "My soul is weary, even unto death." Situational Examples: Two churches on HWY.. Chris calling attention to how "hip-hop artist Logic performed his suicide prevention track “1-800-273-8255” on the MTV’s VMA stage, bringing many in the audience to tears." Deaths for 15 to 34 year olds, leading causes: 1st is accidental death 2nd is suicide... Over-spiritualizing this scene? Don't forget that this was written by a people in captivity to a people in captivity... Also never underestimate the cleverness of Scripture: There are two people alone in the dark in this story, reflecting the complexity of life: Daniel and Darius... But what is the advice, the prescription? Trust in God... Can it really be that simple? But is it simple? You have to: Believe there is a God Believe He is aware of you and cares for you Believe you find your purpose in Him Believe He will bring light into the darkness, if not for you, then through you The entirety of Scripture in one sense is a constant call to TRUST IN GOD And the fullness of God's revelation in the Gospel is that we can only trust in God, not in ourselves We were not created to live in the "existential angst" of the modern age; we were never meant to be alone in the dark If you are dealing with this, then a part of your self-care should be a series of reminders: God is real. He is here. He is aware of me and of my hurt. He cares deeply for me, and loves me.  My life finds its meaning in Him, in offering all that I am for Him to live through.  He will bring light into my darkness.  But even if He doesn't bring it to me, He will assuredly bring it through me!  I can trust Him, and let my fear in the darkness go.

Acts of God James 1:2-4; 2:14-17     To donate to Concord UMC, click HERE.   In the News... Hurricane Harvey! Facebook post: "Just like a man..." A little of the blame game is coming out Including what shoes the First lady is wearing?!? But I have been looking at other "Harvey" news...(I'll share in a min...) A Shift of Perspective Question: How are the following listed? A person answers a cell phone, causing them to wreck their car... AT FAULT A different person drags them out of the smoking car and aggravates their injuries... NO FAULT (good Samaritan clause) Months later the same driver buys a new car and parks it in their driveway overnight. At around 2am there is a loud crash, and the unlucky driver finds that lightning struck a tree, which collapsed onto the car...  ACT OF GOD SO, those things where "nature" is at fault are blamed on God? The Gospel's take In Scripture, God is described as sovereign. BUT the world is described as "cursed" because of what humanity has done. If you take Adam and Eve literally, as Paul and Jesus seem to do, then the brokenness of the creation is laid at the feet of the pinnacle of God's creation, humanity. By their actions, death (decay? entropy?) entered in as a fundamental part of creation. Look at it another way: The federal government backs flood insurance for flood-prone areas that local banks would never back by themselves. So people build there.  Our warning and forecast systems are not very reliable, so people get tired of taking precautions for all the possible disasters that never happen.  And then one does.  And this is God's fault? God is described as sending good and bad into our lives (read Job), in both testaments. Sometimes we are being "disciplined" by God (though note that discipline is not necessarily retribution).  But sometimes the bad stuff happens as a window to the better stuff ahead (God works all things to the good of those that love Him).  Have you ever been inconvenienced, then realized you had a "divine appointment" to attend? "Acts of God" from the Gospel Perspective: Events leading to new perspectives, lessons learned, character developed, and faith strengthened, including: Inexplicable Miracles & "God-incidences" Actions taken through the hands of His people intentionally following Him Actions taken through those following the prompting of the Spirit as God draws them to Himself Back to the News: Over the past months, it's been all about the brokenness in all of us, not at all about God's image and God's Spirit leading us Though they won't say it, you know each when you see it... (And you might begin to think, "I no longer recognize my country. Are we no better than this?") But since Harvey, there have been other stories. These are the Acts of God done in His name, or at the leading of His image and the Spirit's calling. And so very many have been a breath of fresh air, because we see our fellow broken Americans acting in love and faith and in the interests of others. We see what we hoped was still there, but were beginning to wonder about... Some Acts of God: Three teenagers spending all day rescuing people in boats A furniture store owner opening both locations as shelters, sacrificing all his inventory A tough-as-nails black MMA fighter rescuing a man wrapped in a confederate flag Stats that 1 out of every 5 people in the shelters are volunteers Stories of people abandoning their cars, knowing they would soon be flooded, to take their boats out to rescue others A Chic-fil-a order for sandwiches and a boat. The order was delivered on jet skis with a complementary rescue. Who shall we be? As Christians?  As Americans? Before the mud-slinging and the muck-raking starts up again, take heart knowing this: we still are the people that pull together regardless of race, class, or politics, or at least we can still choose to be What choice will you and I make this week??

NOTE #1:  I'm trying a new filter that removes long pauses during the sermon; please let me know if you find it useful or not. NOTE #2:  Dur to copyright restrictions I cannot post the song that I sang at that end of the sermoon, but I can link to the original artist on Youtube (who, let's face it, sings it WAY better).  Here it is - EVEN IF   Recovering Joy: “Even If…” Daniel 3:13-18; Romans 8:35-37   Postscript from last week: "conquer evil by doing good" (from Romans 12) Hatred and violence always spread, always intensify, always claim lives in the absence of the love of Christ that dares us to love and care for our enemies. What happened in Virginia yesterday was the escalation of hate.  We are told to "bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.... [To] never pay back evil with more evil.... [but to] do all that you can to live in peace with everyone." Dear Lord, let it be! Old Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego... The Story Unwilling to bow to an idol (of the state!) Thrown into a furnace Unharmed, with another walking in the fire with them! Their great statement of courage summed up in "even if He does not" An acknowledgement that the flames sometimes consume the followers of God Something we only understand by analogy, as we compare the trials of life to storms on seas that Jesus calms, or fires in furnaces that He makes safe We pray for the deliverance, but cannot escape the "even if" Paul in Romans, and "More than Conquers" Nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ Also implied, nothing that happens to us proves that Christ doesn't love us Martyrdom for the sake of the Gospel is explicitly mentioned Remember, Paul watched approvingly while Steven was stones to death But in this we are "more than conquers" having "overwhelming victory?" What is going on here? An exercise, and experience of, Joy Joy as defined last week: A glimpse of the eternal which places a longing in your heart more fulfilling than any earthly pleasure or satisfaction, that leaves within us a firm conviction of the temporary, limited nature of this world The amazing truth: sometimes the very pain or sorrow or fear or uncertainty we experience causes Joy to rise up within us Before he was stoned, Steven saw "the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!" (Acts 7:56) While in jail Paul and Silas sang, and the earth shook and the cell door was opened (Acts 16:16-40) Why is that? Because in our broken (fallen) condition, when we have found health and wealth and security, that is when we start to forget about God, that is when we start to lose our Joy The ancient Christians had an actual good theological approach to suffering: it drew us closer to Christ, remade us more in His image That doesn't mean we like it! (If we do, there's something wrong!) That doesn't mean we deserved it! (Sometimes just the opposite!) This means that when we face suffering or uncertainty, we turn first to God, face it with as much courage as we can, lean on one another for support, pray for God's deliverance, but have the firm conviction that EVEN IF things go the way we dread, that God has something beautiful waiting for us on the other side of the trial!

Recovering Joy: Conquering Evil Romans 12:9-21   Today is busy, so let us... ...set up a series on JOY ...and make one starting suggestion about it   Are we lacking in JOY? As Americans we must be, as we are: frustrated and angry hooked on our addictions is not "getting high" an attempt to counterfeit joy? But as Christians, JOY is our birthright! Not talking about happiness or pleasure my (our) experience... S. Lewis wrote of "...an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction. I call it Joy, which... must be sharply distinguished both from Happiness and Pleasure. Joy (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again... I doubt whether anyone who has tasted it would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world. But then Joy is never in our power...” It is a longing that is a promise. It reveals the shallowness of pleasure, and the transience of happiness. Neither the pursuit of happiness nor of pleasure will lead to a life of fulfillment as the pursuit of JOY will. So when we speak on things that kill our JOY and how to fight against them, realize that an increase in happiness is only a pleasant side-effect. Paul's "Scattershot" Advice (vv. 9-16)... 9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. - Love the sinner, hate the sin? 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. - Don't get jealous, irritable, petty... 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. - The protestant work ethic? 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. - Keep things in perspective; maybe touches on JOY 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. - Be the Good Samaritans! 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. - This point soon to be expanded... 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. - Meet people where they are. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! - This from an ex-Pharisee!?! ...And One Targeted Joy-Killer: The Urge to Hit Back (vv. 17-21) Don't seek payback (v17), but live peaceful lives (v18). Let go of revenge and let God deal justly, for His anger is always just (v19): Can God be angry and just? Is anger towards the abuser of a child morally just? Yes Are we perfect in our administration of justice without vengeance? No "Pay back" good for evil, and maybe lead to a change of heart (v20) And here's the BIG point in verse 21: Evil is done to you; let's say someone hits you. Your natural reaction is to "hit back," sometimes with justice, sometimes with overwhelming force so that they will never even think of hitting you again! And you think that by doing this good has triumphed over evil? But Paul's implication is this: the evil was in them, but if you seek vengeance, now it is in you! The violence has been (at least) doubled. Now don't avoid the point by talking about national policy and wartime actions, this is on the level of personal interactions. This is about the person who cheated you out of a promotion at work, so you let drop what you know or suspect about their office romance and get them fired, and break up their family. If we really want to conquer evil, we must conquer that temptation within ourselves. And we do that by doing the good that is often so hard to do. Even in our imaginations of "man, if I could get away with it, I would _________!!!" Maybe especially there.  Because the real battle that is fought for Joy in our lives is fought not in our circumstances, but in our hearts!

Our Hope and Strength Romans 8:22-23, 26-30 Yes, an obvious allusion to a recent birth this week, but... Let's get real, here. Deep questions: Have you, as a Christian, ever felt like you could not bring yourself to _______? Have you felt your strength was failing because you were empty of _______ for the future?  Have you ever thought to yourself, "life has to be more than this!"  Have you asked yourself, "Where has my joy gone?" Maybe there is an easy answer. Loss of loved ones? Financial instability? Health problems? Maybe you are described by the bumper sticker, "If you are far from God, guess who moved?" Maybe distraction, pride, overwork, etc. have taken your time from God.  Maybe you've not gotten serious with Him in a while, or ever. Or maybe it is something more.... v23a "And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering." There is something wrong in the West In the 1800's a war broke out between the two foundations of our civilization: Jerusalem and Athens, a.k.a. Faith and Reason 1st front, the "Higher Criticism" of the Bible assumed God's absence in the formation of Scripture; 2nd front, Darwin's theory of evolution assumed God's absence in the formation of the natural world At the same historical moment, around one hundred years after the formation of the Methodist movement and the American Revolution, God was removed (in elite opinion) from the Book of Scripture and the Book of Nature "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3 (NIV) And now we are as a culture divided between those searching desperately for any firm foundation for life, and those who feel their foundations are under constant threat of erosion And by "foundations" I mean the BIG ones, like "does life have meaning?" and "does anything I do make a difference?" For the Christian, the meaning is found in God, and His assurance that in Christ we can make an eternal difference in our lives and the lives of others The "best" post-Christian answer our thinkers could come up with was to say that we should defy the meaninglessness of life by choosing and implementing our own purpose. Does that sound sufficient? Even if you've never heard that idea expressed, you are being evangelized by it. Or by the idea that life is about pleasures, or power, or that "whoever dies with the most toys wins."  Does any of that sound sufficient? Eventually some come around to the idea that this life is about helping others. Well guess where that came from? Here's the Good News There is more than this life: v23a: Yes, we and all of creation are groaning, waiting to be released from the struggle against sin (the struggle to determine and do the right thing) & the every day reality of suffering! v23b: But we are also said to "wait with eager hope!" The happiest Christians have always seemed (to me) to be those living this life with heaven in view! (b/c there's more than this life,)There is more to this life: v26-30: And the Holy Spirit within us takes our frustrations and pain and delivers them to the Father.  And through the Son we have this promise that everything we do and endure is "pregnant" with meaning and purpose, even (especially!) when it seems random or vindictive. Our Calling in this time and place: We have a responsibility to get serious with God, and change course when hindered by: distraction, pride, overwork, etc. We are asked to join together, to support each other in times of : loss, distress, financial instability, health issues We are ambassadors to a broken and hurting generation, with a message of a meaningful life now, and a glorious life to come We are called by God to be the Good Samaritan, to see the wounded, and offer them healing, and in so doing find an eternal purpose to our actions as we become God's hands and feet. (And often find our own healing through focusing on others.) We are called by God to be His hands in this world, with our feet are planted firmly in the next, to let His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, reminding ourselves and each other that our Hope and Strength is found in Him. Psalms 46:1-4a (Geneva Bible, 1560)

Go and Do Likewise Luke 10:25-37 Now get it right! Simpler times... How many of us remember this from our childhood? "It's a beautiful day in this _____________,..."  Those were the days when I might say, "Excuse me. Can I go outside now?" And English teachers (and experts in grammar) would reply: "Not can I go outside.  May I go outside."  Didn't you then just want to use a double negative in their presence. A Persnickety Theologian "An expert in the Law" asked Jesus a question. Now this could have been someone who loved to talk theology.  But I have a feeling he was the persnickety kind of theologian.  "We were really lucky!" "No, we were really blessed!" Or "For God so loved the world that God gave God's one and only... son." He wanted it precise! Answering the Question The question itself: "Who is my neighbor?" Where are the boundaries of where I show concern?  I can't love everybody, can I?  That would be exhausting! We insulate ourselves (and sometimes it is necessary!) by grouping those we can and can not afford to think or care about. But "they are not like us" removes sympathy. The most dangerous time for a group or category of persons is when they are designated "not really persons" like "us." : Many Amerindian tribes called themselves "People." The example: 1st man cared about no one other than himself, his time, his wealth, and his ceremonial sanctity. 2nd man might have helped if he recognized him (sacrificing time, wealth, and sanctity). 3rd man helped knowing this was a person from outside his "neighborhood." The answer: Every human being is our neighbor. Every one, as all are made in the image of God. Sometimes love is extravagant, sometimes love must be tough, but love is to be shown to all. Answering the Motivation The question behind the question: "Doesn't 'loving my neighbor' conflict with 'loving God' sometimes?" The first Love is all about loving the real, the true, and the living God, but we as broken people often try to define ourselves by what (and who) we are against. So how can you be my neighbor if you're on another team? : Jesus in hot water for healing on the Sabbath. Expert wanted to prove to himself he was spiritually doing well. So Jesus told him a parable about doing good, instead. The example: In the parable the Priest and the Levite, who are both expected to be the holiest among the Jews, take the least holy actions by trying to preserve their holiness (cleanness). It is the person from "a different team" who has an imperfect understanding of God who takes actions pleasing to God. The answer: The priest and Levite (and Expert) are being spiritually selfish, as they are most concerned about preserving their own sanctity Jesus directs the expert to an outward focus What it Means for Us Are we exhausted by the brokenness we see around us? It's thrown in our face every time we read a paper or watch the news, so much that we might despair of making a dent in it. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 NIV In the parable, the Samaritan "happened" by. He was there.  The need was before him.  He was local.  And he made a difference in the traveler's life.   Are we inwardly focused? Fear based? "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." 9:10a "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love." 1 John 4:18 NRSV Must we regularly and honestly examine our relationship with God to see if it is healthy?   Must we live in a fear that stunts our love of others and paralyzes us with the danger of doing the wrong thing? No Must we always remember that God is Love, and listen for His prompting for where we can pour His love out on others? You betcha. Go thou and do likewise!

Sharing the Stories Psalm 145:3-7 (verse 3 cut off) "3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness...."   Why we do the things we do... "Vacation" Bible School = A LOT of effort! An over-used phrase: "you planted a seed" "6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work." - 1 Cor 3:6-8 NLT What are the seeds? Holy actions done in Christ's name that make memories ...and STORIES of the Good News of God's Love in Christ Old and New Testaments, and personal testimonies The Purpose of Church Filling ourselves with sacred stories to have the Mind of Christ Preparing ourselves for and facilitating ministries of service, so that we act as the Body of Christ Praising and worshiping (loving!) God, culminating in that Great Day in which we all rest from our labors and worship in His Presence Back to the Basics today... In our songs and confessions we have worshipped... In our participation and donation we have served Now let us share remember the stories... One Life Story, one Short Story, and one Parable (and how to read them) With EVERY story we are called to not just gather information, but to place ourselves in the story, see ourselves in its people A Life Story: Abraham's Journey of Faith Called by God Have I had a vision that others could not see? Along with his wife... Have I ever had to trust in another's plans, praying they're not deluded? failed to trust God Have I ever struggled to trust God, or tried to fulfill God's promise through my methods? Lot took the better fields. Have I ever been taken advantage of; have I taken advantage of another's good nature? Yet Abraham argued with God to preserve Lot's life. Have I prayed for a friend who betrayed me? Isaac is born, Ishmael and Hagar are cast out. Have I been betrayed, or the betrayer? God tests Abraham Have I trusted God in times of disappointment and anger? A Short Story: David and Goliath Goliath mocked Israel. Have I faced an impossible task? David could not believe it. Have I ever seen something others have missed, that seems so clear to I but to no others.  Have I been impatient with another unjustly? When David offered to fight, king Saul gave David his own armor, but it just weighed David down. Have I been weighed down by others expectations of how things should be done? Or find myself saying, "but this is the way we've always done this!" One slingshot, and one stone to goliath's forehead, was all it took. In a moment of crisis, have I trusted God, and been delivered?  Have I ever thought, "If I had trusted God, that might have been me!" Saul would soon become jealous of David. Have I done the right thing, won the victory, and been punished for it? A Parable: The Good Samaritan “Who is my neighbor?”  Have I justified my behavior? “A Jewish man was attacked."  Have I been injured by life? “A priest came along and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over but also passed by."  Have I seen others ignore my pain.  Have I been to busy to see the pain of others? “A Samaritan came along, and felt compassion for him." Have I given extravagant mercy and grace, as was given to me? “Now go and do the same.” Have I heard the words of Jesus, and let them change me? Making the Stories Ours Wow preacher, I could have done that! But are we doing it? And not just on Sunday or during VBS... What are we? Someone has said we are the sum of what we've done (our memories). We are more than that!  But there is something to learn here about the Gospel: If it is our memories that shape us and our memories are the pieces of our story then taking God's story into our heart shapes us into reflections of Him Let Us Make His Story Ours!!

Who are you Pulling for? Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30   Pulled in two ways? An old-time plow... Some of you may have had this experience (growing rare) For first-century Jews, it was instantly relatable The Weight of the Yoke To rabbis, the "yoke" was their teaching (the Yoke of Law) Jesus called them out on having too heavy a yoke (uselessly burdensome teaching) [Luke 11:46]...and countered that His yoke was light and restful [Matthew 11:29] Pulling the Pharisees' yoke (judgmental legalism) steals the joy out of life and weighs you down. If we're not joyful in Christ, if our burdens are wearing us out, we may have become yoked to something other than Him, because He has taken a LOT of the load... The Direction we are Traveling (Matthew 11:16-19) "Pull" of "this generation" is always shifting: 17 ‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t mourn.’ And doesn't guarantee acceptance: 18 "For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19a The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard,... " If we are just living for the latest fad or social issue or professional goal, we won't have a clear purpose or direction. Where is the meaning in life? Even if you get "to the top" in this world (pay scale, power, fame), most everyone will just wait to see you fall. You want meaning, take Christ's yoke and let Him lead you! How to "take His yoke" upon us? Attach yourself to Christ Using marriage as a metaphor (following Paul's usage): it shouldn't begin w/o knowing the other well, and doesn't last w/o constant effort The Weight of Knowledge = learning His character, thoughts, and goals Reading, listening to bible, sneak it in during the day podcasts, sermons (yes, you can do a lot of this yourself) Constant, Directed Effort = being aware if distance is creeping in, if you are pulling in different directions That often takes OTHERS Marriage example: talking with family & friends (in confidence) who are committed to helping your relationship work, who help us understand ourselves and the other person better In walking with Christ, find persons who you believe have a close walk with Him (don't just ask your BFFs); they see from a different perspective CHURCH: We've got to do better at providing a SAFE PLACE to do this!!! Be wary of: Pulls in incompatible directions One (and perhaps the only) genius line of the SW prequels: "You're going somewhere I can't follow!" External (lots of voices calling) and Internal (and lots of broken inclinations) : we're like shopping carts with a wonky wheel... A bad understanding of the goal Nonreligious example: "Marriages are disposable and kids easily adapt." Religious ex: "We're at church for what we get out of it." Pulling for (& with) Christ Marriage Metaphor concluded: Over the years if all goes right... You know each others thoughts (finish other's sentences) You exchange and merge behaviors Sometimes you even start to look more alike Others cannot think of one of you without thinking of both And this is an excellent example for Christ's teaching: At the end of the day, do I want to look more like this fractured world, or more like Jesus? Don't I want to KNOW the God who made me? What is a more fulfilling path? More meaningful?  More consequential & lasting? "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." Jeremiah 29:11

   Representing the Father Psalm 103:8-17   Happy Father's Day! Today gentlemen, we celebrate and reflect on your contributions to the family, past, present and future In truth, today is a bit more "complicated" than Mother's Day Best summed up by looking at dads in our most popular shows... Men & fathers have taken it on the chin in popular opinion, and the rules for how to assess your worth have changed used to be being a wise provider now "father knows least" If we view fathers as unnecessary, we pay a high price: While no single child is destined for a bad outcome, kids from fatherless homes have it rough... And yet God chose to reveal Himself as Father! God is not male. Adam alone was not a full reflection of the divine image But God is our Father, and as an earthly father your children are looking for a reflection of the Heavenly Father in you. That is a high calling! We VALUE you! You are "Abba" to someone, as God is "Abba" to you.  That is the divine intention of God... The Character of a Godly Father Steadfast Love = love that endures all efforts to repel it 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a - The Love Passage Luke 15:11-32 - The Father of the Prodigal Son Moral Courage = determination to choose that which is necessary and right even when it is hard Hebrews 12:7; Colossians 3:21 - Discipline yet do not frustrate Matthew 8:5-13 - A Roman Commander Has Faith (and Humility) True Heroism = placing others' needs and safety before your own Hebrews 12:1-4 1 Corinthians 8 (esp vs. 9,11-12) Philippians 2:5-8 The final ingredient: Faith(fulness): Philippians 2:9-11 Our relationship with The Father: A study from Switzerland around 2000... "...If a father does not go to church...only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper. ... If a father goes irregularly, between a half and two-thirds of their offspring will come to church regularly or occasionally. ... If a father does go regularly, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular). Men, if a relationship with God is important to you, and your devotion to God is genuine, God will be important to your kids, all other things being equal. Moving the ball further down the field of "getting it right" I'm not perfect, but I took the best parts of my Dad's example and try to add my best along with it, with God's help. tl/dr: Men, no matter how insecure as a Father you may feel, if you show faith, hope & love, if you show up, and if you do your best to move the ball a little further down the field of getting it right, you're doing well.

We were honored today to have Jerry Seely and family among us at Concord's Homecoming!  The service, the fellowship, and the food were great!  Thank you, Reverend Seely, for ministering to us this day!     BIO FOR GERALD (JERRY) SEELY    I was born January 26, 1951 in Tucson, Arizona. I am a triplet, two boys and one girl.  My father, Wayne Seely, was a career Air Force Man, having served during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. My early life was one of moving to different Air Force Bases. I lived in Tucson, AZ, Boise, ID, Salina, KS, Austin, TX, Grand Forks, ND and Merced, CA. After my dad retired in 1966 we moved to the Springfield, MO area. I graduated from high school in 1969. I met my spouse to be, Billie Woodruff, and we married later that year. We have been married 48 years and have four grown children, Bobby Seely, Darlene Seely, Micah Seely, and Brooke Arnold. We also have 8 grandchildren.    In 1972 I received the call to ministry.  Following Lay Speaker Training I began the local pastor course of study. In 1973 I enrolled in Southwest Missouri State University and completed my B.A. Degree in May 1977. In August 1977 I began theological studies at Candler School of Theology and graduated with my M.Div. in June 1980. I attended the Naval War College in 1991 receiving a master’s degree in National Defense and Strategic Studies.    My ministry in the local church began as a student pastor at Fordland UMC and Pleasant Hill UMC 1974-1977. I arrived at Concord UMC as a student pastor in June 1977 and returned to the Missouri Conference in Dec 1979. From Dec 1979 until Oct 1981 I served the Bois D’Arc and Ellwood United Methodist Churches in the Springfield District, Springfield, Missouri.    My Navy Chaplaincy Career began in October 1981 until I retired in Oct 2011.  During those 30 years I served aboard Navy Ships, had three tours of duty with the United States Marine Corps, served with Navy Seabees, and duty overseas in Okinawa, Japan, Pohang, Korea, Brisbane, Australia, and Pattaya, Thailand. Shore assignments included duty in Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, California, Rhode Island, Virginia, Mississippi, and Tennessee.    Billie and I have been retired since 2011 and enjoy traveling in our RV, playing golf, enjoying our grandchildren, and hanging out at the beach. God has richly blessed us along life’s journey.

Whom Shall God Send Acts 1:1-11 The Conclusion of Easter This time in the Christian calendar reminds us: Jesus was appearing for 40 days to His disciples Ash Wednesday - 40 days of Lent - Holy Week - Easter - 40 Days of Easter - Ascension Sunday The resurrection & ascension: two parts of the same the same event ...Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. - Romans 8:34b (NLT) Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. - Hebrews 12:2b (NLT) This is worth our time, as God's plan is revealed... Those God Chose to Send The crowd = the Apostles = not the most mature of believers! Peter flip-flopping & denying; Sons of Thunder; John just a kid After the Mt of Transfiguration: "Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest." Luke 9:46 At the Last Supper, after Jesus says one will betray Him, "The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing. Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them." Luke 22:23-24 I'm surprised Jesus never said, "Ok, children!" Jesus had to have a LOT of patience! The Divine Plan v6 "So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”" (Easter was amazing!  NOW what will you do?) v8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." What is God's Plan? Hey, Apostles, God's plan is you! Were they possibly intimidated??     A Time of Parting Jesus was ascending to Heaven, and sending them into the world... Who here has sent a child out into the world? And fretted? You always hope they'll be safe. You hope they can handle things you won't be there to fix! And you hope they won't forget everything you taught them! And as children, do you remember the excitement of being on your own, and the nervousness at being on your own? Going to college, getting a job Going into military service... Maybe you've heard or said words like these: "This is a big step! I know it's big. I know it's scary. I know.  But you know that I am here.  I've got your back.  Remember what I taught you.  Do your best.  You're stronger than you know. You've got this.  I believe in you, kiddo."  That also sounds like something God would say to us!   God's Plan Hasn't Changed! For nearly 2,000 years God has worked through His people as they ACT as Christ's Body, led by the Holy Spirit When we talk about "seeking God's plan," we're talking about the details! The broad brush of God's Plan is already known! What is God's Plan for healing a broken world? You are!!! Look around you....! Maybe take a selfie... Are you possibly intimidated??? "How can I help heal a broken world? I'm broken too!" We are broken healers offering the grace of a wounded Healer to each other. In other words, we are the Church, the Body of Christ! So, what or who in your life needs healing? Maybe you've been praying for this person or this situation of a long time, hoping God will send the right person.  Maybe it's time to consider if God already has done so, in you! But what can I do, Lord? I can't handle this! "This is a big step! I know it's big. I know it's scary. I know. But you know that I am here.  I've got your back.  Remember what I taught you.  Do your best.  You're stronger than you know. You've got this.  I believe in you, my child." Isaiah 6:8 "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”"

  Common Ground on Mars Hill Acts 17:22-31                                                      Changing Times, Changing Settings Ever felt like a duck-out-of-water? Entertainment loves this theme So many movies & TV shows So many life experiences New school, new job, meeting the SO's family What if you found yourself at a concert with weird music?... How do we handle these moments? Building bridges & finding connections (looking for common ground) Paul at Mars Hill Paul, while highly educated and a Roman citizen by birth, was the duck-out-of-water Beverly Hillbilly in this setting and among these people He preached in a way not recorded elsewhere While some have said it was a "bad sermon" because he didn't confront them with the Gospel in all its fullness, it would not have been included in Scripture if is wasn't intended to teach us Paul was intentionally taking a step back from the things he & the Jews took for granted, and finding common ground. A Hard but Necessary Work A skill we are in danger of losing Modern life allows us to connect with only those people who rarely disagree with us. You can be easily "friended" and "unfriended" on Facebook. If the news report angers you, change the channel.  Now people have falling-outs. Paul and Barnabas.  Desi & Lucy This happens in business, in marriage, in a nation... When this happens, the prescription both in psychology and scripture is the same: reconciliation... in other words, finding where you can stand with each other, building a bridge, recovering the common ground For someone who is about to give a presentation to strangers (or preach a sermon), the first order of business is to find common ground! Jesus did this with His parables. Preachers still do this... How does Paul handle this? Here is our Common Ground: v22: "I see you are very religious!" Remember how the KJV goes here? "Ye are too superstitious!" An insult, not a compliment. Why?  Europe's "Wars of Religion" - 16th & 17th centuries When was the KJV translated? 1611 Paul finds the common ground: "I will reveal to you the unknown, true God that you have built this alter for." v26 "God made us all from one," so we are all brothers of the same Father. v27 "He made us to seek Him," and here are examples of their own thinkers who say things like this. Now will you walk with me to here? v28 "But He made us; we should not try to make God in our preferred images." He does not soft-pedal their differences.  v30-31 "God doesn't hold you responsible for not knowing, but now you are hearing about God's son, and God calls you to turn to His mercy before the time of judgment." v31 We've got excellent reasons for our position. Our world is changing. We now have to work harder to find common ground. We have to work harder to not let ourselves be pulled into an increasingly combative and reactive culture. What is solid that we hold on to? For the Christian, the solid ground is the teachings and the Person of Jesus Christ.  Not necessarily styles and forms... And did that music make you uncomfortable earlier? Guess what, it was written and performed by a Christian, who sings about our the common ground of human brokenness.  My favorite excerpts: "You are surrounding all my surroundings... And now I'm holding onto You!" See 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Matthew 22:36-40

What Was Promised Ephesians 6:1-3                                                      Ways It Should, and Shouldn't, Be: Ø       Last Night with the a Family... A little boy with (thankfully) a simple break (in two places!) A young mother being a very good Mom (now with two in slings!) Exactly how is should be! Ø       This past week with a friend (who just turned 50) ...who shared her history of abuse and a mother who even now tells her she is a horrible disappointment Exactly the way is should NOT be! Ø       Every mother a broken bearer of God's image Thankfully, more of us have had the former experience... Even with the occasional frustration (like maybe her being a tad overprotective), most of us have been blessed with Moms who have always, even during times of disagreements, shown us unconditional love For those who haven't, it is my prayer that you find joy in those "adopted mothers" that God has placed in your life. For moms here today, especially the new ones, may God bless as you perform the most challenging, rewarding task in life... Promises, Blessings, and Rewards Ø       "The first commandment with a promise" How do we understand Bible promises? "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." Prov 22:6(NIV) We know this does not take away their freedom to choose, but we also know that all things being equal, a good start makes a BIG difference! Eph 6:3 "If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”" Commandment #5: “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12 (NLT) If things are the "way they should be," then if you receive what you are given, you'll have a better life.Honoring doesn't always mean agreeing!  It means being respectful and not dismissing Mom (& Dad) as "stick-in-the-muds."             *Remember the old joke about how when you were 16 your Mom and Dad were idiots, but by 25 you were amazed at how smart they had become? This is actually the basis for honoring traditions:             *Parents hand down to you (hopefully) the best parts of their experiences and wisdom; their parents did the same for them, and so on.  With each generation knowledge is refined and updated in a gradual way, and the "baby isn't thrown out with the bath water"             *Unless you have a "cultural revolution" like most of the major civilizations did in the previous century. Then the baby goes flying! (Ex: Scientists have recently found that baby boys and baby girls are different!) Ø       Moms, you have reason to be confident in what you pass on! Yes, the world is changing... but people haven't changed! Yes, there are many new ways of doing things, but I'm glad my wife & I know some old ways (hobby farm upon retirement!!) Yes, there are more options for life and faith brought to us than ever before, but that has always been the case; never doubt the value of the faith you pass on, or at the least never doubt the necessity of proving by example that a life without faith and meaning is impoverished: Recently on Facebook:  ...On the one extreme you have heavy-handed indoctrination where the child never learns to think for themselves and winds up shackled to whatever authority figure they latch on to. On the other extreme is abdication, where those questions that are (generally agreed upon to be) the most important in life are treated as unimportant, and the child drifts through a superficial, un-examined life...  Hopefully my kids (yes, the "preacher's kids") know the following: questions of faith and the meaning of life are of the utmost importance for building one's life, Mom and Dad found answers to these questions and purpose in life through their (Christian) faith, they (our kids) have a responsibility to reflect on life and its meaning for themselves, and if their answers are different from ours we will not "disown" them. And so, Mothers, Grandmothers, and those who stand in their stead... Ø       We thank you, for your love, support, sharing, and caring... Ø       We honor you for shaping the generations to come and passing down what you learned Ø       We pray for you, for it is an awesome, overwhelming responsibility Ø       We praise God for you, for in you we have received God's love

(Graduation Sunday:) Entering a Broken World  1 Peter 2:19-25                                                      Graduation in the Shadow of Easter Ø       "This is a Day of New Beginnings" with endless possibilities! Ø       The Shadow of the Cross "...Christ suffered for you." Lectionary: "patiently endure unjust treatment..." (a bit of a "bummer?") This World is Broken Ø       And as a Christian, you are called to be part of the FIX (aka. "the Kingdom of God") Life ISN'T Fair (Just/Righteous) Sometimes against us Sometimes for us You are called to BE fair, just, holy, and loving To all people (those you like and don't) Even to yourself (seeing yourself clearly is HARD) Ø       You are also called to look beyond the "is" to the "what could be" You are called to a life of unrelenting Hope (and Faith, and Love) Things to Remember Ø       Words from ministers: “Education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. … We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do. And so on. But when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do.”~ A. C. Dixon Ø       Some Very Practical (Proverbial) Advice Surround yourself with people who make it easier for you to love God and people.Christians were never meant to be isolated.  Don't just live in the Christian bubble; Jesus ate with everybody. Dreaming big dreams is one thing, but waking up, getting out of bed, & doing the hard work is what makes your dreams reality. Think before you speak…or post something, or send an email, or text(you get the idea). Make good choices!You’re going to have to look at yourself in the mirror every day… Never stop pursuing the truth.But don't confuse truth with opinion.  "I have my truth and you have yours" is an example of said confusion. Truth includes facts, but facts can only imply truth.Don't implications overwhelm your faith. You can't be a real disciple of Jesus just one day a week; it takes all seven! Jesus is not your "ticket" to heaven, or to the good life, or to any of your goals.Trying to use God for your own ends, never ends well. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Take God very seriously. Don’t settle for ordinary, when extraordinary is just a few steps away. Love people…all people.Even if they really need a bath. Never underestimate the power of a firm handshake and good eye contact. It’s never too late to stop procrastinating. Humility includes knowing your strengths (without arrogance) and knowing your weaknesses (without despair). Facebook is not the place to handle interpersonal conflicts or meet eligible singles in your area.Neither is Tinder!! Some hills aren’t worth dying on…but, then again, some are. Don’t fill out those credit card applications that you receive in the mail.Just because congress cannot live within their means doesn't make it wise. Children who truly love their parents, call them at least once a week and text them more often…just not while they’re driving. 1st impressions really do matter! (I'll spare you the quote...) Live out Ephesians 2:10–“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Never forget who you are.Never forget whose you are. Be flexible enough to change your course when warranted, but determined enough to stay the course when needed.The Serenity prayer is worth praying often. Spend enough time dwelling on the good memories that they stick (bad memories tend to stick without effort). Spend enough time making good memories so that you have many to dwell on. 

Signposts Along the Way Luke 24:13-34                                                      Going "old school" today, but first... Ø       Road signs... A lot of funny ones in the world... and on Google But some are easily missed... Ø       The disciples on the road missed a few things... Jesus walking with them; the necessity of the crucifixion Are we any differe-nt? Ø       “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures."  - Jesus of Nazareth, 30AD We're not the 1st generation to struggle with what was written! We have come up with new and ingenious reasons to ignore it. Ignoring the Signs Ø       The Inevitable March of Progress? More of the world explained (and explained away) Science has provided us a MUCH better quality of life The promise of a new secular age... ...which had theologians trying to "insulate" the gospel: ¨       "Not 'fact' but still 'true'" ¨       The "Social Gospel" as a "gospel" for this world only ...which in fact has NOT happened: ¨       more people un-churched, but not all that more atheists ¨       most are "spiritual," or superstitious ¨       In March 2016, a temple dedicated to the Norse god Odin & other gods opened in Denmark. Nine Roosters were sacrificed and consumed as a part of the ritual. ¨       After a popular campaign, European Union officials agreed to add the leprechauns as a protected species in the area of the Carlingford mountains.  (263 left) "When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing— they believe in anything." ~ G. K. Chesterton Two world wars, multiple genocides, the threat of nuclear war... Scientific progress has shown us how to do many things; it has nothing to say about whether doing them is good... Ø       But WE certainly aren't like that, right? A little fill-in-the-blank... For God so loved the world that _________________ In the beginning was the _____________________ And you will see the Son of Man coming __________ If your eye offends you ____________ The just shall live _____________ Yea though I walk through _______________ For everything there is a season, and _______________ Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ________  _______  ____ ..choose you this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, _______________________ And some other things... First 5 books?The 4 gospel writers? Who wrote most of the NT letters? What makes James and Jude so special of the NT writers? Where to look for a coat of many colors? Who was safe in the lions' den? In the fiery furnace? Did they know each other? Ø       First order VBS stuff? Any teacher should tell you, to perform higher level thinking, you have to have some content. How much time have you spent with God's word not just over the past week, but over your life? If you were taken to North Korea, could you tell your kids and grandkids the stories of Jesus? Following the Directions Ø       And in the meantime... Jesus invites us to walk with Him and talk with Him, in a concrete way that will challenge our presuppositions, and change our thoughts and desires... Every story was given for a reason Yes, they are "stories."Yes, they really, factually, happened.  But these were recorded intentionally by the authors, and the Author guiding them. Ø       What is the point of this story? Jesus is with us! Even when the times are tough. Jesus will teach us through our engagement with God's word! That learning experience will challenge us, but also comfort us. We will experience His presence as we fellowship with one another, especially in the "breaking of bread" (communion). And that is how we receive strength for the journey! Ø       Finally, lets end with some "signs" Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 11:28-29; Isaiah 40:29-31 Romans 8:37-39; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Revelation 3:5

Demonstration of the signs mentioned in the sermon here. The video played during the sermon here.   Receiving and Believing John 20:19-31                                                      Narrowing Our Focus Ø       So Rich in Possibilities! Remember your first time at a buffet? (For me it was Duffy's.What to eat first!?!) There is a wealth of possible topics in today's post-Easter lectionary reading: The disciples were hiding and fearful; quite the opposite of Pentecost! Jesus appears! Is He a spirit?No, He shows them His wounds... Why does Jesus retain His wounds? Isn't it neat that He says "Peace be with you," which was their everyday polite greeting, like "how's your mom & them, but His mission was to bring Peace? That part about forgiving and retaining sins: is that license for the Roman Catholic practices of penance and excommunication, or is that about our ministry of declaring forgiveness through faith in Christ (as the Greek suggests)? Was Thomas stubborn, hurt, the first scientist, or what? Thomas' confession was light years beyond Peter's finally unmasking for us Jesus as God. Ø       Let's narrow it down to these: v22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit." v29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” AND v31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. What is this link between believing in Jesus and receiving new life through the Spirit? Do We "Believe?" Ø       I have a problem with Indiana Jones... #1 - After you see the Ark of the Covenant destroy a group of Nazi's, how do you still interpret it without bringing in God? #2 - That scene in The Last Crusade about the "leap of faith..." Ø       The problem with the Leap of Faith We tend to define what is "leaped over" as a lack of evidence Look at what Thomas says... But in my experience, what we "leap over" is more about the struggle in our hearts (insecurities, fear of being hurt, etc.) than the struggle in our heads Imagine yourself as Thomas, and look at what he did... Ø       The problem with "belief" Like "love," we can say a lot or a little when we say, "I believe" ex 1: "I believe it's going to rain." ex 2: "I believe this airplane is safe." ex 3: "I believe in my wife." As in, "No, that wasn't my wife tossing dollar bills at the Chip & Dale performers!" Or better yet, "Honey, I need you to leave the house for the next 30 minutes.No questions. Trust me.  This is important." (I will, of course, ask if she's in any danger...) "Belief in Christ" is that kind of belief that starts with a realization and moves quickly to trust, then over time permeates the center of your being and fills every corner of your life... Thomas: "My Lord and my God!" Part of the New Creation Ø       John's hidden implication: Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. John 1:1a In the beginning was the Word... v3 God created everything through him, & nothing was created except through him. Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. John 20:22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit." Ø       As a disciple, you are called not just to a set of rules or a certain standard of behavior, but to willingly participate in your own re-creation... Ø       The impact that people of the New Creation have is amazing... "Christians are made of Steel!" - a clip from an Egyptian news broadcast in which a Muslim journalist reacts to an interview with the widow of the gatekeeper who prevented a suicide bomber from entering an Alexandria church yard on Palm Sunday, thereby saving countless lives.... That is the kind of impact we are called to have as a part of the New Creation, a post-Easter people!

He Is Risen!! Matthew 28:1-10 Are You Ready for Easter?  >  If you could pick your own, "Best News EVER," what would it be? No war? No famine?  Sicknesses cured?  Death vanquished!?! How about the promise of all of the above? >  That is what the we mean when we say  Jesus the Christ is ALIVE! He is RISEN! And we MUST share this, that it happened, and what it means!  Christ Risen in History, in Defiance of Meaninglessness and Death >  Yes, even people back then knew that the dead stayed that way! Gentiles believed in nothingness, or that the body was crude and corrupt... Jews were divided, only imagining a resuscitation (like Lazarus) Even some (sophisticated?) Christians... 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 NLT For "moderns," we have tried to limit faith to teaching "truth," rather than "facts."That doesn't work on Easter! >  Paul had it right: if Jesus was not alive on that first Sunday after Passover, then the whole thing is a cheat.  Everything is pointless... BetrandRussel represents this view:“...only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built.” >  Paul:  Cor15:20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. An open challenge to the readers of the letter: go ask the eyewitnesses, or ask the Romans to produce the body (see 1 Corinthians 15:3-8) >  God doesn't ask us to surrender our reason, but to honestly use it! >  This is the pivot point of human history, on which all of it turns! A world without Christ is a world that retains the practice of slavery, rejects the equality and complimentarity of women and men, retains the horrors of infanticide and the dehumanization of the "other" A world without Christ is a world characterized by the human sacrifices of the Aztecs, the gas chambers of Nazi Germany, and the ruler worship and idolatry of modern North Korea (we see their true darkness by the Light of the Son) A world without Christ is a world without challenge to the Rabbinic prayer, "Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe, who has not made me a Gentile;... not made me a slave; ... not made me a woman."   Christ Risen in the Heart of Believers, in the Midst of the Kingdom Work >  This pivot point of human history is the pivot point of our lives! We are called into the world love our neighbors as ourselves, to visit the sick and imprisoned, to act out of compassion and agape (selfless) love. We live in a world that still struggles against the darkness, yet where the light of Christ still shines in the hears and through the actions of His disciples And we are told, in God's word, that in Christ... Galatians 3:28-29 NLT There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. >  The Choice we make as a body, and as individual disciples:  Will we allow Christ to dwell at the center of our lives, will we enthrone Him as the king of our decisions?Will we allow Him to shape and fortify our closest relationships, to make them truly loving and life-giving? Will we accept that our actions have eternal meaning and allow Him to work the painful yet joyful process of transformation, making us into what God made us to be? Will we choose to be not just on the "right side of history," but on the "right side of His-Story?" Will our hearts ring out with joy at the coming of the King in power and glory? >  The Promise: A southern illustration:Do you like blackberry pies?  How do you know a good pie is not far off?  When you walk down the driveway and find that first ripe berry... Easter is not just the celebration of what has happened, but what is on the horizon. Jesus is the "first fruit," proving the harvest to come. The Promise is one of New Life, and Light banishing darkness, of the fulfillment of our deepest and most sacred desires for reunion and redemption and resurrection!  

*TECHNICAL ISSUES: THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF THE SERMON WERE CUT OFF*   The King Is Coming Matthew 21:1-11A Moment of Triumph and Joy> Don't you want to live in the land of Happily Ever After?... * The moment they (Jesus' followers) had all been waiting for! * A part of me wishes we could stay in the victory, in the "positivity," in the "feels" of this moment!> ...Instead of in the land of Everything Falls Apart? * Yet Jesus had told His followers how this week would end * Did you watch the Oscars? · My son, who LOVES "La La Land," was crushed! · You have won best picture!!!! (cheers, joy,...) Oh, wait.... * Have you ever struggled under the weight of what might have been?> But aren't the best stories about how after everything fell apart, there was a not-dared-hoped-for victory? * This is the Greatest Story Ever Told, not the simplest, nor the easiest... · Here the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world are clashing Kingdoms Conflicting> At the Western Gate: Pilate * Welcomed by the people of power and authority · who didn't like him at all, but were playing politics · who would later demand that he crucify Jesus * Projecting strength through military power (stallions and soldiers)> At the Eastern Gate: Jesus * Welcomed by the powerless, the voiceless · who loved Him and wanted God's Kingdom in charge · who were crying out so loudly that the powerful wanted them silenced * Projecting strength through peace (a donkey and palm branches)> Whose vision would triumph? Sidebar: cycles of revolution> Feelings of powerlessness lead to anger * one of the worst feelings is lack of control, lack of voice> The powerless throw off the oppressor * "...Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government..." > Often the once-oppressed become the new oppressors * The Who, Won't Get Fooled Again, "Meet the new boss, Same as the old boss" * The Culture War can be seen through this lens (each side views itself as oppressed and the other as oppressor) A Week that Changed the World> Happily Ever After yields inevitably to Everything Falls Apart * Yet what if Someone broke this cycle by embracing suffering and defeat as the path to true, miraculous victory?> Jesus would later tell Pilate, "My Kingdom is not of this world." * Not just "not a physical kingdom," but "not following the pattern of worldly power and authority." > If we follow Him, we'll not seek victory through personal power * That's hard for me, because I've got my rights! · And I hate being "powerless." · (I'm used to feeling short, but I hate feeling small.) * But He calls us to end the quest for personal power through surrender to the Father and obedience to His will. · Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done... · Do you have a "situation" (at work, at school, within your family) where you feel powerless, angry, threatened, like striking back? Is Christ possibly calling you to handle it a different way, following the pattern of His Kingdom? · Trust in the One who brings Resurrection when your "happily ever after" becomes "everything falls apart"

Encounters With JesusA Dead Man in the Tomb John 11:(1-16), 17-45 A Different Kind of Encounter  >The previous encounters centered around Jesus' interactions with a particular individual and their response.   >Here, the dead man, Lazarus, is:    *the "low-hanging fruit" of John's (& Jesus') message      •Christ brings us from death to new life      •the climactic sign of the seven signs in John    *the reason for the in interactions with others    *a window into the heart of Jesus The Mourners at Bethany  > The Family Jesus Loved    *“Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”, "Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus"    *Impression is that this was a place where Jesus could "recharge"   > The Disciples    *Clueless, Fearful, Missing the Darkness-to-Light point yet again    *Jesus is going to bring life from death; they assume He's leading them to their deaths  > Martha the Busy, Responsible One    *Full of sorrow; full of faith    *Confessing that Jesus is indeed the Messiah  > Mary, the Student of Jesus    *Luke 10:39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet...    *This time, she falls at His feet...  >The "other people"    *"Funerals" were a BIG deal     *If you were a rich tax collector that no liked, you would have hired professionals to come and mourn at your death    *Probably not professionals, but they had "distance" enough to speculate in v37: But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”  >So, EVERYONE was there. From the deep mourners to the fearful to the (intentionally?) distracted. All typical of people's reactions to the reality of death.    *But how did God in Christ react...? The Heart of Jesus  >Jesus was... angry?    *Old-time-y interpretation was that Jesus was angered, then sorrowful, over their lack of faith... But He had only told the Disciples, Mary, and Martha, that He would raise Lazarus    *v33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.    *He appears angry at the sorrow death has caused  >Jesus wept    *Serious weeping, because v36: "The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!”"    *On the way to the tomb  >Jesus' intention    *For the Disciples: v15 "And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe."    *For the mourners: "41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”"    *And now, here, faith does come into play. There was a reason for the heartache. But it seems like Jesus is not only telling listeners, but reminding Himself, why this was necessary...  >Jesus' action    *At this point the climax of the story. Death is reversed at the command of Christ! Through Him, we are indeed brought from death to new life! The Heart of God at the Funeral  >But was it the mourners alone who grieved? Or was Jesus grieving as well? Maybe over the sorrow death causes?  >I have been to many funerals, many deaths...    *I have heard many trying to make sense of death    *I have heard many "reasons" floated, some good, some bad, to try to numb the heartache. (Please be careful voicing these.)    *I have brought what comfort I can    *But buried deep down, I am always angry at the sorrow the parting has caused, and the closer I am to the situation, the angrier I am.   >And here, finally, is the point:    *God is not up in heaven dispassionately saying "time to go!"    *When God is at the funeral, he is angry along with us, he sorrows with us, & for us... even when the reasons are obvious.       *He gave his only son, so that this will not continue.    *He weeps with us!

The video used at the midpoint of the sermon can be found here. Encounters With JesusA Blind Man on the Road John 9:1-16,(17-41) Bearing the Shame> Have we ever been as...    Nicodemus, trying to avoid shame & guilt?    The Woman at the Well, shamed and burdened by guilt?    The Blind Man on the Road, shamed yet innocent?      • HARD to bear (at least when you know you're guilty,         you perceive the shame as "penance")> Who sinned?    Even the disciples asked what did he (or his parents) do to deserve this?    Had NONE of these people read the book of Job?      • Understandable, as we really want to believe bad things         happen to everyone but us.       • And if we link bad things happening to moral failings, then         we have the power to prevent bad things in our lives (or so we think).      • Unfortunate side effect: we condemn, even vilify, those        who have the bad things happen to them.    The theory at the time was either his parents had sinned,       or he had sinned in the womb      • really??> But since Jesus had healed him on the Sabbath, the Pharisees    brought the hammer down...    ...resulting in his "excommunication"     John 9:17-24 A Note on Blindness...> Born Blind vs. Willfully Blind> Stuck in darkness vs. choosing darkness A Note on Public Opinion> Why do we give people such power over us, by worrying so much about what they think of us? Wouldn't we rather have our Heavenly Father's approval?    Nicodemus wandering in the dark, later paid for the       spices for Jesus' burial    The Woman at the Well hiding from the townsfolk, then       running into town to tell them about Jesus.    The Man Born Blind condemned by the respectable Pharisees,       then confronting them in the temple. Physical and Spiritual Blindness> The Man Born Blind was healed of both    John 9:35-41    Brought from physical blindness to both physical and spiritual sight.      "Lord, I believe!" "Sent" (siloam) to speak to the spiritually blind.> The Pharisees remained in the dark. Why?    Honest conviction? No, then Jesus would not have condemned them.    Feeling threatened? Probably      • Jesus was a threat to their spiritual authority (and         thereby their worldly power).    They chose to remain blind... This leads us to our       "Lenten Question" of the week...> "Have we chosen (are we even now choosing) easy blindness over a difficult sight?"    Truths about ourselves, others, our situation...       sometimes it is "easier" to not admit things to ourselves> But Jesus calls us to live in the light!    I want to be like the man Jesus healed, confronting the       source of his shame, even in having the worst happen       not letting his newfound freedom falter!

 Encounters with Jesus: A Pharisee at Midnight John 3:1-17 Just as Jesus entered into this world as a helpless infant, so do we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven by the grace and mercy of God, helpless to deliver ourselves into a new birth.  This vulnerability before God is dificult for some, especially the "accomplished" who are accustomed to trusting in their own efforts and maintaining control.    

Led into Temptation  Matthew 4:1-11             The Season of Lent HAS to begin with the Temptation   > The great point of Hebrews 4:15 - " This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." (NLT)   > It significantly effected Jesus; just look at the Lord's prayer:     * "Lead us not into temptation"     * "Give us our daily bread"     * "Thy Kingdom come on earth"   > Jesus was the only one who could have shared this story   Where is the evil or the harm in these requests?   > Stone to bread = feeding of 5,000; Physical safety = Resurrection; Authority now = Authority after the Resurrection   > Malcolm Muggeridge - What should the messiah look like?     * People's messiah?     * Torah messiah     * Kingly messiah?     * Certainly NOT the Suffering messiah!   Satan was tempting Him with a quick, non-suffering way to achieve the aims of the incarnation, the crown without the cross, to be human without the bad parts, to be the superhero rather than the Messiah   > Isn't that often temptation's way, offering us the shortcut to security or pleasure that are in themselves good, but can be grasped in the hurtful, destructive way?   > But looking over your own history, don't you sometimes wish God had been the conquering superhero, rather than the gentle Father?  Why does God seem to sit on His hands?     * Yet would we not find, like Elijah, that the Lord was not in the Wind, the Earthquake, or the Fire, but in the Still, Small Voice?     * Satan was tempting Jesus to do things his way, the way that forces obedience rather than the way that encourages Love   > "Yet what was offered Thee? There are three powers, three powers alone, able to conquer and to hold captive for ever the conscience of these impotent rebels [humans] for their happiness; those forces are miracle, mystery and authority. Thou hast rejected all three and hast set the example for doing so." - Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov   > Satan's power is external and coercive; God's is internal and persuasive   > Phillip Yancey, in The Jesus I Never Knew, "Only Love can summon the response of Love"  Yes. Coercive power would only compel fear...   Jesus chose...   > God's kingdom, God's will, God's methods that promote love rather than compel fear   > The path of self-sacrifice, the hard but GOOD path, the path that leads us to grace

Transfigured Before Them  Matthew 17:1-9             Do you like surprises?    > Probably depends on the kind...   > The disciples had their share in Matthew 16 & 17:     * In chapter 16, Jesus began to share the news of His death and resurrection. Peter rebuked (!) Jesus, and was compared to Satan. And Peter had identified Jesus as the Messiah.   > Then in 17, the Transfiguration:     * Always a little surprising, maybe because we're not sure what to make of it     * Significant but mysterious, almost like a parentheses "(...)"     * Let's try an "old preacher's trick," and move from reader to participant...   Viewing the Transfiguration...   > As a reader of Scripture:     *  Is this "solving" the problem of 16:28? "And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”     * He does look like the Jesus of the book of Revelations...     * Jesus is standing "framed" by Moses and Elijah, by the "Law and the Prophets" (Elijah must come first? The "two witnesses" of Revelations?)     * But wait, we're on a "high place"...     * Moses on a mountain?  Mt. Sinai?  The giving of the Law?  Seeing God's "receding glory" as He passed by?     * Elijah on a mountain?  He was also on Mt. Sinai in 1 Kings 19:11-12 “Go out and stand before me on top of the mountain,” the Lord said to him. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks—but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake there was a fire—but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice."     * The "high place" was where Moses and Elijah met with God.  And here is Jesus transfigured before them...   > As the disciples:     * Expecting Jesus had come to defeat the Romans and institute God's (military) rule on Earth, their thoughts might have been, "well, FINALLY!"     * Jesus, transfigured, on a high place (maybe in the clouds?) would have fit right in line with their expectations of the Messiah.  Next would come the wrath of God on the unbelievers (us!).     * Basically, after the shock, they would have set back to watch God move into long-awaited action     * They were expecting to be spectators     * Are we different when we think "the Day of the Lord"?   > As Jesus     * Hard to imagine ourselves there, "into" the mind of the Transfigured Lord who is never more "Other" than now     * But we do know this: He knew what was to follow.     * He knew Peter would betray Him     * He knew the cross was before Him     * This was the "tragedy" of the Transfiguration, this moment of power and glory, before the trip down the mountain into pain and sacrifice...   The Unexpected Triumph   > Up until this point, the Old Testament program for the Day of the Lord was going forward without a hitch.      * As Peter proved, even when Jesus tried to tell them about His suffering and death, they couldn't seem to "hear" Him     * The Transfiguration had to leave the 3 disciples wondering, "why did the glory fade?"   > We are the true parentheses...     * The Gospel, grace, Christianity, the dying-and-rising Messiah...  All of this hidden in, yet perfectly consistent with, the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible)     * God "pressed the pause button" on the Day of Vengeance, to usher in the Day of Redemption for each of us.   > No better way to head into Lent, a time of self examination and humbling ourselves before God, than to be thankful for this extraordinary chance we have been given, this amazing Promise of Life in Christ!