Anticipation of the New Year

I am so not ready for this new year coming.  I have just gotten used to writing 2008 on my checks and now I have to put 2009.  There are so many things that I want to do and hoped to have them done in 2008.  Now I will put the effort into going forward into 2009.  2008 was a wonderful year for Nancy and I as well as our children and grandchildren.  I am looking forward to 2009 for more of the same.

I do want to share the bible verse for today.  As I do, I would ask that you would reflect on what it says to you and what it can mean for this coming year in your life and the life of your church.

John 1:6-7, "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him."  NRSV

What struck me were two statements.  A man sent from God and that he came as a witness to testify to the light.  The first statement about being sent from God.  Have you ever thought that you were sent by God?  Sometimes when I take the time to reflect on this statement, I am awe that maybe God sent me to be a witness.  Scripture states that even before we were born God knew us and had ordained us.  Even as I write this shivers come over me that God would know me and ordain me.  Being anointed by God should answer all questions about what my purpose must be in life.  It is to be a witness for God.

When I was ordained as an Elder in the United Methodist Church and the Bishop and the members of the Board of Ordained Ministry laid hands on me, it was an experience that I will never forget.  Yet, sometimes I may doubt that God laid his hands on me to be His witness.  He has also laid His hands on you.  What is so awe inspiring about this, is that we can be witnesses to God in so many ways.  We can witness in music, in our work, in our play, in our prayers, and in our studies.  God has put upon our hearts that desire to praise God and to share our praise with others.

I don't know how many times I have heard (even sometimes in the past I had said), I can't evangelize.  I don't have the words, I am scared, I am embarrassed about talking about my faith, and I don't want to push my faith onto others.  If we place our faith in our God, God will see us through.  Even if we don't have the words, we can testify in our deeds.  I no longer can say that I cannot do this.  I believe it is the purpose that God has place upon me and placed upon you.  We do not have to be perfect to live to this purpose.

So think about last year 2008, were there times that you witnessed through words or deeds of the glory of God, the light in the dark world.  As we go forward to 2009, are we willing to share the good news with those around us?  That would be a great New Year's resolution.

Peace be with you and those you love.  Talk to you next year.

John 1:1

"In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God and the Word was God." GNT.

This begins the Gospel of John.  The first 14 verses called the prolog frame what the writer of the Gospel wants to say about who Jesus was and his relationship to God.  What I find interesting is that the writer begins with "In the beginning," connecting what is happening with the Incarnate Deity with Genesis 1:1.  Jesus represents this Word translated as Logos in Greek and Sophia in Hebrew.  Jesus is the Wisdom of God.  God spoke and creation happened.  God spoke and Jesus happened.  God continues to speak to us today as each day becomes a new creation.  God's Wisdom is available to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and in the Holy Spirit.  Each gospel starts at a different way of presenting who Christ is.  Matthew starts with a genealogy and talks about Joseph and the birth.  Luke starts with Mary and the birth.  Mark starts with the baptism of Jesus.  Only John presents Jesus as being part of the very act of creation and representing the Wisdom incarnate.

So what makes that so important.  For me, I find it comforting that Jesus is someone I can count on no matter what happens in my life.  Jesus was present prior to creation, in the creation act, lived among us, and continues to be with us.  I don't find much else that has the sense of permanence.  Even in science, what was assumed to be unalterable truth, becomes changed with new discoveries.  Most scientists would admit that there is much they do not know or comprehend.  I believe that even with the new discoveries there are more questions than answers.  When I was teaching sociology at a state college, I remember one sociologist that stated that the social reforms that are seen to solve the problems we face, become the social problems of the future.

There is nothing that lasts forever except God.  I need a foundation that I can depend on that is unshakable and eternal.  That does not mean that there is not change or evolution in creation.  It does mean that there are truths of which we are not completely aware of that is the aim of God.  These truths which as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, we only see partially will become evident in God's eternal reign.

So in a world of evolving change, I can find solace that though I believe change is inevitable that there are some truths that do so evolve.  So as I evolve as a Christian I can turn to my limited understanding of those truths as my foundation.  I believe those truths are found in Scripture and are inspired by God's Word or Wisdom to help all of us live a more faithful and fruitful life until the Kingdom comes.  Thanks be to God, in Jesus name.  Amen.

Psalm 147:1

"Praise the Lord!  How good it is to sing praises to our God: for he is gracious and a song of praise is fitting." NRSV

What if every morning and every evening one would start and end the day with singing praises to God. Imagine what the day and evening might be like.  Would you find the day to go easier and your rest at night be better?  I know that when I make the effort to thank God for the day that is yet to come and at night spend time praising and thanking God for the day that was, I sleep better and I find that the day seems to go smoother.  Not saying that there are no problems that come up and that I have to deal with, but somehow I find ways to resolve the issues and am not so turn up by them.  I am more creative and energetic and less tired when I make the effort.  I also noticed that when I get caught up in the daily routine without starting the day off with praise, that I am not as energetic and become more distracted and accomplish less.

Saying that I know that in my life I can get out of habits far more easily than I can get into habits.  For instance, this past week with my children and grand children staying out the house I did not exercise nor was I as diligent in my prayers.  I also have found in more difficult to stay with my eating plan.  So I need reminders to get back on track not only with the physical aspect of my life but also the spiritual.  I need reminding that it is good to sing praises to God and to remember his graciousness.  What a blessing it is to have each day presented to us as a new opportunity and a new creation.  What we choose to do with that day is up to us.  Sing forth praises to our Lord with thanksgiving and exuberance.

I also want to comment on someone who wrote me after the blog last Saturday.  The person mentioned that sometimes it is easier to remember the blessings of God in everyday events when one is not surrounded by an abundance of material things.  I agree that is often the case.  Though I know of those who are able to see beyond things to reach out to God and to share with others.  I mentioned in my comment back that my good friend Dennis who was a missionary often spoke the radical hospitality that he experienced from many people who had very little.  He also stated that they were often so thankful for what we would call the little things.  I also believe that we no matter our social status can take time to be thankful for the blessings of God and to share those with others without judgment.

Psalm 148: 11-13

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and women alike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of the Lord. Ps. 148: 11-13

Are there times that you might feel that others should be responsible for praising God. Sometime I wonder just who is responsible for praising God. It is interesting that whenever I go somewhere, it is often expected that I would be the one who gives the blessing. The psalmist reminds us that we are all responsible for praising God. There are no special people who are to praise God to the exclusion of others. There is no age limit, no gender differences, no social status preferences.
I have been thinking about what are some of the obstacles that interfere with my praising God. I have noticed that lately I have been struggling with focusing on all the negatives in my life. These include not only dealing with other people but also with dealing with myself. Sometimes it seems easier to think badly about me than to acknowledge the things that I do well. I seem to spend more time dealing with the few negative thoughts and feelings than I do with the more positive thoughts and feelings. Much like not praising God for the changes and wonderful people who are close to me. And when I spend so much time dealing with these negative thoughts, I find that I am not as likely to praise God.
The entire Psalm as I blogged last night can fill that piece that I may feel is missing in my life. Recognizing that all of creation is praising God means that even if I have a difficult time doing so and I can lean on others praise to help see me through the difficult times. Having the strength that I can receive from others, I can lift my voice in praise. I hope that in your lives no matter where you are you can lift your voice in praise to the Lord.
Here is my prayer:
God see beyond my flaws and strengthen me to witness to your glory. Let your hand guide me and send me your spirit to direct me. Bestow on me Your vision, your will not mine. Guard me from my self-doubts and lead me to the calm waters. Clothe me in your righteousness. This I ask in the name of your Son, So be it.

Ideas from this coming Sunday lectionary

This Sunday I will be looking at what has moved our lives in 2008 and what will move our lives in 2009. The Psalm I will be preaching on is from Psalm 148. As I was working with the Psalm I came across the following perspective by Stephen Farris found in Feasting on the Word. I was struck by what he had to say even though I am taking a different tack.
He stated that there are two words that seem to sum up the psalm. One is comprehensive: from angels to creeping things, from shining stars to the frost under our feet, all are to praise the Lord. But the second word is exuberance. The psalm is one great shout of gratitude for the goodness of God and the wonder of creation.
He goes on to state that children receive Christmas gifts from grandparents or uncles and aunts and you can make the child get on the phone and say "Thank you," but a good parent instinctively knows that the words alone are not enough. The thanks are incomplete without gratitude.
The question he proposes for us is how do we show our gratitude to what God has done. Is gratitude something learned by seeing others being gracious, being surrounded by others love, and seeing how others treat one another with concern and care?
Another concern is that for many this is a difficult time of the year and sometimes it is hard to find the voice to lift up praises. Kimberly Clayton states, "Sometimes the word or song of praise gets silenced by a lump in our throat, as though we have swallowed too much grief or sorrow or loneliness to utter a sound. What happens when we ourselves are too sad or too weak to offer praise to God? This psalm exclaims that hopeful, comforting message that we are not isolated or alone in our vocation of praise. From start to finish, Psalm 148 places us within a vast, diverse universe where continual praise is being offered to God: Angels and stars, fire and frost, wild and domesticated animals, men and women, young and old, wealthy and poor... join in the terrestrial/celestial symphony of praise. So when our own song or spirit is silenced, praise still fills the space all around us."
I know that for me, I need to remember that God is present whether or not I am present to God. It is hopeful and helpful to remember all that God has done and continues to do in my life. Much like a child needing to remember to be grateful and thankful, so do I and so do you.
I would also like to let people know that starting Sunday I will be offering a reflection on scriptural verses every day for the next year. My desire is to do this daily. In our church, our leaders of the various committees will receive a devotional book and calendar that they will hopefully use in their committee meetings and in their lives. I will be using the calendar "Journeying Through the Days" from the Upper Room. I would like to have those who read this blog to share their insights to the various scriptures that are discussed. We can learn so much from one another. As I can I will try to comment if desired to those who write back. We are on a journey together and can support one another in our coming and going.
God Bless.

Post Christmas

I hope all have had a great Christmas. I know that having all my family, both kids their spouses and all my grand kids was great. On Christmas day they all took off to go to their in-laws and are expected back Saturday-Monday. The mix of family and church often is exhilarating and is tiring at the same time. Today i was able to sleep in for the first time in several days. I was also surprised that over the holiday I lost 2 pounds. So all the cookies and sweets that still around have not shown up yet. Having family who can eat most of them helps.
Christmas eve services went well. I continue to reflect on Jesus' earthly family. They could have complained and refused to listen to God at any time of the story. Yet, they did not and were so open to the changes that God brought into their lives. They risked scandal, people saying judgmental things about them and even calling them names. They traveled in the last month of Mary's pregnancy to a small town giving up their livelihood. They were homeless and jobless. Yet they never complained and made the best of their situation. They never expected anything from others even when they received the gifts that they did.
I wonder if I would be so willing to make the decisions that they did and never complain. Sometimes it makes me reflect on what really matters. Maybe what I got or did not get pales to what Jesus' family faced. There are many families who can identify with the Mary and Joseph. They too are jobless, homeless, and wonder if they will have enough to feed their children. My friend Dennis who was a missionary often spoke of the generous spirit of those who were the poorest of the poor. They would share their meager resources with others. In fact often were more generous than those who had an abundance of resources.
This day after Christmas let us thank God for what God has done for us and ask what is it that we can do for those in our community and throughout the world who may be like Christ's family without jobs and homes.

Merry Christmas- Love came to us this day

To complete the verses on God's love and to celebrate Christmas, the verse for today is John 3:16. "This is how much god loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life (The Message)."
God came to us this day and continues to come to us every day because He loves us. God does not need to love us but the very essence of God is love. What God wants is for us to believe in that love. It is not a matter of judgment, rather it is an opportunity to have a whole and lasting life. Not just in some future event but rather a whole and lasting life today. I like the way Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message paraphrase. We do not need to be destroyed nor do we need to destroy others. Jesus came to us to show that there is another way of living our lives in the full life that God has bestowed on us.
Make this Christmas a pledge to live as believers and to love those around us this day and every day not just family, church, but also those we encounter in our day to day lives.

Love 3

Today's verse is 1 John 4:9. "This is the revelation of God's love for us, that God sent his only Son into the world that we might have life through him."
Is this not what Christmas is about. God coming to us so that we may have life. What more could we ask for. In a world that is full of darkness, the only hope that I see is in the life of Jesus Christ and the promises of the covenant God has written on our hearts. Can you imagine any other power that is greater than God or has done anything in this world to better the world? Some may say science, technology, laws, government have done so. Yet, I would challenge you to look around and say is what we witness in the world what you imagine for your children and their children and their children's children. I don't see what the worldly powers have done to eliminate poverty, to feed the masses, to offer hope in areas of the world where hope is often absent. It is through God that the greater good can happen.
I am not suggesting that there are not religions that twist and manipulate the word of God to fit their own agendas. Rather let us in our belief of our Messiah Jesus live according to his teachings and to God's purposes. Than that revelation of love God has sent can be shared with those around us.

Love 2

Today the scripture on love comes from 1 John 4:7. "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
As I reflect on this season of love and love evident, this verse strikes me about this season. I had written in our newsletter that maybe one of the greatest gifts we could give one another is forgiveness. I believe that the only way we can offer that gift is if we love one another. The love that God shows us in Jesus Christ becomes for me the love that is all encompassing. Knowing that God's love has been extended to me allows me to share that love with others. According to 1 John, that can happen only because we are born of God and know God.
This season of love what are some of the ways that you can extend love to one another. Last Wednesday we talked about having a gentle spirit. In the hustle and bustle of this season, maybe one way we can be a messenger of love is through gentleness, kindness, patience, generosity, peace and most of all filled with joy.

Love 1

I was reading the insert that we have for our bulletins called Taking Faith Home. One of the suggestions was to read certain scriptures each day leading to Christmas Morn as a family and talk about the passage. The ending of the time was to say Our Household is a circle that is held together by God's love. Come, Lord Jesus, and fill us with your love. Amen.
The first scripture verse comes from Psalm 36:5. I am quoting from the TNIV:
"Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."
Have you thought about the extant of God's love. Especially at this time of year. There is no end to it. A circle is a best way of imagining it if one can imagine a circle the contains all of the universe and beyond. There is no beginning or end to God's love. There is no place that God's love is not. Wherever we may be in our personal lives as well as places, God's love is already there and available. That is what makes this time of year so awesome. God who is present everywhere choose the particular to come to be with us. And in that birth to show us what love can look like for us. Stay tuned for the verse for tomorrow.
May God bless you and your family, friends, and church community during this time of Advent.

The hectic pace of Advent

I was reading in one of my devotionals about the hectic pace of Advent as a call to confession. I found this in This Day by Stookey. I wanted to share it with you as I have felt that push to be so busy that somewhere I have lost some sense of remembering. Here is what Stookey had to say:

The pressures of scheduling, that many people feel during Advent cause us to recall the opening words of a poem by William Wordsworth:
The World is too much with us; late and soon,
getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature is ours.
As we rush from one social engagement to another, as we shop, and travel, and bake, and cook, and decorate, and send cards, and wrap gifts, the world seems far too much with us. And yet, that world is the very world God loved so much as to send Jesus into it! So in some sense the world is not with us enough, if our getting and spending distract us from it.
Ironically, even the Advent tasks of the church can distract us: the many services and the necessary preparation for them, the added social gatherings within the congregation--even these can put us further out of contact with the world God so loves. Thus Advent may compel us to confess:
O Lord, in preparing to see you more fully we have allowed ourselves to be blinded to the presence we are already capable of recognizing. Forgive us for putting, second matters first, for being distracted rather than edified. Remove from us all that competes with your way for us. Quiet us down, that we may be still and know that you are God, that in silence we may hear your Word with new clarity and keep it with new intensity. Grant this for the sake of Jesus, whom we would worship in spirit and in truth. Amen.

Twas a week before Christmas

It is hard to believe that a week from today is Christmas Eve. I am in the preparation for the services that night. At the same time, I am trying to take some time to reflect on where God is leading me. I have felt for a long time that God is leading us to re-examine what is our purpose as a church. A comment was made in a meeting that the purpose for what we do was to fill our pews. I was struck with that statement and failed to comment on that. As I have had time to reflect, our purpose is not to fill our pews but to make disciples of Jesus Christ who will transform our world. In fact I would even go to making committed disciples of Jesus Christ who will transform our world. I am always amazed as to how much emphasis is placed on having numbers rather than disciples making up the church. I believe that if a person is given the opportunity to become a committed disciple of Christ the pews will fill themselves. It is almost having the cart in front of the horse.

Maybe that is why Jesus did not start with building a new church or synagogue but rather started with teaching and living the good news with his followers. His emphasis, especially found in the transfiguration, was not to build tabernacles, temples, or even tents. His commission to us was to make disciples throughout the world, teaching them what he has taught us, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For three hundred years there were no churches. People met in their homes or in the catacombs. When we who are called to be disciples begin to reach out to others in word and deed, we become what God has ordained.

This Christmas may be a time of reflecting on the stories found in the Gospels about Jesus, not only his birth, but what that may mean for you and I. Take some time this Christmas to spend with family and friends and share the good news of Christ. That will do more to fill the pews than anything else.

Advent article for the church newsletter

I wanted to put the entire article that I had written for our church newsletter. I made copies for the congregation but in the mailing half of what I had written was left off. Actually the first half was repeated twice. So here is the article and the rest of the story.
From the Pastor’s desk December

Everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by Christmas decorations and displays. As we anticipate this holiday season, I would ask what is it that would make the perfect gift for you and your family. We spend a lot of time looking for just the right gift to give to others whether spouses, significant others, children, co-workers and friends. We look to make that gift be special and meaningful. Sometimes we will spend a great deal of time just to find that special gift.
Here at the church we have many opportunities to give to those in our community as well as to children throughout the world to make this holiday season be a special Christmas. We finished our Operation Christmas Child and collected 32 packages to send overseas to children throughout the world. We are collecting new toys and other gifts for the Tri-Community United Methodist Church so that those in our community can share in the choosing of gifts that are so special for children and for children to share with their parents. We are collecting Stocking stuffers of socks, underwear, toiletries for the Open Door Mission and for Together, Inc. We have our mitten and hat tree for children here in Sarpy County. We have many opportunities to share our blessings for so many. This is especially of concern today as the economical worries surround us. Those who are most effected by the recession are those who are the hourly laborers. Omaha has been spared so far from the extreme effects of the economy but many will still have problems getting gifts for their special some ones.
This is also a time of anticipation for us. Throughout Advent, we will be looking at the times and concerns of the early church and the times of Jesus’ birth. They too were difficult times with many worries. What amazes me is that it was in such times that God chose to come to us. That God gave us the greatest gift that any of us could ever have and that was His Son. God gave us the gift of forgiveness. Jesus was born and lived so that he could offer himself as a sacrifice of love, the ultimate act of forgiveness. What a special gift that we have been given. In the midst of our shopping for that special gift for our special some one, I would like to encourage everyone to spend some time reflecting on what it means for us to receive such a gift. Maybe the perfect gift might be to seek out someone and to share forgiveness with them. To no longer hold onto past hurts but to share the love Jesus commanded us to show to one another. We discussed in our bible study the idea would we want to have God act towards us the way we sometimes act towards others.
Advent is the beginning of the church year. So maybe our Christmas resolution would be to give the gift of forgiveness to someone now.
May this Christmas be a joyous occasion. May you find the peace of God’s grace be with you. For in Jesus is that perfect gift for us all, we need no other.
Pastor Eldon
I hope that the message is one that we can all relate. We are called to forgive others as God has forgiven us. Spend some time thinking about that special person that you need to ask for forgiveness and extend the opportunity for reconciliation. That is what God has done in Christmas to us.

Monday morning musings

I am writing this following our children's service. What was wonderful about the service is that the program was the re-telling of the birth story of Jesus from Matthew and Luke. I have had many people comment so often about the Christmas season being one of shopping, feasting, family, and often not one of remembering what the holiday is supposed to be about. Christmas was been preempted by our secular society. What is interesting is that this is not new. I am reading a book on the Battle over Christmas. The author traces the concerns about Christmas throughout history especially looking at 1600's in England and the United States.
The early church did not celebrate the birth of Christ for many centuries. It was only after concerns about pagan celebrations that Christmas began to be celebrated. December was chosen even though from what we can determine in Scripture the actual birth of Jesus probably occurred in the spring nearer to Passover. December was chosen as there was a major Roman festival, Saturnus, around the winter solstice. The festival was one of excessive drinking, immorality. It was also a time when the poor of the people were not expected to work and that the well-to-do were to offer charity to the poor.
The early church struggled with the immorality of the season and came up with the idea of celebrating the birth of Christ at the same time. As one can see, there are similarities in the way we celebrate now as well as then, with the festival. Over the years that tradition continued. In England and the States this continued to be a time of excessive drinking and other vices. In fact the Puritans banned celebration of Christmas in the Northeastern states for over 60 years. Their concern was that Christmas was not scriptually based and led to nothing but problems.
The other major insight about Christmas as we celebrate this holiday in the US is Santa Claus. The idea of Santa probably did not come from the Dutch Saint Nicholas. Our image of Santa was the marketing idea of Macy's in the late 1800's.
Today we have been so inundated with secular and pagan imagery combined with Christian symbols it is difficult to tell where one begins and one ends. To have a festival to celebrate the beginning of the light returning to our hemisphere and for the harvest, is by itself not wrong. To insist that this has to do with the birth of Christ in the way we celebrate, is cause for reflection on all of our parts. Sharing with those who are less fortunate should not be a one time of year process but occur daily. That is why it was so important for us to remember the stories that supposed to shape us. It is not a matter of either or but of and both.

Advent reflection

We have started on our Advent Journey. I continue to reflect on what we discussed last Sunday as being prepared and being awake. We really do know what lies ahead but sometimes we allow ourselves to get so sidetracked that we fail to do what we know we are to do. I guess that this came home to me this morning as I went to a Weight Watchers meeting to weigh in. This is a time of year where if we do not spend time remembering who we are we can easily become so complacent and we fail to do the things that we are to do. I had set a goal of a certain weight by Christmas so that I can live a healthier life. Today I achieved that goal because I kept in mind what I needed to do using the skills the group has taught me. It is one thing to have a goal and another to actually work on that goal. Too often we set goals as to what we want to see and then believe it is going to happen without commitment and work.
The same is true about our church. If we want to truly live to our vision of sharing our gifts and growing the faith, we need to set goals as to what would that look like. Much as I set a specific measurable goal we need to begin the process of doing the same. As we do that, it means that we will often encounter times of trial and times of change. I believe that if we want to grow the faith we need to be willing to commit to doing just that for each of us. We were talking in our bible study group the importance of belonging to a small group. History has shown that any growth in the faith has always started as a small group of believers who commit themselves to live as disciples of Christ. Yet, in most churches that are established churches less than 40% of the people belong to some sort of small group. For you the reader are you involved in some small group whether church related or not that involves a commitment to make the world a better place for all people.
I also believe that when we commit ourselves to God's Will change is going to happen. Structures will be changed and the way we have done things in the past will no longer suffice. The question is are we willing to sacrifice my view to focus on God's call. We pray all the time for God's Will be done. Even in the garden Jesus prayed in anquish as to what lay ahead regarding his passion and he asked God if this cup could be passed but he ended it Not my will but Thine Will be done. As we look at the changes that are coming, we need to look at whether our desires are preventing or building the kingdom.

Shoppers provide a reason for hope

The above title was the lead article in the Saturday World Herald. It had a picture of people running into Nebraska Furniture Mart as if this was a major sprint. I was struck by the title of the article and the implications that it implied. Somehow all of our hope is based on what happens with the glut of spending that occurs on Black Friday. I am not against people trying to find ways of saving money or for retailers to make a profit. What concerns me if the reinforcement of excessive spending that created the economic problems that we face today. It was on page three of the newspaper that reported that in New York an employee of Walmart was trampled to death by people breaking into the store. Several other employees were hurt and one lady who was pregnant was likewise trampled that not seriously hurt. Tell me again what is the hope that is in this act. The people became upset that they could not continue to shop after they murdered someone.
I remember reading about pilgrims in other countries that are going to their holy shrines. Sometimes they get excited and trample people often killing some who fall. I would think about that mob psychology and wonder about their faith and compassion for others. Black Friday seems to have recently taken on a similar issue where people are only concerned about themselves and are worshipping the early morning sales. We may have to give employees hazardous pay for risking their lives on this Friday.
I realize that what happened in New York does not happen here. Though one shopper who was interviewed stated that the only reason he was here was for the sale items. Maybe one idea would be to offer products at reasonable prices and have a large number of them on hand so that there is not this stampede to get what one wants.
The other concern I have is that this is a time that we need to remember our hope does not rest in the latest bargain, the cheapest price, the newest gadget but rests in God. What we have or don't have pales in comparison to remembering what God has done for us in coming to us in Jesus Christ. Should not our hope rest in our savior. Could our hope not rest in sharing with others. I hope that the retailers are able to continue to make enough money to offer their services, but I tell you that my hope and I believe our nation's hope rest not on Black Friday but on Easter Sunday.

Thanksgiving wishes

Nancy and I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. My prayer for all is that this day is one of remembering our blessings, sharing with friends and family, and also sharing with those whose Thanksgiving Day may not be one of abundance.
Eldon

Preparation for Thanksgiving and Advent

I wanted to share with you some scriptures that came from our inserts for our bulletins called Taking Faith Home. Today the scriptures came from Acts and how the first Christians cared for the needy. As I was reading these scriptures, I was also reading about how this Thanksgiving is going to be a challenge for many families who face lay offs, loss of discretionary money, and foreclosures. There are already even here in Nebraska an increase in people needing help with food. This is especially hard this time of year for families with children to not have enough for even a turkey dinner or to enjoy the time of year but find it instead full of anxiety and fears.

The scriptures are the following:

Acts 2:42-47
41-42That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
43-45Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.
46-47They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.


·Acts 4:32-35
32-33The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, "That's mine; you can't have it." They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.
34-35And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person's need.

It was interesting as we had discussed in our bible study how difficult it can be to let go of our possessions and focus instead on our relationship to God and to one another. We were reading from the Gospel of John chapter 17. We discussed some of the efforts many are doing to try to make this Thanksgiving truly be one of thanksgiving for those who have faced difficult times. There have been many examples in the news about people coming together to provide dinners for families and even a time to gather as a community to share with one another.

I do feel it is important to celebrate with family and to have a common meal with one another. At the same time, we need to remember those who have little to nothing. I would challenge us to take some of what we would spend on ourselves and to donate a portion of that to a charity of your choice or to the Salvation Army or Open Door Mission and even to the Tri-Community pantry, Together, Inc. There are many whose Thanksgiving could be one of joy rather than one of hunger.

Kindness

This Wednesday I will be reflecting on the fruit of kindness. The scriptures that I will be using in the reflection come from Romans 2:1-10 and Ephesians 4:25-5:2. What struck about the idea about kindness is that being kind and supportive of each other comes from God's kindness that God shows to us. Reading these scriptures starting with Romans begins to remind us that we are in the need of God's kindness which leads us to redemption. This is what John Wesley would call previenent grace.
Maybe due to the amount of unkindness that has been displayed in the last few months in our nation regarding the political campaigns and even continuing today, I have been concerned about what can we do to change the toxic atmosphere that we live in. Examples abound not just between political parties but also within the political party. An example is the way Sarah Palin is being treated by the supposedly advisers and even the way she is responding. It is human when one loses an important event to project the blame of the loss onto someone else rather than going on. This can also be the problem with winners as well.
I would like to propose that kindness does come first from God in God's willingness to forgive us our sins. We are to respond to that kindness by being kind to one another. Ephesians 4:29-32 speaks to that. "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, to that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you."
Our nation needs words for building up not tearing down and not laying blame. Wouldn't it be wonderful to work to the point of using our lives, our words, our acts that would give grace to those around us and to share the Kindness that God has shown us.

Sharing an email that was sent to me

I received this email from one of my congregation members. I was touched by it as I have been looking at ways of living my faith. It is in the little things that make so much difference. Lori thank you for sharing with me.
Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.' When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change.' The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town?' 'Yes' he replied. 'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.' When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.' Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian.'Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
If you do not pass this on to somebody, nothing bad will happen; but, if you do, you would have ministered to someone.
The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not PROTECT you...
Stay FAITHFUL and be GRATEFUL

Post election

I don't know about any of you but I am so glad this election is over. I am sure that there will be arm chair quarterbacks who will debate ad infinitum about what went right and what went wrong for their candidates. I would like to propose a sabbath from political discussions for at least one day. Instead let us focus on what we can do to bring about healing in a hurting world, peace with justice, and most of all sharing the blessings of grace that have been given each one of us. The presidential campaign has gone on too long and has been so negatively run that it has done more to split and polorize people than to speak to issues that we are facing as a nation. It is time to cease and become the great nation that we can be.
Join me in this cause for at least one day. I would propose that this Sunday be a day of Thanksgiving and healing. For one day let us not talk politics for one day. Maybe it could catch on and we could take a sabbath from political statements and work towards becoming more involved with our families, our churches, synagogues, temples, and even to spend time enjoying this world God has created for us.
We could start early and spread the idea.

Peace

As I am sitting here, I have continued to reflect on the fruits of the spirit. Next week I will be talking about patience. I continue to see that the passage in Galatians that started this series builds on one another. That is why love is listed first, joy next, peace and now patience. If we are to find peace either as one comment was as a process not outcome we need to be rooted in love of God and love of neighbor as Jesus commanded. As we strive for the perfection as Wesley called it of love, we experience joy and find peace both inner and in community.
Sunday is All Saints Sunday where we honor those who have been so instrumental in our church and community who have gone home. The gospel lesson comes from Matthew 5:1-12 the beatitudes. This will be the start of a series of sermons on being thankful. Actually I had asked people October 26th to remember what they are thankful about especially in these difficult times. One way of helping ease our anxieties is to remember how God has blessed us with family, friends, work, and our nation and community. When we take time to remember, I believe that there can be moments of peace in our prayers of thankfulness.
Shalom to all of you
Eldon

comments from John Wesley about economy

I came across this from our newsletter at the umcneb.org. I thought it was interesting to read especially applying this to our present economic situation.
Commentary: John Wesley's advice on the economy Oct. 16, 2008 A UMNS Commentary By J. Richard Peck*The year was 1772 as John Wesley addressed a letter to the editor of "Lloyd's Evening Post" regarding the causes of and cures for high unemployment, food shortages and dismal economic conditions.More than two centuries later, the United States is struggling with a meltdown on Wall Street, skyrocketing gas prices and inadequate health care. But our diminished economy would scarcely rival that of England in 1772.Wesley, who was 69 at the time, starts by asking why. "Why are thousands of people starving--perishing for want, in every part of England?"The founder of the Methodist movement then describes the London situation: "I have known those who could only afford to eat a little coarse food every other day. I have known one picking up stinking sprats from a dunghill, and carrying them home for herself and her children. I have known another gathering the bones, which the dogs had left in the streets, and making broth of them, to prolong a wretched life."Examining the causes Wesley blamed several English practices for the impoverished state of the nation: 1. The wasteful use of grain to produce alcohol. "Have we not reason to believe that half of the wheat produced in the kingdom is every year consumed, not by so harmless a way as throwing it into the sea, but by converting it into deadly poison-poison that naturally destroys, not only the strength and life, but also the morals of our countrymen."2. Wealthy people who need horses for sport, pleasure and export. "Most of the considerable farmers, particularly in the northern counties, who used to breed large numbers of sheep or horned cattle, and frequently both, no longer trouble themselves with either sheep, or cows, or oxen; as they can turn their land to far better account, by breeding horses alone. Such is the demand, not only for coach and chaise horses, which are bought and destroyed in incredible numbers; but much more for bred horses, which are yearly exported by hundreds, yea thousands, to France."3. Unproductive large farms had replaced small family farms, causing a shortage of poultry, pork and eggs. "Every one of these little farmers kept a few swine, with some quantity of poultry; and, having little money, was glad to send his bacon, or pork, or fowls and eggs, to market continually. Hence, the markets were plentifully served, and plenty created cheapness; but, at present, the great, the gentlemen farmers, are above attending to these little things. They breed no poultry or swine, unless for their own use; consequently they send none to market."4. High taxes. "Enormous taxes are laid on almost everything that can be named. Not only abundant taxes are raised from earth, and fire, and water; but, in England, the ingenious statesmen have found a way to tax light. Only one element--air-- remains, and surely some man of honor will contrive to tax this also. For how long shall the saucy air blow in the face of a gentleman, nay, a lord, without paying for it?"5. The national debt. "Taxes are high because of the national debt. I have heard that the national expense, in the time of peace, was, sixty years ago, three million a year. Now the bare interest of the public debt amounts to above four million. To raise which, with the other expenses of government, those taxes are absolutely necessary."Identifying curesJohn Wesley believed that most of the economic problems of the day were caused by a growing disparity between the rich and the poor. Wesley felt the cure was to repress "luxury, either by example, by laws, or both." He asked legislators to establish laws that would prohibit the distillation of alcohol. While he lamented high taxes upon the poor and middle class, he called for additional taxes on luxury items such as horses and carriages. He suggested people be taxed on what they purchased rather than upon what they earned.He also expressed concern about future generations and called for a reduction of the national debt. In short, Wesley called for higher taxes upon the wealthy and laws that would prohibit the wasting of natural products. While Wesley did not tell the readers of "Lloyd's Evening Post" about his personal actions, he organized groups of Methodists to visit the London workhouses where poor people were housed and employed. The groups also provided worship services for the inmates, most of whom were children and elderly persons.Lessons learnedContemporary application of Wesley's advice would suggest that the U.S. Congress should reduce taxes on the poor and middle class, add taxes to luxury items, eliminate taxes upon necessities, introduce laws that govern the use of natural resources, and take steps to reduce the $10 trillion national debt-a debt that has increased by 71.9 percent over the last eight years.A record 28 million Americans are now receiving food stamps. While he did not write about his personal actions, John Wesley's life serves as an example to United Methodists about our personal obligation to care for poor and vulnerable persons through a variety of means.Using his own life as an example, Wesley also would suggest less reliance upon pharmaceuticals. While he experimented with alternative health practices, he rose each morning at 4 o'clock and relied heavily on an active life style. He lived to age 88.*Peck is a retired clergy member of the New York Annual Conference and the communications director of the Commission on Methodist Men.

Peace and justice

Tonight I will be reflecting on the fruit of peace that comes from the Spirit. Peace is a word that is so bandied about that sometimes we have lost connection with what that means. Is peace just the absence of war or hostility or is it something else entirely. Actually the words in Greek that denote peace are three. One deals with the inner feeling of calmness and serenity. Another deals with community. The third which is mostly used includes those ideas and also the idea of Shalom.
I have been reading this leadership book on Leadership and Self-deception. It is an interesting book and one that I would recommend to those who want to look at their leadership styles. There are some interesting aspects that deal with our own ethnocentric views that influence what others do and how they perceive one another. I have learned that some of the frustrations that I have had both in past and recent may be more of my issues than others. Concerns of control and people acting in ways of controlling ideas and people, I have always struggled with maybe because of the ways that without knowing I have done the same. The same is true about communication either the lack of or mis-communication that can sabotage the work that we are about. If you want to look at what that might be for you, read the book.
So what does this have to do with peace? Jesus talks about peace in the gospels. Peace would be letting go of my ways and seeking concord or community with the people around me. It means sitting at a common table and sharing from the same bread and cup. Peace helps set up truth not just on the outside but truth in our souls. Also peace is tied with justice. Isa 48.18 states that when justice is done peace will flow like a river. And Isa 32.16-19 states when peace is done justice will grow like a flower.
So in the midst of turmoil, chaos, and anxiety, may God's peace of shalom and justice be with you.

What can we depend on?

This Sunday I will be looking at what is it that we can depend on especially in time of turmoil throughout the world. It seems that the world continues to focus on fears, worries, wars, and what is wrong rather than focusing on what is going well. Political candidates malign each other rather than offer solutions to promote peace and stability. Even some of the religious experts spend more time attacking others than offering hope to those who are worried about what is happening in our nation and our country. No wonder people are worried and despairing.
With all of that going on, I was with a couple for dinner and they stated whether or not we have been so affected by the crisis. Certainly those who have a home, food, means of transportation, health insurance, and family and friends have not been so greatly effected. Those who lacked the above continue to lack the above and those who were close to being homeless have been affected by this current recession. This is the time that we need to rise above blaming and begin to look at what God is calling us to do with what we have. Our nation has faced tough economic times before and the way people survived was based more on cooperation and not on blame.
So what can we depend on but on God's continued love and mercy which never is dependent on the stock market or who is in any political office. As we face our choices especially as we come to this election year, rather than base our freedom to vote on fears, innuendos, and blame let us take time to reflect on what Jesus taught us and vote according to those principles. I would also suggest that we contact leaders of both parties and inform them that negative ads do more to create chaos and distrust in our nation towards each other. Enough is Enough!

Back from vacation

I have returned from vacation and from meetings the last two days. During the time that I was off, Nancy and I had the opportunity to visit other churches in the area. One was at Syracuse where Rev. Tony Dawson is appointed. Tony was one of the pastors who pushed me to consider being a pastor. His sermon dealt with letting our light shine. What was great was the idea that even in the most of the difficult times, we need to continue to remember what we should be thankful for and to appreciate those around us. I always find it interesting how the Spirit works as we went to Faith Westwood the next Sunday and Dr. Doug Delp was preaching on Living life passionately. He was using a resource to help shape his sermon series One Month to Live. He presented the ideas what would you do differently if you had only one month to live. Would you do things that you have been putting off? There is a book of daily meditations that deal with this topic. What would it take to live that way now rather than wait?
Interesting questions and insights from two very well done sermons. I found that there was a comfort in what both Tony and Doug had to offer in my life. Especially in today's economic crisis it would be easy to fall prey to worry and anxiety. I am not saying that there should be no concern about what is happening and there is a need to manage one's finances better. Yet, I wonder if that is the whole story of our time. Have we gotten so concerned about money that we have lost sense of paying attention to what God is doing now. I am also reading a book on Leadership and Self-Deception that talks about the way we live our lives in boxes that create problems with perceiving things that happen around us. When we do live in the box, we tend to be only concerned about ourselves and not others and when things go wrong or don't follow the way I believe they should go, I will blame everyone but myself. That way I can continue to justify my attitudes and behaviors.
Tonight I plan to speak to the fruits of the Spirit. We started with Love which is foundational. With listening to the sermons and reading the books that I am reading, this is more important than ever for us to model and to remember that God does Love us. Tonight we will be looking at Joy which arises out of love. This weekend at the services we will be looking at Psalm 90 and examining what can we count on in our lives.

Impactful churches

Tomorrow I will be preaching on Philippians 2:1-13 regarding what Paul had to say about what it means to be a church. I came across an article from Homiletics that discussed what a high impact church might look like. I decided to use much of what they had to say as it fit the series that I have been preaching on during the month of September. The focus has been on what it means to be a disciple and I found that this article and scripture helped bring it to an end about using all that previously was talked about and bringing to the level of what it means to use our gifts, be sincere in our love, bless others, rejoice, and not repay evil with evil, and last week was not being judgmental about others and honor the opinions of others and agree on the essentials. Now we take this to the church.
Paul writes that a church is most effective when we can be of like mind having the same love with one another, being one is spirit and purpose. As a church we have worked on reflecting on what is our purpose. Through those discussion and shared with all of the people we have decided that our purpose is to help others identify their gifts, discover their purpose, engage in mission, advance their faith, and live as a disciple. We have called this the IDEAL life. Our vision statement has been and continues to share our gifts and grow the faith. For me and often as written in the Gospels, faith is not a noun but actually in the Greek a verb. To be faithful means that we need to be willing to act on our faith. Sometimes that can be uncomfortable and can mean that we need to be willing to step out of our comfort zone.
By no means does this mean that we should not be thankful for all that we have and to enjoy our possessions. God does not mean for us to not have shelter, clothes for our children and food for our families. The concern is when we have made our possessions more important than our God or our faith. We need to be willing to take a stand and let Christ impact us, inspire us, and influence us. The importance of church is that no one can do it all. When we are able to be with others we can become more impactful in this world. Re-read Romans 12 and Romans 14. Let us be willing to be impactful as a church.

Just an update. If you have time read some of the articles from MSNBC.com regarding people's reaction to Wall Street.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded

I have been reading a new book by Thomas Friedman titled "Hot, Flat and Crowded, Why we need a green revolution and how it can renew America." He had also written "The World is Flat." This book focuses on the concerns of global warming, rapid expansion of the middle class world wide, and over population and the demands that has on resources of food, oil, and the carbon footprint of all of that. Whether or not one would agree with his ideas, he does present information that is needed to reflect on our rampant use and abuse of the world's resources. One such concern is in his chapter titled "Fill 'er up with dictators." He proposed that our dependence on oil from foreign countries actually decreases the move to freedom. He plotted the price of oil from 1979 to the lowest ebb of $16 a barrel to the increases of 2007 of $90 a barrel. He then plotted the major movements of freedom in the world. 1989 the Berlin Wall is torn down. Nigeria privatizes the first oil field in 1993, when oil was cheap Iran calls for dialogue of civilizations, and when oil was rising Iran calls for Israel's destruction. He also stated that the number one country who supports most terrorists activities is Saudi Arabia. Our dependence on oil fosters terrorists activities both in Saudi and Iran.
He also feels that we as a nation have the ability and knowledge to be a leader in addressing these problems. The premise of this would be that if we could export our knowledge we could do more to prevent further global warming, finding alternative fuels, and deal with the issues of the rapid rising of the middle class world-wide.
I am still reading this and will later write more on his proposals to deal with the problem. I find it ironic in a time when Wall Street is in crisis and our government is proposing bailing out the financial mis-management of many companies, that I am reading this book. I am also concerned that until this happened neither candidate would talk a lot about economic concerns, in fact 6 weeks ago one candidate stated that our economy was in great shape. Now we as taxpayers are supposed to pay this bill for the next several generations. It does remind me of the Enron and World communications in 2001. I also find it ironic that this is proposed by a republican administration which is supposed to support less governmental interference in business and now we have governmental control of major financial institutions. All I can say is interesting.

A-mazing journey

Last Sunday following the services at church, a group of us went to Camp Fontenelle. They had their fund raiser and BBQ along with a corn maze. Several of our youth were helping out with their sponsors. The group that I went with had a great time. The corn maze was created to be similar to Noah's ark. As we entered, we did have some guides both about leadership and scripture. Yet, even with those guides, we still had moments of feeling lost and alone. We had no ravens or doves to send out. Through often returning to the point that we got off track, we were able to find our way through the maze and finally exit safely onto the promised land. One of the people who went with us said that really we got our exercise as we probably walked through the maze twice.
As I reflect on the great time we had, there were several insights that I wanted to share. The first one was that even when we are off track and feel lost, God has a way of presented us with the opportunity to find our way home. The guides that we had were from scripture and ideas about leadership. Whenever we take a wrong turn, we always have an opportunity to return to that choice and take another turn. Scripture can help point the way for us to be able to do that. Life can be like that maze and never is a straight path but full of choices that we have to make. When we are at a crossroads in our life, not knowing which way we are to go, I would suggest that is the time to turn to scripture, prayer, and other means of grace to guide us in the decisions that we have to make.
The other insight I had was the importance of friends in times of trouble. I realize that we could never really get lost, but there were times that we were feeling like we had done all that we could. During our journey we met others who were also journeying the same paths. Working together we were more able to help one another avoid some of the wrong turns. I believe that is why having a church family is so important. We can learn from one another and through that maybe avoid some of our mistakes.
The last insight was the idea of shared leadership. I had preached that day on the idea of honoring one another's opinions and not be judgmental. During our journey, there were times we shared leadership with one another. Sometimes the choices we made turned out wrong, but we respected one another and together we were able to find the right path. Leadership is like that sharing with one another. I had also in the sermon talked about opinions are not essentials. At no time did any of us insist on having it our own way. Instead we worked together for the whole. Church needs to be the same. One can have a strong opinion on what he or she prefers, but it is important to be willing to work for the body of Christ not our own preferences.
It is a-mazing what one can learn from our experiences even ones that are fun and enjoyable.

sermon series

I have been doing a sermon series that is based on the common lectionary. I have been using Romans starting with Chapter 12 and chapter 14. Paul has a lot to say about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. As a result, I have been reflecting on what that may look like in the 21st century. I talked about how the very foundation of discipleship is Love especially the love that Jesus had for us and the love God has for us. The start was at our Fall kickoff which we called promotion commotion. I focused on the spiritual gifts that God as assigned to each person and that we are all called to ministry. One is called to use that gift for the glory of God and not for our own glory. As a community of faith, we need the gifts of all members so that we can become the body of Christ in this world. The other concern is not to think that only a few are called or that somehow what I have is not worthy. Too often in churches, one can hear that only a few families or individuals run the church. In reality, for the church to be effective in ministry, all need to participate. If only a few are running the church, then it is time to step up and share one's gift with the community of faith rather than complaining. We have different gifts that God has bestowed and each gift is valuable and needed for the community. No one gift is greater than another and we are never done sharing. No more will I have done my part and now it is another's turn. Now is our responsibility, maybe in different ways. Certainly my gifts have changed over time so have others.
Last week we talked about love, hospitality, blessing and peace. I feel that when we are able to demonstrate these four attributes to all that we meet, we come closer to the image of Christ in our lives as a community. This is especially true when we bless those who persecute us and we care for our enemies. It is equally important to be joyful and exuberant to show our praise for God's love.
This week we will be discussing the issues of judging others and being critical. This comes from Romans 14:1-13 actually. The focus will be on essentials and opinions. As John Wesley stated in essentials unity and diversity in opinions. Yet, how many battles have been fought over nothing more than opinions of what is the proper way to worship as if there is only one way of doing so. How many denominations have formed because of this very thought even those who call themselves non-dominational churches. There may be a need for like minded people to gather together so that they do not become a stumbling block or hinderance to others. At the same time, Paul reminds us that the essential aspect of a disciple is belief in Jesus the Christ and in loving God with all of your heart, mind and soul; and loving your neighbor as yourself. Rather than criticize someone's way of worshiping, it would be better to say nothing if they are worshiping God and honoring God. It matters not what music one uses, the liturgy, how often one has communion, use of technology but rather are what one does is praising God and living to the great commandments.
I do believe that Paul's time was more simple in the concerns of whether one was a vegan or a meat eater or what day one would worship. I am glad that there are many ways for like minded people to gather with one another to worship God. My prayer is that rather than being critical of the way someone else wants to worship, we be open to letting them do so. We are called, as our church sign states, to be witnesses not judges. We can be faithful in the way we have experienced God in our lives and be able to share that. Let us be careful to allow God to move others in a differing way and for God's sake.

Expectations 2

I wanted to say a few more things about expectations and how they influence what we do. Expectations develop over time based on our experiences both positive and negative. Sometimes we are well aware of our biases and at other times we are not aware of why we might do or say things. Expectations effect our beliefs and values and most of all our relationships. I guess to me that is one of the most important aspects of expectations that can either build or destroy. We are studying the Gospel of Matthew and we were discussing the passage when Jesus asked his disciples who do you think I am? Peter responds "You are the Messiah, the Son of God." Shortly thereafter as Jesus was telling the disciples that he was going to Jerusalem to be killed, Peter tries to prevent him doing so. Peter even though acknowledging that Jesus was the Messiah, his expectations prevented him from seeing what Jesus had to do. In so doing, it affected the relationship he had with Christ.
When I was a therapist, there countless times that people would come in because of relationship problems that dealt with their expectations they had regarding the other person. Often these expectations were never voiced and because of that certain assumptions were made that when brought to the light were not true. One major one was that if you loved me you would know what I want even though I have never told you. Another expectation is certain roles within the relationship. I know that in my marriage there were assumptions and expectations that I had regarding Nancy and vice verse. Again when those expectations were not met, it often ended up in an argument. Thankfully we learned together ways of voicing our expectations and opening ourselves to the possibility of changing those.
Expectations are part of any relationship not just intimate ones. Think about one's expectations regarding a doctor, a boss, a co-worker, another family member, etc. It even happens in the church. Expectations lead to judgement about what is right and wrong. If you ever had the experience of meeting someone and within a few seconds make a snap judgement about that person, expectations and anticipation is present. Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is not true. That is why it is so important to be willing to openly talk about one's feelings and judgements rather than making assumptions about the person. It is when we are able to communicate those that we are able to rise above our assumptions. That means talking to the person directly and not through another person. Sometimes we do need a mediator who helps guide a person in the process but not to involve that person as a go-between which seldom works well.
The example that we have as a church is what Jesus has taught. Again from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus stated that if someone has sinned against you, you are to go to that person and to try to reconcile and restore one's relationship directly. If that does not work than to have another go with you. The purpose is not to say who is right or who is wrong but to reconcile relationships. To do that it helps to be aware of one's own expectations and assumptions.

Expectations

I wanted to write about some reflections that I have had following some conversations with members of my congregation about what I had said regarding my visit to the Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City. I had stated that my wife and I had gone there to attend the contemporary worship service. Prior to attending I had some expectations about what that service would consist of and was anticipating the service. When I arrived, we found out that the praise band and the minister were not going to be present. Instead there was a very wonderful traditional introit down by the organ and a hymn sing. The music was well done and spirit led though this was not what I had expected or anticipated. At first I was feeling let down, but as always God had a way of saying to me why am I there. Was I there to be entertained or to worship? My expectations gave way to God's message for me in the music, the special music of Twila Paris, and in the sermon. I left feeling uplifted. All of this to show me that sometimes one's expectations and anticipations can so influence us that we fail to open ourselves up to the experience of worship that occurred. I thank God for this experience of praise and grace that I felt.
From my conversations with others, I began to realize that sometimes expectations and anticipation of what is worship can lead one to not be open to the experience of worship and the Spirit of the moment. Having pre-conceived ideas about what a worship experience should be and how it should be organized can interfere with what God's message is to us today. I realized that in this experience I could have walked away feeling so disappointed because the worship wasn't what I thought I wanted rather than being touched by the Spirit. I realized that worship isn't about what I prefer or what I think the service should be, but be about what God prefers and what God wants. I enjoy all types of music both traditional and contemporary. I enjoy emerging worship and liturgical worship. It is not about competition between styles and preferences but about praising God for what God has done for us. Everyone has their own preferences about what makes good worship services. What is important is not making that the sole criteria of one's experiences but to remain open to hearing where God is in this moment. I know that I can continue to love God no matter what style of worship, no matter what music style is done, no matter what order of worship one has. In any worship experience, if I am able to open myself to the Spirit of the Lord, I will be fed. That is what makes diversity of experiences so important. We can have many ways of expressing our joy and praise. I am working on not letting my expectations and preferences so influence me that I do not appreciate how others want to worship. I hope that is true for you also.

The Shack

I have had many people suggest that I read the book "The Shack" as they wanted to hear what I would say about what the author had to say about God and about religion. Without going into depth about the book and I would recommend that one should read the book, there were a couple of things that I found to inspire me and to challenge me. I will tell you that I read the book in one day, really about in 3 hours, and I was moved to laughter and tears. The story itself is compelling and once I started I had to complete the book. There are only a few books that I have found that have been so moving that I wanted to complete the book in one meal. I lost time while reading.
With that said and certainly I would encourage one to read the book before continuing with this blog, there were a couple of things that I wanted to comment on. The first was the presentation of the Triune God. I found what the author had to say to match my belief about God. That God contains in the God-Self a relationship of three, as the book states Papa, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. To often we try to make God hierarchical and structured. The very process tends to limit God to some concept that we have as created beings. God is limitless and yet relational. Perhaps that is the Great Mystery of God. We cannot define God though we try. This is especially true when we use gendered language as a means of describing God. The book has a way of helping one see through the general stereotypes that have been passed down for generations. What comes out is that it matters not what God looks like, whether God is a grandfather white male or an African-American woman. What matters is that God desires to have a relationship with you and I however that would appear to us. I found that the book begins to provide some insight into what stereotypes that we have with our conception of God and how that does not limit God but does limit ourselves. I reflected on the ways that I tend to try to limit God to be something that I would feel comfortable with. Even when I attempt to do that God remains limitless and continues to reach out with us.
The other comment I wanted to reflect on was the author's opinion about Religion which was generally negative. I noticed that he tended to capitalize the word. He was raising the issues of the stereotypes that Religion tends to perpetuate. There were several ideas that he raised that I would tend to agree. One of them being so caught up in rules and rituals that one forgets that the primary reason for gathering together is to be in relationship with one another. At the same time, he fails to look at the benefits of religion as to reaching out to others and sharing God's love with one another. I came away from the book feeling that it dealt more with individual salvation rather than the salvation of the creation. He did talk about that very issue taking an almost universal salvation approach. But it seemed to focus on just what I do rather than what we can do together. We are studying the Gospel of Matthew and exploring how the Pharisees are protrayed as so caught up in rules and rituals that they fail to perceive their need for relationship with God and with one another. What I feel the author states whether he meant that or not, substitutes one form of demand for another. Though of the two, I much prefer his. I do feel there is a need to have religion if we remember that worship and liturgy means the work of the people. We gather primarily to love God and love one another as Jesus commands. When we become so concerned about who is in and who is out, we fail in our own relationship with God.
I again would encourage one to read the book if you have not. I would like to take the book and have a discussion with those who have read it. I am sure that many will be moved as I was.

Missional churches

I receive an update from the United Methodist Board of Church and Society once a week. This update has several articles that deal with issues of mission and justice. Any one reading my blog would know that these are two areas that I am committed to. In fact, there have been several exciting things happening at our church based on missional work. The first is that we had several of our Middle school and High school youth go on a mission trip. This is the first mission trip that our youth have gone on in the last we believe 20 years. They went because of the dedication of the youth sponsors, parents, and congregational members who helped support through finicial giving. We sent 15. We already have had 37 youth and sponsors sign up for a mission trip for next summer. When we become the hands and feet of Christ in this world we are transformed.
The other exciting area was that we sent a group of five adults to a mission field for the first time outside doing our habitat for humanity project. They went to Iowa and help deliver flood buckets and spent a day "mucking" out houses. The church was challenged to provide 10 flood buckets and we sent 23. I felt that the whole church responded to the excitement of both missional opportunities. Of course, we can't stay there and need to continue to have the excitement for our church to be involved. I believe that if we can continue we will be more faithful in living as disciples and the rest of the church will benefit both worship and stewardship.
To continue that theme, I wanted to share from the UMBCS board this article. This came from the 2008 Mission Initiative Summit. The quotes are from Rev. Mike Slaughter who is the senior pastor at Ginghamsburg Church in Ohio which is a large mega-church. He was commenting on "soft-secular" people who "try to bring Jesus into their world view instead of being transformed into His." He also said "soft-secular folks never move to that place of truly sacrificing their resources and service for the sake of the kingdom." He does challenge us as a church. "The moment you can't respond to immediate missional needs because you're tied to brick and mortar, you've stopped being the hands and feet of Jesus, the body of Christ. The missional church is continually sinking everything it has to risk, to give its life, to be consumed for the rest of the world."
What I have seen this summer speaks to what Rev. Slaughter has said. Also he must be doing something right to grow a mega-church that is so invested in mission. As we continue to plan for our selves where we are going in our church, I pray that we do not lose sight that the reason we come together is not about a building but about building the kingdom through our faith, our work, and our willingness to live as a disciple.

A faith that is not tested is a faith that should not be trusted

I titled this blog from notes that I took when I attended the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood Kansas. I was so struck by this message that I wanted to share the notes of what happened. But before I begin, I need to let you know about what had preceded this time.
Nancy and I decided that we wanted to take a weekend away and decided to leave for Kansas City Saturday morning. Our original plans were to go to the art museum, check into our hotel and then to go to the contemporary service at the Church of the Resurrection Saturday evening. Sunday we were open to the possibility of attending a baseball game with the Royals and then come home.
As we arrived, we spent most of Saturday afternoon at the Nelson-Adkins Art Museum. We barely covered the modern art and decided that we would come back Sunday afternoon. We checked into our motel and made our way to COR. We did not know that Adam Hamilton was doing a mission trip in Africa and was not going to preach. Sunday Dr. Zan Holmes was preaching. For those who have taken Disciple Bible Study, he is the one who introduces that studies. He is a professor of preaching at Perkins School of Theology. I did not think that he would be preaching Saturday. This service the praise band also was taking time off. When the service started with an organ prelude, I questioned what was I doing here.
That feeling continued when they had a hymn sing from our UM hymnal. Actually it was good and certainly upbeat to hear the hymns. The whole atmosphere changed when the special music performer came onto the chancel area. It was Twila Paris who throughout the service sang four of her top hits. She was putting on a special performance Sunday evening at COR. As great as that was indeed Dr. Holmes did preach and I must say that I was fed that night.
He was preaching from Mark 6:41-44, 48-52. The title of the sermon was "Have we learned the lessons of the loaves?" I wanted to share some of what he had to say especially since I preached from the Matthew scriptures the previous Sunday. The title of the blog came in that sermon that faith that is not tested is a faith that should not be trusted. The last verse of the text was after Jesus entered into the boat after the storm," They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened." As Dr. Holmes stated that J.B. Phillips translated the text as they had not the sense to learn the lessons of the loaves.
So why do we not learn? Dr. Holmes discussed that somehow we might feel that we are exempt from understanding and service. For instance the feeling that when Jesus says to us feed them it really does not apply to me. The other concern could be that we feel we are self righteous and don't need to learn because we think we already know the lesson. Another reason was that we lose sense of connection with those who are in need. Sometimes we prefer credentials over Christ. But the biggest reason we may fail to understand is that we fail to grow through what we are going through. The thing is that God will keep sending us back through the course until we get it right. God doesn't want to waste anything. The other thing is that there is no failure with God's grace. No matter how many times especially in the gospel of Mark the disciples seem to fail to understand Jesus never gives up on them. Just as he never gives up on us. That is the power of love. So whether we deserve an F in the course of life, God's grace gives us an incomplete and we can try again. As the old hymn states God's love has lifted me up.
I went away uplifted by the service. I also was amazed about how the service which was not packed but probably had over 400 attendance worked. We met and were greeted more from the people who we sat around who shared their story of faith with us. I have come away with some ideas about worship and may implement some of those starting with the early service in September. Stay tuned.

Interesting reflection on truth and lies and perceptions

I came across this from our General Board of Church and Society. Even though the message was aimed at the falsehoods that were directed about Barrack Obama they could equally apply to John McCain though there are less of these distortions. I would invite you to read what Jim
Winkler has to say.
Word from WinklerPerception vs. truthBy Jim Winkler, General Secretary, General Board of Church & Society
I read a news report recently in which an Ohio voter declared that he’s not sure what to believe. The voter said he has heard repeatedly that Barack Obama is a Muslim, was born in Africa and is hostile to the American flag. The refusal of people who are perpetuating these lies to stop doing so is creating confusion in this Ohio voter and, no doubt, many others — which, of course, is their goal.
Two of history’s most notorious figures recognized the power to accomplish political goals through perpetuating a lie often enough. “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it,” said Joseph Goebbels, the minister in charge of Nazi propaganda under Adolph Hitler. And Vladimir Lenin, who masterminded the Bolshevik take-over of Russia in the early 20th century, said, “A lie told often enough becomes truth.”
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
Whoever is perpetuating the Obama lies is counting on voters exemplifying the opinion stated this spring by a United Methodist General Conference delegate in the Church & Society legislative committee: “Facts don’t sway me none.”
On the same day, I read a news report on the sixth inauguration of Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe. Mugabe lost the first round of elections, changed the results to “prove” his competitor did not win 50% of the vote, arranged for the slaughter of dozens of his opponent’s supporters, forced the withdrawal of his opponent, claimed victory in the runoff, then condemned his opponents in his inaugural address.
Again on that same day, the news reported the United States has ramped up covert operations in Iran. The covert operations in that troubled country would include spying and supporting rebel groups in order to generate turmoil. Meanwhile, Israel, Vice President Cheney and dozens of members of Congress continue to issue insane threats to bomb Iran, a course of action that would lead to another war.
Inquisitiveness and enthusiasm for learning are crucial whether it has to do with world affairs or our faith.
The Ohio voter doesn’t know how to separate fact from fiction. President Mugabe changed the facts to suit his purposes. Vice President Cheney and his colleagues are unwilling to face the facts.
Life can be difficult and confusing. At times the truth is hard to get at. I believe it is incumbent upon each of us to be aware of the world around us. Inquisitiveness and enthusiasm for learning are crucial whether it has to do with world affairs or our faith.
I keep a ridiculously high stack of books on various topics on my bedside table. I love discovering new insights in scripture and perspectives on theology.
Too many people have a kindergarten faith. They learned a few scripture passages in Sunday School and know little else. One pastor told me she led a Bible study that included background to the historical and social circumstances taking place during a period of Jesus’ life. A participant in the study told her: “I just like to read the words of Jesus. I don’t really want to know all this information.”
Too many people have a kindergarten faith.
You may have heard about Jay Leno’s survey of members of the Tonight Show audience. None could name one of the 12 apostles, but everyone knew the names of the four Beatles.
It always amazes me when I meet people who obviously don’t pay attention to what is going on in the world, but are nevertheless eager to express their opinion. At the same time, I know that many others feel beaten down, disheartened by the course of life. Too often, they are hungry, poor and sick. Many feel powerless and disenfranchised about life.
There’s no easy answer to these sad realities. Once you know something about the injustices surrounding you, failure to act is irresponsible.
The citizens of Nazi Germany learned that the hard way. After the war, millions claimed they didn’t know what was happening in their own country. They may have been fearful. They may have tried to ignore reality, but they knew something bad was happening — even with Goebbel’s masterful lying.
Disease, poverty, war, violence, hunger, racism and other social ills confront us. Don’t bury your head in the sand. Seek the truth. Pay attention, please. Follow Jesus and get to work. Date: 8/1/2008 12:00:00 AM©2005-2008

In memory

I found out today that my former boss Marlin Reissig had passed away. Marlin was a wonderful boss who when he wanted something would pursue it with tenacity. He recruited me from the mental health center I was working at as a clinical social worker and director of the Alcohol/Drug department to work for him. He and I had known each other previously and I admired the way he was directing Blue Valley Mental Health Center. He wanted me to be the director of their substance abuse program. Over time and many life experiences, I admired the work that he did even when I choose to leave the mental health field. My prayers will be with he and his family during this time.

reflections on Jesus

I was cleaning my office and getting ready for this Sunday and was reviewing some of the old sermons that I kept a copy of. I came across a copy of quotes that I wanted to share with you. One was either something I heard though where I do not recall but in essence was the Jesus did not want to make a difference in the world but to make the world different. Somehow that was a powerful statement to me as I was preparing for the sermon this Sunday.
Reflect on this. It is about creating a new world that is what kingdom work is. This Sunday we will be looking at the scripture from Isaiah 55:1-5 and Matthew 14:13-21. The title of the sermon is "Don't send them away but feed them." Without going into what the sermon will be about, I believe it pairs up with the quote above. What are we doing to live our life is such a way as to make the world different. I want to share with you two other quotes. William Carey “Expect great things from God; Attempt great things for God.”
Teresa of Avila “Christ has no body on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion is to look out to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.”
Each of us becomes the body of Christ in this world. How are we acting as the image of Christ among each other and especially to those around us. When was the last time you reached out in love, compassion, and mercy to a stranger? Do you see the world as a world of limitations and scarcity or a world of unlimited posssibilities and abundance? The choice that we make is either to send them away or to feed them. Stay tuned.

going the distance in church

I have to share with you an insight that I had at 2:00 am this morning. It was one of those dream insights that I believe comes from the Holy Spirit. I have been thinking about our church and where we are heading. As we prepare for our ecumenical service at our county fair, we were including some of the goals that we had set from January of this year. The combination of those and of thinking about what we can do led to God's discernment for me. You will have to pardon the image that came but I believe it is important for us as a church family.

The image I had that woke me at 2 was wondering why a golf ball can travel almost 2-3x further than any other baseball, football, basketball, or soccer ball. I know you might be thinking what has this to do with church and its structure. Hang in there. As I was thinking about this, one image came to mind was the golf club that strikes the ball. There have been improvements in the equipment that one uses but even using old equipment many amateurs can still strike the ball over 200 yards on average which would be 600'. So the equipment does not make the entire difference in the distance that the ball goes. What also makes a difference is the ball itself and how it is made that is different than other balls. The golf ball is designed to travel further based on its structure which consists of three layers that interact with one another (think of the Holy Trinity interacting with each other).

What the insight I had was that any church that goes any distance needs to have this interaction within its structure. The golf club that imparts the force that begins to move the ball is God's Spirit. But to get distance requires the ball to be structured in such a way of interacting with that Spirit and within itself. The golf ball has an outer layer that allows the ball to fly in the air with little drag. But like the wiffle practice ball having just an outer layer will not give you much distance. What makes the difference in golf balls and in church is that there is an inner core and that inner core is surrounded by a supportive core that transfers the force of the club to the inner core and also receives the transfer of energy back to the outer core.

Over the last year we have been discerning who we are as a church and our purpose for being. We celebrated our 125th anniversary of ministry and began to look forward to another 125 years. As part of the discernment process we decided to participate in the Church Vitality Inventory. From that survey, we discovered that experiential worship and being welcoming were two driving forces. I will talk about them later but I believe that just putting all of our resources in these two areas would be like the practice golf ball. We would get some distance but nothing compared to our developing our inner core and supportive core in combination with this outer core. Worship and welcoming are vital but not the total answer.

So what is our inner core. As we began to ask who are we as a church, we came up with an acronym the IDEAL life. What that stood for was the idea that the purpose of our church was to: identify our spiritual gifts, discover our passion, engage in mission, advance our faith, and to live as a disciple of Christ. For our church to be able to go the distance, it is important that this inner core, if indeed this is who we are and who we want to be, be developed and strengthened. The concern is how are we going to do that and who is going to provide help in doing that. As I was reviewing the goals of our committees, I began to question what we could be doing and assigning these five principles to the various committees of our church. Like many churches we have a committee structure that can provide the means and resources to make this core strong and vital. I want to share where I believe each committee can be used most effectively. I also believe each committee needs to focus their goals on the five principles that we have discerned about our church family. I know that we cannot accomplish everything right away but we need to have a plan for the next three to five years in place.

Identifying our spiritual gifts certainly seems to fall under two of our committees. One being our Committee on Lay Leadership and the other our nurture or Education committee. The challenge is what goals can we determine that would help our family of faith discern their gifts that have been given to them by God. It is more than just general goals but we need some specific ideas of how we are going to accomplish this principle both short term and long term. Just knowing the goals is one part, the other part is using those gifts in ministry.

Discovering our passion also seems to fall under Lay Leadership. I have witnessed in our church the excitement and energy when we are able to connect ministry opportunities with a person's passion. This is not only just for the person but becomes contagious with others. We need to find ways of helping people articulate their passion and how we can use that to help others.

Engaging in mission is under the primary leadership of our Mission committee. This committee needs to begin to explore what mission opportunities that exist and be able to connect people to them. They are not primarily responsible for doing fund raisers for mission though this can be secondary to mission education. Working with other committees they can connect gifts, passion, and treasure.

Advancing our faith is the primary task of the Education committee. This is for all ages not just Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. We talked about faith walk and that we are all on a journey of faith that begins as an infant and continues until such a time that we are in the presence of Christ in the New Jerusalem. The goals of the committee need to reflect ways of reaching all ages and in all areas of our lives. This can include not only Discovery Station, but bible studies, adult faith formation, UM101, parenting classes and support, etc.

The last principle is living as a disciple of Christ. All of our inner core committees as well as supportive core and outer core bear responsibility for this principle. I believe this particular one is one that needs the most work. We have a tradition that helps us be able to use ways of being more faithful as a disciple. The early Methodist movement was based on small accountability groups that met weekly to support one another in their faith walk. We have a number of small groups that arise from the grass roots of our family such as M&M's, Gen-X, and maybe the Boomers group. I don't want to interfere with such outpouring of Spirit but we can be more aware of our need to live a disciplined life.

That is just the inner core. For us to be able to go any distance we also need to have supportive core. Again we have committees that can provide that support. The first is the Administrative council. Often the Ad Council becomes one of governance. I would like to see the council explore a more supervisory role. Often the inner core committees will focus on their primary principles, I believe that the Ad Council can take a more big picture and keep the pulse of the web of inter-relationships of the entire church. Communication is key but also holding committees to accountability is important.
Another supportive core committee is finance and stewardship. For any of this to work we need the fiscal resources to make it happened. The committee needs to know what the needs of the inner and outer core are and develop means of supporting those ministries. This is more than a once a year process and more than just developing a budget for the next fiscal year. They also have to be willing to hold committees accountable for their use of resources and plan for the future.
Trustees are another supportive committee. All of the committees needs to have a physical and safe environment to be able to do ministry. They are important in maintaining and planning for such an environment. One goal is to begin to look at the physical facility we have and begin to plan for the future and suggest what we can do with a capital campaign.
SPRC is another supportive committee. Their primary responsibility is to make sure that we have the best staff that can provide leadership to all three core layers of our church. They are also responsible to identify those who may be called into pastoral leadership and to help them in that process of discernment. They are to hold those who are staff accountable for their work.

The outer core is made up of worship and welcoming. The outer core receives the momentum and transfers it to the supportive core and inner core. The committees that of course are responsible are the worship committee and the welcoming committee. They provide the outer and enclosing environment that supports the other committees. Without that there would be no purpose for what we do nor would we have invited others to participate in being a part of our family.

I wanted to share with you what came to me early this morning. I believe that what we have done and what we want to do is not only conceived in the Holy Spirit but is scripturally sound. I hope that we can discuss this at a future Ad Council meeting prior to our Church Conference. These are the insights that I had. It is important that all three cores interact and support each other or we will not be able to go far. Let's go all the way.