Saints

I am going to be preaching on All Saint’s Day this Sunday even though it is not November 1st.  I had thought about going the Reformation Sunday and preaching on Martin Luther but with the number of funerals that I have done since I have arrived I feel called to honor those who have been called home.

As I was preparing my sermon, I came across this definition of a saint from Crazy Talk.  I wanted to share it with my readers.

“Saint: Every Christian, including you, and many other persons whom you wouldn’t want to hang out with.

So you think you already know what a saint is? Let’s guess: someone who is (a) so admirable that if you died you’d want them to take care of your puppy (b) but with whom you wouldn’t want to go to an R-rated movie.  And you certainly wouldn’t want to be one!  As a T-shirt we saw on a little kid said, ‘I tried to be good, but I got bored.’

In this view, saints are people like Mother Teresa who are so selfless that we feel downright wicked by comparison.

But in the New Testament, the word saint never refers to a special class of super-duper Christians, rather it always refers to all Christians.  For instance, the Letter to Ephesians (which is what I will be using in my sermon) is addressed ‘to the saints of Ephesus.’  Saints are not saintly because of what they do but because of what Christ has done for them.  Christian saints are identified not by their wisdom, good works, holiness, and wholeness but by the fact that they belong to Jesus.

And that means, of course, that you are qualified to be a saint, too.  As is your worst nightmare of a neighbor.  Grouchy Marx may have said, ‘I don’t want to be a member of any club that will accept me as a member,’ but Jesus said, in effect, ‘Only sinners need apply—and I will make you saints.” (p. 153)

As the article stated and certainly what is true that we are all saints not by our works, but in our faith in Christ.  The reflection I want to leave you is given your status as a saint, how are you living that out in your life?

It has been some time since I updated my blog. There have been so many things happening between clergy meetings, church meetings, and charge conferences I have found myself being called to do many different tasks. One celebration is that attending charge conferences both our churches and others allows one a glimpse into how God is alive in our communities. I stand in awe in how rural churches deal with their challenges and continue to provide vital ministry. I also am aware of how important it is to remember our vision and mission as a church. I know that we can sometimes lose sight of what is important in our church's life as well as our own. I received this from Serving Strong and wanted to share it with you.

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A moment just for you
Because you serve others.
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Ephesians 6.10)
October 19, 2010
Today's Discussion
(issue 208)


Falling Quietly

It's Autumn. The trees where I live are putting on their annual fireworks display. This is the time of year when our family shares the phrase, "Mind the trees." One moment they are brilliant reds, oranges, burgundy, and yellows. The next moment they are bare branches shivering in the biting cold wind. We are trying to live in the moment.

As I prepared for this issue, I stopped to watch as a gentle breeze touched the trees. A few leaves fell to the ground slowly...quietly. No fanfare. No noise. No trumpet call. Just quietly covering the ground one leaf at a time.

I saw the following picture and decided to use it because of the phrase printed on it: "falling leaves hide the path so quietly".

Falling Leaves On Path

No one sets out to lose their way. No one wakes up and says, "Let's see, how can I burnout by the end of the day." On the contrary, burnout happens over time. Little by little, as quietly as a falling leaf, unresolved conflicts, little unforgivenesses, a small jealousy here, a little bitterness there... gradually cover the path we are on. Before we know it, we're lost, burned out, disillusioned.

Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 4.16:

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

How have the past several days been for you? Is your path clearly before you? Or have you allowed a few small "leaves" begin to accumulate, making it difficult for you to serve strong?

Take inventory of your leaves. Maybe this week it's time to do some "raking and mulching". Maybe it's time to renew inwardly. I'm going to take that challenge. Will you join me?

Last night our worship committee met to discuss where we are going with worship for Ainsworth. We began to discuss what might be some themes that we would work on for the months coming up. As we did this we decided to focus on the next 5 months certain themes that might be where God is leading us. I thought I would share some of the themes with readers and if you have any suggestions I would appreciate hearing them.

I just finished a sermon series on Why Church and focused on community, being around real people, remembering that we are called to be in service to others, and being a mentor to help grow disciples. The last sermon ended on World Communion Sunday October 3rd. October 10th we will be celebrating Children's Sabbath. We will have the children sing, watch a video on VBS, have a baptism, and talk about re-membering those who have no voice. October 17th we will have our youth group talk about their mission trip to Omaha working with the Open Door Mission. October 24th we will be having a mission moment by our Mission committee. The 31st we will have a speaker do a brief presentation from UMW on mission. We will also take time to have families list members who have been called home in the past year and will end the service reading their names and having one of the youth take a chime bell and ring it after each name.

November we will focus on thanksgivings and blessings. I am in the process of picking scriptures that I will be using. The foci will be thanksgiving for ourselves, our families, and our community. On November 21st we will do a hanging of the greens service following our late service. We will have a carry in lunch and family activities. November 24th is the ecumenical service.

Advent we will be looking at the ABC's of Advent. Await with purpose, Be a blessing, Cast your light. One of the Sundays will be the children's program and that evening will be a choir cantata. Christmas eve will be focusing on Go to Bethlehem.

January will be epiphany, baptism of the Lord, honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. February will focus on the coping with difficulties, grief, loneliness. We will be looking at what we can depend on during those times of our life that are challenges.

March 9th is Ash Wednesday. We will be doing a sermon series that will hopefully tie in with a bible study. Right now I am reflecting on Adam Hamilton's 24 hours that changed the world or Borg and Crossan's The Last Week.

I have been having an exciting time with our worship committee and their enthusiasm for being not only into the word but wanting to touch people with our worship experience. Again I would invite people to be with us as we do our worship on kbrbradio.com. Keep us in prayer that all that we do glorifies God.