tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9504883307774230422024-03-13T21:13:51.630-07:00Faith: Off the GridFaith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-78123548437124340772020-03-30T11:48:00.001-07:002020-03-30T11:48:45.045-07:00Lent: Ezekiel 37 Valley of the Dry Bones<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Meditation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>About nine
years ago, I attended a three day training provided by Presbyterian Disaster
assistance, to be trained in disaster response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many of us remember Hurricane Irene followed a year later by Super Storm
Sandy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of our communities and
churches were damaged and or impacted by these storms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disasters come in many shapes and sizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often think of them as natural disasters,
such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and forest fires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the training, it was emphasized,
the best way to deal with a natural disaster is to be prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you have what you need prior to the
disaster hitting and make sure you have your own family plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another thing that was emphasized is that
there are various stages to disasters – the first is preparedness, the second
is impact, and the third is immediate response and the next is long term
recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I looked over some other
resources, mitigation is also listed, which is the attempt to reduce the
severity or seriousness of the disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What is
connecting with me is that we are, obviously, in the midst of a disaster, but
this is, for most of us, a different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is different because this disaster is not like a hurricane that has a short
period of time for impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we
prepare for a hurricane, we know we need to hunker down for a day or two, but
once the storm passes, we can go outside and assess the damage and begin
recover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our natural inclination is to
move into recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goodness in
human nature, in human hearts, in our souls, calls us to respond, to help, to
get life back to normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So what happens
when we are in a long term disaster?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What I am seeing is the phases of disaster or blurring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the midst of the impact, we are also
trying to mitigate what could be an even worse disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are needing to prepare, and stay
prepared, and replenish those resources as they are consumed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as people are getting better, there is a
recovery phase still mixed in with the midst of chaos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing that we cannot do, that we must
wait on, is trying to return life back to normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, what does
that mean for us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a resource
provided by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance – “Disaster disrupts people’s
spiritual lives significantly.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
Lenten series as been on Spiritual Disciplines and we have been discussing what
it means to be spiritual but not religious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Spirituality connects us to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Spirituality is about community, it is about having a mission, it
involves our well-being and joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of
this is being impacted right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In a normal form of disaster, it is important for people to
gather together in community and share their stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has been so hard as a people of faith,
that we cannot gather together in the physical presence of each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we can still gather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this time, more than ever, we need to use
technology to stay connected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call each
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an overwhelming sense of
fear and that can impact our sense of mission and purpose, it can impact our
well-being and joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The anxiety of this
current disaster is impacting people’s ability to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this disrupts who we are as a
spiritual being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in the midst of
this disaster, we must stay attuned to our spiritual well being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Which brings us
to the passage today in Ezekiel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
people in the day and age of Ezekiel have been through a horrendous
disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Babylonians have come in
and ravaged their land, they have taken people into exile and to add insult to
injury they have destroyed the city of Jerusalem including the Temple of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As exiles being forced to live in a
foreign land, the Israelites underwent a deep spiritual loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disasters disrupts people’s spiritual lives
significantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have lost their
land, they have lost their holy place of worship, they have lost their culture,
they are cut off from everything including their God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a deep sense of Hopelessness for the
Hebrew people in exile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This passage in
Ezekiel is descriptive, you should be able to visualize the sense of
despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One commentator compared it to
the scene of the Elephant Graveyard in the Lion King, while another used an
image of a battle field during war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ezekiel
is having this vision, a vision of a valley filled with bones, a vision of death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A vision of death with the voice of God
asking- Can these bones live?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For you
see, with God, death never has the last word; hopelessness, despair, should
never have the last word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is with
words that God tells Ezekiel to speak, to prophecy to these bones, tell them
the word of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hear the word of the
Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as Ezekiel speaks, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I will cause breath<sup>[</sup></span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+37&version=NRSV#fen-NRSV-21403a" title="See footnote a"><sup><span style="color: #b34b2c; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a</span></sup></a><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">]</span></sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to enter you, and you
shall live. If we gathered with us last week, this should make a
connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When God created Adam, when
God took the dust of the ground and formed it into a person, God breathed life
into Adam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now, once again, the
breath of God will bring life into these dry bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a story of re-creation, or renewal,
of rebirth, of restoration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
word of God is able to overcome a deep sense of hopelessness and despair, to is
bringing a message of purpose to the people, that their lives have meaning even
in exile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s word brings a sense of
belonging, it is life giving, even in exile, the word of God can connect them
to what they feel they have been cut off from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The word of God breathes life into dry bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bones can be seen as the soul, as the deepest
part of the self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ezekiel is God’s
messenger, Ezekiel becomes God’s presence to the people in the midst of this
disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God sends him to God’s people
because our God is a God of love and compassion and life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God sees the people’s pain, loss, and despair
and does not just leave them in this disaster alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God understands that disasters disrupt our
spiritual selves and Ezekiel brings that pastoral care that the people so
desperately needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life was brought
back into those dry bones and a promise was given:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I will bring you back to the land of
Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
am finding so many connections to our current situation to that of
Ezekiel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a much smaller sense, we too
are exiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been exiled from our
social gatherings, from our extended families, from our loved ones and we must
learn how to navigate these times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
anyone does sense hopelessness or deep spiritual dryness, please reach
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being isolated is not normal, so we
may have new feelings and struggles and thoughts of despair and perhaps a
feeling of helplessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to be
in the recovery stage where we can help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that is going to be trying on us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our natural tendencies may be limited right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our deep sense of meaning and purpose might
have limitations right now and that is what makes this current disaster
different from others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Riding out this
storm is going to take time but there will be work to do when it is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we will be able to leave our exile and
return back to our communities and be reunited in person once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the meantime, God is with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is breathing life into us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-30710258454801899962020-03-29T08:11:00.001-07:002020-03-29T08:11:39.187-07:00Lenten Worship service: March 29<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ij5Wm5tUpok" width="480"></iframe>Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-74382657918881747732020-03-26T06:18:00.001-07:002020-03-26T06:18:52.822-07:00Lent: The Blind Man<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Genesis 2:4-8<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">John 9:1-11<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meditation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We start the season of Lent with
ashes, ashes of last year’s palms, ashes of the past, ashes of things that have
died, and we remember that we are dust and to dust we shall return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But over the past few years, when I mark the
sign of the cross in ashes in other’s foreheads, I cannot say those words: to
dust we shall return, instead, I use the words:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the old is gone, in Christ we are a new Creation. Lent is a spiritual
spring, is a time of renewal, it is a time to name the old that we seek to shed
and live into the promise<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that in Christ
we are a new creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week, we had
the woman at the well, and in Christ, she became a new creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, we have a blind man and with his
encounter with Jesus he too will encounter a new season in his own life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Words
from Ash Wednesday involve:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almighty
God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember that you are dust, and to dust you
shall return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These words take us all
the way back to the story of creation, the story of God creating Adam and Even
in the Garden of Eden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God creates, </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">then the <span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span> God formed man from the
dust of the ground,<sup>[</sup></span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2&version=NRSV#fen-NRSV-38b" title="See footnote b"><sup><span style="color: #b34b2c; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">b</span></sup></a><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">]</span></sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living
being. The name Adam comes from the Hebrew word Adamah which means dirt,
ground, red clay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
other day, as we were doing our school distance learning, my younger one read
about an animal called a Pika.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
immediately decided she was madly in love with this little creature and wanted
to make one of her own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what did we
do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pulled out the clay and created a
very unique little Pika.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as God
creates out of the dust, we too create, and clay is just one medium for us to
express our creative outlet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This story,
creating out of dust, creating out of clay, is one that the potter can relate
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the world, people use the
dust of the ground, the dirt, the natural clay, and make useful items out of
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
we take the time to stop, to think about our connection to God and our
connection to creation, we need to be reminded from time to time that we are
the soil, we are the air, we are what we eat, which depends on the nutrients in
the ground, the sun, and the rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So,
not only does God create Adam out of the dust of the ground, God then breathes
life into him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God does not just create
Adam and place him in the garden, there is this intimate connection – God’s
breath into Adam creating life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of
my college roommates would always say:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Breathe in the good, breathe out the bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this is a good mediation in the stress
we are living in today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A form of
meditation to help us deal with anxiety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But we should also remember that as we breathe in the good, we are
breathing in the breath of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dirt
and breath bring life at the crack of creation, and Jesus parallels this very
act of creation in his encounter with the blind man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Jesus and his disciples encounter this
man, born blind since birth, the disciples ask Jesus a theological question –
who sinned, this man or his parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They lived in a day and age where they connected everything to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If someone was born blind, deaf, or lame, it
was connected to some sort of divine punishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But instead of divine punishment, Jesus is
telling them that this man’s blindness is now going to be used for God’s glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus takes what is currently seen as a
negative from God and is teaching that it is actually a positive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This man was born blind so that God’s work
might be revealed in him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yesterday,
George to the Rescue was on the TV and I was only partly listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he was doing a room remodel for a young
woman that was blind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, there
is also a youtube personality that is a young blind woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blindness can create many stresses in a
person’s life including depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
one woman, through her youtube channel had brought hope and renewal to the life
of the other person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It renewed her
desire to focus on her passion which is swimming and her goal of participating
in one of the upcoming Olympic games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was no mention of God in this story, at least none that I heard,
but in the sharing of hope, in the sharing of life still has meaning despite
being blind, in the encouragement of engaging in one’s passions, the Kingdom of
God was at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s work was being
revealed through them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So,
as Jesus approaches this man, he continues to teach his disciples and tells
them:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am the light of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week, Jesus described himself as the
Living water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water, light, two
essential things that life needs to grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And then he spits on the ground and mixes it with the dirt, the dust,
and creates mud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sound familiar?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Light of the world takes the dust of the
ground, infuses it with his salvia, and places it on the blind man’s eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could we be, just for this moment in time,
back in the garden of Eden?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he
tells the man to go and wash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus
does not seem to stick around for the conversation that entails
afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Jesus heals, sometimes
we hear him say, your faith has made you well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But not here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no more
words from Jesus to this man – just go and wash in the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a sense, Jesus passes the baton onto this
man to tell the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he will be
questioned over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miracles
are hard to accept, even when they are right in front of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
religious authorities are having a fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They want to know how Jesus opened his eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The very people that are suppose to be the
most connected to God, that know the scripture inside and out, cannot connect
the story of creation to this man’s healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We get ourselves into our own rigid set of beliefs and understandings
that we can actually prevent ourselves from seeing God at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to open to the mystery of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of trying to make sense of it all, I
like to think that God can do new things, that the creation story is not a
thing of the past but an on-going story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the blind man, in Christ, he became a new creation, the old was gone
and he had been made new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We
may not ever experience such an easy to define miracle of the blind man, but in
Christ, in the ways God works in our lives and transforms us, we are living
miracles and just like Jesus proclaimed the glory of God was to be shown
through the healing of the blind man, our lives too should proclaim the glory
of God through our own stories, our own healings whatever they may be, our own
understanding of how, in Christ, we are a new creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-69801372727840433512020-03-24T10:34:00.001-07:002020-03-24T10:34:18.145-07:00Lenten Series: Prayer<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6sEvqO1TJbI?clip=&clipt=EAAYAA%3D%3D" width="459"></iframe>Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-67530523375024591972020-03-15T10:22:00.001-07:002020-03-15T10:22:28.369-07:00March 15, 2020 - 3rd Sunday of Lent<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Good morning and welcome to our first on-line worship
service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we gather at this time, we
remember that we are still community, whether we can be together in person, or
if we are together in spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Congregations all across the country are experimenting with this form of
worship today because we believe we should gather and worship and take time to
quiet ourselves and redirect our anxieties, stresses, concerns back towards our
loving God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, this is the time to
breathe and be assured that even though times feel anxious, the sacred is still
around us and is still with us and we are still called to be the body of Christ
in this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welcome, welcome to this
sacred time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Today’s scripture is the story of
the Samaritan woman at the well:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Two weeks ago, on the first
Sunday of Lent, we had the story of Jesus in the Wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wilderness <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is often thought of as a harsh environment,
dry, hot, depending on where you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
I think of this wilderness scene, I definitely envision a desert type of environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Jesus fasts for these forty days, he must
have had some sort of water source, I can’t imagine forty days without food,
but just the thought of even one day without water makes my mouth feel dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure we all know the feeling of being
thirsty and fortunately, for the most part, we have easy access to water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fourteen years ago, I had the
opportunity to go to Kenya with the Presbytery Nairobi Partnership team. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During that time, we made sure we stayed
hydrated but when I got home, I had a headache that would not go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After going to the doctor, I learned that I
was dehydrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I had been
drinking what I thought was enough water, it was not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we added some electrolytes into my system
and I immediately began to feel better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, here we have this transition,
of Jesus being in the wilderness to a story of him, passing through Samaria,
and encountering a woman at the well in the middle of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of those passages that has so
many angels in which to tackle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus should
not be in Samaria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus should not be
speaking to a woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this woman should
not be at the well at mid day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, all
these things that should not be happening – are happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus starts the conversation by
asking for a drink of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He asks her
to offer him hospitality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the
conversation unfolds, and the breaking of social customs is named, Jesus uses
the opportunity to teach her about who he is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He uses the metaphor of water and connects it to himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus, from the dryness of the wilderness, is
describing himself as the living water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The water that I will give will become in them a
spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” </span></span><span class="text"></span><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="en-NRSV-26162" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">15 </span></span></span></sup></b><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water,
so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This past Thursday evening at the Lenten dinner,
we have been talking about what it means to be spiritually hungry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a woman, that is spiritually
thirsty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a simple conversation of a
man who sees her as a person, that has not labeled her as a Samaritan or a
unclean woman or an outcaste, in the simple act of receiving water from her,
Jesus changes her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is so alone
and this stranger saw her as something more than anyone else around has ever
seen her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now she understands her
thirst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is thirsty, thirsty to be
seen, thirsty to be in a community that will accept her, thirsty to understand her
purpose and worth, thirsty to know God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And as all of this rises to the surface, in this one conversation, she
runs from Jesus and goes back to the community that does not accept her and proclaims:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></span><span class="text"></span><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="en-NRSV-26176" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">29 </span></span></span></sup></b><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Come and see a man who told me everything I have
ever done! He cannot be the Messiah,<sup data-fn="#fen-NRSV-26176e" data-link="[<a href="#fen-NRSV-26176e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]" style="box-sizing: border-box;">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4&version=NRSV#fen-NRSV-26176e" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;" title="See footnote e"><span style="color: #b34b2c; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">e</span></a>]</sup> can he?”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As we journey through this season of Lent, things
are not unfolding the way I had planned for them to unfold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But that is okay, the Holy Spirit
is still with us and is still at work and is still guiding us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may feel for the next few weeks that we
are in the wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wilderness
that I had wanted to use as the place where seeds and eggs are in the right environment
to hatch or germinate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then, as the season
of wilderness ends, and a new season begins, as the caterpillar hatches or the
seed germinates, there is a hunger, and there is amazing growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When these caterpillars arrived on Monday,
they were tiny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In just one week, they
have more then quadrupled in size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only
way for them to grow like this is to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the season to spiritually eat, or spiritually drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the woman at the well breaks out of her
shell, out of the bonds of the labels that have held her captive within her
community, as her wilderness comes to an end, she thirsts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and the caterpillar are wired the same
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shed the egg, the shell, the
hardness that holds us back, and drink in God’s love for us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chew on the word of God, find ways for your spiritual
hunger to be fed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are called to
growth, no matter what age we are, God has given us the living water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you thirst, if you hunger, that means the Holy
Spirit is with you, is nudging you, is calling you into a new season of faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like the caterpillar cannot ever become
an egg again, we too can only go forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And God provides the food and drink that we need to engage this season
of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the wilderness of the next few
weeks, stay hydrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may not be able
to meet together as a people in one place, but we can make phone calls to each
other, we can email, send letters, pray, and spend time reading scripture and even
engage in various spiritual practices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
will do my best to send ideas out to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-84467005966607504992020-02-10T08:44:00.001-08:002020-02-10T08:44:39.871-08:00When did we see you Naked? <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 2px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">When did I see you Naked?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">This past summer, on our mission staycation, we looked at When did we see You naked, as those who are most vulnerable. Who are those that need shelter? And another resource I just found interprets the naked as those in poverty. But as we look at this specific topic, we can think about the various agencies that are indeed, clothing people. This past week on the moms of morris facebook page, there was a post that one of the local colleges is starting a clothing closet for professional clothing. So, when college students, who are usually financially strained, have interviews, they can come to the clothing closet for interview clothing. How we present ourselves, at least for interviews, can impact whether or not we are chosen for a job. There are several other agencies out there with the same vision. Dress for Success is probably the best known and I know my local YMCA collected for them last year. When did we see you naked? Well, we might not actually see people naked, but perhaps we can see the challenges people face when trying to take the next step to employment and can assist with an outfit that looks professional. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"> There are also numerous churches and agencies that provide clothing to people. When I first started here, I thought Roxbury Social Services just provide food through their food pantry. I had no idea they had clothes as well. Our deacons were purchasing new sweatshirts for the clients of Faith Kitchen. In Dover, there is a program out the Episcopal church called North Porch and they focus on providing diapers and baby clothing. And Market Street Mission is one of the few places that really focuses on men’s clothing. As the men graduate from their program, they will need professional clothing as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 2px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">But when did we see you naked can also include blankets. This past summer, we started to make fleece blankets for the men at Market Street mission. When they come in off the street, they often have just a few items and a fresh and clean blanket is a real gift. Because the program can only handle so many men at a time, the first step in getting into the program involves sleeping on the floor in the main room. A blanket can really help make sleep just a little more comfortable. And what about bathing items, collecting soap and shampoo, razors, deodorant, toothbrushes and tooth paste, and towels. There is always a need. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 2px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">And what about laundry? There is a ministry called: Laundry Love where congregations will actually sponsor an evening at a local laundry mat and pay for the clients to have their clothes cleaned. And the last time I was at Triennium, I met a pastor with a ministry called: Sacred Spark, that works directly with the homeless and one of their ministries is laundry. She has the children’s programs all throughout the region collecting quarters so that they can do the laundry for those living in the homeless camps. As much as we might complain about doing laundry, having clean clothes is important. And maybe you are like me, I love the smell of fresh sheets on my bed. I can’t imagine never having the ability to put fresh sheets on my bed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"> So, what does responding to those who are lacking in sufficient clothing have to do with being the salt of the earth and letting our light shine? Well, I see it saying two things. The first is that when we let our light shine, or when we are the salt of the earth, we respond to the needs of others. We listen and hear what is lacking or what will be most beneficial for someone to be self sufficient and we respond. But I also see it as for the other. God wants everyone’s light to shine. It can be hard to shine with your full potential if you cannot afford clothes for a job interview. When I started my first pastoral position in Charlotte, I invested in two good outfits for Sundays, but I could not afford to have designer clothes for the rest of the week. I did what I could, but another pastor would comment on my clothes. What do you think that did to the light within me that was trying to shine? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"> One of my favorite stories is of a young woman I got to know in Dover. She would always wear oversized sweatshirts and would often pull the hood up over her head. She started attending the church and after several months, her self confidence began to grow. A few people paid attention to her. One family let her come over and do laundry. She began to shine. She started to wear other types of clothes and no longer hid behind a hood. You don’t put a light under a basket. She might have been homeless, living on the fringes, but she is still a child of God with a light worthy of shining. There are so many positive stories other there, from Dress to Success to Market Street Mission of people being able to take the next step in being self sufficient due to the generosity of others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-43457207808363642882020-01-20T11:24:00.002-08:002020-01-20T11:24:25.079-08:00When did we see you Thirsty?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">John 1:29-42<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Congregational Vitality</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over the next six weeks we will
spend time on what it means to be a Matthew 25 congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our session voted to join the denomination on
this movement last spring and our summer mission adventure last summer focused
on the passage as we examined what it means when we ask the questions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When did we see you hungry, or thirsty, when
did we see you a stranger or naked, when did we see you in prison or sick?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These six areas are very clear ways to be in
ministry, to care for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what
is not so clear are the three areas that the denomination has broken this
movement into:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Congregational vitality,
eradicating structural racism, and systemic poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Today,
we are going to focus on congregational vitality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this is something that is near and
dear to all of our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We truly want
this congregation to be vital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
directly from the Matthew 25 website I share this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;">You might think
that the vitality of a congregation or worshiping community is based on the
number of members, the scope of programs, the size of financial gifts or some
other statistics.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Not so — at least not
entirely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Rather, a community’s
vitality is primarily its spiritual strength and its capacity for purposeful
mission. Congregational vitality is evident in a worshiping community when its
structural systems, finances and discipleship practices are aligned in such a
way that the community is actively engaged in the mission of God in their local
community and the world, and they are powerfully focused on growing as
disciples in the way of Jesus Christ. Faith comes alive when we boldly engage
God’s mission and share the hope we have in Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so we need to ask
ourselves:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;">are
we spiritually exhausted, financially fragile and structurally unsound?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if we are, what can we do about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first, spiritually exhausted needs to be
held in distinction from just being exhausted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think as a society, we are exhausted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But sometime, out of doing ministry and feeling exhausted by it, we are
actually spiritually renewed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we
need to pay very clear attention to what energizes us and what really causes us
deep exhaustion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does Olde Suckasunny
Day zap our energy and our spiritual strength?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or do we engage in the day feeling a greater connection to our community
and energized by our fundraising and efforts to be a visible presence in our
neighborhood?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mission trips are always
good examples of being physically exhausted but spiritual energized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, as we move forward this year, the
question we need to ask ourselves before engaging in any sort of activity,
ministry, or event is – how will this impact us spiritually?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Are we
financially fragile?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, and no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are learning to do ministry within our
means and are blessed by a yearly bequest as well as other legacy gifts to the
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could we be more financially
sound?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely, and we have been
praying about the ways in which to share our building with the greater
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we structurally
sound?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a strong leadership within the
church, we have committees and ministry teams that function, and our building
itself is in good shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there more
that can be done, absolutely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when
we put our minds to something, it really seems to happen. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I want us to hold this statement:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>vitality connects to purposeful mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I
want us to remember that Jesus started his ministry with just a few people and
probably very little money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week
was Baptism of the Lord Sunday when Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s passage occurs the very next
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John is spending time with his
disciples and Jesus is still in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They see him walk by and John describes him by calling him “the Lamb of
God”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems as if John’s description
is enough to get his disciples’ attention and the two of them go towards
Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus senses that they are
following him and he engages them by asking:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What are you looking for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems
to me to be a rather strange way to start a conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no introductions or basic
greetings, but a straight forward question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And they don’t answer him, but rather, they give him a title:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rabbi, and ask him a question:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where are you staying?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And his response:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come, and see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they do and they stay visiting for him for
the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">One of these two men was named Andrew and Andrew
has a brother known as Simon Peter or Peter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After his day spent with Jesus, Andrew leaves and goes to find his
brother Simon Peter and tells him:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
have found the Messiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not only
does he tell him who he believes Jesus is, he brings his brother to meet
Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitality connects to purposeful
mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andrew believes there is
something purposeful with Jesus and he wants his brother to be included.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As we think about congregational vitality, I want
us to also think of the word thirst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When did we see you thirsty?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
could focus on the numerous places around the world and even right here in New
Jersey where people do not have clean drinking water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for congregational vitality, I want us to
focus on spiritual thirst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the
Beatitudes: <b><span style="background: white; color: black;">Blessed</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black;"> are those who hunger and <b>thirst</b> for
righteousness, for they will be filled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And from the Psalm we heard read today:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="text">As a deer longs for flowing streams,</span></span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">so my soul longs for you, O God.</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My soul thirsts for God,</span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">for the living God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">According
to the Matthew 25 information on Congregational vitality, there are seven
marks, seven ways to determine if your congregation is vital, or it can be seen
as seven ways to move the congregation towards vitality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Congregational vitality grows out of
discipleship, and to be a disciple of<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">something you should thirst for it, long for it,
desire it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Psalmist writes: my soul
thirsts for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Andrew, a
fisherman, a man who spent his days upon the water, thirsted for something
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, he is with John the
Baptist, learning from him, then he gravitates towards Jesus, thirsting even
more, finding in him the place he desired to invest himself, and not only
himself, but his brother as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
second mark of congregational vitality is evangelism, which is what Andrew does
as he goes and finds his brother proclaiming to him:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have found the Messiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
passage concludes with yet one more mark of congregational vitality:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Empowering every
member to discover their individual calling and the gifts God has given them so
they can go forth and serve.</span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Simon Peter arrives, Jesus gives him a
new name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated
Peter<sup>[</sup></span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=NRSV#fen-NRSV-26077l" title="See footnote l"><sup><span style="color: #b34b2c; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">l</span></sup></a><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">]</span></sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">),
and it also means rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The future
church will be built very literally, on the rock of Peter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, just in this one passage we have three
marks of a vital congregation: Discipleship, evangelism, and empowerment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that congregational vitality is based on
purposeful mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These first
disciples of Jesus are a part of a mission, to share that Jesus is the Messiah,
that God’s promised has been fulfilled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-29105556492374683612020-01-13T07:08:00.001-08:002020-01-13T07:08:01.192-08:00Baptism of the Lord - Sermon<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">A New Thing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This past
Halloween, I learned that there are some new names out there for our youth to
gravitate towards or away from. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andi
would not tell me what she was dressing up as for Halloween.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when the night arrived, and she was
dressed in her pretty normal clothes, all accept for her hair, which she had
done up with lots of extra barrettes, I had to ask her, “Please, explain.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She responded:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a soft girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that was as much information as she would
give me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, luckily for me, I know two
middle school young ladies here at the church and they became my inside source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when I asked Kylie and Kendra about Soft
Girls, they burst out laughing and filled me in with the scoop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except, they gave me even more information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is apparently another type of girl
called a VISCO girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A VISCO girl uses a
hydro flask water bottle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is all
about saving the turtles, and wears hair scrunchies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh my.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The best I could make of this was the Valley Girl movement back when I
was in middle school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I googled it
and learned a bit more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then for
Christmas, Andi went full VISCO on me by asking her grandparents for the hydro
flask and other VISCO girl accessories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So, what does this all mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It means identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I was
concerned that it could mean creating labels about people in order to poke fun
at them, belittle them, or even dress up like them for Halloween.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Identity and labels are all around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of them are good and some of them can be
damaging, humiliating, and demeaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
just spent the last two days at two separate events addressing the negative
consequences of identity and labeling others when it takes the form of
Anti-Semitism, or racism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least twice
in my own life, I have been given derogatory names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To think, someone had to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To say or in one case write out words aimed
at deeply offending and hurting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for
some, this is a life long attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To see
symbols of anti Semitism in one community, impacts the greater Jewish
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over and over and over
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pain is real, and it is raw, it
is part of an atrocious history and to think, that someone has to make a choice
to behave in such a way as to dehumanize or degrade another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the same holds true with racist comments,
jokes, and statements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">One of the commentaries I read shared that we are
living in a day and age where our labels are dividing us more and more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are using labels to point fingers at each
other, generalizing people into larger categories even if they don’t belong
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, that has also
happened with the word Christian and Church – too many people have lumped us
all into one label and pointed a finger calling us hypocrites and intolerant of
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As we think about who we are as people gathered
here in worship, it is really not about who we are, but about whose we
are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this Sunday, the Baptism of the
Lord Sunday, reminds us who Jesus is, his identity, that he is the Beloved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when we are baptized, we are named as children
of God, children of the covenant, that is our label, beloved by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are created by God, named by God, and
loved by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when the world deals
us the worst day of our lives, we belong to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that should be what unites us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are diverse in so many ways, but what
brings us together, what gives us our strength as the body of Christ in this place
is that we are children of God, it is not our political views or our stand on
issues, or how we dress, or our sexual orientation or our age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, we can use these things to pull
ourselves apart from each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Together, in baptism, God calls us, to work together,
to pray together, to worship together, and to remember we are God’s
children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here in this place, we are to
set aside any and all labels that can divide, and put our energy, and our love
towards serving God and one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
we are to work towards the healing of the impact of anti-Semitism and Racism both
in our local community and the greater world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Has your name as child of God been meaningful in
your own life journey?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Has it given you
the strength you might need to get through rough times?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Has it been a positive reminder that you
belong to God and that there is nothing that can separate you from the love of
God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have never thought about the
full impact of your baptism on your daily journey, take time to think about it.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And what about the identity of our church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have tried to name our identity through
our mission statement. Last year we created two areas of focus that would
enhance our identity – that we would grow in our fellowship with each other and
our mission in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, we
are, in a way, focusing on baptism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
believe baptism is an important part of our faith, and we are going to intentionally
reach out to those families that have had their children baptized here within
the past five to eight years if not further back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Baptism marks the beginning of Jesus’s ministry,
it is part of the new thing God is doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We believe God can do a new thing in our lives and in the life of this
church and so we go back to the beginning, to the story of baptism and we
engage it, we engage it for our own story and we go and invite others to
remember their baptism and seek to provide the spiritual nurture for those
seeds that have been planted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s
engage this new year and new decade with a newness of God’s love and the full
understanding that we are children of God and nothing can separate us from God’s
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-88105628107099545552019-12-02T11:45:00.002-08:002019-12-02T11:45:20.938-08:00Advent week #1<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Prepare Him Room<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This year, is the three hundredth
anniversary of the much-loved Christmas Carol:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Joy to the World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each Sunday of
Advent, we will explore a verse of the song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Isaac Watts wrote Joy to the World, not as a hymn but as a poem based on
Psalm 98.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first verse is this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<em><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Joy to the world, the Lord is come!</span></em><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Let earth receive her King;</span></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Let every heart prepare him room,</span></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">And heaven and nature sing.<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></div>
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<em><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">The song begins with the good
news:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Lord is come!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus has been born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hope of God’s people has become a reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emmanuel is with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is our joy, this is what we celebrate, God
has given us his promise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">But the next phrase is not so complete,
difinitive, or absolute, it moves us from the good news, the joy of what has
happened in the past into the present, into this very moment with our own
decision to respond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God has acted, joy
has been sent, now it is time to respond, now let earth receive her king and now
let every heart prepare him room. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is a repetitive act for each generation, the earth received the Christ child
2,000 years ago, will it receive him again?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hearts of million of people over the past two thousand years have
prepared him room, will we also be open to the coming of Christ into our
lives?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">As we light the first candle of
Advent, it is the cande of Hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
hope presented in this carol is that each heart will prepare him room which
will lead to yet another hope, a hope for the future for when the world receives
her King, when our hearts prepare him room, something amazing will happen,
heaven and nature will sing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sacred
will connect with the mundane, the inbreaking of heaven will be felt, heard,
announced in this world and in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Truly, that is joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy, the
understanding that God’s promise was not for one moment of history but is
on-going for each generation, for each of us to believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope manifests itself as past, present and
future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the future is a day and age
when heaven and nature will sing, sing together in harmony, in joy, in praise
of what God has done and is doing in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This hope of the future extends itself all the way back to the prophet
Isaiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">As the prophet Isaiah
wrote:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></em><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,</span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">the desert shall rejoice and blossom;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> <span class="text"><span style="background: white;">like the crocus </span></span></span><span class="text"></span><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="en-NRSV-18323" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">2 </span></span></span></sup></b><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">it shall blossom abundantly,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> <span class="text"><span style="background: white;">and rejoice with
joy and singing.</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nature
will sing when the day comes when:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
the eyes of the blind shall be opened,</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">and the ears of the deaf unstopped;</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">then the lame shall leap like a deer,</span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.</span></span><em><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So hopefully if we are here today, we are working
on ways in our own faith journey to prepare space in our hearts for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Advent reminds us, that even if we have been
a part of the church our entire lives, this is the season to slow down, the
season to reflect and ponder and find ways to grow spiritually as we seek to create
space for Emmanuel to dwell within us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes
this is just something that seems so natural, other times it can be a real
challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Just look at the passage from the Gospel of
Matthew, Joseph struggled with what it meant to prepare room in his heart for this
child that was to be born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, we
are told when he heard Mary was with child, he wanted to dismiss her
quietly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In doing so, he would not just
be dismissing Mary, but dismissing the child within her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without even knowing what he was doing, he
could have just sent her away, sent the child away, and missed out on being a
part of God’s story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully for
Joseph, an Angel appeared to him in a dream and explained to him that God was
at work, that this child is Emmanuel, God with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully Joseph had enough faith, enough
understanding, enough openness to the work of God in the world around him that
he believed the message in his dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Prepare him room, prepare space in your own life
even if it comes with consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joseph
did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace, or was he saving himself from
public disgrace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Mary was dismissed
quietly she would still have to find a place to go, a family member, someone
that would take her in and there would still be public disgrace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely a double standard going on
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Are there consequences in our lives today for preparing
space in our hearts for Jesus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do people
question what we believe or why we attend church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we want to quietly dismiss Mary and send
this whole thing away?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or do we hunger
for the meaning behind it all?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sacred
joy that God sends into this world that is there for us to embrace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As we seek to prepare room in our hearts we return
to this concept of hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does hope
mean to you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent a lot time this
past week pondering the word hope and I decided that it has a different meaning
for each and everyone of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all have
different things that we are longing for, that we are waiting for, that we
would like to see actualized but are not sure if it will come into being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may hope for something specific to ourselves
such as a job, or family, or health, or we may hope for something for the
greater world such as the end of hunger, homelessness, or war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may hope for the day when the desert will
bloom like in Isaiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our culture,
hope manifests itself as the desire for good to overcome evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope can be seen as transforming places of despair
into places of healing and wholeness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Prosperity, thriving, fullness, completeness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope is the desire that things can be
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope is what brings meaning and
purpose into life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas Season
people seek to be generous and for people of faith, this is one way in which we
prepare our hearts for the Christ Child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today, we hope to bring a little bit of joy to a child through the Toy March.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roxbury social services seeks to bring a
little bit of hope to families through the Thanksgiving food drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Habitat for humanity brings hope and joy to
families when they receive not just a place to live but a home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The good news is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Joy and hope break into our world on a daily basis when people open
their hearts to the needs of others, when people seek to live a life of generosity
and compassion, when people open their hearts to the calling of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are all places that we can participate within
creating not just good deeds or kind acts but sacred moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the people of God act in the world with
Christ in their hearts it is truly sacred work that is being done, and in those
moments, heaven and nature sing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-26438413765864838332019-10-28T07:20:00.002-07:002019-10-28T07:20:48.184-07:00Sermon: Mercy Luke 18<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I hear the word, Mercy, it seems
to take me back to when I was a kid and arm wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we arm wrestled, we would try and twist
and turn until the other person would yell out Mercy, or sometimes it was:
Uncle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which ever word we used, the
object of the game was, basically, to cause enough pain to the other person
that they had to admit defeat, surrender, or give up so that you would stop
hurting them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I ever
volunteered to play this game, I think it fell into the whole sibling rivalry
thing, but I do remember always being the one that had to cry out – Mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mercy: is it a word of defeat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it a word of surrender?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it a word of giving up, allowing the other
to be the winner?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes and No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the childhood game of arm wrestling, to
call out mercy is to say, I give up, but it is also to say, you win and please
stop hurting me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please stop doing what
you are doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please stop having power
over me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please stop being the dominate
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From Wikipedia, the definition is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone
whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in arm wrestling, the stronger person is
in a position of power over the other and can cause harm, but is willing to
have compassion on the other when he/she admits defeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, when we think of the word, there
are at least two opposing sides: one has power and the other does not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One can punish or cause harm, the other will
receive the punishment or harm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mercy
can be asked for by the weaker or it can be given by the stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please have mercy upon me, or with compassion
he had mercy on the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Parents have to pick and choose when
to punish children and when it is a time to show mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There does need to be consequences for behaviors
and punishment can help teach a child how to make better choices in the
future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we lean on the side of mercy
all the time, our children might learn that they can always get away with bad behavior
and then we will really have our hands full as they get older.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading through the variety of definitions
for mercy, it does involve taking a lenient form of punishment rather than a
harsher form of punishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What does mercy mean to you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often, in church, we seem to use mercy,
grace, forgiveness, and compassion as synonyms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will often begin a prayer especially the prayer of confession with
Merciful God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Merciful God:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in these two words, we are naming God as
having power over us and we are asking for compassionate treatment or forgiveness
over us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another definition I saw
mentions not just having power over the other but being in the position of care
over the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we think of God and
mercy, we could be saying that God has power over us, but we could also be
saying, God, we are under your care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, turning to our scripture passage
today, I was originally going to focus on the ways in which we can pray since
this is a parable of two people praying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the question formed for me – what is the tax collector praying
for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is asking for one thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His prayer is calling out to God asking for
mercy, asking the one that has power and care over him to be compassionate and forgiving
with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This past Monday night, one of our
small groups met and the discussion question was:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you long for in your life, what do
you long God will do for you in your life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Have there been things that you long for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things that you have turned to God in prayer
and asked for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can long for marriage,
or children, or grandchildren, or getting into our top choice college, or
getting a job, we can long for getting the lead role in the play, or our sports
team to win the top level of play, or making the Olympics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, I longed for this for so many years of my
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can long for things, goals,
achievements, relationships, healing, and we can pray to God to make these
things a reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In this parable there are two people
praying, but only one is naming something that he longs for in his life, he
longs for God to show him mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
other man is praying, but he seems to long for nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He names all of his accomplishments, all the
things he has done right, he is good at following the rules, but there is an
absence of longing, an absence of asking God to do something in his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This absence is magnified when he points out
the faults found in others and is grateful that he is not like them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What do you long for God to do in
your life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you long for God’s
mercy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you long to be shown compassion
and forgiveness by God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think of
yourself as someone needing forgiveness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The tax collector was in deep pain, he felt wounded at the very core of
his being, and he cried out to God for help, for healing and wholeness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What burden do we carry? Perhaps it is shame,
or guilt, or a form of addiction, or greed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps we have a short temper or find ourselves closed minded or unable
to adapt to the changing world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could
these be places that cause spiritual pain within our beings?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could these be issues or concerns that we
could turn to God in prayer, seeking guidance, help, comfort, seeking healing
and wholeness, could we ask God to continue to shape us into the people that we
know we can be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The tax collector did not feel fulfilled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had a great job but something was not
complete and so he turned to God, naming what he felt he needed spiritually, he
needed God’s mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He needed God’s care
over him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was acknowledging that he
was a child of God and as God’s child, he needed the parent, the creator, the
mentor, the one that had power over him, to be involved in his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a song called:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I worked through this text, this song come
to mind over and over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humbly thyself in
the sight of the Lord, and he, and he, will lift you up, higher and higher, and
he and he will lift you up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-72633659862845779172019-09-03T06:19:00.002-07:002019-09-03T06:19:56.697-07:00sermon: Chopped<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Our
final game show this summer is on the Food Network and is called Chopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought something food related would be fun
on this Labor Day weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This show <span style="background: white; color: #222222;">pits four chefs against each other as
they compete for a chance to win $10,000</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">At the beginning of each round, the chefs are
each given a basket containing four mystery ingredients and are expected to
create dishes that use all of them in some way.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the Appetizer ingredients consisted of <span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Watermelon"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">watermelon</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardine_(food)#Canned_sardines" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Sardine (food)"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">canned sardines</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_jack_cheese" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Pepper jack cheese"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">pepper jack cheese</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, and </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zucchini" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Zucchini"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">zucchini</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">. The chefs are
given unlimited access to a </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantry" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Pantry"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">pantry</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> and </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Refrigerator"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">refrigerator</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> stocked with a wide variety of other ingredients, and
each chef has his/her own stations for preparing and cooking food. </span>Each
round has a time limit, typically 20 minutes for Appetizer, and 30 minutes each
for Entrée and Dessert.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the
end of each round, the judges have sampled the dishes and decide which chef
will be chopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They reveal the loosing
dish by having it under a serving dish and lifting up the cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I do have to remind myself that
these are chefs, when I watch the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
watch them just come up with an idea as to what to do with these ingredients
and just run with it, no recipe, I find myself rather amazed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watermelon and Zucchini are definitely in
season right now, and most people will probably have a watermelon or two at
their Labor Day picnics, but to add cheese and some sardines into the mix –
what would your family and friends say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Baskets of food, this is how our
worship service started today with the call to worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Israelites make their way through the
wilderness they will one day arrive to a new land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when they do, they are gather a basket of
the first fruits of the land, their first harvest, and they are to bring their
baskets to the priest, and they are to remember their past and give thanks to
their God for bringing them to this new land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Baskets of food, perhaps food that is completely new and different to
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of them only know the manna and
the quail of the wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are
these mystery ingredients, these new foods that they will learn to love?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will collect grapes, figs, dates, and
olives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this first harvest, they might
just have the most basic of ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But before they get to this new
land, their baskets are pretty much bare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each morning they have manna to collect and eat and each evening they
have quail to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people complain
against Moses, they are ready to have him chopped, as they remember the good
foods they had back in Egypt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
struggling with an important question:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>is it better to be oppressed but still have food to eat, or is it better
to be a free people with a very limited diet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If I could only eat two food items for the rest of my life, I know my
body would crave foods of my past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
although their baskets are never empty, the monotony of the food feels like
scarcity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But then, we have this other
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One with a basket of just a few
items, a couple loaves of bread and a few fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ingredients very similar to manna and quail, and yet there are no
complaints this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This day those very
limited ingredients multiply and feed the thousands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What seems like scarcity is transformed into
abundance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whereas the people wanted to
chop Moses, Jesus moves on to the next round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Interesting how similar ingredients can be received so differently depending
on who the judges are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>God gives us all our own baskets,
filled with a variety of fruits, fruits of the Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we look at our basket and wonder
how to use some of those fruits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are definitely a handful that are familiar, easy to incorporate into our lives,
But there are times when we almost have to force ourselves to embrace
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like forcing ourselves to use
sardines with watermelon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there are
times when we know we just didn’t manage to be our best self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the thing is, even when the chefs are
chopped, they are still chefs, they gave that situation their best effort, they
took risks, and they hopefully learned something new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We too, are like those chefs, there are going
to be moments when we feel as if we have been chopped, but we are still
children of God, learning, growing, taking risks, and always given the
opportunity to be renewed in God’s love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">So, as we take the simple basket we have before us today of
bread and juice, God is able to transform these ingredients into a holy meal of
grace, forgiveness, renewal, spiritual sustenance, and love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The contestants on chopped know who the judges
are, they know to whom they are preparing the meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To often we forget who the judges are, we
allow the world around us to be our judge instead of realizing the only judge
we have before us is God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as a chef
prepares a meal for the tastes of the judge, we too should be preparing the meal
of our life, they way in which we live, for our loving and grace filled Creator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-4644036222007856532019-08-19T07:38:00.002-07:002019-08-19T07:38:37.090-07:00sermon: name that tune<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Today’s
game show is: Name that Tune or rather - we are going to play, Name that
Hymn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a lot to debate with this
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could play, name that scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of our hymns are based on scripture
passeges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is truly amazing how
inspired people have been throughout the generations to take scripture and
compose lyrics and music to God’s word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we sing each Sunday, we are lifting up God’s scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Name that Tune was first aired in
the 50’s and had many variations to the game throughout the next several
decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal of the game was either
to be the first to identify a song correctly, when played with two contestants,
or in the individual round, to identify a set number of songs correctly in 30
seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, today we are going to play
our own variation – you, the congregation are the contestants – when you think
you can Name that Hymn: yell out the name of the hymn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we go:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Amazing Grace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Joy to the World<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Thine is the Glory<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I've Got Peace Like a River<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Great is Thy Faithfulness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Music connects to people at every age of
our life span.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are infants our
parents sang to us lullabies as they rocked us to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We learned the alphabet through song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as we grow, we learn Bible Stories
through song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is one part of
Vacation Bible School that I just love, learning the new songs and having them
become a part of me at least for the next month or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you ever get a song just stuck in your
head?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many couples have their song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And sometimes when we hear a song it reminds
us of a specific time of our lives or a special event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be Thou My Vision was my seminary class song for
graduation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father had the lyrics
framed for me and I have kept it in my office for years now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t remember much of what I learned in
school academically from middle school but I still seem to know every word to
every song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">God desires for us to embrace God’s
teaching into our very being the same way we do with song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 98 – Sing a new song to the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lord has made salvation know to us, let
us sing with Song – Joy to the World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
one point in time, that was a new song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can’t imagine Christmas without it, but just a few hundred years ago,
it was none existent written in 1719 by Isaac Watts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sing to the Lord a new song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Name that Tune – each of us has a way to
create music to our Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Psalm 98 lifts up that not just will God’s
people sing a new song, but all of creation sings forth a song to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we listen carefully, we can hear this new
song on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the Grand
Canyon to the Grand Tetons to the Jersey Shore; from birds to crickets to
dolphins and whales, God’s creation sings forth beauty and awesomeness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy to the Word the Lord has come, let earth
receive her king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And heaven and nature
sing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of us, whether we are gifted
with musical talents or not, can live our lives as a song to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">There was a children’s show called Jack’s
Big Music Show – and there was an Orchestra episode showing all the different
instruments that come together to make one song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a very real way, this congregation and all
of its ministry teams are an orchestra to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each ministry has a song to sing, sometimes one group has a solo, but
most of the time, we are playing together in unity, lifting up our gifts and
service to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Paul is trying to connect this idea of all
parts working together for the whole when he writes to the church in
Corinth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are identifying
themselves with Apollos and with Paul, creating division.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul reiterates how important it is to
remember human tasks versus God’s tasks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Paul plants, Apollos waters, but God makes things grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter what song we sing, no matter what
church we build, Paul reminds us that the foundation that we build upon is
Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all ministries of our
church, we seek ways to build people’s lives upon the foundation of Jesus
Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether we do this through Sunday
School lessons, Bible songs, mission opportunities, each of these exists as an
expression of creating community, fellowship, and a foundation for faith growth
and development. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Sing a new song to the Lord, we are so
blessed in this place to have so many opportunities in which we can build upon
the foundation of Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Together, we are God’s orchestra and together we are building upon the
love of God made known in Jesus Christ, and as we build and as we grow each of
us is a holy temple to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I think
of a holy temple I think of a place of worship and when I think of a place of
worship I think of music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Name that Tune
– name the song that your life sings to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Claim the new song that you will sing to our loving God, whether it be
through singing in the choir, volunteering at the Habitat build, helping with
fellowship time, or studying scripture, and remember that your song joins together
with the entire orchestra of God’s people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-78444352759594520422019-08-12T09:45:00.002-07:002019-08-12T09:45:40.533-07:00Sermon: A Minute to Win it<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>About nine years ago, a new game
show aired called: A Minute to Win it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As soon as I saw the first ad, I knew this show would produce fun ideas
for youth group games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe we even
played a few at the church mission adventure a few weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, when the game show aired, it had
sixty games, all using regular household items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A contestant must complete ten of these games, each one within a minute,
in order to win the million dollar prize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example, in a minute, the contestant has to pull all the Kleenex out
of the box, one at a time, or use a pizza box to fan three eggs across the
stage into a marked circle on the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A minute to win it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we are going to look at possible scenarios
within the Bible, the following would be the ten I would identify for the
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moses and the Hebrew people crossing the Red
Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A minute to win it for Moses to let
the waters crash back in and drown the Egyptian army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Queen Esther appearing before the king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Queen Esther has not been summoned by the
king, to summons the king herself could mean immediate death to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Esther</span>
stands strong and appears before the king and he grants her favor to listen to
her request.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A minute to win it for
Queen Esther.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elijah replenishing the flour and oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a story of the prophet Elijah
encountering a widow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He asks her for a
piece of bread and a cup of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
tells him she only has a small amount of flour left and she is returning home
to make one more meal before she and her son die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As this story continues, the widow’s son dies
and Elijah brings him back to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
Minute it to win it for Elijah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the walls of Jericho.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this story, the people march around the
city of Jericho for six days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the
seventh day they give a loud blast of the trumpets and the city walls
collapse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A minute to win it for
Joshua.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">5.
Daniel in the lion’s den.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daniel is
thrown into the lion’s den for worshipping his one true God rather than worshipping
the king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, Daniel is in the lion’s
den for more than one minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is in
there all night, but those found to have falsely accused Daniel are thrown in
and devoured before their feet hit the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A minute to win it for Daniel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David and Goliath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David is a young boy who takes five smooth
stones and his sling shot and in less than a minute takes down the mighty
warrior Goliath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A minute to win it for
David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus turning water into wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus is at a wedding feast and the wine runs
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to prevent shame and
embarrassment for the host, he asks for the ritual water jugs to be filled with
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they are poured out they
contain wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">8.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the fishermen pulling up so many fish
the nets break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fishermen have not
caught anything during their time out at sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus sends them back out and tells them to throw out the nets which
become so full of fish the nets begin to break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the feeding of the 5,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the well known story of Jesus taking
five loaves of bread and two fish and feeding the masses with baskets of food
left over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>walking on water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus has gone off to pray and has sent the
disciples ahead of him in a boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
walks on the water to catch up with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Peter sees him coming he gets out of the boat and walks on the
water towards him, until he gets scared and begins to sink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus reaches out his hand and pulls Peter to
safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, throughout the Bible we have
numerous stories of God working through people in moments of quick action to
win victory over enemies, moments to show how God’s power can transform normal
everyday items into something new, or how God’s work can overcome human
doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And fortunately enough, we did
not have to win any of these events, let alone all ten, in order to win God’s
favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Peter, when we are in a
situation where we begin to sink, when we fear, when we doubt, we have the hand
of Christ reaching out to us to pull us back up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As contestants, we do not play any of these
games alone, we have God make known to us in Jesus Christ to assist us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This past week, I was at a
conference sponsored by Presbyterians for Earth Care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much of this conference focused on climate
change, climate change not in something that is going to be happening in the
future, but something that is already happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I reflected on our passage today of David
and Goliath, the modern day Goliath that is looming in front of us is climate
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish it was as easy as picking
up a smooth stone and that it could take just a minute to win it against the
destructive impact we have had on our fragile earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is going to take a whole lot more than a smooth
stone and a minute, but we have to face the giant before us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During the conference, we took time
to move through lament, the grief many of us feel for parts of God’s good creation
that we have already lost and will never get back, such as animals that have
gone extinct, and the mass death of our coral reefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we ended the conference with hope, with
faith, with the promise that God reaches back into creation and offers
healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">One group went on a walk: from death to
life and visited places in the area that were poisoned, where the soil was contaminated,
and then they visited places that had once been polluted and are now healed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I did not do this walk, it made me
think of the site down the road from here where the Habitat homes are being
built.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a good two years to remediate
that land, the soil was heavily contaminated, and now, it is healed and able to
offer space for twelve families to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We need to pray for Lake Hopatcong, for the damage done to it this past
year, another Goliath before us, needing a David to come forward to defeat the causes
for why this lake had such a horrible algae bloom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, with the work of the people, with
dedication and commitment, these damaged places can be healed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Other places of hope were lifted up as
images of reforestation were shown, of cities being creative with urban
landscaping and greening of buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Churches around our country our using solar panels on their buildings,
and are paying more attention to their carbon footprint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, if we don’t choose to use this minute,
these minutes before us, to make healthier choices for the earth, each minute
further down the line only creates a bigger and stronger Goliath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our time, our minutes are now, we may not have
a minute to win it, but we do have a minute to create sustainability, a minute
to slow things down, a minute to lean into God and discern what God is calling
us to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David does not go forward to
slay Goliath without spending time with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>David has a deep faith, and a deep trust, and he takes God forward with him
into battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We too need to take God
forward with us as we engage all the choices we have each and every day,
between what we eat, what we buy, what we throw away, and what energy we consume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-35362225946234110392019-06-24T05:47:00.002-07:002019-06-24T05:47:54.763-07:00sermon - Elijah and the Gerasene<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Elijah
– <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Today, we have two passages where a person has
sought solitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we begin with Elijah,
Elijah has fled to this cave for fear of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elijah is not your average person, he is a
prophet of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he lives in a day
and age where people have turned their worship to the false gods of another
nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps you have heard of
Jezebel, or at least the term Jezebel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jezebel was the queen but she was from a foreign land and she brought
her gods with her and had much influence on the nation in turning people to
worship the gods of her country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over and
over Elijah spoke out against this false worship and by doing so, he has greatly
angered the queen to the point where he goes into hiding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so, here he is, hiding in a cave, seeking
guidance from the God that has called him to be a prophet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he waits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As he seeks to hear from God, the word of the Lord
came to him and asks him:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are you
doing here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow, seems like a strange
question to me, doesn’t God know why he has fled and is hiding in a cave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The queen is trying to kill him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Elijah responds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then he is told to go and wait some more,
for God is about to pass by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Now
there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking
rocks in pieces before the <span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 200%;">Lord</span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">, but the <span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 200%;">Lord</span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> was not in the wind; and after the wind an
earthquake, but the <span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 200%;">Lord</span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> was not in the earthquake; </span></span><span class="text"></span><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="en-NRSV-9400" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">12 </span></span></span></sup></b><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">and after the earthquake a fire, but the <span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 200%;">Lord</span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> was not in the fire; and after the fire a
sound of sheer silence.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">What
I like about this passage is that it shows the reality of what it is like
trying to listen for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will God speak,
such as in Pentecost, through the loud wind?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or through the rumble of an earthquake?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or like the burning bush, through fire?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or will it be through sheer silence?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the last people committed to following God, committed to teaching
others about the one true God, has to wait and discern where the voice of God
will speak to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elijah had to remove
himself from the chaos of life, from the stresses, the responsibilities, he had
to re-center himself, and find the time and space to listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the same question comes to him:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are you doing here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he gives the same answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this time, God tells him to go, to
return, to continue his work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time
he will anoint a new king for the northern kingdom and anoint a new king for
the southern kingdom, which is an important task for a prophet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And God gives him a promise, that God will
leave 7,000 others that will remain faithful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is probably not the answer Elijah wanted to receive, but he listens
and he acts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is always leaving a remnant,
a small group of faithful people that will continue the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the work continues on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People continue to remember stories that
share what we value, stories that continue to guide us as a people of
faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remembering that God can work
through a small group of faithful people from generation to generation can inspire
us and give us the assurance of hope that God is still with us, still calling
us to do the work that we are called to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span></span>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Our
second story also takes us to a cave or tombs, this time inhabited by a man tormented
by demons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of being a man of
God, the people view him as the opponent to God, a demon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also lives on the other side of the lake
from Galilee, in the land of Gerasene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is a foreigner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus
comes to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus gets in a boat and travels
across the lake and finds this man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
outcaste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This person who has also fled
to a cave to seek solitude, solitude from a society that does not know what to
do with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I am sure, with the torment
with which he is living, he has not found any solitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As
Jesus encounters this man he commands the unclean spirit to leave the man, and
the man roar backs:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what have you to do
with me, Jesus, Son of the most high God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This man, this man with the unclean spirits, this man who has been tormented
and lives amongst the dead in the tombs, has encountered the Son of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He seems to be the exact opposite of Elijah,
and yet, they both have this sacred experience one in silence the other in
extreme torment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or perhaps, as the unclean
spirits leave the man, he finally has a moment of clarity, a moment where the
noises in his head stop, where he finally experiences peace, and the only way
that could happen is if God was present with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And
then Jesus asks him, what is your name?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What a powerful and important question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To be known, to have an identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To not just be known as the demonic that lives in the tombs, but to have
a name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the man has been truly lost
to his demons and can only identify himself by the identity of his
illness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he responds:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Legion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would be as if Jesus asked us our name and we responded:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cancer, diabetic, bi-polar, addict, broken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus wants him to have a name and he
wants him to be made whole and he wants him to be in community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as the man is healed, he desires to
remain with Jesus, to join the others and follow him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus responds:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Return
to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away,
proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is work for him to do in his own
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His healing can bare much
witness to the power of God to the community in which he belongs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="text"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-83127278086541021652019-06-18T09:52:00.001-07:002019-06-18T09:52:02.497-07:00Sermon: Dads and Grads<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Proverbs
8:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wisdom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">At The Crossroads<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Today’s scripture reading is about
wisdom, something I thought was rather fitting for dads and grads Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For all of our grads out there, whether you
have finished 8<sup>th</sup> grade or just received your masters, I sure do
hope, you have gained some wisdom through your education, your studies, your
classes, your social experiences, and your extra curricular activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wisdom is all around us, and in the Biblical
sense, it is more than just gaining knowledge, wisdom, or hokma, is something
we equate with the Holy Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last
week was Pentecost, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of
Jesus and empowering them to go into the world to share God’s message of love,
compassion, and reconciliation with all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the Holy Spirit existed before this moment, it has existed with God
since the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this passage
from Proverbs we hear that wisdom was with God when God laid the foundations of
the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wisdom, aka the Holy Spirit is with
us when we learn, when we think, when we make choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cartoonists like to use the illustration of
an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other shoulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When at a cross roads, when making decisions,
what do you listen to?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you listen to
your values, your faith, hokma:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Holy
Spirit, or do you listen to what we call peer pressure, or your own self
interests even if they seem in conflict with your values?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether you are a dad or a grad or anyone
else, throughout our lives we come to these places that Proverbes calls the
cross roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For our graduates, it is
more pronounced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have finished one
major life accomplishment and you are ready to move into something new, perhaps
even different, it could be further education, it could be seeking a job, it
might involve moving to a new place, it might mean taking an incredible
risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And dads, you are right there with
your children, perhaps empowering them to make their own decisions, or supporting
them in the process, maybe even offer your own life experience as guidance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at the cross roads, wisdom desires to be
a part of your life, of your decision making, or how you process your
choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the church we call this
spiritual discernment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now, for those that are ready to go
out into the world ready to find a job and make a living, the following might
just be a challenge:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Take my instruction instead of silver,</span></span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 6.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">and knowledge rather than choice gold;</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">for wisdom is better than jewels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wisdom is better than jewels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our culture tells us that wisdom, knowledge,
education, is what we need in order to be self sufficient, it is what we need
to make money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go to college so you can
get a good job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what culture
tells us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully, alongside our education,
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">we
hold tight to our morals, our values, the things that we believe in and are
passionate about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If environmental studies
are near and dear to my heart and my faith tells me to care for God’s good
creation, but I am offered a very lucrative salary for a toxic chemical
company, am I embracing wisdom?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
sometimes life seems to push us into places that we might not want to be. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if you are seeking employment and the
only thing that seems to be available just does not sit right with you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you take it because it is a job?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because you need it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or do you live into your passions, your true
spiritual calling, to the place that you feel your gifts and interests and
values fall into place?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wisdom, the Holy
Spirit, is better than jewels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have a doctor that shared with me
that one of the reasons she wanted to become a doctor was so she could use that
expertise in mission, in ministry, in outreach to those that did not have
access to medical care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As she graduated
and realized the reality of her debt and other family obligations, she would
have to go into a local practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now,
all of these years later, her children are grown, her debts are paid, she
finally has the financial freedom to do what she originally set out to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has been able to partner with another doctor
and go oversees to provide free medical care for short term mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She never gave up her dream, her passion, it
just took a much longer time to come to fruition than her original vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And she has shared with me how meaningful these
mission trips are to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
spiritually fulfilling they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much
they have enriched her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has
embraced hokma, wisdom, the Holy Spirit, and has found the spiritual wealth it
offers which may not pay the bills but truly does give life a richer
meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dads and grads, life gets in our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get so caught up in the daily grind that
we can easily forget the bigger picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wisdom is a part of God, and a part of us, make sure you have some sort
of passion, some sort of issue or value that you hold near and dear to your heart
and even if you cannot make it a part of your career, find a way to carve space
for it somewhere in your life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
care deeply for the homeless, find out what the local needs are and perhaps
make a monthly donation of laundry detergent to the shelter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or donate a can of food each week to the
local food pantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But make whatever is
near and dear to your heart a spiritual practice that is not left and forgotten
until a distant time down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When ever we are at the cross roads,
God is with us, wisdom is with us, the Holy Spirit offers us the ability to
reflect on our values, our beliefs, our morals, our passions, the things of
life that we hold the most near and dear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cross roads can be scary places of uncertainty but they can also be
places filled with possibilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t
always have to take the road less traveled, but whichever road we take, we should
prayerfully ask ourselves the hard questions of what it means to us, and what it
means to God, and what it means to our spiritual connection to our Creator and
the gifts and passions instilled within us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-15325026646487105552019-06-03T06:44:00.001-07:002019-06-03T06:44:47.022-07:00Sermon: Ascension Sunday<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I was a child, there was a tv
show called Dallas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was too young to
watch it, but I do remember at the end of one season there was a cliffhanger
and the question asked was:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who shot
JR?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All these years later, I still have
never watched Dallas, and perhaps I learned who shot JR but I don’t remember,
all I remember is the cliffhanger – the question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good writers want to create suspense, they
want to leave the audience engaged and eager for more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cliffhangers are great to create the suspense
for the audience to come back, I think that is why we have now have the term
binge watching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have to wait
week to week or the entire summer, we can watch an entire series in a few
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But eventually, the series has to
come to an end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just recently, two big shows
had their final episode:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Game of Thrones
and the Big Bang Theory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I have
never watched Game of Thrones, this chatter about the show ending was all over
social media and even made the news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
ending to a story or a movie or a tv series can never please everyone, and the
reviews from Game of Thrones are all over the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big Bang theory – well it offered one surprise
but really offered a sense that everyone was growing up, their goals were being
met, and their lives were going to be alright. That’s what we seem to expect
from good endings, all the loose ends are tied up, the boy gets the girl, good
conquers evil, and the lost has been found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I personally, like endings that you never saw coming, but those seem to
be far and few in-between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, why all this talk about
cliffhangers and endings?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the
Ascension of Jesus is the end of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus was born, he lived, taught, healed, performed miracles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spoiler alert, he was killed and talk about a
great cliffhanger, three days later he rose from the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many, wouldn’t this be a good enough
ending?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean really, did you see that
coming?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The disciples sure didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess the twist in this story is that what
seems like a good ending is not yet the ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The risen Christ, after appearing several times to his disciples, is not
going to finish out his life to an old age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even though he has conquered death and has risen from the dead, his time
is still limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so we get this
event, that only appears in one other place in the Bible, of him ascending into
heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elijah, the prophet, also
ascends into heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our stained glass
window, here in the sanctuary is of that event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I, honestly, cannot give you an explanation
of the ascension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does make me think
of a literary term I learned in high school freshman English:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Deus ex machina</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, (Latin: “god from
the machine”) a person or thing that appears or is introduced into a situation
suddenly and unexpectedly and provides an artificial or contrived solution to
an apparently insoluble difficulty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is a difficult situation, how does Jesus return to heaven?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does the one who has conquered death end his
earthly life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can’t die again can
he?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if he has already overcome
death, he must return to God in his earthly form, and so the disciples watch him
being lifted up, out of their sight, into heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m too scientific for a literal
understanding of this text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe
our souls go to heaven, but not these physical bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But since Jesus is the son of God, I believe
part of his teaching to his followers is this final miracle, his showing them
that now he is returning to his Father, to his Creator, to take his place in
heaven, to reign with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I guess the disciples were a bit
baffled as well, or at least amazed and awed by the sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The text tells us they were standing around,
looking up into the sky, I assume watching Jesus until they could no longer see
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had the chance to see a launching
of the space shuttle, and that is what we all did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all stood there, eyes fixed on the sky,
watching until we could no longer see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">So, what do you think of this ending?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it tie up the loose ends?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or does it just create a whole lot of new questions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the kind of stuff theologians love,
they love to debate whether this is a literal ending or a symbolic ending and they
use all kinds of big words to support their theories – but maybe we are not
suppose to get stuck in the details of the text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, by getting stuck, we keep
ourselves from the real meaning behind it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, p</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">erhaps Luke is telling us
something important about Jesus' departure: that it is <em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">both an ending and a beginning</span></em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since this event happens at the beginning of
the book of Acts, we know there is more to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up
toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will
come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven</span>.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Why do you stand
looking up toward heaven?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I attending a
conference a few years ago and this was the theme scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it feel like maybe we, as a
denomination, or as the church in today’s world, are stuck?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That we seem to be looking to heaven, asking
God – what do we do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we fix
this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I am constantly praying for
inspiration:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God show me the way to be
the church in today’s world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the
ending, just the beginning?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was the birth,
life, death, and resurrection of Jesus just the first season of the show, and then
the book of Acts – season two?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if
so, what season are we?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kind of feel,
we are in a cliffhanger, except not everyone is interested in staying
tuned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We seem to have lost our audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Why do you stand
looking toward heaven?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, there is
work to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus instructed his
followers during his lifetime, and in his resurrected state he instructed them
again, to follow his teachings, to care for each other, to love one another, to
feed his sheep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the book of Acts is
just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the continuation of the
story, season two, of the disciples going out, teaching others about Jesus,
proclaiming the forgiveness of sins, seeking the lost and sharing God’s love
with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the Good News is, we are
not yet at the final episode of the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Holy Spirit has poured out upon God’s people, and upon God’s church,
and people of faith are still investing their lives into the work of Jesus,
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, sharing God’s
love and forgiveness in a chaotic world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We can stand around wondering what to do, or we can act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can continue God’s story, leaving the
symbolic or literal interpretation of the text behind, but rather engaging in
the simple teaching of Love one another as I have loved you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-70787740765754648502019-04-21T16:41:00.000-07:002019-04-21T16:41:04.866-07:00Easter - Sermon<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Embodying the Resurrection<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
live in a world where people believe and they don’t believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people don’t believe the earth is round
or they don’t believe people have actually walked on the moon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people believe in aliens and some
believe in ghosts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people believe dinosaurs
once existed while other people believe the world is only about 6,000 years
old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people believe and some people
don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life is filled with ideas,
concepts, values, rules, social norms, and we either believe or we don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you believe in?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s one:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Snails have 14,000 teeth and some can even
kill you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you think?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you believe it or not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Do
you believe in friendship and love?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do
you believe in forgiveness and renewal?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you believe in fresh starts, a new day, being a part of God’s new
creation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you believe in God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because this Easter story is not an easy
story to believe in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, when the
handful of women returned to the others and told them that the tomb was empty,
that Jesus was not there, and that two men told them not to look for the living
amongst the dead, that he had risen just as he said he would, they did not
believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They just thought the women
were sharing an idle tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Personally,
I do not believe in the Easter story of the empty tomb and the risen Lord just because
it is written in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, I
believe in the Easter story only through embodying the resurrection in my faith
journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I had been in that room with
the others and heard what the women shared, I would have thought the grief
these women had gone through definitely had gone to their heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I do think I would have been like Peter,
I think I would want to go and check out their story for myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is of course, if it was safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a bit of a safety freak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure I would have gone if I thought
maybe there would be soldiers or guards that might arrest me, but I would want
to go, I would want to go and see for myself, just because that is my nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
stories of faith are not so much to believed but rather to be experienced, to
be embodied, to be lived out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus had
an impact on people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called twelve
men to be his disciples but many more men and women joined together to be a
part of his community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was not about
doing his ministry alone, it was relational, it involved deep friendships, it
involved sacrifice and love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The disciples
dropped everything to follow this teacher, this rabbi, this man that they believed
was the Messiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And over the course of
three years, they witnessed healings and miracles, they heard stories of God’s
deep love for God’s people and they saw Jesus interacting with outcastes and
sinners and people that others despised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He did not follow the rules of his faith, and by doing so, he connected
with so many that felt they had been exiled from the faith, and even worse,
exiled from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
sought to shed the dead skin of his faith tradition and allow a fresh and new
way to be God’s people to be born in the world and people flocked to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were hungry and thirsty for a God that
loved them, that accepted them for who they were, not as others told them they
should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But power does not like
change and those that have power will do what they have to in order to stop change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus was all powerful, but he referred to
himself as a servant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And sadly, because
he changed people’s lives for the better, he was stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except he wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the idle tale of the resurrection, God refuses
to take no for an answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God refuses to
be stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God refuses to let
oppression and injustice and greed and self-centered interests have the last
word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that is where I have seen the
power of the resurrection in my own life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If
we look at history of the past two thousand years, we can see how humanity
seems to come two steps forward and then perhaps three steps back and then four
steps forward and a step back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t
move in a linear motion towards healing and wholeness in this world, but if we
look, if we pay attention, if we allow our inner spiritual selves the space to
embrace our scriptures, we can see the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God in our
midst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can encounter the risen Christ
for ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you seen the
Lord?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The first time I saw the Lord was
up in rural Maine working on a trailer home for a family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went in community, as a work group from
our church, and we arrived with love, love for people we had never met but we
knew deserved better housing than what they had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we gave of what we had, our time, our
energy, our dedication to create a dryer, warmer, safer place to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by embodying Jesus’ teachings, by putting
faith into action, I learned that the Bible is just flat if you keep it on the
page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when you live it, when it put
it into action, it is transformative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ve
seen the risen Lord in the Dominican Republic as we helped build a health
office adjacent to a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen
the risen Lord on the border of Mexico as we built cinderblock homes in the slums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen the risen Lord in Kenya as schools
and health centers are built and supported by the church to ensure that the
forgotten ones are educated and healed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve seen the risen Lord even here in NJ, as men find recovery through
Market Street Mission in Morristown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are dead places everywhere, places where
life is not able or allowed to thrive in the way that it is intended and it is
in those places that resurrection is waiting to be born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life can come out of death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen it in Camden, NJ with a school
program called Urban promise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We witnessed
it this past summer in Philadelphia through Broad Street Ministry and we will
participate in it this next summer right here in Morris County.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is the power that births new things in
the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is the power that brings
agencies like Homeless Solutions and Family Promise into being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For those that don’t believe,
they might say, yes, there are compassionate people out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for those that have embodied the
resurrection, that act in their faith, it is so much more than being a compassionate
person, it is sacred work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
participation in the resurrection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
worship on Sunday because we are Easter people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We don’t believe in the resurrection, we are to be the
resurrection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you believe?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you believe in friendship and love?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you believe in forgiveness and renewal?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you believe in fresh starts, a new day,
being a part of God’s new creation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is who we are, an Easter people, building friendships based in God’s love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeking forgiveness when needed and
participating in God’s new creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
don’t always have to believe, but in faith, we take what may seem like an idle
tale and when we see it for ourselves, experience it for ourselves, we know we
have encountered the sacred, the transformative work of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ is risen!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For I have seen the risen Lord at work in this
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t believe the story, embrace
the story, embody the story, participate in the resurrection as we are called
to be participants in God’s new creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-5549793182967029772019-04-10T10:26:00.002-07:002019-04-10T10:26:43.505-07:00Sermon - Lent: money and love<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
I started working on today’s scripture, I just couldn’t help but think of the
Beatles song – Can’t buy me Love – the lyrics go like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Can't buy me love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'll buy you a diamond ring my friend if it makes you feel
alright<br />
I'll get you anything my friend if it makes you feel alright<br />
Cos I don't care too much for money, and money can't buy me love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'll give you all I got to give if you say you'll love me too<br />
I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you<br />
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Can’t buy me love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today’s story of Mary pouring costly
ointment on Jesus’ feet is definitely a story of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Judas’ response is definitely one of
money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judas responds to this lavish
gift of love from Mary to Jesus as a crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He tries to be the good disciple here, he tries to connect this action
to the ministry that Jesus has called them to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are supposed to care for others, pool
their resources, make sure the widows and the orphans are fed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This resource that Mary has just poured out
upon Jesus’ feet is now wasted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think
about all the people it could have helped if it had been sold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judas tries to be a good disciple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
have found myself making such statements myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I see money used, in what in my opinion,
is not the best form of stewardship, I find myself thinking – wow, that could
have fed a whole lot of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churches
all around the world are adorned with costly stained glass windows, gold
objects, costly gems, ornate stone and wood workings, and the cost to maintain
them is staggering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where do we draw the
line?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where do we lavish our love
towards God on costly worship?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when
do we lavish our love for God on our care for others?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judas tries to be the good disciple here
although the text tells us he was stealing from the disciples treasure, so
maybe he did only have self interest at hand, but he also shames Mary and her
love for Jesus through his statement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mary
has been a faithful friend of Jesus throughout his ministry and just recently,
he returned to their home when her brother Lazarus died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus calls out to Lazarus and Lazarus rises
from the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mary has witnessed an
amazing miracle in and through Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her life has been deeply touched by Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus is so much more than a friend to her,
she has seen God’s very presence in him and Mary knows no other way to say
Thank You – If Jesus had restored life to one of my family members, then I
might want to lavish a gift upon him too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How do we say thank you when someone donates an organ, or is able to
give bone marrow, or serves as a surrogate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How do we say thank you when someone changes our life for the
better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we say thank you when we
see the very presence of God in our midst?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'll give you all I got to give if
you say you'll love me too<br />
I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mary knows that money does not buy
love, she knows that her actions are not buying Jesus’ love for her, she just
has no other way to say thank you, she has no other way than to show her
abundant love for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes the
heart just swells so greatly with gratitude and love that we just act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe she thought about what she was going to
do the next time she saw him, maybe she didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe when he arrived she just acted and with what little she had to
give, she gave what meant the most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, the reason this is a Lenten text
involves Jesus’ response to Judas, that she is preparing him for his
burial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we know in the Easter morning
scripture readings, the women go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with oils
and spices for preparation for his burial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was just temporarily laid in the tomb until the time for his
burial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so when Jesus visits the
house of Mary and Martha, he knows he is moving closer and closer to his final
days on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He takes this outpouring
of love to illustrate to those gathered with him that he will soon die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether they understand this or not, he seeks
to continue to prepare them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her action
of love will soon be reflected by his action of love - I'll give you all I got
to give if you say you'll love me too<br />
I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And his response is yes, yes, I’ll
love you too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll love you not in the
earthly form of love, but I’ll love you with deep spiritual love, love that
knows no bounds, love that will transcend this life and remain with you
forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as the nard was a fragrant
gift of love, Jesus too is referred to as a fragrant offering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a sacrifice given out of guilt or shame
or wrong doing, but a true offering of pure love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-74117421088177162302019-03-25T06:33:00.002-07:002019-03-25T06:33:15.128-07:00Sermon Lent: Barren fig tree<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When Jeff and I first got married, the front yard
had several azalea bushes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice I
said, had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got married in November,
so when spring came around, I was looking forward to the azalea blooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the neighborhood exploded in color, and
other yards were filled with reds and purples our plants did nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we went to the local nursery and asked
what we needed to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its been so long
ago, I can’t remember what we bought, maybe holly tone – but we did everything we
were told to do to feed and nurture these bushes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As spring came around the following year,
once again I anxiously awaited to see what these plants would do, and once again
the neighborhood exploded in color and our azaleas did nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a disappointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
is sharing a parable with his followers about a fig tree that is barren.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For three years this tree has not produced
fruit and the owner is fed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
ready to have it torn down immediately, but the gardener asks for one more
year, a year of intentional care, a year of adding nutrients into the soil, a year
focused specifically on giving this tree everything it needs to bare fruit, and
then, if in a year, it does not bare fruit, then it can be cut down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
a parable, we can view the fig tree as God’s people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as a fig tree is created to produce
figs, the people of God are also created for a purpose – to produce sacred
behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the bulletin cover I used
the fruits of the Spirit, sacred behaviors that we are called to produce
through our living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what happens when
God’s people stop living out the purpose God has for them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we believe God comes in, like the owner of
that tree, and cuts us down?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, we lean
always into the grace of the gardener that seeks to provide the nutrients and
care that the tree needs in order to produce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Again,
looking at this parable, if we, God’s people are the fig tree, the tree is
still alive, it is just not producing fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is taking in water and sunlight, it is taking in nutrients, but for
whatever reason, all of that is being used inwardly on the tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We too can take in life, we can take in our daily
bread, we can take in the blessings around us, we can take in so much and just
keep it for ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can focus
inwardly, nurturing our own soul or healing our own wounds, and there are
seasons in our own lives that we just don’t have the energy to give anything
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are natural ebbs and flows
in life, ups and downs, and this tree was given three years before the threat
came to cut it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
see this tree as not just barren but also spiritually dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is stuck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It cannot do anything more on its own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This tree is now dependent on the gardener, it is now in need of grace,
it is now in need of an outside force to ensure its survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The times when we are in our low places, the
valleys of our lives, we don’t want to get stuck there, we need to eventually get
ourselves moving again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we may
feel that we just can’t move forward, that we are out of energy, and it is
here, in these places that we need to remember the gardener has come to care
for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Is
the true meaning of this parable that the fig tree is not producing figs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it a parable of fear?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That if we don’t get our act together and
start doing something productive God no longer needs us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or is this a parable of grace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A parable that proclaims we can’t do it on
our own, that left to ourselves we will get stagnant, but with the love of the
gardener, with the spiritual nutrients that we all hunger and thirst for, our
soil will be tilled and life can once again be born within us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gospel of Luke is a gospel of grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have the parable of the prodigal son which
illustrates God’s love going out to us even when we have turned our backs on
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is always there to welcome us
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And God is always here to till
the soil of our lives to feed our souls despite our best efforts to be
independent and do things on our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
balancing our lives, no matter what season of life we are in, we always need
God’s grace, as was shared last week:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grace
is what God does for us that we could not do for ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We might feel we are really good at tilling
our own soil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is just natural in
life to get caught into routines, into patterns of behavior that can keep us in
a holding pattern rather than moving us forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then something might happen and we
receive inspiration or new idea or new found energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we ever stop and reflect on that and perhaps
name it for what it is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>grace?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or
when we are producing fruit, when we are living out God’s purpose for our
lives, do we ever stop and pay attention and name it for what it is?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Galatians lists the fruits of the Spirit as: <b><span style="background: white; color: black;">the</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">fruit</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">of</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">the</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Spirit</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But these are not inward gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can isolate yourself from the rest of the
world and live in peace but if you are not sharing peace out within the world,
you are like the fig tree taking in water and sunlight only for inward
needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Fruit
grows on the outside of the tree, we don’t have to cut the tree open to find
it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we produce for God also needs
to be on the outside, not just outside of our own beings, but outside of the
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can cut the church open and
find a lot of really great people, but we are called to go into the world with
our fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is not works righteousness,
a belief that we have to do good things in order to be saved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is perhaps grace righteousness – because of
the tilling of our soil, because the gardener loves us and provides for us, we
go out as healthy spiritual beings sharing God’s love, God’s joy, God’s peace,
God’s patience – if we struggle with our own ability at patience just think
about how much more so is God patient with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With God’s kindness, with God’s generosity, with God’s faithfulness,
with God’s gentleness and with God’s self-control which might just be the gift
of grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Are
there barren fig trees in our own communities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Are there issues or concerns right here in the greater Roxbury township
that we are aware of?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And do we come in
judging that perhaps that person is in that situation because of their own bad
choices?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we like the owner, only
seeing the barrenness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or do we see the
barren fig tree as a place for potential life, as an issue that perhaps as the
body of Christ we can go and till the soil and provide spiritual water and food
that might just transform that barren place into a place that bares fruit?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-2130192634621957112019-03-04T05:10:00.001-08:002019-03-04T05:10:55.028-08:00sermon - Transfiguration Sunday<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">For those of you that might not
know, I am participating in a certification program for Community
Organizing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One aspect of this process
that we have been working on, is to move a community from maintainance into transformation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Community organizing can be applied to the
greater community in which we live, such as Roxbury Township, or it can be
applied in much smaller areas such as local church congregations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am interested in both, but for my
certification program, I am focusing on us, as a local congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does it mean for us to do maintainance
ministry and what does it mean for us to do transformational ministry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think these are great questions to ask on
Transformation Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maintainance
ministry is what we do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our committees
meet, we have weekly worship, we offer Sunday School and Bible Studies, we
create a budget and set goals for the year in which we hope our finances will
cover what we would like to accomplish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Often times, with maintainance ministry, we look the same as we did last
year, and the year before, and the year before that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We celebrate Christmas and Easter, we sing
our familiar hymns, and nothing much changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is comfortable, peaceful, and trustworthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have memories formed around these rituals
that are meaningful to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are, like
Peter, people that have built alters around sacred moments to ensure that they
continue to be there for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
has brought these three disciples up to the mountain top, and is preparing them
for the days ahead when he will enter into Jerusalem and will be betrayed by
Judas, arrested, denied by Peter, and crucified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are not easy days ahead, and so first,
before this struggle, this crisis, this horrific event take place, he appears
with Moses and Elijah and is transfigured before the disciples into something
divine, something sacred, a dazzling of the brightest white.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The disciples are so overcome with amazement,
Peter just can’t help himself, and he desires to mark this moment for all
history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants to build something to
commerate this moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And no sooner
does he want to keep this moment as something that will last forever, then it
is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cannot capture divine
moments, the holy presence, it is fleeting and changing and always moving
forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
what does Jesus tell Peter in this story?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Peter, we have work to do, and we must go back down from this mountain
and continue what God has asked us to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And so down the mountain they go, the once transformed Jesus looking
just as he did before he went up the mountain but now, the three disciples are
transformed, they have witnessed something unique, special, and holy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the the future is going to be beyond
unpleasant, they have this sacred moment to anchor them, a sacred moment that
promises them God is present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
does not have time for maintainance ministry, he is on the go, teaching,
challenging, calling for change, calling for transformaiton, very literally
transforming himself to help illustrate the work that he is about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In community organizing, transformation
ministry is first about building relationships, learning about one another,
listening to what the community is passionate about, what the community desires
to see changed, to see transformed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is actually a perfect connect to our two goals this year:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fellowship and Mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fellowship is more than grabbing coffee and
treats after worship, it is about the deep building of relationships with one
another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fellowship, relationship
building, can actually happen in those parts of our life together where we are
involved in maintainance: Bilbe Study, Session and Deacons’ meetings, Sunday
School, committee meetings, and fundraisers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus is always buildling relationships to people, not just with his disciples,
but to the greater community as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How does he meet Mary, Martha, and Lazerous?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about Nicodemus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, just to name a
few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
we grow in the ways that we know each other, as we build stronger relationships
with each other, as we learn what it is that we are truly passionate about,
then we go into the world in ministry in that arena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point in our denomination’s life, we
were passionate about health care and education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, as the early church grew and created
ministries in the United States the Presbyterian Church built hospitals and
schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time, we seem to have lost
our connection to many of these instututions as they have become businesses
rather than ministries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we, at one
time, transformed the landscape with these much needed community
resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church is still at work
in places such as Africa, transforming communities with schools and medical
clinics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This last summer, we saw how
Broad Street ministry was in partnership with other ministries that are seeking
to bring transformation into the lives of people in the Philidelphia area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Transformation for those diagnosed with Aids,
transformation for those that live in food deserts, transformation for those
that have always lived with the fear of scarcity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Transformation even for an old church
building that had closed and is now a health clinic, a soup kitchen, a clothing
closet, and so much more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Transformation
Sunday happens the week prior to Lent for a reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus literally faces Jerusalem and begins
the journey to his final week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Lent
is also about growth and moving forward in the faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lent was used as the season of time to teach
new converts about the faith and then on Easter Sunday these new followers
would be baptized and enter into the formal membership of the faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lent means a spiritual spring, a time for
renewal, a time to be transformed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any
time God sends God’s people into a season of 40 – God desires renewal and
transformation at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, this
Lenten season, we are going to focus on transformational ministry, on ways in
which we have already begun the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We will review the New Beginnings assesement that many of you were
involved with over six years ago, and continue to live into God’s calling for
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-32564094332249231752019-02-25T06:19:00.002-08:002019-02-25T06:19:56.449-08:00Sermon: Love Your Enemy<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Love, Bless, Pray, and be Merciful<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Love
your enemies, bless those that curse you, pray for those that abuse you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a lot packed into these three statements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love, bless, and pray, just those three words
can be challenging enough, but to love, bless, and pray for those that aren’t our
friends, that don’t seem to be treating us correctly, that perhaps are even
causing us harm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does Jesus really
expect us to live into this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are
things that we aren’t even sure we want Jesus or God or the Holy Spirit to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want God on our side, why would
we want God to extend love to those that oppose us, that want to harm us, that
are greedy or violent or cruel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aren’t
there teachings against these things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
why would we extend love, and blessings, and prayers for those that seem to be
living outside of God’s teachings?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t
there even a teaching about separating the goats from the sheep?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I truly think, this is one of the hardest
teachings of Christian discipleship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
so, in order to love your enemy, you first have to identify the break in
relationship that has caused this division.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Were you once friends?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you
have values that are on the extremes of the other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did the person break your trust, disappoint
you, or betray you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or is your enemy someone
you have never even met, such as the terrorist group Isis?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
9/11 there were so many hate crimes committed against Muslims, mass stereotyping
was happening, and suddenly anyone that had any kind of connections to those terrorists
must also be the enemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trauma and fear
created this incredible sense of distrust of the other and many innocent people
were targeted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so churches began to
reach out to Mosques in their community, they began to create relationships and
build trust with one another and fight against the hatred and stereotypes and
negativity that had formed over this horrific event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In so doing, we put into practice the concept
of loving our enemy, or at least loving our presumed enemy, extending love to
neighbors in our communities instead of buying into the fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Apparently,
our nation is extremely polarized right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t know if our division with one another has created enemies
amongst each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every once in awhile
I will read a post that a relative shares and I have to say to myself, okay,
you completely disagree with this, but she is your aunt, or he is your cousin,
let it go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Often
times, in order to love or to forgive, one first has to overcome anger, anger
at a person, or an event, or some deep hurt that has not healed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
been working through a book on spiritual disciple and one of the activities was
to name 50 things that you are angry about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was shocked at how easily I was able to name 50 things that either
have angered me in the past or make me angry right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of them our personal, but some are for
the hurts of the world, such as homelessness, human trafficking, and hungry
children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anger can harm us, but it can
also motivate us to make changes in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In order to move yourself out of destructive anger into transformational
anger, God reminds us that we have the tools of love, blessing, and
prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Anger is often a response that comes
out of fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If someone cuts you off
while driving, you might become angry at that person, perhaps even honking your
horn or flashing your lights at them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the anger is driven from the response of fear, fear that that person
could have caused an accident, could have harmed you, could have even killed
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fear is also driven from the
loss of control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to be a defensive
driver, always looking around me, always doing my best to be in control of the situation,
but someone else’s negligence can wipe out everything I have done to keep
myself safe, I am no longer in control and that creates fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What is it like for us as a
people to be constantly living in a state of fear and anger?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it pushes us to stress which can then
wreck havoc on our physical, emotional, and spiritual selves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if we find ourselves continuously stressed
out, or angry, or just feeling out of control, God reminds us, God calls to us,
God offers us a better way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes,
that way involves loving your enemy, bless those that curse you, and pray for
those that oppress you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than
anything, it is going to push yourself into spiritual practices of growth and
perhaps even transformation, it is going to push you into positive ways to deal
with fear and anger rather than harmful negative behaviors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">From the Book:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Way of Forgiveness, Flora Slosson
Wuellner is quoted as saying:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Acts of
cruelty and evil cannot be condoned or forgiven…When we are the victims of
radical evil, we are not asked to forgive the evil act<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are asked to remember that the
perpetrator, even though trapped for now in the evil, is nonetheless a child of
God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have seen the movie:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Shack, there is a scene where the father
and the Holy Spirit are in deep conversation about this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Holy Spirit pushes the father into trying
to understand judgement, it can seem so easy to judge on our part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Murder is wrong and a murdered is an evil
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what kind of brokenness is
going on in that person’s life, what caused the murderer to become the person
he has become?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to God, are we able
to accept that that person is still a child of God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to control God, we want to be the
judge, we know how wrong some actions are, and yet, God calls us to love, to
bless, and to pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There is such a powerful scene in
the movie:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deadman Walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A nun becomes a spiritual guide to a man on
death row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has committed horrible
acts including murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family of the
deceased cannot understand why the nun is offering God’s love to this person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a standoff between the family and the nun,
the grieving father shouts: don’t you think we could use some of God’s love as
well?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His anger at her was so
complicated, but it seemed he grieved so deeply that the criminal had the
attention of the nun and no one came to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps they too needed saving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Again, from the book: the way of
forgiveness, the reader is encouraged to start with small steps, we can’t be
expected to love the worst offender of our lives right away, we need to build
into the spiritual practice, we need to begin with smaller areas of disconnect
and begin to grow from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I also can’t help wondering, is
Jesus preparing his followers for the new community of faith that will
grow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A community that crosses boundaries
of culture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A community that will
include both Jew and Gentile, both masters and slaves, both women and men?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this teaching, he is preparing where
people that were once separated by rigid boundaries and social construct can
now gather together as one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How hard
would it be to gather with someone you once considered your enemy but is now a
part of your faith community?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
Kingdom of God, there is no space for this, Jesus breaks down the dividing
walls, he calls into question who belongs and who does not, and infuses the
conversation with Love, Blessing, Prayer, and Mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us live into being a community of faith
that is welcoming to all, filled with love, generous with blessings, infused
with prayer, and always erring on the side of mercy and grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-30383431311773679472019-02-18T07:30:00.001-08:002019-02-18T07:30:10.483-08:00sermon: Sabbath<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keeping Sabbath<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In college, we had a t-shirt that said:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If God was a Davidson student, he would have
played for six days and pulled an all nighter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The creation story shares that in six days God created the world, and
set aside one more day to rest, to see that all is good, to delight in the
creation that was made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God rested, and
should we.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
has been a long time since Sunday has been held as a day of rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some might remember a time when stores were
closed and families would go to church and then often gather for a meal
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our lives are so different
then the day and age of when Jesus walked this earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rules governing life, society, faith cultures
have softened greatly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We still get a
glimpse of it every once in awhile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
always amazed in this modern world when I see Orthodox Jews walking to the synagogue
or when I hear stories of the rules around whether you can turn on the oven on
the Sabbath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rules
around Sabbath keeping exist to help us understand, to help us set aside this
time as sacred and holy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we differentiate
one day from the next, one day from the normal work that we do, from a day that
is set aside as rest, as sacred, as a gift from God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We act differently, we follow religious
guidelines, we give our time and attention to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am pretty sure in the day and age of Jesus,
they did not have weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having one
day a week as a day of rest, as a day of no work, was a gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For us, it is often just assumed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone has the weekend, we all get two days
off from work, well that is if you have a mainstream vocation, or don’t have to
work two jobs to pay the bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are millions of people that have to work all week long, that don’t get the
weekend, that don’t have the luxury of slowing down and finding time to be intentionally
present with God with a faith community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Every
once in a while, we still lament the loss of some of these rules that protected
the Sabbath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We lament that there are
sports and practices and so many other activities that happen on Sunday
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we have also not adapted to
the changing culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have set
ourselves rigidly as a group that gathers on Sunday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is our time, this is the time we set
aside for worship, for gathering as God’s people, for our Sabbath keeping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what does this do to us a as a greater
community of faith, as a people called together to be in fellowship with each
other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We end up forcing families to
make a choice, sports or worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
wonder how Jesus would negotiate our Sabbath struggle in today’s world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because Jesus pushes against the rules of Sabbath
keeping that exist in his own day and age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The two stories we have today involve Jesus doing work on the
Sabbath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and his disciples are
walking through a field and they pluck some grain and eat it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems like something we might do, go out to
the garden in summer and pick a few tomatoes and enjoy them fresh off the
vine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the rules were so rigid that
this was considered work, they were involved with harvesting unprepared food,
and they had to separate the grain from the chaff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were processing their food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eating is allowed on the Sabbath, but not picking
and processing your food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You eat
something that has already been prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus then points back to King David, that when he was hungry on the
Sabbath, he ate, even if it was food he was not suppose to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here he says, the Son of Man is Lord of the
Sabbath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has not yet defined himself
as the Son of Man, and so those that head this were left wondering what he meant,
who is the Son of Man?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what does
this have to do with what Jesus is doing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luke
has placed two Sabbath stories together here, this next one happens on another
Sabbath when Jesus is teaching in the synagogue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems as if the scribes and Pharisees have
caught onto him, since it says they were watching him to see if he would heal
on the Sabbath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And sure enough, he
does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a man with a withered
hand and Jesus calls out to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the
man comes to Jesus, Jesus speaks to the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees
and asks:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: black;">I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the
sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Jesus heals the man’s hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eating
and healing, responding to hunger and brokenness, these are two things that
Jesus lifts up as viable practices on the Sabbath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is pushing back against the rigid rules of
his faith tradition that prohibited these actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, we need a day of rest, yes, we need a
time of holiness, but we also cannot ignore human need just because it happens
to be the Sabbath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
so, in a day and age where we seem to have no rules protecting the Sabbath,
Jesus just might come to us and ask about our fellowship, our time together as
a faith community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus might challenge
us to creatively find ways to keep the Sabbath, creative ways to gather as a
faith community, ways in which we are fed and healed not just physically, but
spiritually, since that is worship is intended to do for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How are we meeting people in their hunger and
brokenness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there ways to create
sacred space throughout the week, rather than just the few hours set aside on
Sunday morning?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sabbath keeping is about
rest, but it is also about sacred connections, about seeing God at work in the
world, about connecting to the sacred and finding the good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-40148386710624749842018-11-18T09:54:00.002-08:002018-11-18T09:54:29.098-08:00Stewardship - Legacy<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Legacy Giving<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Wednesday night and Thursday
morning Bible Studies have spent this past fall studying Elijah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have this beautiful Elijah stain glass
window here in the sanctuary, so we wanted to learn more about this ancient
prophet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last chapter of our study
was called Legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elijah, through his
faithfulness to God, through his work proclaiming people to return to God, he
left a legacy to future generations, including us, here in this place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The legacy of Elijah connects to the role and
purpose of John the Baptist, but his legacy is also passed along through people
naming their children Elijah, and it just so happened that we had a pastor
named Elijah Stoddard and that this particular window was dedicated to him, so
in a sense, it is a double legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A legacy
of Elijah the prophet and a legacy of the ministry of Elijah Stoddard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A physical reminder to us of those who came
before us to share their faith through ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our church building is filled with
legacies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could take a tour and learn
about those that came before us through the gifts that have been left in their
names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, I specifically chose Miss
Grob as someone that has left us a legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I reached out to Sue Anderson to see if she knew Miss Grob or had any
history on her and this is what Sue has to share:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Miss Clara Grob was a first grade
teacher in Roxbury. She was my first grade teacher in the Franklin school
on Meeker St. in Succasunna. She lived on N. Hillside Avenue in
Succasunna in a brick home that backyard was along our Cemetery fence.
She had lots of bird feeders in her backyard. She would talk about
the many birds in her classes. She would give books about birds to her
students for example for Christmas. I still have mine. I remember finding
it and bringing it to church to show Miss Grob. She was shocked that I
still had it like 25 years later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> She was
very tall and slender, but hunched over later in life. She wore a hat and
dress and walked to church from her home. </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">She always sat in the front on the left in front
of the pulpit. She left a pillow to sit on, on her pew. .</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She had no children or relatives. Her students were her
children. She was very generous and left her home to our church. She was
a wonderful teacher. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
chose Miss Grob to share today, because more and more, her name is becoming
just a name on a fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fund that has
been our endowment fund, a fund that has been our life raft to help us through difficult
years of continuing our ministry despite limited financial resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she left her house, she had no idea how
her gift would further enhance the work of God’s people, here in this
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gifts can have a ripple effect,
they might be intended for one thing, such as housing an associate pastor, but through
prayer and discernment and trusting in God, they can be transformed into other
resources for God’s ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our
scriptures are filled with stories of people of faith leaving a legacy to the
next generation and these legacy gifts come in all different shapes and
sizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the story of Hannah, she is
barren and she wants a child more than anything else in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, as she prays in the temple, she asks God
to give her a child, and in response, she will give the child back to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her legacy, her way of giving to God for
God’s goodness in her life, is to return what she has received, her child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the story of Samuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Samuel, while living in the temple with the
priest Eli is called by God to be the first in the line of prophets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hannah’s gift, her dedicating her son to be a
part of the priestly class, specifically a Nazarene, is transformed by God and
Samuel’s legacy is even more than his mother’s expectations, he becomes a
prophet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
then we have the story of the woman with the costly nard or perfume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those gathered together are shocked and
surprised when she takes this ointment and pours it out upon Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What could she be thinking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This perfume should have been sold so they could
use the money to help the poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I
have had those very same thoughts when I wrestle with stewardship
decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was in Kenya, the
church I was visiting on Sunday was raising money for a church bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My thoughts were, you are raising how much
money for a bus when there are street children right outside your doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Couldn’t that money be used to make a
difference in the life of these children?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We can always make judgements on how we think money should be used
rather than how it is being used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
Jesus responds: </span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Let
her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for
me. </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">7 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">For you always have the poor with you, and you
can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have
me. </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">8 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She has done what she could; she has anointed my
body beforehand for its burial. </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">9 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Truly I tell you, wherever the good news<sup>[</sup></span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><sup><span style="color: #b34b2c; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+14&version=NRSV#fen-NRSV-24757d" title="See footnote d"><span style="color: #b34b2c;">d</span></a></span></sup></span><span class="text"><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">]</span></sup></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> is proclaimed in the whole world, what she
has done will be told in remembrance of her.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus transforms her action into a legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others cannot understand her actions, but
Jesus does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus understands that this
is what the woman has and out of complete love and compassion and dedication to
him, she literally pours out what she has upon him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as others scold her, Jesus says that she
should be remembered always.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How do we pour out our lives for
God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we dedicate the next
generation to knowing our faith?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How are
we leaving a legacy for the future?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
are we willing to leave a legacy that just might look different in the future
than what we are expecting?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
legacy gifts left for specific ministries, which is wonderful, but we also need
legacy gifts left to be used how the Holy Spirit is calling us to become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this season of Thanksgiving and
Stewardship, how might you prayerfully give to the work and ministry of this
church for today and tomorrow, but how might you also give for the future?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miss Grob loved to teach, she loved children,
she loved birds, and she must of deeply loved this church and her God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She could have given her estate to Audubon
for the protection of birds for the future, she could have given her estate to
the school for the continuation of education, but she chose the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church must have meant something very
personal for her, it must have impacted her life very deeply, and my hope is
that we can be that ministry to those gathered here today and for those that
will gather in this place fifty years from now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whether you knew Miss Grob or not, here legacy is making a difference in
your life today, as her gift continues to ripple out into this ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-3541569143330893072018-10-14T17:50:00.000-07:002018-10-14T17:50:02.960-07:00Steeple Dedication<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Steeple:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Faith can move Mountains<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Do you have faith to move a
mountain?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I know how to turn a
mole hill into a mountain, but faith to move a mountain?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This summer, as the carpenters and painters
worked in extreme heat, to restore our historic steeple, this passage kept
coming to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faith to move
mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then I would add in my
head, or faith to restore a steeple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
this is so much more than repairing and painting a steeple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a story of years and years of
conversations, time invested, and careful discernment as to the priorities in
the ministries of the congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, although it was not a burning
bush with God’s voice speaking to us, we did have a sign from the steeple that
it was time to really prioritize its restoration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few years ago, a board fell from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yikes, what if it had hit someone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there more loose boards?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that point forward, small steps starting
moving us to today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The session approved
a capital campaign fund to restore the Steeple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A small group of members were elected at a Congregational Meeting to
begin the process of receiving estimates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Deeper conversations were held with our session and deacons discerning
the ways we could use our treasure could be used to offset the costs for the steeple’s
restoration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, a group formed that
decided to apply for a historic grant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This dedicated group, became the Steeple committee, and pulled
information from a previous grant application, updated information, sought
estimates, and submitted the grant to the county.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only to find out that a lawsuit against the
county made religious organizations ineligible to receive these grants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Defeat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except, this is a story of faith
moving mountains, or in this case, restoring a steeple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back to the drawing board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had not yet officially started a campaign
for the steeple, although we had already received significant gifts towards it
restoration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The energy seemed to be
here, could we really do this without the grant money to help us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The steeple committee decided to take that
leap of faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no guarantees
of future grants, and we had received an amazing gift from the estate of a
church member towards the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe God was talking to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Steeple committee set a budget
without really knowing what would be found once the carpenters got up to the
bell tower, although we did borrow a drone with a nice camera to get some areal
views of the steeple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, taking a
step out on faith, we moved forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
pledges came in, the energy increased and the reality of not only restoring the
Steeple but being able to pay for this project all seemed to be in
alignment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A report was brought back to
the Steeple committee and the session that there was significant wood damage, a
lot of water damage, and that there was going to be a lot more carpentry work
than originally thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Move forward,
let’s do this, and do it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faith
moving mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our original two week time frame
turned into three and the rain pushed us to four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heat caused the lift to basically melt
the driveway over on the kitchen side of the building, the rain caused it to
sink into the mud, and a tow was needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Obstacles, hurdles, but no roadblocks, but would it be finished within
the month lease of the lift?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
conversations on additional costs of the lift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And a wee bit of fear entered in as we wondered how much extra costs
would begin to accumulate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without fail,
the last day of the lift lease, work was finished!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed impossible, but faith truly did
move this mountain or in this case, restored a steeple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, what is so important about a
steeple?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I said on more than one
occasion, let’s just remove it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything right now seems to be about finding your why. What was our
why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it’s historic, it’s been a
part of this church building for over two hundred years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s part of our identity here in this
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing Biblical
about steeples, but they did serve two significant purposes in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before people had watches, the church bells,
located in the steeple, were used to call the community together, not just for
worship, but for meetings and other community affairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bells needed to be up high enough for
the sound to carry across the region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, our steeple does not have a clock, but some church steeples, also
have a clock that was used by the community and again, it needed to be up high
enough so people had greater access to see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But we don’t need a town clock or bells calling us together, we all have
watches or phones that we use for telling time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, other than its historical
meaning, what does a steeple mean in this modern world?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not just remove it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, as a people of faith, we often use
symbols to signify deep spiritual meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We mark our worship space with the symbol of the cross, the baptism
font, the communion table, but we are people that are not just to gather inside
a building for worship, but a people called to go out into the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The steeple is outside, it is out in the
world, our bell rings out and whether you are someone that attends church or
not, it is a reminder, a reminder that faithful people do gather, that people
in this community do trust in God, that hope moves us forward to ensure that we
have a strong and healthy community to live and raise our families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some, a steeple might just be a reminder
of past days, but for others, it can be a symbol of hope, a symbol reaching up
towards heaven, reminding us to pray, reminding us that God is at work, not
just a thing of the past, but is currently present in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people might just drive by the church
and say, finally, they have painted that thing, they won’t know the faith it
took to make this day a reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we
know, we now we have a story to share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The steeple I once said, let’s just remove it, now is a symbol to move
of faith, a symbol of faith moving a mountain, a story of faith overcoming
defeat and rising up with determination that together, we can make miracles
happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950488330777423042.post-29968224759424596372018-08-13T06:58:00.002-07:002018-08-13T06:58:22.304-07:00Sermon Series: Dreams: Mary and Joseph<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Last
week I mentioned that sacred dreams occur in the scripture during major times
of transition in the life of God’s people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dreams bringing people closer to God, dreams showing outsiders to the
faith that God is the true God, dreams bringing hope to people who have little
to no hope left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in the darkest of
times, God reaches out to God’s people and sends a message of presence, of
hope, of possibilities for the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so today, we have another dream,
another angel speaking to Joseph in his sleep, that Mary will have a child, a
child blessed by God, a child that is proclaimed to be the son of God, the long
awaited heir to the throne of David, the new branch from the stump of
Jesse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The dream that Joseph had, of this
angel sharing with him about the birth of this child, is so transitional, that early
church leaders took these stories and marked them as different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the Hebrew scriptures were not yet
known as the Old Testament, this dream, this birth, this transition brought about
what we now call the New Testament and the Gospels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A whole new set of holy scriptures were born
through this dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For those that were here the Sunday
we heard the dreams from Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar, we heard about two
separate dreams that were of future kingdoms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There would be four kingdoms and after that God would create an eternal
kingdom:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: black;">“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a
kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It
will crush</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> all those kingdoms</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure
forever.</span> And from Daniel’s dream:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> under heaven
will be handed over to the holy people</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> of the Most High.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> His kingdom will be an everlasting</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> kingdom, and all
rulers will worship</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> and obey him.’</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also look to Isaiah and his words about
God’s future kingdom as we celebrate the birth of Jesus and how we believe he
is the fulfillment of God’s promises and sacred dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so generation after generation
have waited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s people who were in
exile during the time of Daniel and Ezekiel have returned home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have reestablished their lives in Israel
but have not become the might kingdom they once were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have struggled to protect themselves and
have found themselves conquered by the Greeks and then again by the
Romans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">There is a deep yearning in the people to have a
new leader, a new king, someone that will defeat the Roman oppression and allow
the people to once again live as an independent nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But sometimes human yearning is not what God
is creating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The angel shares these
words with Mary:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black;">He will be great and will be called the
Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father
David,</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span id="en-NIV-24927" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">33 </span></span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants
forever; his kingdom will never end.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This tends to connect to that yearning of God’s
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gives them the hope that this
is the one that has come to be their new king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But
to Joseph we are told:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">you are to give him the name Jesus,</span><sup data-fn="#fen-NIV-23166f" data-link="[<a href="#fen-NIV-23166f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+1&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23166f" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;" title="See footnote f"><span style="color: #b34b2c; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">f</span></a>]</sup><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> because he will save his people from their sins.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing here about a kingdom or the
throne of David it is a much more spiritual nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Joseph knows that there is something
special about this child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps God
was calling him to be a religious leader, a Pharisee or a Sadducee, someone
with the authority to cleanse God’s people of their sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is no king language here, no new kingdom, but still a major message of who this
child will be, he will save his people from their sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And so the time has come, the dreams from 500 years
prior are being fulfilled, are coming into reality, God’s very presence is truly
entering the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No longer is God
speaking through dreams to bring transition and hope and purpose to God’s
people, but rather is entering the world in human form, in a sacred presence,
in a living dream to share with God’s people how to truly live in the world,
even when there is oppression, even when there is injustice, even when hope
seems scarce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Last week, I asked the question that perhaps we
are lost in today’s world because we do not know where we fit into the story,
where are we in the sacred dream sequence?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are no longer waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises, we are
no longer waiting for the coming of the Messiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people are diligently awaiting the
second coming, we hear mention of this once in awhile, all the bad things
happening in the world must mean that Christ is coming soon and all of this
will be destroyed and God will redeem God’s people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But as Presbyterians, we live into this current
time understanding our place within the promises of God as disciples, as followers
of Jesus, as doing what we can to live out the teachings Jesus calls us to live
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as Moses gave the people the
10 Commandments, a code of living as God’s holy people, we have been given
teaching after teaching to live into as we journey through these lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">What is God’s dream for today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, each congregation, each Christian organization
or agency should be interpreting this question or themselves and living into
their own piece of the greater picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The mission that I grew up volunteering with in Maine had a statement
that their purpose was something about – until we fix the last house on the
last road. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The YMCA has been running
commercials that state:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">There's never been a
better time to build a better us. At the Y, we are committed to creating a
better community for all.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also –
we are not just a gym, we are a community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So, that is my goal for us this summer as we move
into the fall, to truly spend time imagining, dreaming, wondering, what is God’s
dream for us in today’s world?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through
New Beginnings, your dream was to partner with the community near and far to
spread the love and joy of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another
dream was to live more fully into what is called Missional Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have shared various aspects of missional
church with you all and as we journey into 2019, I want us to dwell more deeply
in the understanding of missional church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">One of the habits of missional church is to
announce the kingdom of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Kingdom
of God, to announce the very fulfillment of the angel’s message to Mary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mary, your son will be the Son of the most
high – and his kingdom will endure forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Two thousand years later, do we see that kingdom in our midst?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we feel God’s presence with us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s dream for us to be disciples, disciples
that see God at work and share those moments of love, justice, reconciliation
with others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We announce that the
homeless have shelter, the hungry have been fed, the thirst have something to
drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We announce that broken have been
healed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We announce that children that
have no school supplies now have the resources they need for school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We announce that God’s love is creating
loving community where all are welcomed and offered safe space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Faith: Off the Gridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924807230120667717noreply@blogger.com0