A Reflection for Memorial Day 2013

This is a reflection for the Ecumenical Flag Raising Ceremony at the Fountain Square, Chestertown on Sunday, May 26, 2013 @ 12:30 pm. Hope to see you there.

“A Jewish rabbi, a Christian pastor, a Muslim imam and a Buddhist monk went into…” That sounds like the opening of a bad joke.

I want to repeat that sentence again, and this time I want to finish it. “A Jewish rabbi, a Christian pastor, a Muslim imam and a Buddhist monk entered into the chapel of an air-force base.”

The phrase “melting pot” has a special meaning in our culture; as a first generation immigrant and a naturalized citizen of USAmerica I know that meaning first hand. Every aspect of our society reflects the fact that we are a melting pot, and our armed forces are not an exception. We have men and women of all religious and cultural beliefs and convictions working together in order to protect and defend our country.

Unfortunately that means that sometimes a Jewish rabbi, or a Christian pastor, or a Muslim imam or a Buddhist monk has to visit a family somewhere in the United States of America to look them in the eye and tell them that their son or daughter has fallen in the line of duty and that they will never hear their voice or hug them again on this side of eternity.

Our country has set aside Memorial Day as a day to remember our fallen heroes and their sacrifice, and to reflect on the values and ideals that give us our identity as citizens of the United States of America.

As a naturalized citizen of these United States of America, I am frustrated by the way we celebrate Memorial Day. It seems to have lost its meaning. For the most part what we do and how we celebrate have lost their connection with the intent and purpose of the holiday.

For many of us, Memorial Day weekend is the official kick-off to summer. Whether it is extra-long hours at the beach, or a “freebie” night to fire up the BBQ to cook shish-kabobs and socialize with friends and relatives, it has become just that – an extra day off work. That stands in stark contrast with the intent of what Memorial Day is meant to be: a time of reflection on the people, ideals, customs and traditions that give us our national identity, and the memory of those who have fought to preserve them.

President John F. Kennedy once said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” Those of us who are here, are here because we share certain convictions about what Memorial Day represents. In the next year, I want to challenge all of us to not only express our highest appreciation for what fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and neighbors have done for all of us, but to live that appreciation. My hope is that we will leave this ceremony challenged and inspired to reach out to those for whom Memorial Day has become just a day off work and the beginning of summer, and remind them of what Memorial Day truly is about.

And maybe next year, as a result of our efforts, this square will be filled with our neighbors who will come out to this event to remember, to honor and to respect what this day means, to share the sense of loss with families who have lost their loved ones. My hope is that God’s peace and justice will prevail, and that in a near future no Jewish rabbi, nor Christian pastor, nor Muslim imam nor Buddhist monk will have to face a family to tell them that their loved one is no more.

Call to prayer and action in the wake of the Tornado in Moore, Oklahoma

In the wake of tragic deaths and damage caused by a huge tornado that tore through Moore, Okla., on Monday, May 20, let us keep our neighbors in thoughts and prayers.

Prayer adapted from the Scroll of Isaiah 40:1:2, 28-31:

Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God. 

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and mourn the tragedy that befallen her…

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

The cost of the storm — in lives and physical damage —  is expected to rival that from a tornado that devastated the same part of the nation in May 1999. According to NOAA, the tornado of 1999 left behind “46 dead and 800 injured, more than 8,000 homes damaged or destroyed, and total property damage of nearly $1.5 billion.”

Following is a call from Bishop Johnson to combine our efforts and help our neighbors:

Dear Pastors and Members of the Eastern PA and Peninsula-Delaware Conferences,

Once again a weather tragedy has hit our nation.  I am calling everyone to prayer for our sisters and brothers in Oklahoma.  I ask that you will also consider taking a special offering for the United Methodist Committee on Relief in your churches this Sunday and send these offerings to the conference center with a notation that the offering is to go to the Oklahoma tornado relief effort.  It is a comfort to know that our help is already on its way but there is much that still needs to be done.  When we all give much good can be accomplished. One hundred per cent of UMCOR donation money goes to the project designated.  Please be prayerful and generous at this time. 

Bishop Peggy A. Johnson

Notes for the Sunday Message; Pentecost 2013; May 19, 2013

This week we will celebrate Pentecost

The story of the Pentecost is told in Acts 2:1-21. You can read it here.

To honor this Holy Day, please wear RED to church this morning.

There are two days in the Biblical narrative that fascinate me: Easter and Pentecost.

I think that the most important day in the whole Biblical narrative is the day of Easter. It is the day when your salvation and mine became a reality. I believe Easter to be the most important day of our Christian calendar. With all that, if there was just one day in Bible history that I would like to be a part of, it is the day described in today’s reading from Acts, the day of Pentecost. I would want to be a part of the day of Pentecost because it is the most exciting day in the whole of the Biblical narrative. Allow me to explain.

There is not a single person in this sanctuary whose heart has not been broken at least once. All of us know what a broken heart feels like.

There is not a single person in this room who has not been disappointed at least once in their life because something that they really wanted did not materialize. All of us know what disappointment and frustration feels like.

There in not a single person in this room who has not experienced a significant loss in their lives: the death of a parent or a grandparent, separation from a friend, death of a spouse, a divorce. All of us have experienced grief in our lives.

I am not saying this to depress you. The point that I am trying to make is that on Easter morning the Disciples hearts were broken, their dreams of freedom were nailed to the Cross, their hopes for the future were lost and their friend and leader was dead. The heartbeat of their community was no more. Their pain and anguish must have been unbearable. I don’t know how I would deal with life if I found myself in their shoes.

I used to wonder why God waited fifty days to send the Holy Spirit into their midst. Think of all the anguish and frustration that the Disciples would have been spared if the Holy Spirit came into their midst sooner, like Monday, just one day AFTER the Resurrection. It was only recently that I understood why it took fifty days for the Holy Spirit to descend to the Disciples.

The Disciples were crushed by Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus embodied their sense of identity and their sense of shared mission. When he died they needed time to grieve and to process what had happened. When he died (even after he revealed himself to them) they needed time to come to terms with the fact that an important season and time of their lives had come to an end. The Disciples needed time and space to process their feelings of loss and emotions of frustration. The Disciples needed time to recognize that although they may never completely recover from their loss, the Sun would rise tomorrow and life would go on. The Disciples needed time and space to accept the fact that their lives would be different and that the call to “follow me”[i] would be different than what they had thought it would be, and what this meant to them, to their families and to all of God’s Creation. In times like this we need to recapture our sense of purpose, to recognize and accept the fact that we are in a different stage of life and that we need to find a different way or ways to apply ourselves.

We know that the Disciples spent quite a bit of time behind closed doors because they were scared. While hiding, they were visited by the resurrected Jesus twice (John 20:19-23 and then “A week later…” John 20:19-31). We know that some of the disciples felt so scared that they actually went back to their old lives, trying to restart their fishing careers. (John 21:1-14). I am talking about “on this rock I will build my church” Peter, about James and John who wanted to sit on either side of Jesus when he came into his kingdom (Mark 10:34-45), about “touch the wounds in my pierced hands so that you no longer doubt” Thomas, and couple of others.

During that period of time the Disciples were caught between the Crucifixion and Resurrection and they struggled with the realities of both. They did not know how to feel or how to proceed with their lives.

The 50 day period between the Crucifixion and Pentecost gave the Disciples time to process what had happened, to accept what they had to accept, to realize that God is still God and that God still cares for God’s Creation and that God could use their gifts, talents and their abilities. Because of that recognition they were ready to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And who among us does not have memories of something or someone that we cherished and lost. Who among us does not remember a period of time when they had no energy, or were scared, or were angry, and then one day something happened and they recognized that the Grace of God was still with them, they realized that they were still capable of living productive lives and found the desire and courage to do so.

The Holy Spirit of our Lord descended upon the Disciples when they were ready to receive it. The Holy Spirit of our Lord infused the Disciples with a sense of purpose and mission when they were ready to step out on faith and follow the Spirit’s leading to do what needed to be done.

The Pentecost is the day when the fledgling community of Jesus’ friends and followers was ready to accept that although Jesus was no longer with them in a physical, bodily form, the Holy Spirit was with them and they were far from helpless.

Pentecost is the day when the fledgling community of Jesus’ friends and followers recognized that they could honor Jesus and his life by rolling up their sleeves and making disciples as God commanded, so that the Good News of God’s Love and Grace continued to be proclaimed all through the known world.

Pentecost happened 2000 years ago and it keeps happening now in our own lives. Most of us do not understand what Pentecost is all about because we do not see ourselves in the story. Let us talk about it…

Pentecost happens in our lives when, after something traumatic or painful, we recognize that life still goes on and that we can honor the past by finding ways to live productive and meaningful lives in the present. Pentecost happens in our lives when we recognize that God is always doing a new thing in our lives and among us. Pentecost happens in our lives when we recognize that the accomplishments and disappointments of the past do not define who we are and that we are capable of being adaptable, flexible and patient because God always has a plan for us; and that when we take the time, energy and patience to discern what God is doing and join God, we can accomplish anything we set our hearts on.

Pentecost happens in every life when we find healing, forgiveness, revival of the soul and transformation after something that has challenged us to the core of our being. Pentecost happens in our lives when we recognize that our history (whether personal or collective) gives us courage to press on and infuses our future with meaning. Pentecost happens in our lives when we realize how our history has shaped who we are today and inspires who we will become tomorrow.

The Holy Spirit of our God is still hovering and brooding over all of God’s Creation. The Holy Spirit of our Lord is among us at Christ United Methodist Church. Do you feel it? Are you willing to take part in God’s creation process…

[i] Places where Jesus said, “Follow Me.”: John 1:43; John 8:12; John 10:27; John 12:26; John 13:36; John 21:19; John 21:22; Luke 5:27; Luke 9:23; Luke 9:59; Luke 14:27; Luke 18:22; Mark 1:17; Mark 2:14; Mark 8:34; Mark 10:21; Matthew 4:19; Matthew 8:22; Matthew 9:9; Matthew 10:38; Matthew 16:24; Matthew 19:21; Matthew 19:28 (New International Version) – CLICK HERE

Link to Pentecost Sermon 2012

Notes for Sunday Message; 12-May-2013; Mother’s Day in USAmerica

Scriptures for this Sunday: Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 31:15-17; John 2:1-11

You can read these Scriptures Here:  NIV2010

GBOD.ORG:  Mother’s Day Resources

 

Contrary to popular belief Mother’s Day was NOT invented by Hallmark. The first attempts to establish a “Mother’s Day” in the USAmerica came from women’s peace groups shortly after the American Civil War. Their common goal and desire was to support each other as they grieved their sons who perished in the American Civil War. (Here is a link to Wikipedia entry giving more information about this.)

Mother’s Day is a secular holiday and not every woman is a mother. I believe that as a church we should celebrate Women of Faith Day instead of Mother’s Day. Women of Faith Day would illuminate and acknowledge the contributions of ALL of our ladies in helping God to make this world a better place. Women of Faith help us to find meaning in our lives and help us to recognize the presence of the Holy.

Year after year, I have difficulty preaching on Mother’s Day. I understand what mothers go through, I can relate to their emotions, I comprehend the challenges that they face. Unfortunately, for me these understandings are more intellectual than emotional in nature. From experience I know that intellectualism has a tendency to make for a boring, if not completely meaningless, Sunday morning.

When we strip out the syrupy, sugary and cloying sentimentality, the cutesy cards and flowers, we are left with the reality that every one of us have moms, grand-moms, aunts, teachers, Sunday School teachers and mentors who “mom’d” us and helped us to become who we are today and who we will become tomorrow. For that, all of us should be grateful; by shaping us these ladies shape future generations; doing so these ladies serve as tools in God’s hands and make the world a better place.

Most of us are who we are today by the Grace of God and because of our moms, grand-moms, aunts, teachers, mentors, Sunday School teachers and other ladies who “mom’d” us, who helped us to recognize that our value as persons is not measured by social norms that are established by the judgments of others.

OVERBOARD is a movie released in 1987 and it is a story of an uber-wealthy, spoiled woman living a sheltered life of privilege on her private yacht (Joanna Stayton, played by Goldie Hawn). By a whim of fate, she ends up in the life of a working man (Dean Proffitt, played by Kurt Russell) and his four children. While it is a somewhat naïve story, we see how her presence changes the dynamic of the whole family, how the children start doing much better at school, how her presence affects Dean and his friends and their families.

Her presence in their lives changes Dean’s family and friends for the better. It also changes Joanna. When forced to go back to her old life of privilege and leisure, we see the physical change in the way Joanna handles herself, in the way she dresses and in the way she talks to and with her servants. One evening Joanna turns to the butler who has served her for many years and apologizes for her poor treatment of him in the past. After accepting the apology, the butler observes that unlike most people, Joanna has been given an opportunity to see life from a different perspective and a new point of view. He did not tell her what to do with the rest of her life, but pointed out that she is the one who can decide how to use her newly acquired knowledge.

In that movie Joanna helped Dean to reinvent himself and helped his children to see themselves in a new light. Although she was not children’s biological mother, she became children’s mom; she fulfilled the office of motherhood with grace, dignity and poise.

Countless women of faith have helped all of us to discern who we are and who we want to be. Countless women of faith have helped each of us to change and to reinvent ourselves. Countless women of faith taught each of us about God, about respect, about love, about grace and about life in general. And countless women of faith have found themselves changed as a result of this outpouring of effort and emotion.

We feel their presence in our lives. Every accomplishment under our belts is, at least partially, rooted in their encouragement, efforts and presence.

They are also with us when things are not going that well. They give us hope, help us to recognize that we may be having a bad day but the Sun will rise up again tomorrow. They challenge us to apply ourselves, they help us to spread our wings and fly; in today’s Gospel reading we heard how Mary challenged Jesus to help the wedding host when there was a problem.

Today’s message would not be complete without saying a few words about those mothers and mother figures that use their children to fulfill their own unmet emotional needs. In case you are wondering, that is a polite way of saying “abusive” and “dysfunctional” mothers. It is a reality of many lives and we need to keep those who suffer from abuse in our thoughts and prayers, lending a helping hand when we are able.

I do have hard time preaching Mother’s Day. Earlier I mentioned that I think that today should be called Women of Faith day. Not every woman is a mother; but most every woman of faith serves God by serving the world in which she lives by shaping, mentoring and guiding young and not so young minds. Mother’s Day reminds us that in its origin, inspiration, and intent, countless women of faith have given us the sense that we are loved unconditionally. Such love is the closest approximation that we can experience in this life to the love of God for us.

It is that love which supports and inspires us as we strive to make God’s love, justice, grace, and presence real not only for ourselves and for our families, but for all the people of the world.

Thinking Towards Sunday; 12-May-2013; Mother’s Day in USAmerica

Scriptures for this Sunday: Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 31:15-17; John 2:1-11

You can read these Scriptures Here:  NIV2010

GBOD.ORG:  Mother’s Day Resources

Notes for Sunday Message; May 5, 2013; Graduating Senior Sunday

These are the Scriptures that will be read this Sunday:

Colossians 3:23-24 NIV 2010

²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.Cross references:

Luke 6:43-45 NIV 2010

A Tree and Its Fruit

⁴³ “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Graduates, let me start by saying “Congratulations!” You have worked hard to get here. You have fulfilled a set of academic requirements and taken tests to demonstrate your knowledge and skills. Parents, teachers, mentors, Sunday School teachers, Godparents, and CharacterCounts! volunteers (just to name a few) have worked hard to provide the environment, guidance and encouragement for the graduates to stay on course and to enable them to dream and to discern what they would want to become.

Graduates, this short season of your life is set aside to celebrate your hard work, your perseverance, your achievements, and your hopes and dreams while in high school. Enjoy this time of your life. The memories of this season of your life will stay with you forever.

All of us have dreams. At one time or another all of you have said, “I want to be …” By now most of you have narrowed down what you want to do with your lives in the immediate future. You are standing at the juncture of two roads: one journey is coming to an end and another journey is about to start. That is what the season of graduation is; it is a process of “something new” being brought into existence. That “something new” is you and what you will become.

Our church family has set today aside to celebrate all of this. You grew up in our midst. When you were baptized in this sanctuary and in this baptismal font, vows were taken and exchanged; this community promised to nurture you in your faith and to provide you with an example of what it means to practice forgiveness, charity, love, and grace and to live simple, unpretentious Christian lives. And here you are; about to start a new leg on the journey of your lives.

In this season of your lives you will hear lots of platitudes. By now you are in platitude overload; I know I was. We wish our graduates to become leaders, movers and shakers in our industries and institutions.

All this is true; we wish you all that and much, much more. It is also true that it is an unfair goal to burden you with for the rest of your lives. We put those burdens on you because most of us simply do not understand what education is about. Education is not about careers or “success” that is measured in monetary terms. The goal of education is to learn to think critically and to challenge us; the true purpose of education is to expand our horizons and train our minds, not to build careers. Careers and vocations, what we do with our lives, is a function of what and how we think.

Truthfully, God did not create every person to be a leader. Expectations to become leaders, movers and shakers may sound good and inspiring; these expectations, however, place a tremendous amount of pressure and anxiety on you unless this is what God has given you a passion for or called you to.

There is a quote attributed to John Lennon, that goes something like this: “When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

Today, instead of challenging you to become leaders, movers and shakers, I want to challenge you to live your passions and to become all that God is calling you to be. Take time to discern and to figure that out. Some graduates dream of becoming carpenters, farmers or car mechanics. Some graduates dream of becoming teachers, bio-genetic engineers, or nuclear scientists. Some graduates are called to become heads of state, leaders in your chosen industry, or the next John Lennon, or Bill Gates, or J.K. Rowling.

Today I want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if you do what God is calling you to do, if you take the time to be the best version of yourself, you will find happiness.

Today I also want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we as your church family will stand by you, we will pray for you, and we will do everything we can to be a loving community for each other. And rest assured, on your lives’ journeys you will need people who care about you and about each other, you will need people who may not necessarily solve your problems but who will challenge you to make constructive and productive decisions. Church is that kind of a community.

In your lives, you will face good days and bad days. You will face times of economic prosperity and times of economic downturn. You will face mind-numbing and infuriating narrow-mindedness and liberalism. You will face rhetoric that you will believe to be wrong and you will be challenged to make decisions that will affect all of our lives (for example, elections and environmental policy). You will face personal decisions that will affect your families and your children for generations.

Through it all, always put God first. Make sure that you are a part of a church community that knows who you are, that knows what you are going through, who sees you on Sundays, who hears your prayers and who knows what is happening in your lives. A church community is a group of people who care about each other and about you; they are not necessarily going to solve your problems but their function is to help you to see where God is working in your life, to challenge you to make constructive and productive decisions, to be the best version of yourselves in all circumstances.

Spend more than one Sunday every few years with your church family. You will see God in their eyes and in their presence, and in the long run they will help you to discern what God is doing in our world and in your life. Always make a choice to be with God because when you are with God, all things are possible.

At this time you are in celebration mode; and you should be. As I stand before you, this May 5, 2013, you may think that you know a lot, and that is at least partially true. You don’t know quite as much as you think.

What is also true is that you do not have enough life experience to face life alone; no matter how long you will live, you will never have enough life experience to face your lives alone. Because of your youth and lack of experience, it is also hard for you to process everything that I have dumped on you today. Luckily, you have your whole lives ahead of you. That is why I printed copies of this sermon for each of you; I hope that each of you will take a copy and read it every few years. It will help you to evaluate where you are on your life’s journeys.

In conclusion: May God keep and bless you always; may you always choose to walk with God. May you become the best version of what God is calling you to be. May you find happiness and fulfillment in your lives.

Sermon by Krystal Thomas preached on April 13, 2013 at Christ United Methodist Church

This is the sermon that our Lay Leader, Krystal Thomas, preached on 4/13/2013 while I was away. Many of you asked me to post it on our blog. Here it is.

Deuteronomy 6: 1-9

“Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you are home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.”

I Timothy 4:6-16

“If you teach these things to other followers, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ. You will show you that you have grown up in the teachings about our faith and on the good instructions you have obeyed. ‘Exercise is good for your body. But religion helps you in every way. It promises life now and forever.’ These words are worthwhile and should not be forgotten. We have put our hope in the living God who is the savior of everyone, but especially of those who have faith.”

Matthew 14: 22-33

“Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water. Come on said Jesus. Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward Jesus. When Peter saw how strong the wind was, he was afraid and starting sinking. Save me Lord, Peter shouted.

Right away Jesus reached out his hand. He helped Peter up and said, you surely don’t have much faith. Why do you doubt?”

Step out of your comfort zone

Over that last few months beginning last Fall Rev Asher and including the bishop and the deacon, have spoken on discipleship and brining others into our church. In order to attract new believers and those who are looking for something we have, we need to know where we have come from, where we are, and where we are going. Each of us in this congregation have different histories and experiences which have affected and molded our faith. Some of us had a foundation that was started in a Christian home and continued in Sunday school and church, and we were nurtured by our families and by a church family. Others have been looking for something their experience was not able to completely offer. They weren’t told about God while growing up in their homes, they might have been sent to Sunday school but no carry over. Others lived in need or under abuse, and they are in need to build the foundation that can be supported by the church family they commune with weekly. Others are still looking to belong and need to know they can belong, and that a strength can be gained with the membership into Christ’s church family.

The journey of making disciples begin with a foundation, growing in faith and moving forward to show the faith.

This is evident throughout the New Testament. Genesis is a collection of stories to explain God’s presence in our lives that were told from parent to child, at the knee of their mothers and around camp fires. Showing what God has done in the life of our people and what we must do in response to God’s caring. When the general evil of the human species would not repent. God would intervene to punish. Which often lead complete destruction except for a few who were faithful, or failure to reach the promised reward.

The people tried to be God by trying to reach the height of God by building a tower to reach heaven. The response from God was destruction of the tower and confusion of the common language. After the Exodus from Egypt laws were given which we can find in Deuteronomy and Leviticus as to what we need to do to please God and his teachings. Moses instructed the people to read the law and to always think about it, to talk about it with family and friends, and to live it. In this way God’s teachings were always a part of the daily life of the believers.

So what does this tell us as we continue to travel the path of bringing in new disciples? We must live our faith. This does not mean just when we are involved in a church activity, but in our daily lives. The person on the verge of believing or the one looking for something missing in their lives must see something different in us! Why is being a Christian so important to obtain? Our history personally in this life and in the history of believers must shine through our lives. The more we study and understand the scriptures, the more we are able to let the love of God and our faith shine through to others. Part of this learning is repetition of the stories in the bible. There are places scattered throughout the Old testament in which the history of the Israelites were recited by leaders and prophets so the nation of Israel remembered where they came from. We use this same pattern of recitation in the sacrament of baptism. (UMH)

The New Testament also continues this same pattern of repetition. Teaching others in their families and faith communities. I love the words of I Timothy “exercise is good for the body, but faith helps you in every way. It promises life now and forever. By living our faith we are not only teaching others what is important about being a Christian, accepting our faith but giving the opportunity for life eternal which is even more valuable than this life.

So where do we go from here? For there needs to be action to achieve this goal. It is more than inviting people to church on Sunday, more than living the example of Christ in the secular world, it is a new attitude we need to accept if we are going to accept the Great Commandment “go make disciples of the nations.

Each person here must examine his/her own faith, measure it against the scriptures, and examine your behavior and life in the secular world. You must decide to make the stand that you are going to be an everyday Christian. You need to take a stand against the anger, the reticle and prejudice that the unbeliever displays daily in their life.

Next step is to get out of your comfort zone. This is the guide we are given in the New Testament which makes us different from those outside the body of Christ.

The next step requires strength, fearlessness, willing to take chances, and to step out of our comfort. Jesus showed us this path in His teachings and in his words. If you are more than a Sunday Christian, this must be your path.

We begin by being open to being challenged and willing to take chances. Begin with the rich young ruler. He was comfortable in his lifestyle. He knew the teachings he learned from childhood to adulthood. He followed the laws given by Moses, and the teachings of the prophets. He came to Jesus to find out from Him is there something more he needed to have salvation. Jesus told him one thing he had yet to do, sell everything he owned and give it to the poor. Did Jesus mean to sell everything and have nothing himself? I believe not. I believe what Jesus wanted the young ruler to do was look at his life and then move out of his comfort zone. Did he need everything he owned to survive and have a fruitful and happy life? Could he have lived on less and helped those with not enough? Remember God promised our ancestors daily bread which God promised would supply what we need to survive each day. God supplied the daily needs of the Israelites in the desert. Manna and Quail were supplied along with water. Enough to have abundantly but not to save for future days except in preparing for the Sabbath. Why do we, people today, worry about and become so engrossed with making and obtaining wealth. Does God not still love us and supplies what we need? If this is was true for us then, how much more will God do it for us today? Have we moved way from God that we have forgotten or do not believe the promises??

The second example I have is the persistent widow. She was in need of help from the village Judge against people who were oppressing her. Widow without adult sons was at the mercy of the village, having no rights or assets. The judge would not hear her case, but she kept asking every day until the Judge was worn down and agreed to help. People today and in this church need to be aggressive and assertive in matters we see as important or vital. Our energy is often spent on matters at work, in our families and in the appearance of Church. The reality is we use our energy on the ME, I, Number One. Jesus wants us to use that persistence on those who need help. Fundraising for causes that will help others such as “Stop Hunger Now”; using our voices in social issues before our leaders such as laws or cuts that will affect person’s livelihood or rights. Cuts in services, increase taxation that will harm the lesser person and benefit the person who can take care of themselves; and benefit the one who has more than he will ever need.

Our daily needs are foremost in most of our lives and energies. How do we pay the bills, get food and/or medicine, pay the mortgage or rent, or enjoy ourselves. The disciples were faced by this when Jesus decided it was time for them to out among the villages to teach the good news and heal the ill. Jesus told them to take nothing with them, no money, food, or even extra clothes. I don’t know about any of you but when I travel even for a long weekend I have more clothes that I will need. The disciples are told that there will people in the villages who lead by God will supply their daily needs. If the village does not accept them then knock the dust off themselves and move on to the next village. This was faith in God being exhibited but it also required the disciples to get out of their comfort zone.

My final example is Peter. Matthew 14: 22-33. Cokesbury publishing put out a book in the 1970’s entitled “It you want to walk on the water, get out of the boat.” It was based on the gospel story we read this morning. Peter is the Christian struggling to be faithful throughout the ages and today. He believed that if Jesus called him, he could also walk on the water. But also like us today he lost sight of the power of God and the miracles He can do. It Peter’s faith had not failed him, and he had totally believed can you imagine what Peter could have done with the early church and affected our lives today.

So what does this mean to each of us hear this morning? Is your daily life comfortable? Are you challenged to try something new? Do you need to be persistent about an issue or task?

God chose to make us more than the creation of animals and birds. God did not create us to be puppets. We were created with self-will, we have the ability to make choices. No matter what age we are we have the right to make decisions and the right to make the wrong decision. We have the ability to hear the teachings of God and Jesus and to apply them to our lives. We can choose to get out of our comfort zones. Doing the same thing, the same way is not going to bring people into the flock of God. This church leaders took one step and changed the time and format of Sunday service. But other speakers and our pastor has told us that especially younger persons and adults want to be active and make a difference. So I am giving this congregation a challenge: As Jesus taught if you have the faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains. All things are possible. Peter had a taste of this but his faith failed when he allowed the pressures of the secular world to come between him and Jesus. Does Christ United Methodist Church in Chestertown have the faith of a mustard seed? Can you see all the possibilities we could accomplish if we had that faith?

Step out of your comfort zone. Plan a project or a mission plan which will draw others in to get involved. Which will give new Christians, borderline Christians who need encouragement and some of the nones a reason to join us and then we can be the example of Christ and fulfill the great commandant –

Go out among the people and nations and make disciples.

Is Christ United Methodist church ready to remember the teachings of the bible and instructions we have received? Are we than ready to step out of our comfort zone, to be persistent in working on the task we have as a community of faith which has been given by God, can we focus on daily needs and not focus on having things abundantly, and finally is Jesus going to be the main focus of our vision?

By keeping Jesus central in our vision, not looking to the doubts of the world or hearing others tell us it cannot be done, worrying about what they outside is saying about us, only measuring our success by the yardstick Jesus set before us, then we will be able to walk on water and after that accomplishment all that without God and Jesus would be too hard for us to do?

ARE YOU READY OR WILLING TO STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE?

 

This is the sermon that our Lay Leader, Krystal Thomas, preached on 4/13/2013 while I was away. Many of you asked me to post it on our blog. Here it is.

Notes for Sunday Message; April 28, 2013; Sacrament of Baptism

Acts 10:44-48; Eph 4:1-6; john 21:1-14

You can read these Scriptures here: NIV2010

Last time that I had a privilege to bring a message to our community we baptized Nathan L.

By being baptized and by participating in the Sacrament of Baptism we publicly declare, “I believe the way of true life is the way of Jesus. I am committed to being his follower, making him Lord of every aspect of my life, and allowing the Holy Spirit to live in me so that the Living God can live through me.”

Baptism makes a statement that we want to partner with God in the renewal and restoration of all things.

Today is a special day in the lives of Casey and Johnathon E. They are getting baptized today. The Gospel reading that we heard today happened sometime between Easter and Pentecost. It happened less than 50 days after Jesus died on the Cross.

The Disciples were grieving; their teacher, their leader and the heartbeat of their life community was gone. Life seemed hopeless. Think about your own feelings and emotions when someone you care about very much is no longer a part of your life. How did you feel?

To make things worse, the Gospels are clear that although the disciples were maneuvering for a position of authority while Jesus was alive(“Jesus let one of us sit on your right and another on your left” (Mark 10:35-45) / “Jesus, who among us is the greatest?” (Matthew 18:1)), none of them were ready to assume leadership of the community that Jesus started. And without Jesus’ leadership, the community started to fall apart. Without clear leadership the community lacked a sense of purpose and clear understanding of its mission and “where there is not vision the people perish” (Prov 29:18).

When we don’t know what else to do, we usually do what we know. Not knowing what else to do, Peter decided to go back to what he did before he met Jesus; Peter went back to fishing. Thomas, Nathanael, James and John decided to go with him.

There they were getting their nets out of the water when someone called to them from the shore, “Any luck last night?” (John 21:5). They recognized Jesus when he instructed them to throw their nets into the water once more and this time caught a lot of fish. Something like that had happened to them once before; when you have a chance during your daily devotions check out the beginning of the fifth chapter of Luke.

By instructing the disciples to throw their nets into the water once more, Jesus helped them to remember their new identity as “fishers of men”.

Most of us gathered here today were baptized at one time or another. We tend to think of baptism as an event that happened at a specific place and at a specific time. The truth is that the event of baptism is the beginning of a life of baptism. Through baptism, as individuals we become members of a Christian community called to link our lives with the life of Jesus.

The event of Baptism is the “when” and “how” where we make a public statement that we want to link or connect our lives to the life of Jesus (I am the vine, you are the branches…)

The life of Baptism is a journey. It is the journey of learning about God, learning about each other and allowing ourselves to be tools in God’s hands.

All of life is baptism. Whether we like it or not we always face challenges. These challenges help us to grow, these challenges provide us with the experience of God’s Grace and Mercy and these challenges refine us into better human beings and better Christians. John Wesley called that process “Going towards perfection.” I think of that process as a life of baptism. A Life of Baptism means that God is always creating new possibilities in our lives out of the stuff that seems like a dead end. We are always on the verge of new life, every day we become something new that we were not yet yesterday.

Stuff happens in our lives; some good stuff, some bad stuff, some things that are neither good nor bad. That is life. And when we are lost, when we are uncertain about what to do next, Jesus is as close as we are willing to let him into our lives.

Loving and Gracious Lord!

As I enter the water to bathe, I remember my baptism and I am grateful.

Wash me by your grace. Fill me with your Spirit. Renew my soul.

I pray that I might live as your child today and always and honor you in all that I do.

{Sacrament of Baptism}

NOAH rocked

Sight and Sound

Noah

Thinking ahead

Acts 10:44-48; Eph 4:1-6; john 21:1-14

You can read these Scriptures here: NIV2010

Notes For Sunday; the First Sunday of Easter

This Sunday our community will celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism AND the Sacrament of the Holy Communion.

This week’s readings are: Ezekiel 36:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13;  Galatians 3:26-28; John 15:1-8

You can read these Scriptures here: NIV2010   //     CEB

Following is a dramatic reading of this Sunday’s Scriptures that will be performed by our youth group:

Voice 1: I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols (Ezekiel 36:25).

Voice 2: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).

Voice 1: And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws (Ezekiel 36:27).

Voice 2: Then you will be my people, and I will be your God (Ezekiel 36:28b).

Voice 1: Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12).

Voice 2: When manmade conventions separate and isolate us from God and from each other, God’s love unites us.

Voice 1: For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body and we were all given the one Spirit to drink (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Voice 2: So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith (Galatians 3:26),

Voice 1: All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27).

Voice 2: Jesus said, “My Father is the gardener, I am the true vine, and you are the branches (John 15:1,5).”

Voice 1: When manmade conventions separate and isolate us from God and from each other, God’s love unites us.

Voice 2: There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

Voice 1: Jesus said, “My Father is the gardener, I am the true vine, and you are the branches (John 15;1,5).”

Voice 2: Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me (John 15:4).

Voice 1: This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:8).

Unison: As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love (John 15:9). Then you will be my people, and I will be your God (Ezekiel 36:28b).

Following are the notes that I will use to transition to the Sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Communion

By being baptized and by participating in the Sacrament of Baptism we publicly declare, “I believe the way of true life is the way of Jesus. I am committed to being his follower, making him Lord of every aspect of my life, and allowing the Holy Spirit to live in me so that the Living God can live through me.”

Baptism makes a statement that we want to partner with God in the renewal and restoration of all things.

{Pictures of Ancient Baptismal Fonts / Talk about the Ancient Baptismal Fonts}

In the early church, catechumens took a minimum of three years to study Scriptures and to think about Christian doctrines in order to be baptized and to take part in the life of a church.

The word catechumen comes to us from Greek (κατά (kata) – “‘down’” + ἠχή (ēkhē) – “‘sound’”). “Catecheo” – literally means “teaching by the word of mouth” or “passing the oral tradition to the next generation.” Catechumen is a person receiving instruction from a teacher (or catechist) in the principles of the Christian faith on their journey towards baptism. First time that we see this word in the Scriptures is in the book of Galatians 6:6 where Paul writes, “Anyone who “catecheo”/receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” The Epistle of Galatians was written sometime between 45 and 50 AD.

In the early church, baptisms traditionally took place on Easter and the Easter service was the first service that catechumens were allowed to participate. During the Easter service, the newly baptized Christians participated in the celebration of the Sacrament of the Holy Communion.

I am pretty sure that some of our ancestors, were among those who were baptized on Easter and took the Sacrament of the Holy Communion for the first time on Easter morning a few hundreds years ago.

The United Methodist Church celebrates two Sacraments – Baptism and the Holy Communion. Sacraments were established by Jesus during the period of time that he ministered and taught in Judea and Galilee. Sacraments are rituals that remind us about the Holy Presence of God in our lives. Sacraments are rituals that help us to encounter the Holy Presence of God around us.

Today is especially a Holy Day in the life of Christ United Methodist Church because we celebrate both sacraments of our faith: the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Holy Communion.

Thinking Towards Sunday

This Sunday our community will celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism AND the Sacrament of the Holy Communion.

This week’s readings are: Ezekiel 36:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13;  Galatians 3:26-28; John 15:1-8

You can read these Scriptures here:  NIV2010   //     CEB

When I say “I am a Christian”… Thinking towards Sunday

by Carol Wimmer

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”
I’m whispering,
“I get lost! That’s why I chose this way.”

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I don’t speak with human pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble -
needing God to be my guide.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak and
pray for strength to carry on.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting that I’ve failed and
cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I don’t think I know it all.
I submit to my confusion
asking humbly to be taught.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I’m not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are far too visible
but God believes I’m worth it.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
which is why I seek God’s name.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I am not holier than anyone else.
I am just a simple sinner
who received God’s grace somehow.

When I say, “I am a Christian,”
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority,
I only know I’m loved.

Here is a link to Carol Wimmer’s website

Here is a link to Snopes website

 

An Easter Funny

This morning, the picture of the Energizer Bunny I was not… I guess it is a time to start seriously thinking about recharging my internal batteries.

The truth is that for me the Easter is the most meaningful of all the Christian Holy Days. I sing the Risen Savior and I rejoice that the Tomb was empty the first Easter.

The other side of that statement is that I am tired (I am sure that most of my Christian colleagues share this sentiment).