With Bells On

December 30, 2018 Colossians 3:12-17 With Bells on 1st Sunday of Christmas Year C Children’s time Lesson: So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above. Object: A kite, balloon, flower, candle Good morning, boys and girls. Isn't this a wonderful day? Do you all know what special festival we are celebrating today? (Let them answer.) That's right. Today is Easter Sunday -- the day that Jesus rose from the dead. We are especially happy today as Christians because of this wonderful thing that God allowed to happen. Today all of us are supposed to remember that we are special to God, too. We are all going to rise from the dead, like Jesus did, so we should keep our minds on heaven. Paul tells us today that we should always be looking at the things that are above -- the things of heaven. To help us do that I brought some things along that have something in common. (Pick up the kite.) What can kites do, boys and girls? (Let them answer.) Kites can fly high above the ground, can't they? When we fly a kite, where do we keep our eyes? (Let them answer.) That's right. We keep our eyes on the kite, up in the sky, because kites usually want to keep going up and up. (Pick up the balloon.) Here is a balloon. Balloons have something in common with kites, don't they, boys and girls? What do they have in common? (Let them respond.) Balloons like to fly above the ground, too. They help us to keep our eyes on heaven, too. (Pick up flower pot.) Here we have a flower. How did this flower get started, does anyone know? (Let them answer.) Probably this one got started from a little seed that got buried in the dirt. Pretty soon that little seed began to sprout, and it grew up and up until it reached the air. Then it just kept growing up toward the sky until it looked like it does now. So kites and balloons and flowers all like to reach for the heavens, don't they, boys and girls? (Let them respond. Light the candle.) Finally, here is a candle. I want all of you to watch the flame. Which way is the flame reaching? (Let them answer.) That's right. The flame is reaching up toward the sky, also. It is sending its little light right up toward the heavens. All of these things today remind us of Jesus' Resurrection, of his coming out of the tomb and reaching up to his heavenly Father. He wants us to remember that we belong up there, too, with himself and with his Father. That's why I want you to think a lot about heaven this week by remembering this kite, this balloon, this flower, and this candle. In fact, you can probably find a lot of other things that keep reaching toward the heavens, toward God. Let's all try to keep our eyes opened for those kinds of things this week -- and then praise God for this wonderful day of Jesus' rising from the dead. Will you do that, boys and girls? Good. God bless you all. Amen. CSS Publishing Company, WE ARE THE CHURCH, by Wesley T. Runk Colossians 8-17 8 But now set aside these things, such as anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language.9 Don’t lie to each other. Take off the old human nature with its practices 10 and put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge by conforming to the image of the one who created it. 11 In this image there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all people. 12 Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. 14 And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people. 16 The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Bells are a big part of our celebrations this time of the year. We have all heard the songs about sleigh bells. And we have images of the sleigh going over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house. But have you ever wondered why the sleigh would need bells? If you are travelling alone, with no stop lights, who is it that actually hears the bells. Unlike the horns on our modern sleigh’s, bells actually have a deeper purpose. Other people can hear the bells coming. But there is a deeper meaning behind the bells. spirits don’t like noise. The bells are a warning not to people, but to all of the elves and fairies living in the woods, to tell them to get out of the way, so that the sleigh can travel safely to its destination. It is a common understanding across many cultures – that spirits don’t like noise. And noise is used in many if not most cultures to keep the spirits away. In Africa, the drum is used to keep the beat and to keep the spirits away. Asian cultures tend to use gongs, or something that makes an off key noise. I have here a native American noise maker. You use this to cleanse a space of spirits. The spirits, will disappear in order to avoid the noise. European cultures tended to favor a more harmonious sound, so they use bells for that purpose. Another interesting addition in European spirituality, is that Europeans believed that not only could you cleanse space of spirits, but you could also cleanse time. If you ring the bell at the beginning of the church service, then any spirits that were hanging around hoping to get in church to cause trouble were scared away and you could worship in peace. If you rung the bell at the very beginning of a marriage, then any spirits hoping to get in the marriage and cause havoc would be scared away and not have a change to ever enter the marriage. And if you rang the bell at the very beginning of the new year, any spirits hoping to get in and wreak havoc in your year were scared away, and you had a good year all year. Not only do spirits, not like noise, but they also hate light. And they hate crowds of people. They really hate to be around crowds of people that are having fun, making a lot of noise, and celebrating. So now does the New Year’s Eve celebrations make sense. We gather together, have fun and celebrate, and at the stroke of midnight, fireworks go off, and we make a lot of noise, and sing. It is a way of bringing good luck into the year, and keeping evil and negativity at bay. So you thought I was just being annoying wearing bells on my shoes for Christmas. And all of the time, I was cleansing the space, and getting rid of the negativity. So I wanted to make sure that everyone got a bell, to ring in the new year, and keep the negative thoughts at bay. On the positive side, we can think of the bells as a reminder that this is a new year, and we can put the old year aside. Our scripture from Colossians actually encourages us to put the old year aside, and to start anew. That is what Christianity is all about – willingingly accepting a new way of life in Christ. I find it interesting that this understanding of the spiritual world stands up across all cultures. I actually learned that spirits don’t like noise in a Tibetan culture – as they were explaining why they got together to celebrate the new year, and have found that all cultures do the same. Have you noticed that we all have some type of celebration to mark the stages of life. Whenever there is a significant event in your life, what do you do – you have a party and invite your friends over to celebrate. You don’t celebrate alone, in the dark, in silence. – that would be inviting trouble. When we worship God, we don’t stay at home and do nothing. We gather together in worship, and we make a lot of noise and sing. Some cultures look forward to gathering and clapping and celebrating the light of life. The louder and the more boisterous the better. And when we leave, our spirits are in a much better place. Just like the bells in church have a dual purpose – of calling the people in and keeping the spirits out. I think that negativity can creep into our lives in many ways. Some of it is inside of us, and some of it may indeed be around us. But there is something sacred about gathering together. There is something even more sacred about gathering together in the spirit of Christ. The message of Colossians is perfect for the new year. It starts our by acknowledging all of the negative things that we as humans do to one anothers. But once you are a gathering in Christ. You take off the old and put on the new. In Christ, we are all one, and there are no divisions. Paul encourages us to be clothed in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are all important qualities, because these are the attributes of God. These are things that only come from God. But these are things which make a difference in the world. These are the things which ensure good luck in our lives, because they are positive and they give positive vibes in the world. If we are forgiving, peaceful and loving – it makes a difference to everyone that we meet in the year. We are encouraged to worship – by listening to the word, singing, and showing gratitude. But the message for us is that what we do as we gather together – doesn’t make a difference unless we live it out there. We don’t just ring the bells on new years, but every Sunday. And we don’t just worship for one hour on Sunday, but every day, in all times and in all things. It is Christ who keeps the evils spirits at bay. But we have to power to bring Christ with us whereever he is needed. As we gather for worship, we will celebrate new years in many ways – some of us alone, some of us with loved ones, some of us in a crowd. Some of us will be sleep way before midnight, and others may be up late into the night. Some of us will watch tv, some of us prefer to sit in silence. Whereever we are, let us know that we are united in Christ. And that when we show compassion, kindness, forgiveness and patience – that we are cleansing the earth and keeping negativity at bay. Colossians reminds us that in Christ, we are chosen, we are holy and we are loved. Let us remember how important that is – this coming year. Let us pray. Amen.

Bless the Lord O my Soul

December 9, 2018 Luke 1:68-79 Luke 3:1-6 Second Sunday of Advent Bless the Lord O my Soul Year C Children’s Time Lighting of the second advent candle Luke 3:1-6 Common English Bible (CEB) John the Baptist’s message 3 In the fifteenth year of the rule of the emperor Tiberius—when Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea and Herod was ruler[a] over Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler[b] over Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was ruler[c] over Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—God’s word came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. 4 This is just as it was written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet, A voice crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight. 5 Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled. The crooked will be made straight and the rough places made smooth. 6 All humanity will see God’s salvation.”[d] Footnotes: This week our nation laid our 41st president to rest. I took advantage of the national day of mourning to watch all of the ritual on tv. It was interesting to watch all of our living presidents gather together to say goodbye to one of our leaders. I watched both funerals on both days. It was interesting to see all of the pomp and circumstance and protocol. I watched with fascination as the military carried the American flag and the presidential flag with precision. I was shocked that after the both flags were bought into the church, the honor guard kept control of the presidential flag, but turned the American flag over to a priest, who held it in front of the congregation while they sang a patriotic song. As a pastor, I have never seen the military turn an American flag over to the church. As a matter of fact, the church had their own American flag already in place. I think it was a very powerful symbol of who George HW Bush was as president. And also what the American flag represents. The presidential flag always represents the president. The American flag represents the fact that there have been 45 presidents. The fact that when one falls, there will always be a standing president for our nation. It represents who we are as a nation of people. It honors those who have sacrificed their lives so that we could have freedom. I think that as George HW Bush planned his funeral, he wanted to remind us that the power of our nation stands in the people. – it stands at the bottom, not at the top. That is an important lesson a lesson of faith, that has been demonstrated many times before. If you look at the beginning of our scripture today – it starts out by naming the political leaders of the day the emporer Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Herod. It even names the religious leaders of the say Ananias and Caiphas. They were all important people. But scripture says that the word of God didn’t come through or to any of them. The word came to John, son of Zecharius, while in the wilderness. God’s word came to no on special, in the middle of nowhere. When John started his ministry, he didn’t start with the leaders in Jerusalem – but in the middle of nowhere – talking to everyday people. I have a friend who said that if you are looking for God – look at where the excitement is. Look at where the energy is. Look at what is already happening, and get on the band wagon. When you are trying to find God, - you probably don’t want to look to the leaders, but amongst the people. Not in the rich, but amongst the poor. Not in the capital, but in the wilderness. Not in the populated place, but in the middle of nowhere. I have been fascinated that the wilderness seems to be where faith begins. When Jesus is trying to find his ministry and calling – he spends some time in the wilderness. And now, when John fortells the coming of Christ – he is a voice crying out in the wilderness. Calling out to the people – to repent. To turn from the way of the world and listen to God. John calls out for the people to come to the water and to be baptized into repentance. John’s challenge to the people is to change their hearts, to live in righteousness and to ask God for forgiveness for your sins. A cleansing ceremony is a big part of many religious ceremonies. Before entering worship space for muslims, they will wash their feet and hands, before entering the temple you would also wash, even for us as Christians, the baptismal font is at the entrance of the sanctuary, so that we can remember our baptism before we come in to worship. William Barclay tells how at the coronation service in Westminster Abbey after all the congregation was seated, a squad of cleaners unexpectedly emerged with brushes and vacuum cleaners and proceeded to sweep the carpets so that they would be absolutely clean for the coming of the queen. So here is John, the messenger for the King saying the same thing. Get things cleaned up before Christ comes. John is challenging us to come and to take a part in the coming of Christ. Water is important to clean the outside, but we are being challenged to also get cleaned in the inside, inside of our hearts. Metanoia – means repentance, it means to have a change of heart. From the things of the world to the things of God. Not to look to our leaders for change, but in the wilderness. What is God up to in your neck of the woods? In order to know and be a part of it – we have to prepare our heart for something different. Most of us like the idea of change, but we really don’t like the process of change. We don’t want to admit that we are sinners, and that there are some things in our life that we need to do different. John is inviting us to just come – come to see what God is up to in the world today. God is inviting us to be willing to go along and to participate. To realize that God is in charge, and that God is present. And that God invites us to all participate. This is our country, this is our world, this is our salvation. We can prepare ourselves for the journey of life with God. Just as our country belongs to the people, the church also belings to the people. I thought that it was interesting, that when George HW Bush’s funeral was over, the military took both the American flag and the presidential flag out with the casket, and it stood behind the casket. But The priest also took the cross out and it stood over the casket as well. Once the casket was in the hearse, the honor guard stood at attention until the cross was bought back into the church and the church doors were closed. We are all citizens of this nation, but we are all children of God. God oversees our world, but God also invites us to participate in the salvation of the world. We are all invited to see what God is doing in the world today – and to jump on and be a part. But before we get in the game – we have to get cleaned up. The Work of the Church At the Annual Conference of the Methodist Church in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The meetings were held in the large sanctuary in the capital city, Freetown. Each day as we entered the large doors into the sanctuary there was a young girl, maybe about the age of 8, who begged at the door. She looked ragged, dirty, her hair was matted and knotty, and she had on tattered clothes. No one seemed to know her, and people brushed her aside upon entering. Some of the pastors tried to tell her to go away. We were busy doing the work of the church. She was a bother. This went on for several days. As I sat in the pew observing the Conference one day, my peripheral vision caught some motion outside. I looked out the window, and there on the patio, outside the sanctuary was a woman, a lay member of the conference. She found a bucket and some soap. Although dressed in a beautiful traditional tie-dye gown, she pushed up her sleeves, and she was giving that 8-year-old girl a bath. She soaped up her hair and was tenderly making her all clean and new. She washed the clothes the child had been wearing, and they were spread out on the bushes in the sun drying. The woman went out and got another dress for her to wear, too. Hundreds of pastors and devoted laypersons poured into the Methodist Church of Freetown to do the work of the church. But outside, on the edges, quietly and without notice, the work of redemption - the work of Jesus Christ was being done. It was not the work of committees and reports and programs. It was the work of soap and water and human touch and being able to see the face of Jesus in that of an abandoned 8-year-old girl. Sharon Rhodes-Wickett, Collapsing the Distance between Heaven and Earth God is still in the saving business, and all of us are invited to be a part of it. Change does not come from the top, but from the bottom, not in the city square, but in the wilderness. And it is not what we can see on the outside, it is what is inside of our hearts. Won’t you take John’s challenge – and repent and turn to God. Amen. Other illustrations…. A Higher Standard of Living Max Lucado tells the story of a man who had been a closet slob most of his life. He just couldn't comprehend the logic of neatness. Why make up a bed if you're going to sleep in it again tonight? Why put the lid on the toothpaste tube if you're going to take it off again in the morning? He admitted to being compulsive about being messy. Then he got married. His wife was patient. She said she didn't mind his habits . . . if he didn't mind sleeping on the couch. Since he did mind, he began to change. He said he enrolled in a 12-step program for slobs. A physical therapist helped him rediscover the muscles used for hanging up shirts and placing toilet paper on the holder. His nose was reintroduced to the smell of Pine Sol. By the time his in-laws arrived for a visit, he was a new man. But then came that moment of truth. His wife went out of town for a week. At first he reverted to the old man. He figured he could be a slob for six days and clean up on the seventh. But something strange happened. He could no longer relax with dirty dishes in the sink or towels flung around the bathroom or clothes on the floor or sheets piled up like a mountain on the bed. What happened? Simple. He had been exposed to a higher standard of living. That's what confession and repentance do for us. That's what Jesus does for us. Billy D. Strayhorn, Thunder in the Desert John at Christmastime The First Sunday in Advent begins with apocalyptic images that, in the popular imagination, are as non-Christmasy as can be imagined. Now in the Christian tradition the Second Sunday in Advent confronts the church (and the world) with John the Baptist, whom the church has also long insisted is an absolutely necessary character in the Advent drama. But even most Christians don't want John at Christmas. We don't put John on Christmas cards. We have no John the Baptist Christmas tree ornaments. No child plays John in Christmas programs, and he's nowhere to be seen on front yard manger displays. John is too untidy, too dangerous for Christmas. Invite John to your holiday party and he'll spill eggnog all over your Persian rug as he flails his arms around talking about the need to repent. He's too shrill. If we let John in the door, he'll wake the baby in the manger. Then again, if we do not let John in, if we will not or cannot tolerate his uncompromising message that Christ is Lord of all, then that baby in the manger may as well just go on sleeping forever and ever. Because if we can't let John in, we're not ready for the baby to wake up anyway. If we don't like what John says, we won't like what that baby will eventually say, either. And then Christmas is over before it really began. Scott Hoezee, comments and observations on Luke 3:1-6.

The World turned upside down

December 2, 2018 First Sunday of Advent Year C Luke 21:25-36 The World Turned Upside Down Luke 21:25-36 Common English Bible (CEB) 25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, there will be dismay among nations in their confusion over the roaring of the sea and surging waves. 26 The planets and other heavenly bodies will be shaken, causing people to faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world. 27 Then they will see the Human One[a] coming on a cloud with power and great splendor. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, stand up straight and raise your heads, because your redemption is near.” A lesson from the fig tree 29 Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that God’s kingdom is near. 32 I assure you that this generation won’t pass away until everything has happened.33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away. 34 “Take care that your hearts aren’t dulled by drinking parties, drunkenness, and the anxieties of day-to-day life. Don’t let that day fall upon you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. It will come upon everyone who lives on the face of the whole earth. 36 Stay alert at all times, praying that you are strong enough to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand before the Human One.”[b] Footnotes: a. Luke 21:27 Or Son of Man b. Luke 21:36 Or Son of Man Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Children’s Sermon: Lighting of the advent candle Very early in my ministry – as Associate in Aurora Wesley. I went with the Senior Pastor to meet a parishioner in the hospital dying of cancer. Apparently she had been sick for some time, because the pastor and many of her friends were preparing her for death. Many told her that she had been a faithful Christian all of her life, so she did not have to be afraid to go to be with God. Eventually I knew her well enough to visit on my own. And in that first visit alone, she asked me if I thought this was the beginning of her life or the end. She was having a hard time understanding where God was in this process, and wondering what she should be preparing herself for. I told her that honestly, I don’t think God gets caught up on defining beginnings and endings. Because we have to explain and understand everything, we tend to think in straight lines. On a straight line, the beginning is in one place and the ending is on the opposite end. We as people like straight lines, but God seems to prefer circles. In a circle the beginning and the end are random points. In every beginning is an ending and in every ending is a beginning. But the other cool thing about a circle is it goes around in a continuous loop. So instead of life happening in stages, life happens in cycles. As we begin advent, fall has ended and winter is coming. Winter turns into spring, and spring turns into summer. In life, we are born, we live, we die, our spirits are resurrected. A story begins, it ends and it starts all over again. Yeah – I truly believe that God favors circles, not straight lines. The conversations that I had with her, have stuck with me for 24 years. Because visitors came to her telling her to remember her faith and not to be afraid of death. But she told me that she was not ready to go. She enjoyed being to wake up everyday and to look at the sunrise, and to smell the flowers and to experience the love for her family and she was not ready to give that up. I told her that life was a gift from God, and it was hers, and if she was not ready to give it up, she didn’t have to. God would be with her on this side and the next. There would be days in the next few weeks, they had to increase her morphine levels to stop the pain, and she was not able to talk as much, but she would say she didn’t know what to ask me, but she just wanted me to keep talking to her about God, about circles and enjoying life. I visited her and talked and held on, and eventually she moved on to the next phase in life. This is the first Sunday of advent – the beginning of the Christian new year. A time of preparation for the coming of Christ into our world. Every advent – instead of starting at the beginning, we start at the end. Our scripture in Luke talks about what to expect at the end of time when Jesus comes back to earth. Jesus says that it will be a stressful time, when everyone is afraid and worried. There will be climate change and earthquakes. That seems like a common occurance in our world today. But the message for us who are expecting Christ to come in the clouds, is not to get stressed out, not to go along with the hopelessness of the world. To be encouraged, and to look forward to what is to come. Advent is a time for us to take account of our lives and to get right with God. To remember that God is the center of our circle, not the events in life. A major theme of advent – is repentance and recentering. The Eternal Words of Christ You have perhaps heard the story that comes out of the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War Two. There was a battleship whose forward watch spotted a light that appeared to be heading straight for the battleship. A radio message was sent saying, "Unidentified ship: you are on a collision course. Change direction 10 degrees starboard." The reply came back: "No. You need to change direction." The battleship again sent a message saying, "This is a United States warship. Change direction 10 degrees starboard." And once again the reply came back, "No." The admiral was awakened and notified and the battleship sent yet another message again repeating, "This is a warship on official maneuvers. You are ordered to change direction. Signed, Admiral Peacock." A moment passed and the reply came back, "No. Signed Seaman Smith, Tender of the Light House." Often it is WE who are the ones who need to change course. The clear light of God's Word for us doesn't change. Donald Deffner, Seasonal Illustrations, San Jose: Resource, p. 67. Adapted. Advent is intended to be our message that it is time to recenter, rethink and get right with God. Because God is about to come, and we need to be ready. The beginning of advent is a time of transition and preparation for a change. The end of some things and the beginning of new things. We always first hear a dire warning to get ready for the second coming of Christ. That is a time of stress for most people. Because they don’t know what it going to happen. They don’t know what changes the transition will bring. Jesus also says that the transition time will be a time of darkness, and fear. But that we should rejoice, because God is a circle God. So the darkness is just one phase – another will come. When we are going through troubling times, we should celebrate because better days are coming. Once again if life were a straight line, things would only head in one direction, but in a circle what goes around comes around. The good news for us is that in each phase on the circle God comes to be with us and to help us to make it to the next phase. It would have been about the same time that I went to Aurora Wesley, that Bishop Sprague came to the Northern Illinois Conference. And he spent a lot of time meeting with people in the conference so that we could know him. At one session, someone asked him if he believed in the second coming of Christ. He said that he believed that the second coming had already happen. As a matter of fact, he said that he believed in the third and fourth coming of Christ. Christ comes to the world over and over again as we need him. Advent comes every year, so that we can get ready for Christ to come to the world – again. To make things new, to bring life and death, to bring darkness and light. To bring hope in every situation and phase that we face in life. The point for us to remember, is that we have to be prepared for each coming of Christ. And not surprised when we meet Christ in our everyday life. A Colleague talked about his toddler daughter. She was very skittish, and everything scared her. At night she would cry for someone to come to take care of her. But whenever he would come in the room to get her, she would be afraid and cry even more. He wondered why she would cry and be so surprised that as her father he responded. We are like that little girl. We pray – but don’t always know what to do if God actually answers. Jesus tells us this advent – that God has heard our prayers. Wait in anticipation of his visit, and not to be caught off guard when he comes into our lives again. Let us pray. The Eternal Words of Christ You have perhaps heard the story that comes out of the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War Two. There was a battleship whose forward watch spotted a light that appeared to be heading straight for the battleship. A radio message was sent saying, "Unidentified ship: you are on a collision course. Change direction 10 degrees starboard." The reply came back: "No. You need to change direction." The battleship again sent a message saying, "This is a United States warship. Change direction 10 degrees starboard." And once again the reply came back, "No." The admiral was awakened and notified and the battleship sent yet another message again repeating, "This is a warship on official maneuvers. You are ordered to change direction. Signed, Admiral Peacock." A moment passed and the reply came back, "No. Signed Seaman Smith, Tender of the Light House." Often it is WE who are the ones who need to change course. The clear light of God's Word for us doesn't change. Donald Deffner, Seasonal Illustrations, San Jose: Resource, p. 67. Adapted. Second Coming and Faithfulness During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives: On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought." Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we're to be lights as we watch and wait. Harry Heintz All Roads Lead To Bethlehem - Luke 21:25-36 by Leonard Sweet Jesus came to save humans from being rat packs feeding on each other instead of sheep feeding with each other. This was never made so clear than in the recent “Black Friday” images of people stomping on each other and fighting it out, all done to the musical background of Christmas music. Our sentimental — yet always cynical — culture likes to start singing Christmas carols the moment Thanksgiving turkeys come out of the oven. But listen carefully: You’re hearing a lot more choruses of “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” than carols like “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” or “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The world wants, the world needs, to celebrate Christmas. But the world does its best to keep Jesus out of it. Perhaps the first “Christmas carol” Christians should sing, in keeping with the theme of “Advent,” is the Willie Nelson special “On the Road Again.” As stores keep having cut-rate sales and on-line deals; and as holiday partying, parades, and posturing swamp every level of our lives: it is good to stand back and look at the bigger picture. What is the purpose for which Jesus came into this world in the first place? Let’s get “on the road again” with the first journey to Bethlehem, and the reason that journey was taken… Just a Minute, Jimmy! It is hard for us to understand Jesus' delay in his coming. God's time clock is certainly out of sync with ours as Little Jimmy learned one day as he was laying on a hill in the middle of a meadow on a warm spring day. Puffy white clouds rolled by and he pondered their shape. Soon, he began to think about God. "God? Are you really there?" Jimmy said out loud. To his astonishment a voice came from the clouds. "Yes, Jimmy? What can I do for you?" Seizing the opportunity, Jimmy asked, "God? What is a million years like to you?" Knowing that Jimmy could not understand the concept of infinity, God responded in a manner to which Jimmy could relate. "A million years to me, Jimmy, is like a minute." "Oh," said Jimmy. "Well, then, what's a million dollars like to you?" "A million dollars to me, Jimmy, is like a penny." "Wow!" remarked Jimmy, getting an idea. "You're so generous... can I have one of your pennies?" God replied, "Sure thing, Jimmy! Just a minute." Little Jimmy wasn't ready for that response was he? Our text this morning seems an unlikely scripture for Advent. It has nothing to do with Mary and Joseph, the Wise Men, of shepherds watching their flock. Instead it is lesson about being prepared, getting ready. In that sense then this is an Advent lesson, for this is the season of preparedness. Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com. The Power of an Imminent Crisis Folks back in Arkansas have always been fascinated by the New Madrid Fault, which runs along a line from Memphis up through southern Missouri. Back at the turn of the century, that area suffered one of the biggest earthquakes to ever hit North America. In fact, the Mississippi River ran upstream for several hours. In the fall of 1990, a scientist predicted that another major earthquake would occur in the New Madrid Fault on Tuesday, December 4. His prediction gathered a lot of attention in newscasts, public assemblies and private conversations. People stowed away precious possessions, stockpiled groceries and kerosene, and learned how to shut off their gas and water lines. Schools and businesses announced that they would be closed that week and several residents temporarily left the area. On December 2, 1990, the First Sunday in Advent and two days before the predicted quake, churches were packed. Many people stayed awake all night on December 3. But December 4, 1990, passed with no tremor. Then December passed, and the winter. Flashlight batteries drained. Extra food spoiled or was consumed. Fuel tanks sat empty once more. When a crisis seems imminent, we have no trouble keeping alert and awake. But when the threat of danger seems remote, our eyelids grow heavy and we sleep. Mickey Anders, Keeping Watch Princeton preacher James F. Kay puts it this way, “If the Gospel is good news, it is not because it predicts a bright, shiny future based on our morality or piety. The Gospel is neither a cocoon that insulates us from the sufferings of this present age nor a pair of ear plugs that shuts out the groaning of creation....The Gospel is Good News, not because it predicts a future based on our good behavior or other present trends; the Gospel is Good News because it promises a future based on God’s faithfulness to Jesus Christ.” (The Seasons of Grace, Eerdmann, 1995, p. 7). James F. Kay, quoted by William Willimon, “Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending” Preparing Ourselves for Christ Coming in the United States Americans spend six hours a week doing various types of shopping, and they go to shopping centers on average once a week - more often than they go to church or synagogue. Some 93 percent of American teenage girls surveyed in 1987 deemed shopping their favorite pastime. The 32,563 shopping centers in the country surpassed high schools in number in 1987. Just from 1986 to 1989, total retail space in these centers grew by 65 million square meters, or 20 percent. Shopping centers now garner 55 percent of retail sales in the United States, compared with 16 percent in France and 4 percent in Spain. Alan Durning, "Asking How Much Is Enough" in State of the World: 1991, (New York: W.W. Norton, 1991), 163-64. I Must Go Myself The story is told of John Henry Newman, who, in the 1800’s, was an Anglican minister in England. His religious pilgrimage ultimately took him to Rome and the Roman Catholic Church. He ultimately would become a cardinal in the Catholic Church and the most preeminent leader of that church in Europe. If you go into almost any Catholic church today you will find a Sunday school class called the Newman class. That was named after John Henry Newman. While serving as Cardinal, he received a message from an English priest from the tiny village of Brennan, a dirty little mill town north of Birmingham. It seems that an epidemic of cholera had decimated the village and the priest was asking for the help, for another priest to assist him in the giving of the sacrament, administering the Last Rites, and to do funerals, so many people were dying. Newman read the letter in his office, an office that is still there today. It has not been changed since the day he left it. Newman read the letter and he spent the next hour in prayer. Finally a secretary came in and said: Cardinal Newman. We must give an immediate reply to Brennan. Your eminence, what shall we do? Newman answered: The people are suffering and dying. How can I send a priest to do this work? I must go myself. At Advent God looked down upon his dying people--dying from sin and distraction, pride and preoccupation. How, under the circumstance could he send a substitute? He came himself—in the person of Jesus Christ. Advent is about repentance and salvation. Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com An Understanding Most Folks Don’t Know In his award winning book, The Education of Little Tree, writer Forest Carter writes of life with his Cherokee grandparents. He tells of sitting with his grandfather watching the morning sun rise over a mountain one winter morning. "... we watched the mountain while we ate. The sun hit the top like an explosion, sending showers of glitter and sparkle into the air. The sparkling of the icy trees hurt the eyes to look, and it moved down the mountain like a wave as the sun backed the night shadow down and down. A crow scout sent three hard calls through the air, warning we were there. And now the mountain popped and gave breathing sighs that sent little puffs of steam into the air. She pinged and murmured as the sun released the trees from their death armor of ice. Grandpa watched, same as me, and listened as the sounds grew with the morning wind that set up a low whistle in the trees. 'She's coming alive,' he said soft and low, without taking his eyes from the mountain." 'Yes sir,' I said, 'she's coming alive.' And I knew right then that me and Granpa had us an understanding that most folks didn't know." Little Tree learned from his Grandpa how to read the signs of nature. Reading signs, not the printed ones we see on our streets and highways, but the signs of nature and life and living is an art that takes time, practice and patience. The reward is what Little Tree called, "...an understanding that most folks don't know." John Jewel, Signs of the Times Are You Ready? In our gospel reading Jesus tells his followers that they must always be ready for his coming. It is a peculiarity of our lectionary readings that the readings for the first Sunday of Advent always come from the end of the gospels where Jesus is talking about readiness for a second coming when he will come in glory as Lord of all. In our Advent preparation and Christmas services, the theme and the scriptures will turn to the birth of Jesus. Yet, the theme of "readiness" for the coming of Christ is the main point of our Advent preparations. And so it is appropriate and important to ask: "Are you ready for Christ to come to you?" John Jewel, Signs of the Times Reflections on Black Friday On Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving, I was observing shoppers standing in line, waiting to pay for their bargains. The lines were long and you could see the anxiety on their faces. Some were talking on cell phones, conversing with loved ones someplace else in the shopping mall who were looking for great deals. There was some pushing and shoving and some unkind words as people pressed toward the cash registers. In addition, finding a parking place was next to impossible. People were in a hurry and I observed many near misses. It was a day that was shoulder to shoulder and bumper to bumper. Instead of kindness and cooperation, there was despair and hopelessness. I thought, if God is ready to come and end this insanity, this would be a good day to do it. Keith Wagner, Hope for the Overwhelmed The Hope of a New Birth Unfortunately, our gospel lesson doesn't at first seem to instill us with any sense of hope at all. In fact, after reading this passage, we can be overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness. This passage sounds a bit like the one we heard two Sundays ago, only this one has more doom and gloom, more destruction, more chaos and catastrophe. We hear of these mysterious signs in the sun, moon and stars. There are images of people fainting. Heaven and earth pass away, there is talk of a trap, and our hope for escape, and by the end of the reading, it seems the walls are closing in on us. And yet, in the midst of the chaos of this reading, if you look closely enough, calmly enough, there are some words of hope in the midst of the confusion. Jesus says, "when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near . . . when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near." He speaks of fig trees, an image which may not communicate much to us, but his hearers in that time knew that the fig tree was a symbol of life out of death, a symbol of the hope that comes after the winter, the hope of new birth. Beth Quick, Ready or Not..., ChristianGlobe Network, Inc.

Every King needs a Kingdom

November 25, 2018 Christ the King Sunday John 18:33-37 Year B Children’s Time……. Jesus answered, "My kingship is not of this world; if my kin gship were of this world my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world." (v. 36) Object: A gavel. Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to talk about kings and kingdoms. How many of you have ever met a king? (Let them answer.) Why not? Have you heard of kings? (Let them answer.) Of course you have heard of them, but we have very few kings left in the world and none of them are in this country. A king is a person who is in charge of his country. Once upon a time they made the laws and they made people obey the laws. People fought for their king and even died for him if they had to. A king was in charge of his country. I brought with me this morning a tool that helps some people be in charge of other people. (Show them the gavel.) Do you know who uses one of these? (Let them answer.) That's right, a judge uses one of these, and so do presidents and committees. This shows that they are in charge of the meeting or the court. It is called a gavel, and it helps to keep order in a meeting. I don't know if a king used a gavel, but he probably used something like it to show that he was in charge. Many people wanted to know if Jesus was a king, and if he was the king, was he in charge of them and their country. Jesus tried to explain to them that he was a king, but not just their king. That didn't sound right to them. He lived with them, worked with them and ate with them. How could he do all of that and not be their king. He was a king, he said, but a different kind of king. They already had kings of their countries. Jesus was a king because the Father in Heaven made him the king over all the countries, all the people, and all the world. Jesus was the "king of men" who live a long time before they died, and he would be the king of men who lived after they lived. That is hard to understand. They wanted Jesus to either be their king, or no one's king. But Jesus knew about God's plan and how people were going to live forever with him in heaven. Jesus knew that men would need a king who did not love some people and hate other people. That was the kind of king that Jesus would be. Jesus did not want people to fight for him, and fight against other people. Jesus was the king of all the people and that was what he was trying to teach them. But they would not listen. They did not understand that he was the Son of God. Now we know what he meant. He was not going to be the king of some people for a little bit of time. Jesus is our king now, because he is in charge of our world, just like he has always been in charge. The next time you see a gavel, or you hear about a king, I want you to think about Jesus and how he is the king of the world for all time and for all people. Amen. John 18:33-37 Common English Bible (CEB) Pilate questions Jesus 33 Pilate went back into the palace. He summoned Jesus and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others spoken to you about me?” 35 Pilate responded, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and its chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.” 37 “So you are a king?” Pilate said. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible There is a story of a little boy who was in a hospital in England in the days of King George V. George V was king of Great Britain from 1910 until his death in 1936. This was when marriage was used as a political tool among the royal houses of Europe. So George was a grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the first cousin of both Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. And yet George was far less pretentious than many of history’s monarchs. The patients in this particular hospital where the little boy in our story was being treated were told that the king was going to pay them a visit that day. So everybody put on their best clothes as they were lying in their bed, waiting for the king to come. This little boy was eager to see the king. All day long there were a number of visitors, because it was visitor’s day. And along about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, a man came in with a number of other men with him. He spoke to some of the boys and girls. He even spoke to this young boy who was waiting so eagerly to see the king. He patted him on the head. He spoke very nicely to the boy and left. That night, as he was being made ready for bed, the little boy spoke to the nurse. “Nurse,” he complained, “the king didn’t come!” And she said, “Oh, the king did come. Don’t you remember that nice elderly man that came over to you and patted you on the head? And spoke so sweetly to you?” And he said, “Yes, I do.” She said, “Well, that was the king.” The boy protested, “But nurse, he didn’t have on his crown!” This is what most disappointed the people who came to see Jesus. He wore no crown… Well, as you can see, I don’t have that problem. You don’t have to tell me to wear my crown. I look forward to this day all year, the day when I can wear my crown to church. Christ the King Sunday – the last Sunday of the Christian year. Next Sunday is a new year, a new day, a new gospel to read. We begin year C – where we will be reading and studying the gospel of Luke. Mark has some valuable lessons, but Luke makes is clearer. As I have gotten older, I have learned to put my democratic meaning ruled by the people bias aside and the think about what it means to declare Christ as my king, my lord. I think that it is important for us all to ponder that question individually, but also as a people in these trying times. Our scriptures have been preparing us for this day. Last week we heard the story of Hannah – the mother of Samuel. Samuel is the prophet who anointed a new king. Remember I said that it obviously was a time of transition. A time when things were not working out, and something new needed to happen. Samuel was obviously able to think about what the people needed, yet he had a relationship with God, so he prayed and listened to God – and he anointed a king. First Saul and then David. David became a great king – (according to the bible, history can find no record of David) but David declared that his kingdom would last forever. The kingdom ended, but Jesus was a came from his family. That brings us to the present moment in the book of John – where Jesus is on trial, standing before the Roman authorities. The romans have the authority to kill him. But it is the Jews who are putting him on trial – saying the he is no king of theres, so he should die. So Pilate as judge – asks Jesus the question of the day - Are you the king of the Jews? And as it happens much to often in our world today – Pilate and Jesus are two people in the same room, using the same words having two different conversations, with to totally different understandings of what those common words actually mean. What does it mean to be King? For Pilate, it means being in control, ordering others around, if necessary taking actions against them, ruling people by force. Jesus says that my kingdom is not of this world. When Jesus says that he is king – he is saying that I am a witness to the truth of God in this world. He is not trying to show power, but the love of God. His kingdom is not one to be ruled by an iron hand, but a caring heart. You don’t need to wear a crown in order to do that. Hellen Keller once said, "The world is moved along not only by the mighty shove of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker." That's who we are and that's what we are called to do. In life, it is not the huge things that make a difference. It is the little things that we do everyday that change the world. The Kingdom of God is not about the solitary leader who is giving orders, it is the ordinary people who choose to be faithful. I remember the advice of colleague, when I needed to stand up for a truth when I was being unfairly treated. He told me never go to war with the powers that be, unless you have an army. Well also, you cant be a king, unless you have a kingdom behind you. Jesus is encouraging us to be that kingdom. The ones who follow Jesus to God. The ones who believe and keep the faith in a world that is changing before our eyes. For Pilate, a kingdom is a place. For Jesus a kingdom is an attitude. An attitude of gratitude and love. A character to rule from the heart and not the hand. You cant see the kingdom of God, but you can see the affect it has on the world. The key to the kingdom is how we treat one another. Last week we heard Hannah’s song. In a few weeks Mary will sing the exact same song – a song celebrating the day when the world is turned upside down. Those who were on the bottom are on the top. Those who were royalty are normal and those who are normal are royalty. Both songs celebrate the time for a change, a time of transition, a call for something different. I think it is a song for our time. That is why I am wearing my crown today. Christ the King Sunday. It sounds like some arrogant, pompous thing that the Catholic church would come up with. But the pope came up with this Sunday in the 1920’s. WWI had just ended, a lot of dictators had started to take affect, people were looking for something to believe in that made sense. In the midst of confusion, the pope reminded us that Jesus is the truth and the light. It is sort of like the story of Rip Van Winkle – he fell asleep just as the revolutionary war got started. He didn’t wake up until it was over. So the people asked him if he was a federalist or a democrat-republican – having slept through the declaration of independence – he declared I am a loyal subject of the king – always will be. It didn’t go over well for him. But today – a church billboard puts it clearly – when the donkey and the elephant are fighting – follow the lamb. Jesus the Christ our lord and savior. I think that we are indeed in transitional times, and that is a message to remember. I wanted to show you this short video on why Christ is king. If we ever needed to Lord before – we sure do need him now. Let us pray. Amen. King and Kingdom Ironically, it is not so much the priestly or prophetic aspect of the work of Christ which John highlights in his narrative of the crucifixion. Rather it is the kingly role of Christ as the dying Savior which dominates John's account of our Lord's final hours. I say ironic because John's gospel does not feature the kingdom of God; nor does he focus upon Christ's claim to be the coming king—until chapter 18. Whereas Matthew, Mark and Luke from the very beginning of their gospels describe Jesus proclaiming the imminence of the kingdom of heaven—the miracles of Christ as signs of the kingdom breaking-in to history—the parables (which are completely absent from John's gospel)—as parables of the kingdom, John only mentions the words "king" and "kingdom" six times prior to chapter 18. The kingdom of God and the kingship of Christ are written boldly over the first three gospels. But John's gospel is remarkable for few references to this theme—until chapter 18; and then, in the short space of two chapters, the words "king" and "kingdom" literally explode on the page. The arrest and trial of Jesus before Pilate is full of regal language: "my kingdom is not of this world" (18:36); "so you are a king?" (18:37); "shall I crucify your king?" (19:15); "we have no king but Caesar" (19:15). Sixteen times in two chapters, the Greek words for king and kingdom appear. James T. Dennison, Jr., Witnesses to the King

Giving our Treasure Back to God

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington October 28, 2018 Matthew 6:1-6 Giving your Treasure back to God Stewardship sermon based on the Treasure stewardship program At the Core By Lois Parker Edstrom OBJECTS SUGGESTED: Object suggested: An apple. An apple for each child if appropriate to your situation. Don’t you just love to hold an apple in your hand? This one has smooth skin and a nice round shape. It is a beautiful red color. If you were to crunch into it would taste sweet and juicy. Did you know there is a secret hidden inside an apple? Let’s cut the apple through the center this way. (Cut the apple horizontally rather than from the stem to the blossom end.) Now look at this beautiful design. See the five-pointed star hidden inside this apple?We call this part of the apple the core. Would it surprise you to know that you also have a beautiful,secret core? It is called your spiritual core and it is the place where you connect with God. Jesus says, “…when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret.” That doesn’t mean you can’t also pray with your family around the dinner table or at church. Jesus teaches us that you pray to make aconnection with God the Father. When you pray there may be other people around, but your thoughts and words are private, between you and God. As you eat an apple and hold it in your hand think about itsbeautiful inner design. God has also created us with a beautiful inner design, a spiritual core that links us to God the Father. Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2009, Richard Niell Donovan Sermon #3 “Giving Your Treasure Back to God” OUTLINE Matthew 6:1-6 “Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you. “When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.” Outline We are headed toward the end of our fall stewardship initiative. We have had three lessons on thinking about where our treasure is. We have looked at where our treasure is, in the things of this world, or the things of God. We have been encouraged to put God first in all that we do. And our lesson for today is giving or treasure back to God. how do we do that , why do we do that. There are three things for us to remember about why we give our treasure to God. I. Something Bigger Sometimes you’ll get the chance to be part of something bigger than yourself. Your name may not be mentioned, and you may not hoist the trophy on the stage; but as the confetti falls, you will know that you played a role. It won’t matter that you’re not getting the glory; the glory is knowing that you were a part of it. I felt that way recently at my church. Tens of thousands of dollars were raised for a clean water project in a Nicaraguan village. My contribution was significant to me and my family, but it wasn’t very big when compared with the total money raised. In spite of that, we were a part of it, and that felt good. It’s a powerful thing to know that my life can play a role in something bigger than me. Jesus’ Way to Give A. This Is Not a Performance Jesus warns that when you are trying to do good, be sure that you don’t make a performance of it. Your actions might be a good show, but God won’t be cheering. When you do things for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. Jesus begins his warning with the phrase “be careful.” Most of the time, we use that phrase because we think there’s a good chance that someone could get hurt. If I tell my kids to be careful, it’s usually because it appears the thing I’m warning against will happen soon. Jesus gives this warning because he cares about our hearts. He knows that if we seek credit for the good we do—if our actions become a performance—then our hearts will suffer. If we start thinking it’s all about us, then we miss out on God’s amazing benefits of being and doing good. Yes, we will get our credit, but it pales in comparison with what we receive when we give humbly before God. We will miss out on being a part of something bigger than ourselves, which is much better than anything we can achieve on our own. B. Spend Time with God Jesus links giving to the poor and spending time with God. If we truly want to be generous givers and experience life more fully, we have to be people of prayer. We will never give in extravagant and sacrificial ways if we are not abiding with God. We need secret places where God can speak to our hearts. No one gives in amazing ways just because there is a great need; extravagant, sacrificial givers do so because their hearts have been changed by spending time with God. C. Respond by Giving Extravagantly and Sacrificially If we want to experience life more fully, we must respond to all that God has done for us by seeking to participate in what God is doing in the world. We have considered how we are investing our lives. Our goal should be to invest our time, money, and energy in the things of God, things that are so much bigger than what one or two of us can do on our own. We get to be a part of things that only God can do. We stand in the confetti, finding joy and meaning in the knowledge that we played a part. God is calling us to sacrificial giving. D. Our Final Week Since next week we will celebrate all saints day, this will be our final week of talking about stewardship. Stewardship is an ongoing conversation, because we have to keep the lights on every Sunday. So I try to give a short stewardship message every Sunday. But this is the time of our intentional stewardship drive. Everyone should have received a pledge card in the mail. I wanted to make sure that you had it while we were having this conversation. So you could listen to these messages. Many people have returned their card in the mail. If you have not, then you can bring it back next week. When we collect them all, the finance committee can look at them to make plans for how we fulfill our mission of being the church in this community. Maintenance of the building, supporting those who work in the church, giving and being in mission to others, programs that help us to grow as a Christian are all a part of our church budget. Many people wonder why we ask ahead of time to pledge for the year. Our ability to be in mission is based on your relationship with God. I wanted you to have the pledge card ahead of time, so that you can spend that time alone with God, praying and listening to what God is calling you to do. That is the final part of our stewardship initiave. For you to have a chance to talk with God. To pray in private, and to respond with God. Our money is a thing that we treasure. It is also a resource that provides for ministry. When we become a part of the church, we promise to support it with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. When we come to church, we are not just seats in the pew – we are disciples – those who do the work of God. What is God calling you do do? For additional commentary and articles on this theme, please go to MinistryMatters.com/Treasure.

The Problem with Two Masters

October 13, 2018 Matthew 6:24 Year B The Problem with two masters (based on the Treasure stewardship program) Children’s Sermon: PREPARATION: This lesson can be given with no preparation OR you can cut a heart out of "fun foam" and attach a magnet to the back. (At a craft store you can buy strips of magnet with sticky back that you can cut into strips.) With a sharpie, write, "Jesus wants my heart" on the heart. LESSON: There is a story in the Bible about a rich young man. He came to Jesus and wondered what he needed to do to get into heaven. Jesus told him he needed to follow the 10 commandments. The young man assured Jesus that he had always done that, even since he was a child about the same age as some of you. Jesus loved this man very much. He could tell what was in his heart--what he treasured most. Jesus told the young man there was only one thing left. He should sell everything that he owned and give the money to the poor and then he would have treasures in heaven. The young man went away very sad because he had many possessions and he wanted to keep them. Now, Jesus wasn't telling the man that his possessions were bad. Jesus was telling the man that he wanted him to love him, Jesus, above everything else and then he would give the young man the free gift of heaven. Jesus wanted his heart. Jesus wants our hearts too. He wants each of us to love Him more than anything else because that is how much he loves us. If we love him most of all, we will get to go to heaven with Him. [If you have hearts for the children, pass them out now and say, "This is a reminder for you that Jesus wants you to love him most of all."] PRAYER: Dear Jesus, Help each of us here to give you all of our heart - to put you first in our lives so we can go to heaven. Thank you for loving us so much. AMEN Sermon #2 “The Problem with Two Masters” OUTLINE Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Outline I. A House Divided Perhaps you have seen the license plates that show the phrase A House Divided accompanied by the logos of two rival college football teams. This phrase often reminds people of Abraham Lincoln’s famous speech in 1858. Lincoln was speaking about a nation divided on the issue of slavery. What many people don’t know is that the line was not unique to Lincoln but that instead Lincoln was quoting Jesus. Jesus said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:24-25 NRSV). Jesus is telling us, in other words, that competing allegiances in a kingdom, a house, or a heart will lead to destruction. Division leads to war in which either there is constant strife or one side wins out. II. A Reminder about Heart Investment Last week we were challenged to consider where we are investing our hearts. If we look at where we spend our time, money, and energy, we will see where our hearts are invested. One easy way to check this investment is to look at our budget or our calendar. In doing so, most of us would find that our hearts indeed are divided. We have said yes to too many commitments, signed too many contracts, and swiped too many credit cards. Now we must work to pay off a bunch of stuff that doesn’t make us happy. I want us to look at this short video on serving a master…. Who is the master of your life? is it God or is it the cares of the world. Today I thought rather than dwelling on the problem of living a life divided, that I would talk about the solution. The solution is to put God first, front and center of everything that we are and that we do. As we talk about stewardship this week, all of us can’t help but to ask the question of why. Why should I give. What is the point of spending 4, 5 weeks talking about such an uncomfortable topic. We talk about it because the bible talks about it. We talk about it because the jews learned that tithing was one of the best kept spiritual secrets in the universe. Money is never really about the green stuff that we have in our pockets. Money, and spending money is always a matter of where our spirits are. When we are able to make a plan to give God the first 10% of everything that we earn – we learn to have a sense of purpose and intention for our lives, we learn how to have discipline, we are able to clearly see the gifts that God gives us in return for putting God first. We learn that not only can we put God first in our bank accounts, but we can put God first in everything in our lives. If the Jewish society was anything – it was full of purpose, and order. They organized their whole society around the concept of purpose and order. We have all heard of the word Shalom. We have heard that shalom is the jewish word for peace. But shalom means much more than that. Shalom means that in a community where there is justice, there will be peace, and where there is peace, there will be wellbeing and wholeness. And where there is peace, justice, and wellbeing for the community. There will be justice, peace, and wellbeing for the entire society. But the only way to have a shalom – a whole society is for the society to be centered around the presence of God. Shalom means to put God into the center of everything that you do. (show the shalom center). The funny thing about a community centered around God – is that it looks like a circle. In a circle- you will notice that there are no sides. And there is only one center. God is the glue that holds everything together. When you are in the shalom circle – then it is harder to attack, define and separate yourself from others – because if we are focused on God. we are all facing the same direction – the center. When we are standing in a circle, and God is in the center of that circle, not only do we have a focusing point, but we also have a purpose and a uniting point. The one thing that I remember that Adam Hamilton said at the Leadership Institute at the Church of the Resurrection, was that the church had a mission statement. And that mission statement was read every Sunday in church, it was said at the beginning of every church council meeting, at every event. It was read together for everyone to remember their center. And their purpose for coming together in community. Not just in any community – but in Christian community. When Englewood and Rust Methodist churches merged they too developed a mission statement. I would have them read that mission statement every Sunday as a way of centering us together for one purpose. Now I had a program where if a child could remember and recite the Lord’s Prayer in front of the congregation they would get a $10 gift certificate to the restaurant of their choice. All of my kids – even the two year olds know the Lord’s Prayer. For the adults – if they could remember and recite the mission statement in front of the congregation they too got a $15 gift certificate. The adults were not as successful. But the point is that I wanted to keep that mission statement in existence – by saying it all of the time. It was a centering point. Why is it that we deal with people that we really can’t stand in any other setting? Why is it that we come to meetings and take trainings when there is so many other things that we could be doing, why is it that we sins corny songs every Sunday, why is it that we give our money to church- when there are so many other things to spend it on. In order to support our common mission. Our reason for being a church. First United Methodist Church does have a mission. This week it is printed in the bulletin, to inform some and to remind others of why we are here in the first place. I want us to read it together now. Our mission is based on putting God in the center of our community, which means putting God in the center of our lives. Our mission challenges to follow the mission of Jesus Christ to witness to grace, to love others and to life as followers of Christ. It is our purpose for living in a shalom circle, where there is only one center and no sides. If we choose to stand in the shalom circle it is impossible to serve two master, because there is only one center. Where are you in the circle? What is your place in the mission? Who is your master? Let us pray….. Amen. The rest of the sermon that I did not use…… III. Serving One Master A. Two Is Too Many Jesus says in Matthew 6 that no one can serve two masters. A person trying to do so will inevitably like one master and hate the other, be to devoted to one master and despise the other. Jesus says that we can’t serve both God and money. As we examine our lives, we may see that we have many more than two masters calling for hearts! B. Our Hearts Are Hurting When we are serving two, three, or ten masters and are dividing our hearts among them, we are not living as God intends us to. I think this may explain why we resent or even hate the things that pull us away from our intended treasure. We end up hating our job or our boss, because they have become an unintended master in our lives. Does this mean you can’t make money? No! Does this mean you can’t have a healthy relationship with money? No! It does mean that you can’t serve God and money. They can’t both be your master. You can’t live under the lordship of God and the lordship of money; you must choose. C. Jesus Has to Be Lord God doesn’t want shared allegiance. God doesn’t want a piece of your life. God wants to be everything to you. If you make Jesus Lord and Master, the other allegiances will find their proper place. You still will have to work and be committed to other people. But you will not have a heart or house or life that’s divided. You will be standing on firm ground. For additional commentary and articles on this theme, please go to MinistryMatters.com/Treasure.

Where is Your Treasure?

October 7, 2018 Matthew 6:19-21 Where is your Treasure? Stewardship Drive #1 Year B (taken from the stewardship drive - Treasure Children’s Time…… “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Setting Up the Treasures in Heaven Object Lesson Prepare for teaching this lesson by gathering these supplies: piggy bank, coins, posterboard cut out of a piggy bank, pushpins, paper coins, marker and tape. Place the piggy bank and coins on a table near your learning area. Next, hang the cutout of the piggy bank on the wall with pushpins. On the paper coins write phrases like, “Feed the Hungry” or “Comfort the Sad.” Put these near the cutout on a table with the tape. Say: “Let’s read this parable together. Everyone stand up on one foot! Let’s read it in our normal voice the first time and then we will stand on the other foot and read it super slow.” (Read the verse twice.) “Some people use a piggy bank to hide their coins. When Mom or Dad gives you extra change, a piggy bank is a good place to keep until you are ready to spend. You can shake it and hear the change in there. That’s fun to do! What are some reasons why you might get some change?” (Lost a tooth, did a chore, had a birthday etc.) “It’s a good idea to save your treasure so you don’t lose it but sometimes things happen. People can find the secret opening and unplug and steal your money. A thief might even be able to break the bank in half and destroy it. That’s bad news!” “Jesus says that when we put our money in heaven’s bank, we never have to worry about losing it. What does that mean? How do we put money in heaven’s bank? We do the things God asked to us to do, kind things, like caring for the sick, turning the other cheek, giving to the Lord. God sees all these things and every time we do one, He drops another coin in our heavenly piggy bank.” (Tape paper coins to the bank.) I encourage you to store up some treasures in heaven. Not only will you have some treasures when you get there but doing so will keep your heart loving God. Sermon #1 “Where Is Your Treasure?” OUTLINE Matthew 6:19-21 “Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them. Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Outline Introduction One Saturday, my wife and I packed up everything we owned except for some clothes and a few pieces of luggage and put them in a storage facility. We were in a time of transition between one home and another and would be living with family for a few months. After packing, we found that the contents of our home fit into a 10’ x 20’ storage unit. I closed the door, put a lock on it, and left all my stuff in that unit, next to hundreds of others. All that I had ever saved for, deliberated over, and purchased was stacked in that room. At first I would go by every week or so just to check in on it. Eventually I didn’t do that anymore, and for three months I didn’t need one single thing from the unit. I. What Do I Really Treasure? A. Our Treasure Is Not Found in Our Stuff Turns out the only thing Americans may love more than Big Macs is hoarding. There are more self-storage facilities in America than there are McDonald's restaurants, according to a recent report from the commercial real estate publication REJournals. There were 48,500 self-storage facilities in America at the end of 2014, Curbed points out, compared to a mere 14,350 McDonald's restaurants. (For the record, there were just 11,962 Starbucks coffee shops in 2014, making the number of self-storage spots larger than McDonald's and Starbucks locations combined.) It's no surprise, if you think about it. Americans are documented on television for their hoarding tendencies, and sleek new self-storage startups are only making it easier to squirrel away our belongings. But what's astonishing is the sheer amount of space devoted to self storage: There's an average of 21 feet of self-storage space available for every American household, the Self Storage Association reports. You've got to wonder if all that stuff could just fit in the garage. In fact, 65 percent of Americans who rent a storage unit have a garage, but they rent one anyway. There is 2.3 billion square feet of rentable self-storage space in the United States. We have so much stuff that our homes can’t hold it. But our treasure is not found in stuff. The Treasure series is not an indictment on stuff. In fact, when my wife and I moved into our new home after three months with family, we used almost everything we had packed away. The couches, the refrigerator, the beds all went to good use. What I learned, though, was that those things are not my treasure. B. What We Value in the End Pastors have the opportunity and privilege to be with people in their last days. Rarely in those last moments do people talk about the things they have acquired on earth—the kind of treasure that moth and rust can destroy, the kind that thieves can break in and steal. People in their last moments talk about their family, friends, moments with God, children they have taught, mission trips they have taken. They talk about vacations and laughter, and they share stories that are amusing and meaningful. They talk less about salaries and more about promises shared with God and with people. At the end of the our life, when we sit down and think about it what is it that we really treasure? What is it that is really most important to us? is it our stuff, or is it our family, friends, experiences, and our relationships with one another. Who do we love and who loves us? We have to remember that our primary relationship with God determines the quality of all of the other relationships. II. Heart Follows Treasure A. Jesus Talks about Money This series is about where you are investing your life, but there’s no denying that it’s also about money. That’s because Jesus talked about money. In fact, Jesus talked more about money than about heaven and hell combined. Jesus talked more about money than anything except the Kingdom of God. Eleven of Jesus’ thirty-nine parables are about money. One of every seven verses in the Gospel of Luke talks about money. Why did Jesus talk so much about money? This is the time of year when we talk about money. It is a time that most people dread. Why do we have to talk about money in church. That is what faith is all about. In the bible, there are 500 verses that talk about faith and 2000 that talk about money. 15% of all of the verses that Jesus talks, are specifically about money. Just like all of Jesus lessons, Jesus adds to what is in the old testament. The old testament talks about giving a 10th of what you have to God, In the new testament, Jesus talks about giving to a cause – to help those in need. And he says that if it takes more than a 10th to do that – then that is okay. B. Jesus Cares about Our Hearts In the Sermon on the Mount we see that Jesus is looking at the heart. He cares about the hearts of God’s people. Jesus talks about money and treasure because he knows that they affect our hearts. He knows money stresses our relationships. Money causes division in and among people. Money and its pursuit can be all-consuming and burdensome. Those who have lost jobs or find money hard to find will tell you that it is not just a financial issue but an emotional and spiritual one. Jesus talks about money because he cares about our hearts. C. Our Treasure Shows Us Our Heart We usually think that where our heart is, our treasure will follow. Jesus says that it is the opposite. Where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. This is not just a change in semantics. Jesus knows that the place where we spend our money will become our treasure, whether we want it to or not. Financial commitments require time and energy. They pull our heart in a direction that perhaps neither we nor God ever intended. If you buy a house that requires a large percentage of your income, you have no choice but to spend time and energy and money in paying for it. When you put your treasure into anything, your heart will follow. III. Heart Investment Billy Graham was asked late in his life, “If you could, would you go back and do anything differently?” His answer may surprise you. “Yes, of course. I’d spend more time at home with my family, and I’d study more and preach less. I wouldn’t have taken so many speaking engagements. . . . Whenever I counsel someone who feels called to be an evangelist, I always urge them to guard their time and not feel like they have to do everything.” A. What Do You Want to be Investing In? If you didn’t have your debt or commitments, and if you could choose where to store up treasure, where would it be? B. What Are You Investing In? As you consider where you would store up treasure, take a moment to assess realistically where your treasure currently is? Do you feel your heart divided? C. Treasure in Heaven Jesus tells us we have the opportunity to lay up treasure in heaven. When we are investing our lives in the things of God, we find that our hearts no longer feel disconnected from God but rather are in unity with God. Faith is realizing that that things that we store up here on earth is not our treasure, but what we give to God and what we give to others- our stewardship, or caring for the things that God cares about is our true treasure in heaven. What beginning steps can you take to lay up treasure in heaven? For additional commentary and articles on this theme, please go to MinistryMatters.com/Treasure.  

Why do we Give?

October 15, 2006 Mark 10:17-31 1 John 4:7-19 Why do we Give? Sunday edition … I struggled with whether to show this clip for a lot of reasons. But my hope is that you all would take it with a grain of salt – and see the humor in it and not take it too seriously. But let’s face it, we live in a materialistic world. Everything in this world about paying for and receiving a service. We hear consumeristic messages everywhere, even in church. I also wanted to point out that this is not a sermon about tithing. It is about pledging our gifts and our lives to God. Tithing is a wonderful practice, and has been a very effective for many people. If you do it, then you know the rewards of it. But every year we are asked to look inside of our hearts, to look at our relationship with God, and to determine what God is calling us to do, to create in our lives and in the world. If you read the messages of Jesus, Paul and even John Wesley. There is not a lot about tithing. Tithing asks you to give 10% of what you have. Yet Jesus says that you probably have more than 10% to give, and that the needs of the world certainly require more than 10%. Pledging is about giving from all that you have and in meeting all of the needs of people. Today I want to talk specifically about money. I am sure that many of you would agree that money is always a touchy subject in church. What does money have to do with faith and worship? Actually, if you read through the New Testament- you would see that according to Jesus, money has everything to do with faith. Many of the parables and examples that Jesus spoke of have an economic basis too them. Some say that there are at least 38 parables in the new testament, 16 of them- almost half are about money or possessions. There is the widow who gave all that she had, the woman who celebrated for finding a con on the floor, the men who stood all day waiting to be hired – and the list goes on. Isnt it interesting in a world where we would rather go to the store and pay $1 for water than use our water faucet, where youth would rather spend $100 for shoes that say Micheal Jordan than go to payless and pay $20 for sneakers that say nothing that the church has been crippled in speaking about money. What better place to learn about healthy money management principles? Money is the core of who we are. How we handle money uncovers what we treasure in life. I could ask you what your priorities are – and you will tell me what you think you should say. But if I look in your checkbook even before you balanced it, I can learn all there is to know about you – your priorities, how charitable you are, your integrity in paying bills, your bad habits. I can learn everything about you. Money has everything to do with faith – because money is a part of every aspect of our lives. And our lives is the arena in which our faith is lived out. Jesus was very much aware of that concept – even way back then. Jesus knew that when he encountered this very sincere man – who asks what he must do to have eternal life. Now this is one of those surface conversations, where the man thought that he would ask the right questions so that he would get the right answer. And he would get the pat on the back for being a good man and he could just go on with his life. What does it mean to have eternal life – to have eternal life- is that an investment in a far off unknown future. Instead of saving for retirement- was this man preparing to make sure that he has going to be comfortable forever? Or is does eternal life start with our lifestyle today. You can buy a comfortable bed, but you can’t buy a good nights sleep. You can buy health insurance, but you cant buy good health. You can buy all of the monitoring equipment in the world, but you cant buy a sense of peace and security. Those things are gifts that come only from our relationship with God. Jesus being God – had the ability to look beyond the man’s words to see his heart, his soul, his checkbook, his whole being- to hear the inner heart question that the man was really asking. Jesus answered out of sincere love - a love that would transform this man’s life. Sell everything that you have and give it to the poor. It is exciting that the Nobel peace committee has started to think above the culture. They gave to peace prize to Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank for doing just that- giving loans to the poor of bangledesh. Poverty is a large part of the lack of peace in the world. Mr Yunus has done just what Jesus calls all of us to do – to give what we have to help others. We can all agree on the importance of helping the poor. But the man in the scripture and even Mr Yunis are rich and they have it to give. What about those who don’t have to give? Those who are struggling to survive, or those who have money – but also have a lot of obligations. Most of us are not rich or poor- we are middle class. We have the money to live- but we have to be careful in how we spend it. The world that we live in is certainly a lot different than the world that Jesus lived in. People are losing jobs, companies who used to take care of employees have stopped, the economies of whole cities is are falling apart. Studies show that People are not giving as much as they used to. Has the world finally succeeded in making Jesus words obsolete? How can we give everything, when we don’t have everything? The scripture always has a word of hope, even in the harshest teaching. Jesus reminds us that the work of God is not dependent on his advice for the man to sell everything. He says that all things are possible with God. That man giving all that he had would not change that. Giving of ourselves is not about saving the church, it is not even about saving the world. Giving is about our relationship with God. It is about showing our love in a tangible way. Love is always from God – not from our pockets. God loved us first, so that we would know how to love others. God has given you not only everything that you have – God has given you everything that God is. God is love, God is creation, God is life, God is salvation, God is the gift of Jesus Christ in our lives – God is everything that there is – and it has been given freely to us all. Good calls us all to give freely – not because we owe it – but because we can. God has a mission to spread love in the deep crevices of pain in our lives and to the far ends of the earth- wherever there are people. God calls us to be partners in that mission. We give not to get- but to be a blessing to others. And when we give- God always returns with a blessing in our lives. That is the function of calling us here together in the church. We come together because we are all on a journey, a journey to the heart of God. In reality, we are all in different places, we give different amounts for different reasons. Here is a drama of some people and their experience of the church….. Each of us has a different relationship with God – we give in different amounts for different reasons. No matter where we are on our journey – God has called us here together. To walk together, to support one another, to help each other grow, to walk away from the past and to enter into the future together as community. Whereever we are, we are called to a deeper relationship with each other, with God and more importantly to the mission of God – to transform this confused materialistic world. When we come together are the church, and we walk together we become true stewards of God’s creation. When we come together as the church we can all be partners with God and not individual owners of our own small domain. We are focused on who we are as a community, not who we are as an organization. We are focused in our mission in the world, not on our budget. We value our relationships, not our membership numbers. And we look to the potential good that we can accomplish, not the on what we don’t have. Each of us here have two hands to help in that transformation. One hand to receive the blessings of God and one hand to give. To give to god wholeheartedly. To give with everything in our hearts, with everything that we have, and with everything that we have. To take your whole checkbook into consideration, not just the 10% . What does money have to do with faith? Everything. How you spend it says a lot about how who you are as a citizen of both earth and heaven. Just as you can’t survive in the world without money You can’t pledge your time, your service, your prayers without it. Your generosity is always the most important sign of spiritual health. My financial planner must work for Jesus. Because I have had that encounter that the man in the scripture had. When I told the financial planner the value of my doll collection- he told me that in order to be happy in the future I had to stop buying dolls. He said that he was not convinced that was a sound investment in the future. My reaction was a lot like the young man’s. First of all you are meddling, and second that is just not ready to think about that. This scripture has been a challenge for me every time in my life that I have encountered it. Sell everything and give it to the poor. What a harsh request in a world that honors stuff. My deepest fear is that there will be nothing left for me. And yet in the midst of our deepest fears, is also our greatest hope. With God all things are possible. Pledging is giving to God out of our whole selves. Jesus is well aware of your situation. And yet Jesus still asks you to give. To give out of everything that you have. To give from your scarcity as well as your abundance, from your fears as well as your hopes, from your past as well as your future. From you debts and your assets, from your barriers, as well as your freedoms. Christ loves you enough to ask for you to give from our whole selves, not just 10% of who we are. We are being asked to have the courage to let go and to trust God full and completely with every aspect of our lives. Out of love, God has given you everything that God has- and out of love he calls you to freely give as you soul will allow? What do you have to give?

The Church - The Caring Community

September 30, 2018 James 5:13-20 Year B 19th Sunday after Pentecost The Church – the Caring Community Children’s Time… We need to be considerate of patients in the hospital. Prop: A pastor’s calling card. Have you ever gone to the hospital because you were sick? I go to the hospital lots of times, but not because I’m sick. I go to the hospital so I can visit people who are sick. When people are sick in the hospital, they’re called patients. Some patients in the hospital are people from our church, so I go to see them. Sometimes when I visit in the hospital, the person I go to see is sleeping. I think it’s so important for a patient in the hospital to have plenty of rest that I won’t wake any patient I’ve gone to visit who’s asleep. Instead, I take out of my pocket a little card, like this, with my name printed on it. I write a note on the back of the card. I say that I hope the sick person is feeling better. I also write on my note that if that person will be in the hospital a while longer, I may be able to visit another day soon. Children usually aren’t allowed to visit patients in the hospital, so if a friend of yours is sick in the hospital, what can you do so your friend will know you’re thinking about him or her? I could send a picture I’ve drawn; I could send a get-well card. A get-well card, instead of a visit, is one good way to tell friends in the hospital you care about them. Sick people like to have lots of cards to look at. That way they know their friends are thinking about them and wishing them well. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., God's Love Is For You, by Shirley Jennings James 5:13-20 Common English Bible (CEB) 13 If any of you are suffering, they should pray. If any of you are happy, they should sing. 14 If any of you are sick, they should call for the elders of the church, and the elders should pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Prayer that comes from faith will heal the sick, for the Lord will restore them to health. And if they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve. 17 Elijah was a person just like us. When he earnestly prayed that it wouldn’t rain, no rain fell for three and a half years. 18 He prayed again, God sent rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 My brothers and sisters, if any of you wander from the truth and someone turns back the wanderer, 20 recognize that whoever brings a sinner back from the wrong path will save them from death and will bring about the forgiveness of many sins. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible This has truly been a weekend of inspiration for me at the Leadership Institute, it was wonderful to see the Christian church at work, the Methodist Church at work. It was wonderful to see Methodist from all over the country gathered, as well as from the rest of the world being reminded of our task and giving the tools to move forward. The Methodist church will have its share of challenges in the days to come as we gather for the special general conference in February to talk about what it means to be the church and how we deal with the question on homosexuality. But we have to remember to stay focused on what it means to be the church and the task that God has given us to make disciples of all nations. Yes it was good to get away, but it was good to be back into the swing of things. I had a busy day yesterday, and as I was catching up with all of my chores, I did not worry about preparing a sermon for today – because I knew that I had preached on this text before, so I would just find an old sermon and use it again, it may be old to me – but new to you. Well, at 9:30 last night, I look on my blog to find an old sermon – and as I look for this text, I can realize that in 2015 I preached on Mark and not James – and I promised that I would finish up on James. So it was been a long night – having to come up with a sermon from scratch. So I ask the spirit to help me this morning. James is an important book. James is the 5 easy lessons in practical Christianity. Faith without works is dead, all good gifts come from God, our words come from the heart, and once they come out of our mouth we cant take them back, we have to trust God in all things and always be willing to pray. Today – our final lesson is that living those 4 things in life is hard – which is why we need the church – the community of faith to support us. Jesus calls us to be a community of faith, of support, and mot importantly of healing. Jesus believed that in order to have healthy people, you had to have healthy communities. The company that we keep affects our faith and our health. Communities can be a blessing or a curse, and it is all Jesus’ fault. If you read the new testament, it talks about how to come together, how to work together. He encourages us to overcome our differences – in order to work together. You don’t have to like someone to love them in the name of Christ. Chapter 5 is the first time that James uses the word ekklesia to talk about the church. In Greek, an ekklesia is a group of people who come together for a common purpose. A group of politicians who got together to make a decision about the republic was an ekklesia. A group of women who got together to watch the children was an ekklesia. An ekklesia was any community. Koinonia – is a community that is intentionally in communion with God. Both words came to mean the church. A community that gathers for the sake of love, faith and healing. As we go forward, I am convinced that as we create a loving, faithful, healing community amongst ourselves, we will make a difference in this community by bringing that love, faith and healing to others. As we strive to become that loving community we will see changes. James chapter 5 encourages us to be that loving community. Actually, when I woke up at 2:00 this morning, I looked in my physical sermon file and found about 5 different sermons on James 5. I think that it is the most important message of the book. He tells us what the church should be doing. First he tells us that if anyone amongst us is sick that we should call the elders to pray. We should pray for one another. We should be willing to sing songs. We should be willing to forgive. We should work together. It is the power of the Christian community that makes a difference. But have you noticed that we can come together in goodness, we can also come together in negativity. We have all heard the saying that misery loves company. We love to get together to commiserate – to share our fears, our anger, our pain our suffering and sometimes even our sin. It is interesting that James says that sin and sickness go hand in hand. We have to be clear that sin does not cause sickness. When people get sick it is not automatically their own fault that they got sick. But I have noticed that whenever I have a physical illness, I can look back and see that there was also a spiritual illness that occurred at the same time. If we are in a negative environment – it can make us sick. Negativity has a way of affecting us all. It can affect the way we deal with one another. And all that we do. Once there was a monastery in the woods that had fallen upon hard times. In the past it had been a thriving community that was well known and respected throughout the region, but over the last generation the monks had died one by one and there were no new vocations to replace them. Besides this, the monks did not seem to be as friendly to each other. Something just wasn't right. The Father Abbot was quite concerned about the future of his monastery, now consisting of himself and three brothers and, thus, he sought counsel from the local rabbi who was known to be a great sage. The abbot went to the rabbi and asked him if he had any advice on what to do to save his monastery. The rabbi felt at a loss and said that he, too, worried about his own congregation; people were too busy and simply were not coming to the synagogue any longer. The two commiserated together and read the Torah. As the abbot was getting ready to return home the rabbi looked at him and said, "One in your home is the Messiah." The abbot walked home puzzled as to what the rabbi's words meant. When he arrived at the monastery the monks asked the abbot what he had learned. He responded that the rabbi had given him no concrete advice, but he had said in cryptic language, "One in your home is the Messiah." Over the next days and weeks the monks pondered what this might mean. Was it possible that one of them was the Messiah? If that was the case then most certainly it was Father Abbot. He had been the leader for more than a generation. On the other hand it might be Brother Thomas, for he is a holy man and full of light. Certainly it could not be Brother Eldred. He is old, crotchety, and often mean-spirited, but he always seems to be right, no matter what the situation or question. The rabbi could not have meant Brother Phillip. He is very passive — a real nobody, but one has to admit that he is always there when someone needs assistance. As they continued to contemplate this question, the old monks began to treat each other with great respect, on the off chance that the one with whom they were dealing really was the Messiah. They again began to live the gospel message. The monastery was a much more prayerful place once again. Because the monastery was located in a beautiful portion of the forest it was common during the spring, summer, and fall months for families to come and have picnics on the grounds. During this period people who came seemed to sense the new spirit of respect and love that was present at the monastery. The people returned often and one day a young man came to the Father Abbot and asked if he could join the community. Soon others inquired and joined and, thus, after several years the vibrant community at the monastery was again restored because the wisdom of the rabbi had transformed hearts. The monks had once again started to live their lives according to the Golden Rule. The monks in the monastery learned, "through the back door," of the need to treat their brothers with respect. They were converted to an understanding that prayer must be a way of life. Prayer is vocal, but it must also be action. It must be the way we live our daily lives. Saint James, as he concludes his epistle, a letter based on action, that is being doers of the word, makes this point abundantly clear. Misery loves company, but Jesus loves community more. Jesus puts us in community, to heal ourselves and to heal one another. I had a community member ask to have a healing service once a month that would be open to people of all faith and of no faith. I hope to start then within the month. Because Christian community can truly make a difference. It can be a safe space for people to come for forgiveness, healing and restoration in spite of our differences, inspite of our sin. It can be the place where we remember to live our the rules of practical Christianity. – faith without works is dead, every good gift is a gift from God- what comes out of my mouth shows what is really in my heart , so watch your words- true wisdom in the world begins with a trust in God and a willingness to pray. Finally – be the church – the ecclesia – the place where people come to be healed and whole. The people who have faith that healing comes from God. Bishop Woodie White, is a retired United Methodist Bishop who is from Chicago. He said that no matter how bad things get in our lives – everything always ends with the good news of Christ. It has been an interesting ride through the book of James. James has had some pretty harsh things to say to us. But as he concludes here in chapter 5 he ends on a positive note. He is intentional about ending with the good news of Christ. Are you suffering – pray; are you in need of testifying of what God was done – sing; are you sick asks the elders to pray for you. And if you have sinned – don’t be afraid to confess and ask for forgiveness. The good news for today is that there is power in the prayers of the righteous. All of us together are the righteous, the elders, the church. So faithful people – let us be a healing community that demonstrates the power of God. Our strength is in how we work and trust together as the church. Amen.