This Week in Worship • Caring for the Good from Normal Heights United Methodist Church of San Diego, California, United States with Senior Pastor, Reverend Brent Ross, for Thursday, 14 May 2015What you'll find in this week's email:
• This Week in Worship:
Caring for the Good
• New Sunday Morning Small Group
• Faith on Tap ( Tonight! • 6:30p-8:00p )
• Gardening Weekend ( This Weekend! )
• Bible Study Reopens! ( Starts 6/3 • 6:30p-8:00p )
• Youth Ministries Parent Meeting ( 5/31 • 11:45a-1:00p )
It's admittedly a really terrible show, as it makes money off of peoples' struggles and compulsions by placing those out where everyone can see them. But, strangely enough, a lot of the episodes I've watched seem to have a counter narrative to them...
Click here to visit Pastor Brent's Blog and continue the story..."One person’s junk is another’s…" by Rev Brent Ross
It’s admittedly a really terrible show, as it makes money off of people’s struggles and compulsions by placing those out where everyone can see them. But, strangely enough, a lot of the episodes I’ve watched seem to have a counter narrative to them. Whether planned or unintentional, I notice something happens that seems to undermine the dominant storyline of the show. In one sense, every week the show is the same. They go to someone’s house or apartment and they begin to sort through the items there which have piled up inside their home. The professional organizers who come in look at everything in the home and announce that is all junk…that it is worthless, meaningless. And in an effort to prove their point, they will begin to grab things in the home and challenge the “hoarder” to tell them why they would keep such a thing. I imagine it is because they feel like they can sway the person’s view or change their mind if they can just convince them to see the truth that these things are junk.
But often, it doesn’t quite go that way. Numerous times I’ve seen the people almost without missing a beat begin to tell the organizer why that object is not junk. They can remember where they got it, why they picked it up, what they need it for and how long they’ve had it. And it is the moment where, in a very stark contrasting way, two people clearly see the situation differently. For one, it is junk. But for the other, it is valuable, needed and worthwhile.
And you know, at the heart of the show that is really what it is about each week…how two people can see a situation or a single object in two very different ways. It’s a dramatization of the old adage “One person’s junk is another’s treasure.” Single objects seen in opposing lights and, in some ways, a competition for the right to define what is junk and what is valuable.
In a strange way, this same struggle occurs in our Scripture for this week that we find in Matthew 13:24-30. This parable tells the story of a discovery that weeds have gotten sown in with wheat in a field, and the workers are worried about how to separate them out from each other. But, the story also hinges on the workers inability to always be able to tell what is worthwhile and what is worth-less. The weeds and the wheat are almost indistinguishable from each other; and so within them is the same struggle we find dramatized in the hoarding show…what is valuable and what is not? Who decides? Well, the solution given by the wise field owner is to simply let them grow together. Rather than harming what is good by worrying about that which is worthless, his recommendation and command is to let them grow together. In essence, to protect that which is good by not overly-concerning themselves with discovering and labeling that which is worthless.
This week in worship we will consider this parable in how we should see the world. As the workers in the field of creation, do we concern ourselves with labeling and defining those things or even people that we see as worthless or junk? Or are we instead living a call to feed that which is good, and to nurture without regard to what may be fruitful? On Sunday, we will immerse ourselves in this parable as we note the cost of labeling things as worthless in the world, and ask ourselves…is there another way to be faithful? See you on Sunday and then stick around to help us plant in our new flower beds…how fitting right? See you then my friends.
Sunday, 17 May 2015 Scripture Text is Matthew 13:24-30
Sunday's Scripture is Matthew 13:24 Yeshua put before them another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, then went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads of grain, the weeds also appeared. 27 The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, because if you pull up the weeds, you might uproot some of the wheat at the same time. 30 Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest-time I will tell the reapers to collect the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn.’”
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Matthew 13:24-30
Verse 24
[24] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
He proposed another parable — in which he farther explains the case of unfruitful hearers. The kingdom of heaven (as has been observed before) sometimes signifies eternal glory: sometimes the way to it, inward religion; sometimes, as here, the Gospel dispensation: the phrase is likewise used for a person or thing relating to any one of those: so in this place it means, Christ preaching the Gospel, who is like a man sowing good seed - The expression, is like, both here and in several other places, only means, that the thing spoken of may be illustrated by the following similitude.
Who sowed good seed in his field — God sowed nothing but good in his whole creation. Christ sowed only the good seed of truth in his Church.
Verse 25
[25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But while men slept — They ought to have watched: the Lord of the field sleepeth not.
His enemy came and sowed darnel — This is very like wheat, and commonly grows among wheat rather than among other grain: but tares or vetches are of the pulse kind, and bear no resemblance to wheat.
Verse 26
[26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
When the blade was sprung up, then appeared the darnel — It was not discerned before: it seldom appears, as soon as the good seed is sown: all at first appears to be peace, and love, and joy.
Verse 27
[27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it darnel? — Not from the parent of good. Even the heathen could say, "No evil can from thee proceed: 'Tis only suffer'd, not decreed: As darkness is not from the sun, Nor mount the shades, till he is gone."
Verse 28
[28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
He said, An enemy hath done this — A plain answer to the great question concerning the origin of evil. God made men (as he did angels) intelligent creatures, and consequently free either to choose good or evil: but he implanted no evil in the human soul: An enemy (with man's concurrence) hath done this. Darnel, in the Church, is properly outside Christians, such as have the form of godliness, without the power. Open sinners, such as have neither the form nor the power, are not so properly darnel, as thistles and brambles: these ought to be rooted up without delay, and not suffered in the Christian community. Whereas should fallible men attempt to gather up the darnel, they would often root up the wheat with them.
Sermon Story "What Appears as Weeds are Actually Wheat" by Gary Lee Parker with Scripture Text: Matthew 13:24-30
There have been many sermons on this passage concerning the separation of the wheat and weeds that should be done after it grows up or the last judgment because sometimes what looks like weeds are actually wheat. Case in point are the many marinalized people of society such ad the Homeless, the Poor, the Disabled, the Addicted, The Prostitutes, the Immigarants [legal or illegal}, or people of different cultures. I am reminded of a church or two who would not allow parents to bring their children to church because they had various disabilities that disrupted the services and classes. What they churches were doing and saying in their way is that these children are weeds and we should not allow them in our church, but actually these children were closer to God's heart then a number of people in these churches. We learn from people who are differently abled because they see the world and God in different ways thane most of us do. There is a Spirit of God that goes through and somehow teaches people who act or think differently as a result of their different abiklities whether the abilities may be physical, emotiional, mental, or intellectual. We must remember the words of Jesus that we must not separate the weeds from the wheat because we just may pull up the wheat by mistake. How do you really understand this Parable? How would you have responded to Jesus when he told it? How do you respond to it today? We come to ask God to give us more Grace to extend to all other people withou judging as we come forward and eat His Body and Drink His Blood in participatiion of the Holy Sacrament of The Holy Eucharist singing the Hymn "HOUSE OF HEARTS" by John Coleman
1. From the day when I ate at your table
From the day I met those welcoming eyes
I give thanks that I’ve been unable
To leave the house of hearts
2. What is the call that draws the sailor
What is lure for that bumble bee
There are many destinations
But I choose the house of hearts
3. There is no perfection here on this earth
That’s a truth that we all know
But we catch sight of that flickering light
So on and on we go
4. Great is the hope that draws us together
But great is the power that can pull us apart
Oh my lovers let’s pray together
Pray for our house of hearts
Additionally, don’t forget about our Sunday morning Scripture discussion group, also at 9:45am! Each week, this group meets to talk about the Scripture we’ll be focusing on in worship at 10:30am, and some time to pray for each other. Led by Heather Ross, this is a casual, but informative Scripture study and small group. This group meets eachSunday in the Social Hall (straight ahead in the double doors off Mansfield Street).
Is there evidence in the Bible to support the belief that everyone might be saved?
At our next Faith on Tap, we will be talking about the belief called Universalism. Universalism is the belief that everyone will be saved, and perhaps not even everyone, but everything. But what does it mean to say or believe that? Is there proof of this? Is it in the Bible anywhere? What does that say about personal responsibility? At our next Faith on Tap, we will be discussing the question: “Can Everything Be Saved?”
“Faith on Tap” is our casual beer and faith discussion group. We meet at the home of local church members, Mike and Nancy Palmer, and if you’d like directions or want more info, please email Nancy directly at nancy@nhunited.org. Everyone is welcome at this event!
Now, here is how you can help. You can show up this weekend and help by giving some time, sweat and energy or you can help donate to offset the cost of the plants. We are accepting donations at the Participate Prayer Station, or you can mail them to the church directly. This will be a great weekend to participate in, and a big thanks to Marianne Greene and Beth Antons for their leadership on this!
Parents of children of all ages (or anyone interested in youth ministries) are invited to attend a meeting to discuss plans for starting up a youth program at NHUMC!!! We will be talking about your needs and wants in a program for youth, how we can better serveYOU, the parents, as well as assessing our current programs for children. YOUR input is important and we value your ideas. The meeting will be in the Social Hall after the worship service on Sunday, May 31st. It will run from around 11:45am-1:00pm. Light snacks will be served! If you plan on attending, or have any questions, please contactAlisa!
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Our mailing address is:
Normal Heights United Methodist Church
4650 Mansfield Street
Our mailing address is:
Normal Heights United Methodist Church
4650 Mansfield Street
San Diego, California 92116 United States
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