This Week in Worship: "To See Unclearly" with Senior Pastor, Reverend Brent Ross from The Normal Heights United Methodist Church in San Diego, California, United States for Thursday, 27 August 2015
What you'll find in this week's email:
• This Week in Worship:
To See Unclearly
• Faith on Tap ( Tonight! • 6:30p - 8:00p )
• Aug. & Sept. Playgroups ( Tues, Thurs, Fri • 10:00a - 11:30a )
• New Youth Group Starting September 18th!
• Movie Nights in the Park: Thank You!
Every week, Nasa releases a new image online taken by the Hubble Telescope. They are incredibly clear images of objects, galaxies, stars, and the light of suns from thousands of light-years away. It boggles the mind really... that we can see so clearly that which lies so very, very far away. How is it that we are able to see with such clarity that which we could never dream of reaching?
"To See Unclearly" by Rev Brent Ross
Every week, Nasa releases a new image online taken by the Hubble Telescope. They are incredibly clear images of objects, galaxies, stars, and the light of suns from thousands of light-years away. It boggles the mind really…that we can see so clearly that which lies so very, very far away. How is it that we are able to see with such clarity that which we could never dream of reaching?
The answer is that it is possible solely because of a well-crafted mirror. The basic structure of the Hubble Telescope is this small primary mirror (that is only 95 inches wide!) that focuses all light into a lens. And this works because that mirror is so incredibly finely shaped and polished that it is able to reflect and gather light that we could never imagine seeing with our own eyes. The power to see so far away is made possible by a mirror that is highly reflective and honed.
It wasn’t always this way though. In fact, in 1990 shortly after its launch into space, Nasa realized that there was a serious problem. The telescope was not reflecting light as it should, and therefore the images being produced were blurry and out of focus. After researching the problem, the scientists discovered that the mirror was too flat on the edges. Not by much…only 2.2 nanometers! But that small amount was enough to make the images not what they should be. The Hubble Telescope had to be fixed and adjusted at great expense and effort until the images and reflections were true.
Our Scripture story this week tells us about another time when lenses and reflections had to be made true. Jesus in this story from Mark 9:22-26 meets a man who has been blind from birth and whose eyes do not focus correctly. They see unclearly if they see at all. He can’t see others well (he sees them only as if trees!) and for his entire life has never seen the light of the sun. He is unaware of the world as it appears, because he is unable to reflect the light.
Sometimes I see myself in this man and his blindness, and I wonder if you might as well. It feels like a familiar story to me because I too am unable or unwilling to be able to reflect the light of God’s grace and love into the world. I, also, sometimes see people not as I should, but rather unclearly…as means to an end or just invisible because of the demands of my day. And so, I hope for the work to go faster of re-shaping my eyes and life so that I too can reflect who Christ is clearly. I want to hold my hope in the day when Christ’s reflection and God’s image in me are true and clear.
This Thursday at “Faith on Tap” we will be talking about transformation and that moment we hope for when we and all of creation will be a true and faithful reflection of God’s image of radical love and inclusive grace. I’d love to see you there and hear your stories and thoughts about how you are being made more reflective of Christ. Lets find ourselves in these stories…of a mirror showing light from far away, of a man who can see clearly for the first time and a savior who does all this patient and careful work on us.
Click to Continue Reading on Pastor Brent's Blog!
Scripture for Sunday, 30 August 2015: Mark 9:22-26
Scripture Text: Mark 8:22 They came to Beit-Tzaidah. Some people brought him a blind man and begged Yeshua to touch him. 23 Taking the blind man’s hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like walking trees.” 25 Then he put his hands on the blind man’s eyes again. He peered intently, and his eyesight was restored, so that he could see everything distinctly. 26 Yeshua sent him home with the words, “Don’t go into town.”
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Mark 8:22-26Verse 23
[23] And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
He led him out of the town — It was in just displeasure against the inhabitants of Bethsaida for their obstinate infidelity, that our Lord would work no more miracles among them, nor even suffer the person he had cured, either to go into the town, or to tell it to any therein.
Verse 24
[24] And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
I see men as trees walking — He distinguished men from trees only by their motion.Sermon Story: "Touched Twice" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 30 August 2015 with Scripture: Mark 9:22 They came to Beit-Tzaidah. Some people brought him a blind man and begged Yeshua to touch him. 23 Taking the blind man’s hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like walking trees.” 25 Then he put his hands on the blind man’s eyes again. He peered intently, and his eyesight was restored, so that he could see everything distinctly. 26 Yeshua sent him home with the words, “Don’t go into town.”
As we see this encounter with a blind man by Jesus, we realize that Jesus took him out of the town and took his own spit and rubbed it in the blind mans eyes. After Jesus accomplished this, Jesus asked the man what he saw and he responded that he saw people like trees walking around. Yes, I realie as John Wesley did that the only way the man distinuguised the trees from people is the moving around of the people. Jesus took the man and touched him a second time and he saw clearly. Yes, this man was cured of his blindness and so more clearly. There have been cases where people who have been blind whther temporary or not were able to see again, but there are many cases where the blindness remained and the people still saw more clearly. I am reminded of my teen camp counselor and professor of English Composition II who became blind through a medical condition. Yes, he has had people pray for him ye still people ask to pray for him for complete healing. It is not that God could not fully heal Arthur Seamans, bu he is still swiming two or three times a week and writing books. He shares of how the non-blind should treat the blind and the blind to treat te non-blind. a book he wrote about his experiences becoming blind. The book is I See, Said the Blind Man by Art Seamans.
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Mark 8:22-26Verse 23
[23] And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
He led him out of the town — It was in just displeasure against the inhabitants of Bethsaida for their obstinate infidelity, that our Lord would work no more miracles among them, nor even suffer the person he had cured, either to go into the town, or to tell it to any therein.
Verse 24
[24] And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
I see men as trees walking — He distinguished men from trees only by their motion.Sermon Story: "Touched Twice" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 30 August 2015 with Scripture: Mark 9:22 They came to Beit-Tzaidah. Some people brought him a blind man and begged Yeshua to touch him. 23 Taking the blind man’s hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like walking trees.” 25 Then he put his hands on the blind man’s eyes again. He peered intently, and his eyesight was restored, so that he could see everything distinctly. 26 Yeshua sent him home with the words, “Don’t go into town.”
As we see this encounter with a blind man by Jesus, we realize that Jesus took him out of the town and took his own spit and rubbed it in the blind mans eyes. After Jesus accomplished this, Jesus asked the man what he saw and he responded that he saw people like trees walking around. Yes, I realie as John Wesley did that the only way the man distinuguised the trees from people is the moving around of the people. Jesus took the man and touched him a second time and he saw clearly. Yes, this man was cured of his blindness and so more clearly. There have been cases where people who have been blind whther temporary or not were able to see again, but there are many cases where the blindness remained and the people still saw more clearly. I am reminded of my teen camp counselor and professor of English Composition II who became blind through a medical condition. Yes, he has had people pray for him ye still people ask to pray for him for complete healing. It is not that God could not fully heal Arthur Seamans, bu he is still swiming two or three times a week and writing books. He shares of how the non-blind should treat the blind and the blind to treat te non-blind. a book he wrote about his experiences becoming blind. The book is I See, Said the Blind Man by Art Seamans.
As we think about this passage, we are able to realize that there are other people who are marginalized and excluded from churches and society as people who are differently abled. No, the church does not have to a have a special needs minitry, but the inclusion of people who are intellectually impaired with their issues because each of us have issues. Too often, we exclude people who are differently abled because they do not conform to how they should be and act, but that is all right because still gets through to them. Similarly, there are people who are in the autism spectrum who appear like nothing is getting through to them, but the people take in much more than other people realize even when they are talking about the person with autism or teaching about the Bible. Then, there are people similar to my son, James, who takes in more what is going on around him even if it appears he is watching another church's worship, he is able to pick up what is said and being said from the sermon being preached or lessons being taught. So just maybe we who have good eyesight or at least with glasses see less than those who are lind or intellectually different than us. Where there may have sinned against God we come to receive God's Mercy and Grace in taking and eating the Body of Jesus and Drinking His Blood through the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We come singint from the Hymn "Come and See by Matt Redmann
Behold the Author of our salvation
Behold the wonder of grace so free
Behold the blessing of true forgiveness at Calvary
Behold the answer for all the broken
Behold the mercy that makes a way
Behold the promise of perfect healing
at Calvary
Come and see come and see what God has done
come and see come and see what love has won
in this place hearts and lives waking up
to the Light of the world
You're the Light of the world
Your cross is speaking words of freedom
no condemnation shall we now fear
our shame is silenced
Your love has triumphed at Calvary
Come and see come and see what God has done
come and see come and see what love has won
in this place hearts and lives waking up
to the Light of the world
You're the Light of the world
God it's Your love
Here on Display
We stand in awe
It takes our breath away
Come and see come and see what God has done
come and see come and see what love has won
in this place hearts and lives waking up
to the Light of the world
You're the Light of the world
in this place hearts and lives waking up
to the Light of the world
You're the Light of the world
In this place hearts and lives waking up
To the Light of the world
You're the Light of the world
During August & September, we'll have open play in our play room three times a week as an option to get out of the heat, but still get out of the house, play, and meet friends! Come and go as you please. All children under 5 and their caregivers are welcome. Play groups are every Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday from 10:00a - 11:30a.
Starting September 18th, our Youth Group will be open to all kids from 5th-8th Grade! Our youth program will take place on 1st & 3rd Fridays from 5:30 - 7:30pm. It seeks to meet the social and spiritual needs of our youth by providing fun programs, activities, and events that will allow them to express and grow in their faith. Youth group provides them with a place they can belong and feel accepted in a spiritual family of their peers.
We'd like to offer a HUGE thanks to everyone who helped out this Summer with our Movie Nights in the Park! We appreciate each and every one of you, and all of the effort you put in to making this event so much fun. We look forward to next Summer when we can do it all again! DON'T FORGET, the Community Association has rescheduled one last showing of The Mask on September 12th at Sunset, so if you didn't have a chance to attend any of our Movie Nights, there's still one more opportunity for some family fun!
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NHUnited.orgNormal Heights United Methodist Church
Our mailing address is:
4650 Mansfield Street
San Diego, California 92116 United States
Normal Heights United Methodist Church · 4650 Mansfield Street · San Diego, California 92116 · United States
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Normal Heights United Methodist Church · 4650 Mansfield Street · San Diego, California 92116 · United States
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