"Hijacked" by Mike Slaughter
Bigstock/Ezio Gutzemberg
I’ve managed so far to remain pretty silent in this rancorous political season, frequently reminding myself that I am fasting this Lent from being a jerk. But this week I find myself simply shaking my head in disbelief asking, “What the ____ is going on?”
Many of us who identify ourselves as Christians are allowing ourselves — and Christ’s Church — to be hijacked for partisan, political purposes. At best, many of us have remained silent about the blatant racism and hatemongering that are fueling some campaigns and polluting the airwaves and political process. At worst, some of us have become complicit, hitching our wagons to the stars of politicians and platforms that little reflect the love and inclusive community of Christ.
As Christians, we must be able to distinguish the radical nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ from American civil religion and the tribalism of partisan politics. Politics matter, and Christians need to be involved. God holds nations accountable for the assurance of justice for the alien, orphan and widow regardless of ethnicity or creed. Why was God’s judgment spoken against Israel through the prophet Amos? “They crush the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way” (Amos 2:7). We must learn to participate in the political process while refusing to participate in demeaning, divisive partisanship. We must not allow Christianity to be co-opted by those who would use it to gain political power for themselves.
It has happened before. When we submit the gospel to worldly political ideologies, the gospel becomes a corrupted tool to support the demonic influences of slavery, holocausts, expressions of nationalistic superiority, gender and racial discrimination of all varieties and war. Constantine used the symbol of Christ’s cross as the expression and excuse for war and world dominance. Hitler, a professed Catholic, used the Bible as a means to manipulate the minds of the German people for an evil consequence.
The church stands in prophetic tension with all earthly political systems and becomes corrupted when used in a supportive role for political ideologies of any flag or color. We must stop making the word of God subservient to politics or any other of our self-serving institutions. Until we do, is it any wonder that so much of our contemporary Christian witness is falling on deaf ears? We will have impact when we show the world what it means to value people over partisanship.
Mike Slaughter is the almost four-decade chief dreamer and lead pastor of Ginghamsburg Church and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. Mike’s call to "afflict the comfortable" challenges Christians to wrestle with God and their God-destinies. His newest book is The Christian Wallet: Spending, Giving, and Living with a Conscience. For more on this blog's topic, see Hijacked: Responding to the Partisan Church Divide.
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"Ethnic diversity and Christian faith" by Mike Poteet
Bigstock/Rawpixel
Movie fans and celebrity watchers expect memorable moments from the Academy Awards. This year’s Oscars proved memorable long before the first statuette was handed out. For the second consecutive year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) didn’t nominate any performers of color for a major acting award.
In 2015, several movies with mostly black casts — includingStraight Outta Compton, Creed, Chi-raq and Beasts of No Nation— proved critically and commercially successful. Actors such as Will Smith, Idris Elba, Michael B. Jordan, and Samuel L. Jackson turned in widely acclaimed performances in those and other films. But when the Academy announced this year’s nominees, it recognized only white actors and actresses.
For many people, the Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite expressed a sense that this controversy was about more than whether specific black performers — let alone directors, producers, or on- and off-camera members of AMPAS’s other branches — deserved recognition this year. As journalist Maurice McLeod commented about the official group photo of the nominees, “Seeing a line of grinning white faces makes it much harder to break the debate down into one about individuals.” Instead, to many observers, the past two years’ nominations revealed the degree to which the American film industry doesn’t adequately reflect racial and ethnic diversity in America.
Reflecting the American mosaic
Speaking at a recent leadership conference, Halle Berry — who in 2002 became the first African American to win Best Actress — said actors and filmmakers “have a responsibility to tell the truth. And the films … coming out of Hollywood aren’t truthful … They’re not really depicting the importance and the involvement and the participation of people of color in our American culture.”
Demographics underscore Berry’s recognition of America’s diversity. Although non-Hispanic whites currently make up around 62 percent of the US population, by 2044 the Census Bureau predicts that “no one racial or ethnic group will dominate the [nation] in terms of size.” Among U.S. children and teens, this change will occur sooner, around 2020.
Today’s America is more a mosaic than a melting pot, suggests Gary Weaver, a professor at American University: “In a mosaic or a tapestry, each color is distinct and adds to the overall beauty of the object. If you remove one piece from the mosaic or one thread from the tapestry, you destroy it.”
It’s this beautiful, colorful society that Halle Berry and others believe American entertainment must represent.
Valuing diversity
Some people inside and outside the film industry point to pragmatic, economic reasons for recognizing and celebrating racial and ethnic diversity. Darnell Hunt, who directs UCLA’s Bunche Center for African American Studies, says it will soon be harder for Hollywood studio heads to “pretend there’s not this demographic earthquake happening. At some point, it’s not going to be sustainable. They’re going to have to start making movies that people of all colors will want to see.” In fact, the Bunche Center’s research shows movies starring diverse casts earn “the highest median global box office receipts and the highest median return on investment.”
But making money isn’t the only or most important reason for Hollywood to value diversity. More movies written by, directed by, and starring blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and other diverse talent means more stories can be told than any one ethnic background can provide. Audience members will more likely hear voices that don’t necessarily echo their own and see life from vantage points that may otherwise be unavailable to them. They may not like what those voices say or agree with conclusions drawn from other viewpoints — but in a society full of differences, exposure to those differences is critical.
“Diversity enhances creativity,” Katherine Phillips, professor of leadership and ethics, writes in Scientific American. “It encourages the search for novel information and perspectives, leading to better decision making and problem solving … Even simply being exposed to diversity can change the way you think.” As America faces increasingly complex problems that demand creative, collaborative solutions, the benefits of valuing diversity in every arena, including popular culture, become clear.
And when makers and consumers of entertainment value diversity, we value some people whom society often does not. Film critic Ann Hornaday told PBS NewsHour that “the most profound cost” of nondiverse mass entertainment is the “psychic” one, “when young people are going to the movies and they see this sort of monolithic, monotone, monochromatic version of what it is to be human.”
In 2012, Communication Research published a study that tracked nearly 400 black and white 7–12-year-olds from Illinois for one year. This study found that the more TV white boys watched, the more their self-esteem rose. In contrast, the more TV black boys and both white and black girls watched, the more their self-esteem fell. “Regardless of what show you’re watching,” explained researcher Nicole Martins, “if you’re a white male, things in life are pretty good for [people who look like] you. You tend to be in positions of power … with very little portrayals of how hard you worked to get there. If you are a girl or a woman, what you see is that women on television are not given a variety of roles. … They’re almost always one-dimensional and focused on the success they have because of how they look, not what they do or what they think or how they got there. Young black boys are getting the opposite message: that [there are few] good things that you can aspire to.”
Entertainment isn’t the only factor influencing self-esteem. But when society values rich and full representations of what it means to be human on its screens, it’s also valuing rich and full human lives. As Lupita Nyong’o said in her 2014 Best Supporting Actress acceptance speech, “When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.”
A call from culture to church?
In a statement addressing the nominations controversy, AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs — the first African-American to hold the office—said, “While we celebrate [the nominees’] extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion. This is a difficult but important conversation, and it’s time for big changes.”
In this cultural moment, should the American church hear a call to examine, again, the extent to which it does and doesn’t value racial and ethnic diversity?
“Christians should be the first to get upset when they see something purporting to be a reflection of the world that’s absent of diversity,” writes film critic Chris Williams in his blog. “We shouldn’t tolerate it in our own congregations, and we should speak about it whenever we see it elsewhere, even with something as seemingly trivial as the Oscars.”
The God whom Christians worship delights in diversity. “O Lord,” the psalm-singer exults, “how manifold are your works!” (Psalm 104:24, NRSV). The human race — in strict scientific and theological terms, the one human race — is one of God’s astonishingly diverse works and is diverse in itself. Perhaps that diversity is part of what being created in the image of God means since God is diverse in God’s own self, living the triune life of the distinct but united persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Although we can experience God in diverse ways, we believe we meet God most fully in Jesus of Nazareth, a first-century Palestinian Jew who, though fully human, was very different from modern Americans, especially those who are privileged and comfortable. He paid attention to and valued those his society overlooked and undervalued, promising them the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3-10; Luke 6:20-26).
No doubt your congregation, like an Academy Award nominee, has some extraordinary achievements worth celebrating to its credit. Are achievements in valuing diversity among them? When have you and your congregation felt heartbroken and frustrated about a lack of inclusion? When have you had difficult but important conversations about racial and ethnic diversity? What big changes have you made — or might the Spirit be calling you to make in the increasingly diverse mosaic that is America?
Be sure to check out FaithLink, a weekly downloadable discussion guide for classes and small groups.
"David: The other side of the story" by Dave Barnhart
Olly Rix portrays David in "Of Kings and Prophets." Photo courtesy ABC
I’m a sucker for sword-and-sandal movies, whether they are classics like The Ten Commandments or animated modern ones like The Prince of Egypt. So of course I'm watching ABC's new take on the story of King David. I find these cinematic interpretations of biblical history fascinating not so much because of what they say about the Bible, but because of what they say about us and how we read the Bible.
I read the Bible both critically and devotionally, which means that my approach to the story of David puts me at odds with some Christians. I refer to the story of David in 1 and 2 Samuel as “political and religious propaganda.” It is propaganda not because it is false, but because it is designed to advance a particular view of David and his household. The prophet Samuel calls David “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) and our tradition leads us to sympathize with this handsome and charismatic warrior-poet who had his failings, but loved God and loved his people.
But a critical reading forces us to recognize that calling someone a person “after God’s own heart” is a political statement. If we were to go back in time and conduct interviews with passersby about politics in ancient Israel, we would find a nation divided. The story of David we have in the Bible seems to be constructed to address particular criticisms of David and his household. Here are a few:
1. David had no legitimate claim on the throne. Critics of David probably pointed out that not only did he rebel against Saul and lead a band of outlaws (22:2), he even signed up to work for Israel’s ancient enemies, the Philistines (chapter 27)! They may also have pointed out that David was not part of the anointed royal family — what gave him the right to become king?
The author argues against all of these claims: David was anointed in a secret ceremony by the same prophet who anointed Saul (16), so he was legitimate in the eyes of God. Also, he married Saul’s daughter (18:26), so he was related by family.
And the whole controversy over David working for the Philistines? He was playing them the whole time, argues the author, merely pretending to raid Israelite towns when he was really simply attacking other tribes — and leaving nobody alive to tell the difference (22:9-12).
2. David murdered Saul. Critics of David probably argued that David was working for the Philistines at the very time Saul was killed. Maybe he even did it himself!
The author of the biblical story builds an elaborate case: First of all, David would never have murdered Saul. He loved Saul and his son, Jonathan. He had not one, but two opportunities to kill Saul and refrained, because he would not strike God’s anointed (24 and 26). Moreover, he executed the slimy mercenary who claimed to have done the deed (2 Samuel 1:13-16).
Second, David was miles away during the battle in question, fighting in Ziklag (1 Samuel 30).
Finally, David not only grieved deeply over Saul, he behaved honorably toward his household, even though they were a political threat (2 Samuel 9). At least, until it was no longer expedient to do so (2 Samuel 21).
3. David was a brutal gangster who extorted both property and women from others. Kings have an unfortunate tendency to kill men and take their wives and property. Ahab stole Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21) in a way that’s very reminiscent of David taking Bathsheba from Uriah (2 Samuel 11). Yet one is remembered as a villain and the other is a hero.
The author tells these stories in a way that causes us to sympathize with David. In the story of Nabal (1 Samuel 25), David sends soldiers to demand payment for his soldier’s protection. What sounds on the surface like extortion winds up being a justification of David — after all, Abigail, Nabal’s wife, leaves her husband and supports David. When Nabal dies from fright, the author views it as God’s judgment upon Nabal for his poor hospitality.
The story of David’s murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11) is harder to explain away, but somehow we still come away with sympathy for David (if not for Bathsheba, whose opinion and consent seems irrelevant to the author). As a result of his actions, he would actually lose two sons — his infant and Absalom — and half the kingdom.
I can imagine ancient readers would be skeptical of the author’s perspective that David’s adultery-and-murder were somehow “out of character” for an otherwise godly man.
4. David was not sufficiently religious. He had no problem carrying off Philistine idols (2 Samuel 5:21). He danced naked like a pagan (6:12-23). He built himself a beautiful palace while the Ark stayed in a tent (7:2).
The author frames these facts in such a way that they highlight David’s close relationship with God. Why didn’t he build a temple? God told him not to. Why didn’t he mind suggestive dancing? Because it was done for the Lord.
The question of the idols is a bit more dicey, but a later author solves that problem: David only carted them off to be burned, not to worship with them (1 Chronicles 14:12).
5. Most of Israel didn’t want David to be king. The most powerful tribe, Judah, basically forced him on the rest of Israel. There were three — three! — different civil wars or rebellions under his reign.
The authors of 1 and 2 Samuel, and later 1 and 2 Chronicles, go above and beyond to portray David as a leader loved by nearly all. Chronicles not only whitewashes David’s career, but makes it explicit that the smaller tribes were the most enthusiastic supporters of David’s reign. They turned out in record numbers at his coronation (1 Chronicles 12:23-40). The author definitely overstates things when he writes “All the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king” (verse 38).
My point in highlighting these alternative viewpoints is that we can imagine David’s story told in a very different way by his detractors, who may also have been God-fearing human beings. Some of David’s contemporaries kept supporting Saul’s household well after David was established as king (2 Samuel 16:7-8). Others never supported the monarchy in the first place (Judges 9).
These are stories written with an agenda. They are not written as objective history, nor are they intended to be read that way. This is why when people get bent out of shape about Bible movies “not getting the facts right” or taking liberties with the text, I simply nod and smile. These are not movies about history. They are movies about us.
Dave Barnhart is the pastor of Saint Junia UMC in Birmingham, Ala.
"Hold the phone: 3 impactful telephone ministries"
By Todd OutcaltIn many respects our lives are now defined by our electronic devices. Whether it be the personal computer, a notepad, television or the latest cell phone — devices have changed the ways we communicate. Likewise, forms of communication have continued to morph as well. Facebook, for many people, has replaced email. Twitter has replaced texting. Blogs have replaced websites.
And new forms of communication are being birthed all the time. No doubt these tools have impacted ministry, and continue to challenge how ministry and communication evolve in our modern world.
But it is also true that the more things change the more they stay the same. Often older forms of communication can have a great impact in ministry because people either forget about them or find them to be stirring or more personable than the latest fads or alternatives.
Consider, for example, the telephone. Here are three simple ideas using the telephone that can have an enormous impact in a texting and twitter world. Simple communication — and voice recognition and relationship — can often impact younger people, especially, in positive ways.
Phone prayer
While it is often difficult to reach people, even those who have reached out for pastoral care, the telephone can still be a connection. While it may be difficult to find a time to meet with a family or individual, the telephone call can be a bridge that makes relationship possible. A simple phone call can be that bridge for prayer and support and many will discover that prayer over the phone can be a powerful pastoral tool.
Instead of trying to create a multitude of meetings each week, keep an accurate database of people’s personal cell phone numbers. Make pastoral calls daily, weekly and at strategic times. Phone prayer can be one of the most powerful tools in the pastoral arsenal today.
The birthday call
For years I have kept a database of birthdays. And even though my congregation is some 2,000 strong now, it is still possible to reach every person with a happy birthday greeting. I begin each day with a list of the birthdays for that day — and then begin by calling those numbers and, if not answered, leaving my personal greeting on voicemail.
These birthday greetings can be personal, poignant, celebratory or even funny. They can also include Scripture verses or reflections. But I cannot doubt the impact these phone calls have had upon my personal and pastoral connections with others. The birthday phone call is a marvelous touch and one that even younger people will appreciate. Few people receive birthday calls now, so a call from the pastor can inspire and awaken connections.
The ‘Missed you’ call
Statistics continue to demonstrate that, after a person has missed several weeks of worship, it is often easy to fall into a pattern of absenteeism. Keeping a record of worship attendance can be an important indicator for involvement. And likewise, making those calls to absentee individuals just to say, “Missed you” can have a lasting effect.
Again, keeping a record of these patterns and making these phone calls each week is not as difficult as it might sound — not even in a large congregation. That is one blessing of the cell phone — calls can be made much faster than writing emails or posting a notice on Facebook. And again, calls can have that personal touch that other electronic forms of communication can lack.
Make it a point to embrace the telephone again and use it in your ministry. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised to discover its power.
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"The pivot" 
By Steve HarperBishop Francis Asbury (John Paradise, 1812)
As the United Methodist General Conference approaches, the various plans being put forward regarding human sexuality make it appear that the decisive factor will be which theological view is finally adopted as determinative. And while I believe theological conversations are essential in a discernment process, I do not believe they are the pivot on which the future of the UMC turns.
The pivot is not a theological position, it is a value — namely, whether unity is a higher value than schism. To say it another way, if we have the will to stay together, we can find a way to do so. If we lack that will, we will find a way to divide.
Francis Asbury recognized this in 1792 when he urged the eight-year-old Methodist Episcopal Church in America to carefully consider the dangers of divisions and how to “cure” themselves of the temptation to promote such. [Happily, Abingdon Press has recently republished Asbury’s book, The Causes, Evils, and Cures of Heart and Church Divisions.]
Asbury knew, as do we, that any theological position is exercised by the will of the person or group that holds it. Whatever the will is, a theological position can be found to justify it. History shows that the Church is always able to find theological language to do what it wants to do.
The Church has been able to hold together deep disagreements throughout its history — because it wanted to. At the same time, separations have happened when the will to stay together was lost. In both cases, theological language attended the decision and the resulting ecclesial systems which emerged.
Of course the discernment of the ultimate value is always connected to conscience and conviction (e.g. Luther’s, “Here I stand, I can do no other”), and these elements are intertwined with theology. But in the end, the final action is forged in the crucible of a decision relative to the scale of values regarding the preference of unity or schism in a given situation.
If the delegates at General Conference believe unity is a higher value than schism, then we can anticipate some plan for remaining together. If not, we will see some plan for separation. In either case, theological language will be used to justify the ideological and institutional manifestation. But however it is worded, the preference for unity or schism will reflect the deeper and final influence of will.
So, in the end, the pivotal question at General Conference will be, “What do you want? Unity or schism?” and the old Chinese proverb about the bird in our hand will come true once again: is the bird alive or dead? “It is as you will.”
Steve Harper is the author of For the Sake of the Bride and Five Marks of a Methodist. He blogs at Oboedire.
"Following other gods: Unity as a penultimate value"
By Drew McIntyreBigstock/STILLFX
"You shall have no other gods before unity." — Exodus 20:3 (paraphrased)
Dr. Steve Harper argued recently that the basic issue in the United Methodist Church is whether or not we desire to split up or stay together. Note his insistence that theological conviction is incidental; his focus is not the content of our division(s) but rather the will to unity:
Whatever the will is, a theological position can be found to justify it. History shows that the Church is always able to find theological language to do what it wants to do.
The Church has been able to hold together deep disagreements throughout its history — because it wanted to. At the same time, separations have happened when the will to stay together was lost. In both cases, theological language attended the decision and the resulting ecclesial systems which emerged. [...]
If the delegates at General Conference believe unity is a higher value than schism, then we can anticipate some plan for remaining together. If not, we will see some plan for separation. In either case, theological language will be used to justify the ideological and institutional manifestation. But however it is worded, the preference for unity or schism will reflect the deeper and final influence of will.
I respect Dr. Harper's academic pedigree and standing within the church. That said, he's completely wrong.
We are not faced with a choice between the desire for unity or for schism.
The true issue is a conflict between covenant fidelity and celebrated infidelity.
To be clear: I highly value church unity within the UMC and with other denominations — not out of some "let's-all-get-along" sentimentality or institutional commitment — but out of a doctrinal commitment to the integrity of the Body of Christ as a community of saints across time and space. As someone who has called on both sides for unity over and over again, I desperately wanted to like Dr. Harper's reflection here. His For the Sake of the Bride was an articulate call for unity that concluded with a somewhat disappointing solution. None of the careful attention to the beauty and purpose of the church is evident in this latest piece.
In the Old Testament, when God sees his people frequently bowing down to idols and worshipping foreign deities (and thus breaking the covenant), he does not claim that they have misunderstood the covenant or have a different view of fidelity. When Israel goes astray, God calls them adulterers. In the KJV translation of Judges 2:17, God's anger burns because his people "went a whoring after other gods."
It is unequivocally not the case that there was one party to that covenant relationship who wanted to maintain the relationship and another who wanted to end it. One party had made choices that dishonored and damaged covenant, and God simply affirmed that these choices had affected their relationship negatively.
Similarly, the current impasse does not present us with a simple choice between unity and schism. Rather, we are forced to consider the nature of our unity. A community can maintain significant difference if there is agreement, say, on core values, a common vision, or at least a way of adjudicating differences.
Because United Methodist identity is so fungible, varying greatly from context to context and preacher to preacher, common values and beliefs are difficult. A Methodist in one part of the Connection sounds like a Southern Baptist here, or preaches like a UCC pastor there. Thus is the difficulty of common beliefs and mission.
If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have said that despite our differences, United Methodists agree on a representative, democratic process for ordering the church and considering changes. I may not agree with the General Conference when it votes down a set-apart bishop to provide needed leadership, or with the Judicial Council when it strikes down the last shards of success at Tampa — heck, I'm not even convinced itinerancy is still a good idea — but I have agreed to abide by a host of aspects of the UMC with which I disagree.
This consensus on process is no longer present, and, moreover, a revolt against it is actively supported by Boards of Ordained Ministry, District Superintendents, and Bishops across the US. The only people who seem to have a problem with open covenant-breaking are derided as schismatics and fundamentalists when they suggest something should be done about such actions.
And yet, Dr. Harper has the audacity to suggest that what faces us is a simple choice between "unity and schism," as if all is well in the state of Denmark. It is not.
To put it another way: I worship the God whom Jesus called Father, who begat the Son and sent the Spirit.
The name of that God is the Holy Trinity, not "unity." Unity is a penultimate value; it is surely a beautiful virtue — nay, a call and command of Jesus himself — but it is not itself the God I serve. The unity which the New Testament asks from us is centered on the common foundation of one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. (Eph. 4:5) God-blessed unity is not in pensions or property, but in the way of salvation inaugurated by Christ, proclaimed by the apostles, and handed down to us by our Mothers and Fathers in faith.
Unity of the sort Dr. Harper suggests calls us to give up on the family estate which is ours by right and settle for a rickety dog house. But surely our inheritance as Wesleyan Christians is a treasure infinitely more valuable than the fool's gold of institutional confederacy.
Unity is not the God I worship. The God I worship sent the Son to give himself up "for the sake of the Bride," the Body of Christ. In response, the Bride is asked nothing but a faithful hand in marriage.
But United Methodists have been chasing after lesser deities. We are a stiff-necked people, and we are in danger of trading the God of the Bible and the Tradition for an idol called unity. Under the present conditions of de facto schism and episcopally-blessed chaos, any unity achieved can only be a pyrrhic victory. But that need not be our destiny.
As Wesleyans, we believe that God is always calling us back to return to the royal road and take up again the journey toward holiness. This is true for individual disciples, and the whole Body. God always welcomes us back to the narrow road of faithfulness. Thus, should we decide to pursue our first love once more with abandon, we will not only have our priorities straight, we will have unity around what really matters.
To paraphrase C.S. Lewis: Chase after unity and you get neither unity nor the God who desires it. Chase after God, pursue God's work in God's way, and you'll have unity thrown in for free.
Drew blogs at Plowshares into Swords and co-hosts the WesleyCast.
"Thoughtful pastor: The final judgment and church demands"
By Christy Thomas
Bigstock/Benjamininet
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: The Bible tells us that as Christians Jesus forgives us for our sins (our sins are erased), but then it also says we will answer for them when we get to heaven. There is comfort in knowing that if we repent we are forgiven of our sins and they are forgotten, but are they really forgotten if we have to answer for them? I’m having trouble reconciling this.
Let’s look at a parable of Jesus from Matthew 18. Here, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a powerful king/ruler who needs to settle accounts with some of his subjects. One man owes the ruler an amount so big that repayment cannot happen. The king pronounces judgment and orders him, his wife and children to be sold along with all they own.
The debtor begs for mercy. The great man relents. He releases the debtor from all obligations. No longer is any repayment required. Nothing. The great do-over. Mercy upon mercy offered.
Christy Thomas
Later that day, this newly free man comes upon a colleague who owes him a small amount. The forgiven one grabs his colleague by the throat and demands immediate repayment. When his colleague, also unable to pay, begs for mercy, the forgiven one throws him into prison.
How do you feel about this man’s actions?
According to Jesus, the king didn’t like it, not one little bit. Because the forgiven one refused to pass on the mercies and grace received, he was handed over to torture until he repaid the entire debt.
Perhaps this is the final judgment: Will each of us insist that grace and mercy be only for ourselves or will we acknowledge that God gets to give it to anyone who is willing to receive it?
Perhaps if we want to freely enter heaven, we must also make way for others to freely enter. We hold open the door into the goodness of the Holy One for every person we hold grudges against and offer the freedom of forgiveness. Then our way is clear to enter.
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I am wondering about how much time I should be giving to my church. Looking around the church I see a few committed people who do most of the activities, missions and classes. A good majority of the people, like myself, have family and job obligations. In addition, some of us have other missions outside the church. When I try to reconcile the balance of my life with my commitment to Jesus Christ and my church, I am not sure of when to say yes and when to say no. Can you provide some clarification?
For years the church has run on generous volunteer work, primarily of the women in the congregation. This model worked well during that economic period when one income supported the family. Those without the outside employment obligations enjoyed freedom to do the necessary and vital work that glues our society together and permits the good work of the church to go out into the local communities.
This was also the time when social lives centered around the church, when stores closed one day a week, when no sports league would dream of scheduling practices or tournaments on Sundays, and few envisioned an electronically connected 24/7 on-call life.
No longer our world.
Bigstock/Jarin13
We all need to live with attentive faithfulness to the responsibilities before us. Those responsibilities include being in connection and service with our places of worship. But we often forget that proper self-care must be included as a responsible and holy duty. Few benefit when exhaustion and stress rule the day.
Personally, I decided years ago that changing a dirty diaper is equally as holy as going to a Bible study or on a mission trip, or any other church activity. It’s holy because it is an act of service to another, bringing comfort and doing for them what they cannot do.
With maturity comes discernment about what is right and what is not right in terms of time and energy. “No, God is not calling me to that” is a reasonable answer to requests that do what I call “crunch your gut,” that is, give a sense that picking up an obligation is just not the right thing to do at this particular time. This is not a call to laziness or irresponsibility, but to reasonable expectations.
Unquestionably, the church will have to adjust to today’s economic world. Personally, I hate to see that era pass as I have wonderful memories of life-changing work and great friendships emerging. In those friendships, we molded and taught one another, offering support and giving safe spaces.
But we are dealing with different realities now — and we all need to pray through our volunteer work and go only in the direction we sense God leading.
It will be different for every person.
Email questions to thoughtfulpastor@gmail.com. A version of this column will appear in the Friday March 11, 2016 print and online editions of The Denton Record Chronicle. Christy blogs at ChristyThomas.com.
"How to deal with church discipline of felines"
By Greg Gregory
Flickr/patchattack CC 2.0
In response to my previous diffusion of wisdom, "7 things cats do to sabotage church," Laodocean Luke writes:
Aww man this is truth in its rarest form. Our church cat has sabotaged the church so often by sitting on people's laps. Talk about awkward. And bulletins. It's like the cat has an extreme hatred for them and often paws and knocks them out of folks hands while at the same time purring. We're not sure how to approach the situation though. Should we have an individual first go talk with said feline? Then a group? Then bring it before the church?
To which we now reply:
Dear Laodocean Luke,
Thank you for your encouraging and sensitive question, which reveals you to be a person of taste, doubtless endowed with a wide and itself fecund dispensation of the Spirit's gifts and fruits. If my previous missive was "truth in its rarest form," the steaks you have grilled from it are correspondingly rare and delicious, and plainly seasoned to our mutual delight. "The spiritual man judgeth all things."
You rightly point to two issues, which I have often heard about in cases where cats are suffered during worship — whether from sin or ignorance, I will not presume to imagine. First, cats sitting in laps. And, second, the cat likes to bat bulletins out of worshippers' hands while emitting some manner of extravagant purring noise.
Regarding the propensity of many cats to sit in laps during worship, this is, as you have pointed out, as awkward as it is absolutely inappropriate. What a liability nightmare for the paid church staff. I find myself at a momentary loss to offer an adequate characterization of the ordeal. Shall we appeal to cats' perpetual adolescence? To cats' intellective dullness and indiscriminate imitation, oft on Sunday mornings, of behaviors observed at the youth meeting on Sunday nights? Or shall we appeal to cats' brute and indisputable sociopathy, wont to offer caresses while enthralling you with the imperialism of their pheromones, and wont to sit in your lap during worship both before and after biting or scratching you savagely.
Regarding cats' swatting at bulletins, and the terrible noises they make, I again confirm how perceptive you are. You employ the phrase "extreme hatred", and that gets it exactly. Cats hate our freedom. Theologically, this is due to the fact that your literacy — your understanding of many written words and your correspondingly greater participation in the divine Word — entails a greater similitude to the infinite, incomprehensible and utterly unconstrained majesty of divine omnipotence, which is unlimited everywhere and divided nowhere. Cats, pathetic vis-à-vis both literacy and power, are pathetically if understandably resentful. At the liturgy, while others are glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit by both their being and their willing, cats glorify the Holy Trinity with their being or existence only — and certainly unwillingly. Cats, as near as I can tell, labor tirelessly to attract to themselves the glory that rightly belongs to the Lord. Their pathos is their utter lack of even false humility. They are fittingly compared to black holes by many spiritual people, and justly likened to Lucifer by the truly wise.
At this point in your question you admirably confess, "We're not sure how to approach the situation though. Should we have an individual first go talk with said feline? Then a group? Then bring it before the church?"
Absolutely. Matthew 18:15-20 is the way to go in these situations, as we are there taught by our incarnate Lord the righteous manner of binding and loosing all erring mammals. Verses 21-22, in contrast, evidently depict our Lord considering humans rather than cats, while verses 23-35 depict vividly, through the figure of a wicked servant, how things would be if cats were in charge.
Exercise discernment when deciding who should first go and speak to the cat. In these situations, one often feels conflicted between being welcoming and confidently enforcing proper boundaries and appropriate behavior in church. That is entirely understandable. It may be tempting to just conclude that the unenviable task falls somewhere within the always shifting, ever amorphous, and finally utterly ambiguous purview of the Senior Pastor's job description. But consider: Your Senior Pastor could swiftly lose face in the humiliating condescension of addressing a cat in a matter of church discipline. After all, the cat's intelligent communication skills are nil, even compared to your Senior Pastor's. And if your Senior Pastor is unsuccessful, many will rightly wonder: "Has United Methodist church order broken down entirely?" On the other hand, your Youth Pastor, if your church is fortunate enough to be able to afford one of these (and what church can't afford to pay someone practically nothing?), is in all likelihood the way to go. If cats don't qualify as youth for discipline purposes, I don't know who should.
Even so, let us be candid: Is your Youth Pastor a bit weak? I can only say that I have never known a church that did not have at least one member of the Trustees or Finance Committee — as often as not the same person — capable of erring decisively on the side of enforcing appropriate standards of behavior. Problem solved.
Or, almost always. Yet if it turns out that you are faced with one of those discomfiting circumstances where the cat inexplicably persists in lap-sitting or bulletin-swatting, a stronger form of binding and loosing may be warranted. I tell you this in a bated whisper, in the proverbial dead of night, and with many and strong reservations. But tell you I do. Bind the cat with duct tape, and loose it in the Gulf of Mexico. There is a nice place in Corpus Christi, down a bit from the American Banking Center, N. Shoreline Blvd. Of course, I personally find this resolution repulsive. I am, after all, mostly vegetarian.
Thank you again for your excellent question Laodocean Luke. I must break off and go pray Vespers.
Later that day, this newly free man comes upon a colleague who owes him a small amount. The forgiven one grabs his colleague by the throat and demands immediate repayment. When his colleague, also unable to pay, begs for mercy, the forgiven one throws him into prison.
How do you feel about this man’s actions?
According to Jesus, the king didn’t like it, not one little bit. Because the forgiven one refused to pass on the mercies and grace received, he was handed over to torture until he repaid the entire debt.
Perhaps this is the final judgment: Will each of us insist that grace and mercy be only for ourselves or will we acknowledge that God gets to give it to anyone who is willing to receive it?
Perhaps if we want to freely enter heaven, we must also make way for others to freely enter. We hold open the door into the goodness of the Holy One for every person we hold grudges against and offer the freedom of forgiveness. Then our way is clear to enter.
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I am wondering about how much time I should be giving to my church. Looking around the church I see a few committed people who do most of the activities, missions and classes. A good majority of the people, like myself, have family and job obligations. In addition, some of us have other missions outside the church. When I try to reconcile the balance of my life with my commitment to Jesus Christ and my church, I am not sure of when to say yes and when to say no. Can you provide some clarification?
For years the church has run on generous volunteer work, primarily of the women in the congregation. This model worked well during that economic period when one income supported the family. Those without the outside employment obligations enjoyed freedom to do the necessary and vital work that glues our society together and permits the good work of the church to go out into the local communities.
This was also the time when social lives centered around the church, when stores closed one day a week, when no sports league would dream of scheduling practices or tournaments on Sundays, and few envisioned an electronically connected 24/7 on-call life.
No longer our world.
Bigstock/Jarin13
We all need to live with attentive faithfulness to the responsibilities before us. Those responsibilities include being in connection and service with our places of worship. But we often forget that proper self-care must be included as a responsible and holy duty. Few benefit when exhaustion and stress rule the day.
Personally, I decided years ago that changing a dirty diaper is equally as holy as going to a Bible study or on a mission trip, or any other church activity. It’s holy because it is an act of service to another, bringing comfort and doing for them what they cannot do.
With maturity comes discernment about what is right and what is not right in terms of time and energy. “No, God is not calling me to that” is a reasonable answer to requests that do what I call “crunch your gut,” that is, give a sense that picking up an obligation is just not the right thing to do at this particular time. This is not a call to laziness or irresponsibility, but to reasonable expectations.
Unquestionably, the church will have to adjust to today’s economic world. Personally, I hate to see that era pass as I have wonderful memories of life-changing work and great friendships emerging. In those friendships, we molded and taught one another, offering support and giving safe spaces.
But we are dealing with different realities now — and we all need to pray through our volunteer work and go only in the direction we sense God leading.
It will be different for every person.
Email questions to thoughtfulpastor@gmail.com. A version of this column will appear in the Friday March 11, 2016 print and online editions of The Denton Record Chronicle. Christy blogs at ChristyThomas.com.
"How to deal with church discipline of felines"
By Greg Gregory Flickr/patchattack CC 2.0
In response to my previous diffusion of wisdom, "7 things cats do to sabotage church," Laodocean Luke writes:
Aww man this is truth in its rarest form. Our church cat has sabotaged the church so often by sitting on people's laps. Talk about awkward. And bulletins. It's like the cat has an extreme hatred for them and often paws and knocks them out of folks hands while at the same time purring. We're not sure how to approach the situation though. Should we have an individual first go talk with said feline? Then a group? Then bring it before the church?
To which we now reply:
Dear Laodocean Luke,
Thank you for your encouraging and sensitive question, which reveals you to be a person of taste, doubtless endowed with a wide and itself fecund dispensation of the Spirit's gifts and fruits. If my previous missive was "truth in its rarest form," the steaks you have grilled from it are correspondingly rare and delicious, and plainly seasoned to our mutual delight. "The spiritual man judgeth all things."
You rightly point to two issues, which I have often heard about in cases where cats are suffered during worship — whether from sin or ignorance, I will not presume to imagine. First, cats sitting in laps. And, second, the cat likes to bat bulletins out of worshippers' hands while emitting some manner of extravagant purring noise.
Regarding the propensity of many cats to sit in laps during worship, this is, as you have pointed out, as awkward as it is absolutely inappropriate. What a liability nightmare for the paid church staff. I find myself at a momentary loss to offer an adequate characterization of the ordeal. Shall we appeal to cats' perpetual adolescence? To cats' intellective dullness and indiscriminate imitation, oft on Sunday mornings, of behaviors observed at the youth meeting on Sunday nights? Or shall we appeal to cats' brute and indisputable sociopathy, wont to offer caresses while enthralling you with the imperialism of their pheromones, and wont to sit in your lap during worship both before and after biting or scratching you savagely.
Regarding cats' swatting at bulletins, and the terrible noises they make, I again confirm how perceptive you are. You employ the phrase "extreme hatred", and that gets it exactly. Cats hate our freedom. Theologically, this is due to the fact that your literacy — your understanding of many written words and your correspondingly greater participation in the divine Word — entails a greater similitude to the infinite, incomprehensible and utterly unconstrained majesty of divine omnipotence, which is unlimited everywhere and divided nowhere. Cats, pathetic vis-à-vis both literacy and power, are pathetically if understandably resentful. At the liturgy, while others are glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit by both their being and their willing, cats glorify the Holy Trinity with their being or existence only — and certainly unwillingly. Cats, as near as I can tell, labor tirelessly to attract to themselves the glory that rightly belongs to the Lord. Their pathos is their utter lack of even false humility. They are fittingly compared to black holes by many spiritual people, and justly likened to Lucifer by the truly wise.
At this point in your question you admirably confess, "We're not sure how to approach the situation though. Should we have an individual first go talk with said feline? Then a group? Then bring it before the church?"
Absolutely. Matthew 18:15-20 is the way to go in these situations, as we are there taught by our incarnate Lord the righteous manner of binding and loosing all erring mammals. Verses 21-22, in contrast, evidently depict our Lord considering humans rather than cats, while verses 23-35 depict vividly, through the figure of a wicked servant, how things would be if cats were in charge.
Exercise discernment when deciding who should first go and speak to the cat. In these situations, one often feels conflicted between being welcoming and confidently enforcing proper boundaries and appropriate behavior in church. That is entirely understandable. It may be tempting to just conclude that the unenviable task falls somewhere within the always shifting, ever amorphous, and finally utterly ambiguous purview of the Senior Pastor's job description. But consider: Your Senior Pastor could swiftly lose face in the humiliating condescension of addressing a cat in a matter of church discipline. After all, the cat's intelligent communication skills are nil, even compared to your Senior Pastor's. And if your Senior Pastor is unsuccessful, many will rightly wonder: "Has United Methodist church order broken down entirely?" On the other hand, your Youth Pastor, if your church is fortunate enough to be able to afford one of these (and what church can't afford to pay someone practically nothing?), is in all likelihood the way to go. If cats don't qualify as youth for discipline purposes, I don't know who should.
Even so, let us be candid: Is your Youth Pastor a bit weak? I can only say that I have never known a church that did not have at least one member of the Trustees or Finance Committee — as often as not the same person — capable of erring decisively on the side of enforcing appropriate standards of behavior. Problem solved.
Or, almost always. Yet if it turns out that you are faced with one of those discomfiting circumstances where the cat inexplicably persists in lap-sitting or bulletin-swatting, a stronger form of binding and loosing may be warranted. I tell you this in a bated whisper, in the proverbial dead of night, and with many and strong reservations. But tell you I do. Bind the cat with duct tape, and loose it in the Gulf of Mexico. There is a nice place in Corpus Christi, down a bit from the American Banking Center, N. Shoreline Blvd. Of course, I personally find this resolution repulsive. I am, after all, mostly vegetarian.
Thank you again for your excellent question Laodocean Luke. I must break off and go pray Vespers.
"New data shows women clergy earn 85 to 90 cents for a man’s dollar"
By Tobin Grant / Religion News ServiceThe Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli, pastor at Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., gives the benediction on July 27, 2014. She stands with the Rev. Theresa S. Thames, associate pastor, left, and the Rev. Dawn M. Hand, executive pastor, right. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks
(RNS) Until recently, national data on the clergy pay gap was unavailable or unreliable, in part because of the relatively few numbers of women clergy.
But in January, I reported on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that found women clergy receive 76 cents for each dollar paid to their male counterparts. Specifically, the bureau reported that in 2014 male clergy earned $1,007 per week; female clergy earned only $763. This is a $12,000 difference in annual earnings.
New data from the BLS and the Census confirms that there is a gap in pay. However, it has tightened, with women now receiving 90 cents for each dollar paid to men.
Data from 2015 now shows earnings by male clergy were virtually unchanged ($1,021), but the median earnings by women rose to $924.
But it’s unlikely that female clergy actually experienced a 21 percent raise in pay.
The change reflects the sensitivity of the estimates caused by the relatively few female clergy in the data. There are enough to make a report, but there is less stability in the figures than for other groups.
The 2015 BLS numbers are consistent with data from the 2014 U.S. Census American Community Study.
I analyzed the 3,997 clergy in the ACS survey. The average yearly income for male clergy was $44,164. For women, the average was only $38,533.
Because women are more likely to have skewed toward lower incomes, the pay gap is larger when comparing average (mean) incomes and median incomes. Using median incomes, women received 93 cents per dollar paid to men. For mean income, the figure is 87 cents.
Perhaps the most surprising finding is that the pay gap does not diminish (and may grow wider) when we take into account education and experience. Women in the clergy tend to be better-educated than their male colleagues. As a result, when we take into account age, years of schooling, and having a theology degree, the number becomes 85 cents.
In other words, female clergy really do earn less for the same education and experience.
Bottom line: There is a gender pay gap among clergy that is not explained by education or experience. The amount is narrower than first reported but remains between 85 and 90 cents for each dollar that male clergy earn.
Note: In analyzing the American Community Study, I used only full-time clergy. These are clergy who worked at least 35 hours a week for 50 to 52 weeks a year. Some are full-time volunteers (earning zero despite working full time). Eliminating these workers had no effect on the earning differences between men and women.
"This Sunday March 13, 2016"
Fifth Sunday in Lent: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8
Isaiah 43:16 Here is what Adonai says,
who made a way in the sea,
a path through the raging waves;
17 who led out chariot and horse,
the army in its strength —
they lay down, never to rise again,
snuffed out and quenched like a wick:
18 “Stop dwelling on past events
and brooding over times gone by;
19 I am doing something new;
it’s springing up — can’t you see it?
I am making a road in the desert,
rivers in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
because I put water in the desert,
rivers in the wasteland,
for my chosen people to drink,
21 the people I formed for myself,
so that they would proclaim my praise.
Psalm 126:(0) A song of ascents:
(1) When Adonai restored Tziyon’s fortunes,
we thought we were dreaming.
2 Our mouths were full of laughter,
and our tongues shouted for joy.
Among the nations it was said,
“Adonai has done great things for them!”
3 Adonai did do great things with us;
and we are overjoyed.
4 Return our people from exile, Adonai,
as streams fill vadis in the Negev.
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with cries of joy.
6 He who goes out weeping
as he carries his sack of seed
will come home with cries of joy
as he carries his sheaves of grain.
Philippians 3:4 even though I certainly have grounds for putting confidence in such things. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for putting confidence in human qualifications, I have better grounds:
a. 5 b’rit-milah on the eighth day,
b. by birth belonging to the people of Isra’el,
c. from the tribe of Binyamin,
d. a Hebrew-speaker, with Hebrew-speaking parents,
e. in regard to the Torah, a Parush,
f. 6 in regard to zeal, a persecutor of the Messianic Community,
g. in regard to the righteousness demanded by legalism, blameless.
7 But the things that used to be advantages for me, I have, because of the Messiah, come to consider a disadvantage. 8 Not only that, but I consider everything a disadvantage in comparison with the supreme value of knowing the Messiah Yeshua as my Lord. It was because of him that I gave up everything and regard it all as garbage, in order to gain the Messiah 9 and be found in union with him, not having any righteousness of my own based on legalism, but having that righteousness which comes through the Messiah’s faithfulness, the righteousness from God based on trust. 10 Yes, I gave it all up in order to know him, that is, to know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings as I am being conformed to his death, 11 so that somehow I might arrive at being resurrected from the dead. 12 It is not that I have already obtained it or already reached the goal — no, I keep pursuing it in the hope of taking hold of that for which the Messiah Yeshua took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead, 14 I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua.
John 12:1 Six days before Pesach, Yeshua came to Beit-Anyah, where El‘azar lived, the man Yeshua had raised from the dead; 2 so they gave a dinner there in his honor. Marta served the meal, and El‘azar was among those at the table with him. 3 Miryam took a whole pint of pure oil of spikenard, which is very expensive, poured it on Yeshua’s feet and wiped his feet with her hair, so that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of the talmidim, Y’hudah from K’riot, the one who was about to betray him, said, 5 “This perfume is worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” 6 Now he said this not out of concern for the poor, but because he was a thief — he was in charge of the common purse and used to steal from it. 7 Yeshua said, “Leave her alone! She kept this for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Isaiah 43:16-21
Verse 17
[17] Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
The chariot — Pharaoh and his chariots and horses, and army.
Lay down — In the bottom of the sea. They never rose again to molest the Israelites.
Quenched — As the wick of a candle when it is put into the water, is extinguished.
Verse 18
[18] Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Remember not — Tho' your former deliverance out of Egypt was glorious: yet in comparison of that inestimable mercy of sending the Messiah, all your former deliverances are scarce worthy of your remembrance and consideration.
Verse 19
[19] Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
A new thing — Such a work as was never yet done in the world.
Now — The scripture often speaks of things at a great distance of time, as if they were now at hand; to make us sensible of the inconsiderableness of time, and all temporal things, in comparison of God, and eternal things; upon which account it is said, that a thousand years are in God's sight but as one day.
Verse 20
[20] The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
The beast — Shall have cause, if they had abilities, to praise me for their share in this mercy.
Dragons — Which live in dry and barren deserts.
Psalm 126
Verse 1
[1] When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Turned — Brought the captive Israelites out of Babylon into their own land.
Dream — We were so surprized and astonished.
Verse 4
[4] Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
Turn — As thou hast brought us home, bring also the rest of our brethren.
As — As thou art pleased sometimes to send floods of water into dry and barren grounds, such as the southern parts of Canaan were.
Philippians 3:4b-14
Verse 4
[4] Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Though I — He subjoins this in the singular number, because the Philippians could not say thus.
Verse 5
[5] Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Circumcised the eighth day — Not at ripe age, as a proselyte.
Of the tribe of Benjamin — Sprung from the wife, not the handmaid.
An Hebrew of Hebrews — By both my parents; in everything, nation, religion, language.
Touching the law, a pharisee — One of that sect who most accurately observe it.
Verse 6
[6] Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Having such a zeal for it as to persecute to the death those who did not observe it. Touching the righteousness which is described and enjoined by the Law - That is, external observances, blameless.
Verse 7
[7] But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
But all these things, which I then accounted gain, which were once my confidence, my glory, and joy, those, ever since I have believed, I have accounted loss, nothing worth in comparison of Christ.
Verse 8
[8] Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Yea, I still account both all these and all things else to be mere loss, compared to the inward, experimental knowledge of Christ, as my Lord, as my prophet, priest, and king, as teaching me wisdom, atoning for my sins, and reigning in my heart. To refer this to justification only, is miserably to pervert the whole scope of the words. They manifestly relate to sanctification also; yea, to that chiefly. For whom I have actually suffered the loss of all things - Which the world loves, esteems, or admires; of which I am so far from repenting, that I still account them but dung - The discourse rises. Loss is sustained with patience, but dung is cast away with abhorrence. The Greek word signifies any, the vilest refuse of things, the dross of metals, the dregs of liquors, the excrements of animals, the most worthless scraps of meat, the basest offals, fit only for dogs.
That I may gain Christ — He that loses all things, not excepting himself, gains Christ, and is gained by Christ. And still there is more; which even St. Paul speaks of his having not yet gained.
Verse 9
[9] And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
And be found by God ingrafted in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law - That merely outward righteousness prescribed by the law, and performed by my own strength. But that inward righteousness which is through faith - Which can flow from no other fountain.
The righteousness which is from God — From his almighty Spirit, not by my own strength, but by faith alone. Here also the apostle is far from speaking of justification only.
Verse 10
[10] That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
The knowledge of Christ, mentioned in the eighth verse, is here more largely explained.
That I may know him — As my complete Saviour.
And the power of his resurrection — Raising me from the death of sin, into all the life of love.
And the fellowship of his sufferings — Being crucified with him.
And made conformable to his death — So as to be dead to all things here below.
Verse 11
[11] If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
The resurrection of the dead — That is, the resurrection to glory.
Verse 12
[12] Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Not that I have already attained — The prize. He here enters on a new set of metaphors, taken from a race. But observe how, in the utmost fervour, he retains his sobriety of spirit.
Or am already perfected — There is a difference between one that is perfect, and one that is perfected. The one is fitted for the race, Philippians 3:15; the other, ready to receive the prize.
But I pursue, if I may apprehend that — Perfect holiness, preparatory to glory. For, in order to which I was apprehended by Christ Jesus - Appearing to me in the way, Acts 26:14. The speaking conditionally both here and in the preceding verse, implies no uncertainty, but only the difficulty of attaining.
Verse 13
[13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I do not account myself to have apprehended this already; to be already possessed of perfect holiness.
Verse 14
[14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Forgetting the things that are behind — Even that part of the race which is already run.
And reaching forth unto — Literally, stretched out over the things that are before - Pursuing with the whole bent and vigour of my soul, perfect holiness and eternal glory.
In Christ Jesus — The author and finisher of every good thing.
John 12:1-8
Verse 2
[2] There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
It seems Martha was a person of some figure, from the great respect which was paid to her and her sister, in visits and condolences on Lazarus's death, as well as from the costly ointment mentioned in the next verse. And probably it was at their house our Lord and his disciples lodged, when he returned from Jerusalem to Bethany, every evening of the last week of his life, upon which he was now entered.
Verse 3
[3] Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
Then Mary, taking a pound of ointment — There were two persons who poured ointment on Christ. One toward the beginning of his ministry, at or near Nain, Luke 7:37, etc. The other six days before his last passover, at Bethany; the account of whom is given here, as well as by St. Matthew and Mark.
Verse 7
[7] Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
Against the day of my burial — Which now draws nigh.
Sermon Story "Listening" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 13 March 2016 with Scripture Isaiah 43:16 Here is what Adonai says,
who made a way in the sea,
a path through the raging waves;
17 who led out chariot and horse,
the army in its strength —
they lay down, never to rise again,
snuffed out and quenched like a wick:
18 “Stop dwelling on past events
and brooding over times gone by;
19 I am doing something new;
it’s springing up — can’t you see it?
I am making a road in the desert,
rivers in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
because I put water in the desert,
rivers in the wasteland,
for my chosen people to drink,
21 the people I formed for myself,
so that they would proclaim my praise.
-------
As we have read these passages of Scripture, but especially Isaiah we realize that listening to the teachings of Jesus is important. Too often, we do not listen whether the words in Isaiah about God doing a new thing or the anointing of the feet of Jesus in preparation for His burial. We do not realize that this new thing God is saying is going to happen, but we get a glimpse of this in the form of Jesus. He shared about what is going to happen to Him for the sake not only of the Jewish nation, but the whole people of the world. Then, we see from the Apostle Paul that He was proud of His family heritage to the point of keeping the worship of God the way it always has been until he encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus at which time he considered everything in his life as garbage except to know Jesus. In this day and age with the divisions within Christendom, we have a tendency to be proud of our heritage given to us through our segment of the church until we come in contact with the living Jesus. We begin to see that main thing is to love the Lord God with our whole heart, mind, soul, body and spirit and to love lother people as God loves us showing the same Grace, Mercy, and Love that God gives us. How are we doing in our lives? Our Church? Our community? With people who are different than us especially people who are differently able or different cultures or different races or different sexual orientation? How are we being God Love and Grace to all people? We come to realize that we need to repent of our sins against God as we come to receive and eat the Body of Jesus and drink His Blood through our participation in the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We come to receive from God singing the Hymn "REMIND ME"
I. THE THINGS THAT I LOVE, AND HOLD DEAR TO MY HEART.
ARE JUST BORROWED, THEY'RE NOT MINE AT ALL.
JESUS ONLY LET ME USE THEM, TO BRIGHTEN MY WAY.
SO REMIND ME, REMIND ME, DEAR LORD.
CHORUS:
ROLL BACK THE CURTAIN, OF MEMORY NOW AND THEN.
SHOW ME WHERE YOU BROUGHT ME FROM, AND WHERE I COULD HAVE BEEN.
REMEMBER I'M HUMAN, AND HUMANS FORGET.
SO REMIND ME, REMIND ME, DEAR LORD.
II. NOTHING GOOD HAVE I DONE, TO DESERVE GOD'S OWN SON.
I'M NOT WORTHY, OF THE SCARES IN HIS HANDS.
YET HE CHOSE THE ROAD TO CALVARY, TO DIE IN MY STEAD.
WHY HE LOVED ME I CAN'T UNDERSTAND.
CHORUS:
ROLL BACK THE CURTAIN, OF MEMORY NOW AND THEN.
SHOW ME WHERE YOU BROUGHT ME FROM, AND WHERE I COULD HAVE BEEN.
REMEMBER I'M HUMAN, AND HUMANS FORGET.
SO REMIND ME, REMIND ME, DEAR LORD.
DYING TO LIVE — LOSING IN ORDER TO WIN by Guy Ames
Philippians 3:4b-14
Mildred always dressed like a rainbow. Not a particularly attractive woman, she wore designer clothes, pounds of makeup, and offered her faith to everyone she met. She had come to call on the new preacher’s family. In the course of the visit, she told story after story of answered prayer. She capped it off by telling us she had heard of Dad through a parishioner from my father’s previous appointment, and she prayed that God would send us there. As she left I asked incredulously, “That wasn’t true, was it, Dad?”
During our four years at that church, I watched this outlandish Christian woman model abandonment to God in ways I had never before witnessed. Each Sunday evening when it was time for words of witness, Mildred would jump to her feet with words of thanksgiving for God’s great grace. “I’m not what I ought to be,” she would always say, “but thank God, I’m not what I used to be.”
After prayers and a devotional message at our last Holy Thursday Communion service at the church, the invitation was given: “Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins and are in love with your neighbor and intend to lead a new life, draw near with faith and take this holy sacrament unto yourself.” As I knelt at the railing, Mildred knelt beside me. As the bread was placed in her hands she began to weep, the deep tears of remorse and forgiveness. Her weeping became, for me, a holy song of gratitude and sheer love for the one who had delivered her from a life of human indignity. I never really knew her past, but somehow I knew that Mildred had seen the worst of the human condition, and somewhere along her journey Jesus Christ rescued her.
From time to time I meet people who declare that they have no regrets. I have come to suspect that these individuals either live in perpetual denial or have conveniently chosen to forget the indiscretions of their past. Paul never forgot his path. Conversion for Paul never could erase his sense of shame and indignity at having demeaned Christ and having injured the young church through torture and execution. If God could forgive the persecutor of the early church, then indeed God’s grace was large enough for the gravest of sinners. Paul had been humbled by the cross.
For Paul, the greatest danger was not the threat of death but the everpresent “false teachers,” who lay in wait until Paul had moved on to another town. These well-meaning teachers wanted folks to be good Hebrews before they could become Christians. Paul contended that salvation is available to all because of Christ’s work, and that no amount of work on our part can bring peace with God. If anyone qualified for salvation based upon heritage, Saul of Tarsus had the bloodline. But he refers to those Hebrew accolades as “loss” and garbage in comparison to the “surpassing value” of knowing Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:8).
Paul could live a life abandoned to Christ because he had come face-to-face with the profound power of the risen Christ. He calls us to the simplicity of surrender to Christ. Similar to the opening lines of a 12-step program, Paul “came to believe that he was powerless over (you name the addiction).” This is the abandonment of one who could not do for himself, but who called on the one alone who could put his life right.
Somewhere between his conversion on the road to Damascus and his prison letter to the Philippian church, Paul faced his failures. Perhaps it was in those dark days after his ride to Damascus, or alone as an outcast from the infant church in the Syrian Desert. Paul came to grips with his failings and inadequacies and discovered true meaning and authentic humanity.
I know something of that struggle. I reached a point when everything seemed lost. Day by day our home, instead of being a haven of blessing and peace, was a battlefield. Months had passed without one day in which mental illness had not reigned supreme behind the walls of the preacher’s home. No doctor seemed to offer any hope. I had no idea how to help my wife or my children. Desperate, I found myself in a meeting of men who had gone through similar family circumstances. I can’t tell you how uncomfortable I was because of my need to go to a meeting like that. . . . I really should have been lecturing those men, shouldn’t I? Then I began to weep unashamedly; the years of stress, the months of brutal living, came up through every pore of my being. I realized that I could not do for myself what was needed, and there was something powerfully freeing about being among others who would hold me up when I couldn’t stand.
Christian martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer chastised the church in his book The Cost of Discipleship. His argument that the church had become the dispenser of cheap grace still rings loud. Cheap grace demands nothing in return for God’s costliest gift. Jesus simply said, “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).
The 21st-century church in the United States needs a conversion. We need conversion from believing that we can put things right, and that we are in control. We need fresh abandonment to God, who can work in us all possibilities. God can set us free from having to know where the Spirit is leading the church, and give us renewed conviction that God’s abundant love holds us. May God make us willing to be lost even for the sake of Christ. The future is completely uncertain — we don’t have a written rule book for successful churches or living in this day. No, all we have is the risen Christ.
WORSHIP ELEMENTS: MARCH 13, 2016 by Kate Cudlipp
Fifth Sunday in Lent
COLOR: Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8
THEME IDEAS
Lent confronts us with our propensity to hold onto old habits and self-serving beliefs. Today’s scriptures call us to be willing to experience the sorrow of loss, as we leave behind familiar, comfortable lives to join Jesus on the arduous path to new, joyful life in God.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Isaiah 43, Psalm 126, John 12)
The days ahead are dark and full of foreboding.
We watch as Jesus journeys to the cross.
There is no way to change what is to come.
Yet death has not the final word.
Let us bear witness to God’s new life
moving within and among us.
God is doing a new thing.
Let us rejoice and give thanks!
Opening Prayer (John 12)
Holy Sustainer,
you were ever in and with Jesus
on his journey to Jerusalem,
guiding his choices
and strengthening his courage
each step of the way.
As your beloved children,
be with us and strengthen us on our journeys.
Through our time of worship
and our companionship with one another,
teach us to recognize Christ
in everyone we meet.
Help us offer holy hospitality wherever it is needed,
and free us from our fears of scarcity,
that we may share from our abundance
and be a blessing for others. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 43, Psalm 126, Philippians 3)
Holy Source of New Life,
you promise to set us free
from paths of fear, doubt, and denial.
Yet we resist your invitation,
seeing only what we must give up
if we are to follow the path of Jesus.
You call us to have faith
in your sustaining presence and power,
but your call takes us beyond
anything we can see or touch.
We fear placing our trust
in things beyond our control.
We doubt that you can bring water
to the dry places of our lives
or replace our suffering with joy.
Forgive us when we turn away
from your promise of abundant life.
Heal us and lead us home, Holy One. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Philippians 3)
Whenever we seek to leave behind our old ways
and turn to God for help,
God forgives our faithlessness
and strengthens us for the journey ahead.
We are the heirs of God’s promises.
We are the children of God’s compassion and mercy.
Passing the Peace of Christ
As we resolve to follow the path that Jesus walked, let us offer one another the sustaining power of Christ’s peace. The peace of Christ be with you, always.
And also with you.
Response to the Word (Psalm 126, Philippians 3)
Eternal Source of Truth,
free us from the claims of false gods
and show us the way to lasting joy.
We know the way will not be easy,
but your word sustains us.
May your good news take root within us,
that our lives might bear witness
to the triumph of love over fear,
and life over death. Amen.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Offering Prayer (Psalm 126, John 12)
Faithful Giver of Life,
you have done great things for us.
In the life and teaching of your Son Jesus,
you welcome us into your heart.
Help us open our hearts to others,
that we may be ever more willing
to offer our hospitality, our support,
and our material resources
wherever they are needed.
Bless these offerings in your holy name. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Isaiah 43, Psalm 126, Philippians 3)
We leave this gathering,
knowing that Christ Jesus
has made us his own.
Take the fruits of our worship into the world,
bringing joy to those who weep,
welcome to the outcast,
and comfort to those who grieve.
God is doing a new thing.
Thanks be to God.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Isaiah 43, Psalm 126, Philippians 3)
Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem.
We watch in sorrow.
God promises, “I am about to do a new thing.”
We wait in hope.
God is faithful.
Our tears will turn to shouts of joy.
Praise Sentences (Philippians 3)
Christ Jesus has made us his own!
Thanks be to God!
From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2016 is now available.
Fifth Sunday in Lent
COLOR: Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8
THEME IDEAS
Lent confronts us with our propensity to hold onto old habits and self-serving beliefs. Today’s scriptures call us to be willing to experience the sorrow of loss, as we leave behind familiar, comfortable lives to join Jesus on the arduous path to new, joyful life in God.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Isaiah 43, Psalm 126, John 12)
The days ahead are dark and full of foreboding.
We watch as Jesus journeys to the cross.
There is no way to change what is to come.
Yet death has not the final word.
Let us bear witness to God’s new life
moving within and among us.
God is doing a new thing.
Let us rejoice and give thanks!
Opening Prayer (John 12)
Holy Sustainer,
you were ever in and with Jesus
on his journey to Jerusalem,
guiding his choices
and strengthening his courage
each step of the way.
As your beloved children,
be with us and strengthen us on our journeys.
Through our time of worship
and our companionship with one another,
teach us to recognize Christ
in everyone we meet.
Help us offer holy hospitality wherever it is needed,
and free us from our fears of scarcity,
that we may share from our abundance
and be a blessing for others. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 43, Psalm 126, Philippians 3)
Holy Source of New Life,
you promise to set us free
from paths of fear, doubt, and denial.
Yet we resist your invitation,
seeing only what we must give up
if we are to follow the path of Jesus.
You call us to have faith
in your sustaining presence and power,
but your call takes us beyond
anything we can see or touch.
We fear placing our trust
in things beyond our control.
We doubt that you can bring water
to the dry places of our lives
or replace our suffering with joy.
Forgive us when we turn away
from your promise of abundant life.
Heal us and lead us home, Holy One. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Philippians 3)
Whenever we seek to leave behind our old ways
and turn to God for help,
God forgives our faithlessness
and strengthens us for the journey ahead.
We are the heirs of God’s promises.
We are the children of God’s compassion and mercy.
Passing the Peace of Christ
As we resolve to follow the path that Jesus walked, let us offer one another the sustaining power of Christ’s peace. The peace of Christ be with you, always.
And also with you.
Response to the Word (Psalm 126, Philippians 3)
Eternal Source of Truth,
free us from the claims of false gods
and show us the way to lasting joy.
We know the way will not be easy,
but your word sustains us.
May your good news take root within us,
that our lives might bear witness
to the triumph of love over fear,
and life over death. Amen.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Offering Prayer (Psalm 126, John 12)
Faithful Giver of Life,
you have done great things for us.
In the life and teaching of your Son Jesus,
you welcome us into your heart.
Help us open our hearts to others,
that we may be ever more willing
to offer our hospitality, our support,
and our material resources
wherever they are needed.
Bless these offerings in your holy name. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Isaiah 43, Psalm 126, Philippians 3)
We leave this gathering,
knowing that Christ Jesus
has made us his own.
Take the fruits of our worship into the world,
bringing joy to those who weep,
welcome to the outcast,
and comfort to those who grieve.
God is doing a new thing.
Thanks be to God.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Isaiah 43, Psalm 126, Philippians 3)
Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem.
We watch in sorrow.
God promises, “I am about to do a new thing.”
We wait in hope.
God is faithful.
Our tears will turn to shouts of joy.
Praise Sentences (Philippians 3)
Christ Jesus has made us his own!
Thanks be to God!
From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2016 is now available.
WORSHIP CONNECTION: MARCH 13, 2016 by Nancy C. Townley
Fifth Sunday in Lent
COLOR: Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1
L: Break open our hearts this morning to hear your word, O God.
P: Let our fears be vanquished, our spirits restored!
L: Come and let us worship with great joy!
P: Let us drop the things of the past which weighed us down!
L: God is about to do something new in our lives!
P: Let God’s will become strong in our lives. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2
L: Spring is about to break forth!
P: In all the land, new life is happening!
L: Feel the wonder and power of God’s creative energy
P: Feel the awe and joy of God’s love for us.
L: Let us worship God with a full sense of joy and expectation.
P: Let us open our hearts, our spirits, our souls, to God’s lavish love. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3
[Using the UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL, p. 394, “Something Beautiful” offer the following call to worship as directed]
L: Come to Jesus this day. Bring with you all the pain that you feel.
P: Lord, bring to us healing and hope
L: Come to Jesus this day. Bring with you your confusion and doubts.
P: Lord, bring to us restoration and renewal of life
L: Come to Jesus this day and he will make something beautiful happen in your life.
CONGREGATION: singing “Something Beautiful” through 2 times.
Call to Worship #4
L: When all we have hoped for and trusted in has let us down;
P: There is Christ who reaches out to us.
L: When the world seems dark and despairs threatens to close in upon us;
P: There is Christ, reaching out for us.
L: Come and let us worship the Lord who is always ready to reach out to us.
P: We humbly come before the Lord in hope and faith. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
We come into your presence, O Lord, with so many burdens and concerns on our hearts. Help us to be open to your words of healing and restoration. Bring us closer to you. Enable us to discern your will for us that we may serve you more faithfully by serving others in need. In Christ’s name, we pray. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
Patient Lord, we find it easy to blame others and other circumstances for the things which happen in our lives. We hear the words “if only” and wonder why things didn’t happen differently for us. Too often we want you to be a “magic” presence which will, with the wave of a wand, cure our ills, give us success and happiness; but we don’t necessarily want to take responsibility for our attitudes and actions. Life is. Things happen which we didn’t plan for and events swirl around us over which we have no control. But to place blame and not to find ways in which we can work through the situations is detrimental to everyone, especially ourselves. Forgive us when we are so busy placing blame that we don’t recognize your presence and love for us. Free us from placing our own desires first and foremost. Help us to look at the many ways in which you are working in the world for peace and justice, and enable us to be part of that ministry. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Let go of your fears. God has forgiven you and offered to you God’s healing love. Accept this free gift, for it is given for you through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
Lord God, how extravagant your love for us is! You continually pour upon us blessing upon blessing - in the lives of people near and dear to us, in the beauty of creation, in the skills and abilities you have given to us. There is so much for which we are thankful. Yet in the midst of this thankfulness, there lurks the demons of demand and confusion. We want you to be in control of taking care of all the things that threaten us. We want you to prevent us from facing times of confusion and doubt. Actually, we want to have a more complete faith. Like Judas, who misunderstood Jesus’ intention, we wonder about the anointing of Jesus - about the perceived waste of materials. How hard it is for us to see that we need to take some time to honor and praise Christ instead of continually asking for Christ to do things for us. We have a lot to learn. Lord, teach us! Open our hard hearts to the healing words you have for us. Give us patience and persistence in our service to you. And when we stumble and thrash around faithlessly, bring us back to your presence; that we may find healing and hope. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.
Litany/Reading
[This is a skit - more like readers’ theater. It needs to be rehearsed. Reader 1 is Judas. He thinks he understand what Jesus is all about. Reader 2 could be anyone who is really trying to understand what happened when Jesus was anointed with the costly oil. Don’t over-play this, but read it carefully. The final line is the final line - don’t change it.]
Reader 1: I knew it. I just knew it. All that oil, gone to waste. He keeps preaching about helping others, but he let it happen. What is his problem? Why doesn’t he practice what he preaches?
Reader 2: Look, what’s done is done. Don’t get so upset about it. You know this has been a difficult time for him, for all of us. So a little oil got used to soothe his feet….is that such a crime?
Reader 1: You don’t get it, do you! We have so much work to do. We could have taken that oil, sold it and used the money to help others.
Reader 2: Yes. But maybe right how there is something more important than that. Maybe we should turn around and offer some comfort to Him for all he has done for us. We will always be able to find ways to help others - and there will always be others who will need our help.
Reader 1: You are hopeless. You just cave in to anything He says.
Reader 2: I prefer not to think of it as “caving in” but rather as really beginning to listen to him and to understand what he is all about. We do need to take of others and of each other. The poor we will always have with us. But we don’t know how long we will have Him with us. He spoke of his burial. He seems to know something we don’t. We just need to trust him and pay better attention.
Reader 1: You’ll never get rich with that attitude.
Benediction
Go in peace and may God’s peace go with you. Bring hope and healing to all whom you meet. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
Note: I recommend putting a brief paragraph describing or explaining the symbolism used in your visual display in the worship bulletin. This a good teaching tool for the congregation.
The traditional color for this Sunday is PURPLE.
The theme for Lent is JOURNEY INWARD/JOURNEY FORWARD. The idea is that discipleship is a journey that is first lived inward, introspectively, reality-check, and then lived forward in service. The worship center will remain covered with the base cloth of burlap or other neutral rough material. Each week something will be added to the worship center and perhaps other things removed, until all are placed at the foot of the cross. I recommend that you have someone construct an “old, rugged Cross”, about 6-7 feet tall, on a free standing base. This cross will be used during Holy Week, but you want to plan far enough ahead to have it ready.
Today‘s gospel lesson is rather disconcerting in the light of journey, but look carefully at what is happening in the Scripture. Like so many of us, Judas has misunderstood what is going on - the only thing he can see is “the bottom line“. It‘s time to pay attention to Jesus. The symbol on the worship center today is a fancy jar of ointment or cream, and also a small pouch with money spilling from it. This represents the gift of sacrifice and love by Mary, and by us all.
Note: you may have left all the other elements on the worship center during this Lenten journey - make sure that there is enough space around each element that they do not appear crowded. If you have a smaller worship center, use only the elements for the day.
SURFACE: Place several risers on the worship center. The tallest riser, approximately 1 foot above the main level of the worship center, should be placed to the upper left as you are facing the worship center. The other risers, about 4-6” high, may be placed, one at the center and the other slightly to the right of the middle one.
FABRIC: Cover the worship center in burlap or other neutral colored, rough fabric. Beneath the jar of ointment, place a 15” square of cloth, in purple or lavender, representing sacrifice and royalty, honoring Christ.
CANDLES: On the middle riser, place a white pillar candle, about 10” high, representing Christ. Place a small candle by the jar of ointment.
FLOWERS/PLANTS: No plants or flowers on the worship center.
ROCKS/WOOD: Some rocks and wood may be placed on the center and at the base of the worship center.
OTHER: No cross on the worship center at this time. Place a jar of ointment on the lavender/purple cloth and have a small money pouch with coins spilling out of it visible to the congregation.
Fifth Sunday in Lent
COLOR: Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1
L: Break open our hearts this morning to hear your word, O God.
P: Let our fears be vanquished, our spirits restored!
L: Come and let us worship with great joy!
P: Let us drop the things of the past which weighed us down!
L: God is about to do something new in our lives!
P: Let God’s will become strong in our lives. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2
L: Spring is about to break forth!
P: In all the land, new life is happening!
L: Feel the wonder and power of God’s creative energy
P: Feel the awe and joy of God’s love for us.
L: Let us worship God with a full sense of joy and expectation.
P: Let us open our hearts, our spirits, our souls, to God’s lavish love. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3
[Using the UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL, p. 394, “Something Beautiful” offer the following call to worship as directed]
L: Come to Jesus this day. Bring with you all the pain that you feel.
P: Lord, bring to us healing and hope
L: Come to Jesus this day. Bring with you your confusion and doubts.
P: Lord, bring to us restoration and renewal of life
L: Come to Jesus this day and he will make something beautiful happen in your life.
CONGREGATION: singing “Something Beautiful” through 2 times.
Call to Worship #4
L: When all we have hoped for and trusted in has let us down;
P: There is Christ who reaches out to us.
L: When the world seems dark and despairs threatens to close in upon us;
P: There is Christ, reaching out for us.
L: Come and let us worship the Lord who is always ready to reach out to us.
P: We humbly come before the Lord in hope and faith. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
We come into your presence, O Lord, with so many burdens and concerns on our hearts. Help us to be open to your words of healing and restoration. Bring us closer to you. Enable us to discern your will for us that we may serve you more faithfully by serving others in need. In Christ’s name, we pray. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
Patient Lord, we find it easy to blame others and other circumstances for the things which happen in our lives. We hear the words “if only” and wonder why things didn’t happen differently for us. Too often we want you to be a “magic” presence which will, with the wave of a wand, cure our ills, give us success and happiness; but we don’t necessarily want to take responsibility for our attitudes and actions. Life is. Things happen which we didn’t plan for and events swirl around us over which we have no control. But to place blame and not to find ways in which we can work through the situations is detrimental to everyone, especially ourselves. Forgive us when we are so busy placing blame that we don’t recognize your presence and love for us. Free us from placing our own desires first and foremost. Help us to look at the many ways in which you are working in the world for peace and justice, and enable us to be part of that ministry. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Let go of your fears. God has forgiven you and offered to you God’s healing love. Accept this free gift, for it is given for you through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
Lord God, how extravagant your love for us is! You continually pour upon us blessing upon blessing - in the lives of people near and dear to us, in the beauty of creation, in the skills and abilities you have given to us. There is so much for which we are thankful. Yet in the midst of this thankfulness, there lurks the demons of demand and confusion. We want you to be in control of taking care of all the things that threaten us. We want you to prevent us from facing times of confusion and doubt. Actually, we want to have a more complete faith. Like Judas, who misunderstood Jesus’ intention, we wonder about the anointing of Jesus - about the perceived waste of materials. How hard it is for us to see that we need to take some time to honor and praise Christ instead of continually asking for Christ to do things for us. We have a lot to learn. Lord, teach us! Open our hard hearts to the healing words you have for us. Give us patience and persistence in our service to you. And when we stumble and thrash around faithlessly, bring us back to your presence; that we may find healing and hope. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.
Litany/Reading
[This is a skit - more like readers’ theater. It needs to be rehearsed. Reader 1 is Judas. He thinks he understand what Jesus is all about. Reader 2 could be anyone who is really trying to understand what happened when Jesus was anointed with the costly oil. Don’t over-play this, but read it carefully. The final line is the final line - don’t change it.]
Reader 1: I knew it. I just knew it. All that oil, gone to waste. He keeps preaching about helping others, but he let it happen. What is his problem? Why doesn’t he practice what he preaches?
Reader 2: Look, what’s done is done. Don’t get so upset about it. You know this has been a difficult time for him, for all of us. So a little oil got used to soothe his feet….is that such a crime?
Reader 1: You don’t get it, do you! We have so much work to do. We could have taken that oil, sold it and used the money to help others.
Reader 2: Yes. But maybe right how there is something more important than that. Maybe we should turn around and offer some comfort to Him for all he has done for us. We will always be able to find ways to help others - and there will always be others who will need our help.
Reader 1: You are hopeless. You just cave in to anything He says.
Reader 2: I prefer not to think of it as “caving in” but rather as really beginning to listen to him and to understand what he is all about. We do need to take of others and of each other. The poor we will always have with us. But we don’t know how long we will have Him with us. He spoke of his burial. He seems to know something we don’t. We just need to trust him and pay better attention.
Reader 1: You’ll never get rich with that attitude.
Benediction
Go in peace and may God’s peace go with you. Bring hope and healing to all whom you meet. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
Note: I recommend putting a brief paragraph describing or explaining the symbolism used in your visual display in the worship bulletin. This a good teaching tool for the congregation.
The traditional color for this Sunday is PURPLE.
The theme for Lent is JOURNEY INWARD/JOURNEY FORWARD. The idea is that discipleship is a journey that is first lived inward, introspectively, reality-check, and then lived forward in service. The worship center will remain covered with the base cloth of burlap or other neutral rough material. Each week something will be added to the worship center and perhaps other things removed, until all are placed at the foot of the cross. I recommend that you have someone construct an “old, rugged Cross”, about 6-7 feet tall, on a free standing base. This cross will be used during Holy Week, but you want to plan far enough ahead to have it ready.
Today‘s gospel lesson is rather disconcerting in the light of journey, but look carefully at what is happening in the Scripture. Like so many of us, Judas has misunderstood what is going on - the only thing he can see is “the bottom line“. It‘s time to pay attention to Jesus. The symbol on the worship center today is a fancy jar of ointment or cream, and also a small pouch with money spilling from it. This represents the gift of sacrifice and love by Mary, and by us all.
Note: you may have left all the other elements on the worship center during this Lenten journey - make sure that there is enough space around each element that they do not appear crowded. If you have a smaller worship center, use only the elements for the day.
SURFACE: Place several risers on the worship center. The tallest riser, approximately 1 foot above the main level of the worship center, should be placed to the upper left as you are facing the worship center. The other risers, about 4-6” high, may be placed, one at the center and the other slightly to the right of the middle one.
FABRIC: Cover the worship center in burlap or other neutral colored, rough fabric. Beneath the jar of ointment, place a 15” square of cloth, in purple or lavender, representing sacrifice and royalty, honoring Christ.
CANDLES: On the middle riser, place a white pillar candle, about 10” high, representing Christ. Place a small candle by the jar of ointment.
FLOWERS/PLANTS: No plants or flowers on the worship center.
ROCKS/WOOD: Some rocks and wood may be placed on the center and at the base of the worship center.
OTHER: No cross on the worship center at this time. Place a jar of ointment on the lavender/purple cloth and have a small money pouch with coins spilling out of it visible to the congregation.
WORSHIP FOR KIDS: MARCH 13, 2016 by Carolyn C. Brown
GETTING ON WITH THE FUTURE
ISAIAH 43:16-21
The young recruit to the monastic order was warned of its severity, strictness, and vow of silence. At the end of ten years he was allowed to speak two words. To his confessor he said, "Food bad." Criticism accepted. At the end of the second ten years, again he lamented, "Bed hard." Accepted without comment. At the conclusion of the third ten-year period, the monk emphatically stated, "I quit." To which the abbot replied, "Good! You have done nothing but complain since you've been here."
A 1990's hit of the rock group, the Eagles, says, "Get over it!" Others may have replied to the monk, "Get on with it!"
How do we do that? How can we get over the past and get on with the future, particularly as we look forward to the wonderful climax of this Lenten season?
I. Don't Dwell on the Past
Isaiah tells the children of Israel to "forget the former things; do not dwell on the past" (Isa. 43:18 NIV). He did not say that the past was bad. In fact, there was much good—the deliverance of the Exodus, the Davidic Kingship, and Temple worship. He did not say that memory was unimportant. In fact, there is nothing more tragic than the loss of memory, whether it be personal memory loss or the inability to recall one's spiritual or national traditions. But to overly dwell on the past can be painful, even destructive.
When Miss Havisham in Dickens's Great Expectations was left at the altar, the clock stopped and her life stalled as cobwebs decorated the wedding cake. Isaiah would agree with Paul when he said, "Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead" ( Phil. 3:13 b). Get on with it!
II. Be Open to the God of Change and Surprise
Israel had to adjust to their God whose other name was "Surprise." God wasn't doing his "new thing" (v. 19) the old way through leaders such as Moses and David. Surprise! He was working his will through the heathen Persian King Cyrus! Deliverance from Babylon and return to Jerusalem will be partially facilitated through a non-Jewish agent! God's other name was "Surprise!"
It is important then that we not try to restrict God to the ways he has worked in the past but try to be open to the new ways he may be working in the present and future. Great coaches like Knute Rockne, Bob Neyland, and Paul Bryant were great in their eras, but would lose today unless they changed with the times. We have to learn to cope with the tension and insecurity of newness. It can cost a lot to say "yes" to God, but it will cost even more to say "no"!
III. Trust the God of the Process
We may not always be able to trust the process, but we always can trust the God of the process—the God who leads his children. Israel eventually learned that God always honors his Word (vv. 16, 19-20). Deliverance and restoration would be better than they imagined. Jerusalem would be rebuilt, the Temple would be restored, and the Messiah would come.
Lenten preparation is made richer by an abiding trust that God is going to use the process for his glory and our growth. John Claypool tells us that as the Christmas pageant neared for the nursery school, the anticipation for the little boy was not so much for the program but for the present he was to give his father. When the day finally arrived, the boy ran down the hall to give his father the ashtray he had made. But he tripped and fell, and the ashtray was broken.
The little boy stared in disbelief and began to cry uncontrollably. "Oh, that's all right," his father said, trying to comfort him. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter at all!" The mother, more wise in her way, said, "But it does matter. It matters a great deal." She then sat on the floor and cradled the little boy in her arms as they wept together.
After a few minutes when the sobbing ceased, the wise mother said, "Now, let's pick up the pieces and see what we can make with what's left."
It's called "getting on with the future." (Gary L. Carver)
BEFORE, AFTER, AND FOREVER
PHILIPPIANS 3:4b-14
Many people have a confused idea about how people become Christian. Some think they are Christian because they live in a "Christian country." Others think they are Christian because they were born into a "Christian family." Such people are not the first to think their relationship with God is based on birth, nationality, or even good works. The apostle Paul gives us a "before and after" comparison of the things upon which he based his relationship with God.
I. Before We Know Christ
Paul was born into a very religious family. He was born into the tribe of Benjamin, Jacob's beloved youngest son. When other Jewish people gave up their language and culture, conforming to the Roman and Greek influences, Paul's family remained faithful as "Hebrews among Hebrews." When he grew up, Paul became a Pharisee—a zealous advocate of the Jewish religion. He kept the Law, and persecuted those who attempted to change the traditional Hebrew religion. Paul was confident, if God would accept anybody based on birth, nationality, or actions, he would have God's approval.
I have talked to people today who likewise think because they were born into Christian families that they have God's ultimate approval. I was born into such a family of churchgoers. We attended weekly services, and evening services. Every Sunday in worship the congregation recited the Apostles' Creed. I can still remember the first Sunday when I said the creed along with the congregation without having to follow along with a printed copy. No one told me simply memorizing the creed would make me a Christian, but I believed I was. Quoting a creed no more makes you a Christian than counting to ten in Spanish makes you a Mexican! Other people I have known likewise have pointed back to something they did to become a Christian.
But Paul says everything he did he counts as "rubbish." People are not born into the Kingdom, and they do not earn their way into the Kingdom.
II. After We Know Christ
Paul wanted to know Jesus; he did not want to simply know about Jesus. Creeds and doctrines may be true and important as they tell us about Jesus, but they are not substitutes for having a personal relationship with Jesus.
Our first personal knowledge of Jesus is when the risen Jesus touches our heart and reveals himself to us personally. Were he not risen, this could not happen. Until it happens, our knowledge of him is only secondhand.
To know the "fellowship of his sufferings" is to know he took our sufferings, our punishment for our sins. We must share in his suffering and, as Paul said, be crucified with Christ. He took my cross as his, now I take his cross as mine.
III. Knowing Christ Forever
Paul now looks forward to his own resurrection from the dead. He looks forward to the day he will stand before God, not clothed in the righteousness he thought he had earned by keeping the Law and serving God, but clothed instead in the righteousness Jesus gave him.
The same future is available to us as it was to Paul by faith. By faith we invite the risen Jesus into our hearts. By faith we trust he has taken the penalty for our sins. By faith we share in his suffering when we confess the suffering our sins caused him. By faith count everything we have done, good, bad, or indifferent, a total loss. By faith we turn to Jesus, wanting to know him alone.
Have you trusted Jesus by faith? Or like Paul's "before" picture, do you place your confidence in yourself? (Bill Groover)
SITTING DOWN TO EAT WITH DIRTY HANDS
JOHN 12:1-8
The anointing at Bethany is one of many examples that reveal that those closest to Jesus had no idea what he was talking about. Mary's act of kindness and Judas's indignation were not informed by the sacrificial and salvific symbolism of the anointing.
Though ultimately proved to be unprincipled, Judas presents himself as morally superior to everyone else at the dinner party. Essentially, he accuses them of sitting down to eat with dirty hands.
There are people in this world who try to make us feel dirty. They show up in churches every now and then. Controlling cliques. The "nobody knows Jesus like I know Jesus" neo-Gnostics, the "Let me tell you about so-and-so to help you know how much better I am" holier-than-thou types.
I. Everybody's Dirty
The truth is we're all dirty (Rom. 3:23) . Everybody comes to the table with dirty hands. We're all sinners. Nobody's perfect. That's why God came in Jesus. We need Someone to save us from the damning consequences of our behavior. We need Someone to give us what we can never earn—the right to be a part of God's existential and eternal family. We need Jesus!
II. Everybody's Invited
One of my favorite stories is about the man who is greeted at the pearly gates by Saint Peter. Before letting the man in, Peter asks, "What's the password?"
Stunned but eager, the man guesses, John 3:16. "
"Good try," Peter says, "but that's not it."
"OK," the man guesses again. "How about John 11:25-26?"
"Good try," Peter says again, "but wrong."
After several more unsuccessful attempts, the man finally blurts out in frustration, "I give up!"
"That's it!" Peter announces.
Everybody comes to the table with dirty hands. The good news is we are invited to sit down and eat with the Host through faith.
We could say that his blood washes the dirt from us. (Robert R. Kopp)
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"How to ruin a team ministry | Church buildings | Evangelicals & Donald Trump" Ministry Matters Preach. Teach. Worship. Reach. and Lead. for Friday, 4 March 2016
"Maybe church buildings aren't as big a deal as we thought" by Joseph Yoo
Wikimedia Commons/Anthony92931 CC 3.0
Those of us who have attended church seemingly forever sometimes feel that the church building is the best tool for evangelism. When we’re confronted with (or we finally recognize/accept) declining worship attendance and overall involvement at our lovely church, panic sets in. We need to dosomething.
And churches usually seem to move toward the path of least resistance. We decide what we think we should do and pour more energy and resources into building maintenance and/or upgrades.
The theory is that an update to the building will bring curious onlookers to the campus.
The building often becomes the focus of evangelism because it’s the easiest thing to change. And almost everyone usually agrees that a church building could benefit from a facelift or two.
It perpetuates the idea of changing without really changing.
It’s the easiest path because all it really requires is throwing money at the problem. I’m not suggesting that it’s easy funding a building project but diagnosing issues with the building is easier than than pointing out problems with the church’s ministries that may have led to the decline in attendance.
Someone once told me, “If you have a problem you can solve by throwing money at it, you don’t have a very interesting problem.”
Just upgrading your campus won’t bring people to church when they have little to no interest in coming to church in the first place.
My wife loves the craft store Michaels. She can spend hours, and I mean hours, at Michaels.
I absolutely despise that store. Even more because I get no cell reception/data there AND they have free wi-fi but it never works.
It motivates me to be a good Christian because I feel that’s what my hell would be like: an eternity in Michaels with no wi-fi. It already feels like eternity when I’m there with my wife.
When we first moved here, I drove by that Michaels dozens of times and never noticed it because I have no interest in that store. I can tell you, however, where the Apple Store, Best Buy and every Starbucks in Santa Barbara are.
Michaels could go through a facelift. They could change their storefront. They could change their store sign. They could paint their store a different color. They could guarantee that their wi-fi works or they could make everything in the store free. They could even change their name to “Mike’s” and have their slogan mimic the great Gatorade ad: I wanna be like Mike. I still wouldn’t go to “Mike’s” because I’m not into crafting or crafty things.
The only reason I would find myself in Michaels is if my wifethreatened gently invited me to go with her.
I’m not suggesting that non-churchgoing folks have quite the adverse reaction to church that I do to Michaels. What I’m trying to say is that, perhaps, the only people who will notice the changes to your building and campus are your church members. People who have little to no interest in going to church to begin with probably wouldn’t notice if your building disappeared altogether.
But you know what your non-churchgoing friends might have an interest in? You. Think of all the places you’ve gone because you were invited.
The most effective way to get folks to your church is for you to invite them to come with you. A church planter told me that “80% of newcomers come on the elbow of someone else” meaning they were invited. But that takes effort and risk. You may be turned down. You may be scoffed at. You may have to do some work.
Having a great building is important for increasing the quality of overall church life. But putting ourselves out there and inviting folks is what ensures that our buildings will continue to be used as instruments of God’s saving work for years to come.
Joseph Yoo is pastor of St. Mark United Methodist Church in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author of Practical Prayer and Encountering Grace. He blogs at JosephYoo.com.
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"How to ruin a team ministry in 5 easy steps" by A. Trevor Sutton
Bigstock/monkeybusinessimages
Practicing team ministry is like assembling Ikea furniture without the instructions. With both, there are many parts, each with a specific function, and no obvious clues for how everything fits together. And with both, you’re sometimes tempted to toss everything aside and quit in frustration. It is by God’s grace that bookshelves and ministry teams come together.
Whether in a congregation with many pastors, a church or school staff, or any other setting, ministering in partnership with others is a challenge. For it to work well, team ministry requires loyalty, patience, forgiveness and much, much more.
Building a thriving team ministry is difficult. But ruining a team ministry is easy. It is so easy, in fact, that it can be accomplished in just five simple steps. Follow these, and any team ministry is certain to implode.
Step 1. Have a large ego
If you want to destroy a team ministry, make sure that you always know best. Know, and make known, that your team members’ ideas are always at least slightly inferior to your own. Their sermons are less engaging than yours, and their work ethic -- well, let’s just say they could stand to work as hard as you do.
Egos destroy ministry teams. Keep the egos in check, and the ministry team can thrive. Easier said than done — reining in the ego requires daily contrition, unending humility and being honest before God and others about your own failures.
Step 2. Keep score
Once you have established that you are the best person on the team, begin keeping a running tally of others’ failures. Keep a list of grievances, including such offenses as unanswered emails, overlooked details and botched sermons. Use your imagination! The possibilities are endless.
Watching for the mistakes of others is cancerous for team ministry. Scripture describes this as “counting up wrongdoing” (1 Corinthians 13:5).
Obviously, accountability should be a given in team ministry; clear expectations, high standards and mutual responsibility are vital. But if all you look for is others’ mistakes, then that is all you will find.
Step 3. Speak only for yourself
Don’t speak on behalf of your ministry teammates. Always, always avoid using words like “we” or “our.”
For example, don’t say, “We are working on …” or, “Let me tell you about our …” or, “ Our team is focusing on …”
Instead, try to use singular pronouns as much as possible. Teams that are bound to collapse say things like, “He is trying to get everyone to …” or, “I don’t know anything about that -- it’s not my area” or, “She thinks that our leaders …”
The difference is in the pronouns. Team ministry lives and dies by first person plural pronouns.
Working together in a team ministry requires speaking for others. You must answer questions about your teammates’ areas of responsibility. You will have to defend your colleagues and their work. You may even have to promote their ideas over your own ideas.
Suggestions, questions and skepticism must be given privately; praise, support and enthusiasm must be given publicly.
Step 4. Stop praying for the team
If you’ve followed Steps 1-3, the hard work is over. The next step in destroying a team ministry is easy: stop praying.
This can take many shapes. Maybe you stop praying for God to give you humility, patience and love in your interactions with your team. Perhaps you stop praying for the others on your team. Or perhaps you stop praying with each other. The options for how to stop praying are endless, but the results are always the same — a dysfunctional team ministry.
Prayer makes or breaks team ministry. Coming before God, admitting your mutual failures and seeking Christ’s forgiveness will protect a team ministry from implosion. Paul was serious when he said to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Step 5. Lose trust
The coup de grâce for a battered team ministry is broken trust. A team may be able to survive inflated egos and petty score keeping. Partnerships might even endure long periods of ungenerous speech and prayerlessness. But broken trust spells the end of a team ministry.
Trust can be broken quickly. Lying and deceit, stealing and manipulation are certain to destroy it; such actions need happen only once. But trust can also be broken slowly. Minor breaches in trust -- fueled by the preceding four steps — can build up to toxic levels. A ministry team without trust is done. Over. Gone.
So if you want to destroy a team ministry, follow those five easy steps. But if you want to build a team ministry that thrives, then do everything possible to avoid them.
Keep your ego in check. Keep no record of wrongdoing. Speak kindly and publicly on behalf of your teammates. Pray for them. And work with integrity so as to build and preserve trust.
God uses many different teammates to proclaim the gospel. Imperfect, broken, sinful people are on God’s team and doing the work of ministry. God leads us with the humility of Christ Jesus, unending forgiveness, generous speech, constant prayer and unbroken trust.
God’s kingdom is built with imperfect, broken, sinful people. And God can build a great ministry team in and through you.
"The biblical mandate to fight rape" by David Person
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In 1944, Mrs. Recy Taylor was walking home from church with some friends in Abbeville, Ala., when she was abducted by Army Private Herbert Lovett and six other men. They took her to a secluded area in Abbeville and gang-raped her. After threatening her life, they left Mrs. Taylor in the woods to find her way back home.
Mrs. Taylor, who is still alive at about 96 years old, was 24 at the time. She was a wife and mother. But because she was a black woman in Jim Crow Alabama, she never had the benefit of seeing justice served to the white men who raped her.
"Wasn't nothing done about it," Taylor, now 91, told The Root in a 2011 interview. "The sheriff never even said he was sorry it happened. I think more people should know about it … but ain't nobody [in Abbeville] saying nothing."
Her rapists were never prosecuted. And it was 71 years before any state entity addressed this travesty by apologizing to Mrs. Taylor.
Sadly, the heinous, ruthlessness of rape is not a modern phenomenon, nor does it target only one race. Judges 19 tells the story of the gang-rape and murder of a woman that is so brutal, it would get an R-rating if Hollywood made it into a movie. To make sure that readers wouldn’t miss the point, verse 30 says this in the New King James Version: “No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day.”
And then it closes with this mandate for the children of Israel— and I would argue for those of us who claim to be the body of Christ today: “Consider it, confer, and speak up.”
Consider it — acknowledge the reality of these atrocities. Stop being deniers and excuse-makers. Stop ignoring troubling statistics such as these:
We who claim a belief in Christ today know better. So where we have devalued women, or allowed them to be devalued, we must repent. Where we have allowed a national culture of rape to go unchallenged, we must stop and begin to fight it.
Judges 19 spells out the evil and its solution. We have no excuse.
"Trump, evangelicals and the road ahead"
By David F. Watson
U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. Photo: Bigstock/andykatz
In 1934, at the age of 28, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a letter to a friend about an upcoming conference that would involve members of churches from several countries and denominations. In this letter, he wrote, “We must make it clear — fearful as it is — that the time is very near when we shall have to decide between National Socialism and Christianity. It may be fearfully hard and difficult for us all, but we must get right to the root of things, with open Christian speaking and no diplomacy. And in prayer together we will find the way.*” This was before the Holocaust began, before World War II began. But Bonhoeffer saw that one could not embrace the Christian faith and embrace the political tide of his nation that was so enamored with the Nazi party. The two simply were not compatible. On April 9th, 1944, he was executed for his part in the German resistance to the Nazi regime.
The necessity of such a distinction — between the values of our faith and the values embodied in large segments of the wider culture — is once again becoming apparent. It is alarming to see so many people in the United States embracing Donald Trump in his bid to become President of the United States. No, Trump is not Hitler, but he nevertheless embodies values that should cause serious concern among Christians.
One of the great ironies of Trump’s candidacy, however, is that so many of his supporters are evangelical Christians. While many evangelicals, as well of Christians of other stripes, oppose Trump, he doesn’t need all of us. He only needs enough to get elected. Christian support for Trump is essential for his success moving forward.
I myself identify as an evangelical, though this may not tell you much. The term evangelical has become rather diffuse over the last couple of decades. It can describe Christians as different as Franklin Graham and Jim Wallis. According to the National Association of Evangelicals, there are four primary characteristics of evangelicalism:
Nevertheless, a substantial number of evangelicals are backing Trump. Why would they do this? According to the New York Times,
“Social conservatives are taking a look at Trump and saying he’s not with me on all these issues, but the overall larger imperative for us is to tear down this system that has not served us for a very long time,” said Gregg Keller, a former executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, which was founded by the Christian conservative Ralph Reed.
Presumably, once we “tear down this system,” we will replace it with one friendlier to our own priorities. My fellow evangelicals, let me state this clearly: the “system” will never serve us, because the “system” is not of Christ. The “system” is a political machine beholden to special interests, lobbying groups, large corporations, financial contributors, and other entities, many of which are not the least bit concerned with anything remotely resembling Christian values. The idea that you can tear down the “system” and reshape it to serve you is, and always has been, a lie. It has been a lie since the time of Constantine. The “system” is about power, but Christ’s power is the power of the cross, and God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Christians must always stand outside the “system,” even when it is ostensibly Christian. As Christ taught us, “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.” Christians willing to compromise core tenets of the faith in order to bend the political process to their will may win in the short term, but it will be a pyrrhic victory. In the end, they will lose far more than they gain. “For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?” (Mark 8:36). It’s not worth it, Christians — not even close.
Many Christian leaders have been critical of Trump. Pope Francis stated, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.” Max Lucado has written that Trump does not pass the decency test. Evangelical attorney and activist John Stemberger has written a scathing critique of Trump for CNN. Trump seems unfazed by these remarks. He criticized the Pope’s remarks, saying that it is “disgraceful” to question another person’s faith. Consider, for a moment, the great irony of Trump — who has made public remarks belittling Hillary Clinton’s sex life, who called Arianna Huffington a “dog,” and who belittled John McCain’s service to his country in a Vietnamese prison camp — calling another person’s remarks “disgraceful.” Consider the additional irony of the fact that the person whose comments Trump criticized is Pope Francis, a man who has championed the cause of the poor and the politically disenfranchised. Trump has made his faith a matter of public record. It would be irresponsible for Christian leaders not to scrutinize the extent to which his actions are consistent with the faith he claims to hold.
I have a robust doctrine of sin, and therefore I don’t hold very high expectations of politicians. I’m not singling Trump out because of his unchristian behavior. I’m writing about him now because his behavior and proposed politics resemble nothing like Christianity and he is enjoying a substantial portion of the evangelical vote. I don’t expect Trump to act like a Christian, but I also don’t expect other Christians to support a candidate whose values are so antithetical to those of Christians across a broad theological spectrum.
Cultural Christianity has collapsed, and Christians do not enjoy the place of privilege we once did in the United States. It was only a matter of time before this happened, but now we have to make a choice. The time has come. We are going to have to choose between a false sense of national and cultural security and the values of Jesus. The xenophobic, privileged, narcissistic ethos that Trump embodies is antithetical to the values of Christ, who said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel,will save it” (Mark 8:34-35).”
I am not suggesting that Trump would usher in an era as tragic as the one Bonhoeffer foresaw. Nevertheless, America is not so exceptional that we are incapable of grievous sin as a nation. We have done it before, and we are capable of doing it again. There is much to love about the United States, and there is much for which we should repent. The curious phenomenon of Donald Trump’s candidacy makes it clear that Christians are now at a point where we are going to have to make a choice. Who will we follow? Will we follow Christ and rightly understand ourselves as a countercultural family of faith, or will we baptize an idol of crass materialism, place a crown on its head, and call it Jesus?
* Hauerwas, Performing the Faith, 60.
David F. Watson blogs at davidfwatson.me.
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"Advice for when you're leaving your church"
By Tom Fuerst
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As a pastor, I know there are people who come to my church from other churches and who leave my church to go to other churches. I understand that this happens, and in some cases, I understand why it happens — especially in a country with a church on every block. That said, on the rare occasion I get to meet with people who are leaving my church, I give them a few pieces of advice. I always assure them that their decision istheirs to make and that I will neither judge them nor try to convince them to do otherwise. However, I do give them a few of my thoughts to help them on their journey.
1. This should be one of the hardest thing you ever do.
I’m of the opinion that churches and organizations throw around family-language too frequently. We speak as if the church is a family, but we don’t function that way. We function as if church is a supermarket which we frequent depending on whether or not it offers the products we wish to consume.
However, if the church really is a family, as it should be, then leaving your church should be the hardest thing you ever have to do. It should, literally, be like leaving your biological family. There may be justifiable reasons for such a move, but it should not be easy to do it.
My wife always says, “When you’re leaving somewhere and it hurts, that meant you did it the right way.” What she means is, if you lived your life in a church, community or city the right way, there should be an aspect of leaving that should rend your soul. Even if your leaving is necessary, it should hurt.
If you can go from one church to another without pain, then you did not fully enter into the church you’re leaving. If this describes you, I suggest you look more closely at why you feel like leaving your current church. It’s not a supermarket; it should be more difficult to leave.
2. Consider your motivations
Your motivations, whether you feel pain at leaving or not, really are an important factor to consider. What is motivating your leaving? Has the pastor stopped preaching the gospel? Has the community stopped being there for one another? Or is there just another church in your town appealing more to your preferences for music, entertainment or tradition (or the lack thereof)?
Do not misunderstand me, I appreciate having my preferences met in church. Don’t we all? But I also don’t think preferences in themselves are a sufficient enough reason to leave your church. There are many people in my family who do not act in a way that I would prefer. They do things, say things, think things and assume things that annoy me to no end. But I don’t check out of my family simply because people don’t conform to my preferences.
Essentials, not preferences, are the only legitimate reason to leave a church. This is not to say you should have to endure going to church like it’s a family reunion. I hardly think church is something we should ever have to “endure.” And besides, you certainly want to have a church where you feel comfortable and safe inviting others. But just keep in mind that your personal preferences are not the highest value in a church community. They may be more or less important, depending on what they are, but they are not the highest value. If you combine a deep reflection on what constitutes “essential” and “preferential” with the emotional and spiritual connection assumed in point one, then you may see that leaving your church may not be the answer to your church problems.
Something that may help with this is, write down a list of 10 essentials — true essentials! — that you’re looking for in a church. Be sure to distinguish between essentials and preferences. Then ask yourself whether these essentials are manifest in your church. If not, and you decide to leave, keep these essentials in mind as you visit other churches.
3. Tell the leadership why you’re leaving
This can be scary, I know. And I understand that not everyone is going to take my track of promising non-judgment and non-coercion. But if you believe your pastor is a safe place, then I highly recommend you express to him/her why you’re leaving. If they are the safe place you think they are, they may have suggestions for other churches you can attend to meet your needs. They may even tell you of things in your own church community you didn’t know were options for meeting your needs.
If you’re leaving your church because there is something that has seriously compromised the church’s integrity, this is also a great reason you should communicate with the church’s leaders. If they’re not aware of the issue, you may be the first to tell them something is wrong. If they are aware of it, you may be the first to have the courage to confront it. Telling the truth in such a situation may be exactly what is needed. You don’t need to go out with a dramatic mic-drop, but you can find an appropriate time/setting in which to speak your reasons for leaving. If you feel you need another person with you, by all means bring someone along.
It’s also important for you, no matter the reason you’re leaving, to communicate effectively with your leaders because if you have been involved in the church’s ministries, they may need to find a replacement for you. Communicating your decision and the time-frame of your departure informs your leaders of how quickly they’ll need to act.
4. Don’t church-hop for long.
No one can survive for long without a family. Since church isn’t primarily about my preferences or desires, I need to contribute to and be encouraged by another Christian community.
Yes, absolutely, take enough time to make sure you find the right fit for your family — a place where your essentials are met and your gifts are needed. But take only the time necessary and no longer. Find somewhere, get plugged in, use your gifts, contribute to the family. That’s what you were made to do.
5. You will never find a perfect fit
You will never find a perfect fit because there is no perfect Christian community out there. And if you did find a perfect church out there, you would be sure to ruin it because you’re not perfect. The Christian community is not a community of perfection, it’s a community of saints who still struggle to fight sin and weakness. If you have an ideal church in mind, one where everyone is a Green Beret Christian, then you are going to be a huge problem for whatever church you choose to attend. No church can live up to that standard.
6. Think of your needs, but also think of the needs of others
Once you accept the simple truth that no church is perfect, then you are then free to use your gifts to fill up that which may be lacking in your new church community. Yes, of course, your family may have special needs. Those needs may be essentials that you have to consider. But once you’ve found a place where your needs can be met, start asking where your gifts and talents can be used to meet the needs of others.
Too many Christians never get involved in any meaningful way in their church communities. There may be seasons of life when this is appropriate, but it should never be a long-term reality for any Christian. The church is a body, according to Paul, and the body needs all its members to be involved for it to fulfill its God-given purpose. There may be other things to say to people who are leaving one church to go to another, but these are my standard pieces of advice. If you’re considering leaving your church, I hope you found these encouraging and helpful.
Your turn: What pieces of advice might you give to someone leaving their church or looking for another church to attend?
Tom Fuerst blogs at Tom1st.com. You can subscribe to his blog via email here.
"Fasting from unnecessary spending"
By Mike Slaughter
Bigstock/dolgachov
One of the Lenten practices I try to assume every year, no matter what other commitments I have made, is to fast from all unnecessary spending. Like so many others, I am not immune from the influenza strain known as affluenza
Hoarders, on the A&E network, is not a show I choose to watch regularly, but I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from the screen if I stumble upon it while channel surfing. I am both repulsed and fascinated by how some live who have slipped into the dark underbelly of where our consumer-driven passions can carry us. I would never live like that, I protest to myself, while mentally cataloging the mounds of baseball memorabilia (one of my main life passions in addition to Jesus) collecting dust in my basement and the plethora of leather jackets I no longer wear that crowd my closet space.
Yet daily I continue to peruse persuasive email offers for new coats from my favorite department store. Even my Mac’s web browser knows my tastes perfectly and helpfully displays just about every tasteful temptation I struggle to resist in the sidebar. I am a huge fan of every i-gadget that has ever been invented. Although I have never stood outside an Apple store for 48 hours in a line that stretches for blocks to purchase the newest release of the iPhone, I can understand why many people do. I am not immune by any means to the siren call of consumerism. I suspect I’m not the only one who confuses “wants” with needs on a regular basis.
Sometimes our “wants” are expansive and expensive, like an extravagantly oversized home or a luxuriously equipped SUV. In many cases however, our purchases may be as inexpensive as a fun, new ringtone. But, over time, they all add up.
A quick Google search will easily reveals lists of the top ways Americans waste money. Here are some that frequently appear on those lists.
Wasted energy
One source estimated that we collectively throw away $443 billion on avoidable energy costs. So unplugging energy vampires when not in use, turning off lights once in a while, and setting our thermostats at more reasonable ranges can add up.
Daily coffee trips
One survey indicated that American workers who regularly buy coffee out each week spend on average $1,092 annually. That’s $21 a week, or approximately four-to-five fancy coffee drinks.
Premium cable packages
If I think I can actually justify the exorbitant costs of premium packages against the quantity of my television viewing time, I am simply watching too much TV — end of discussion.
Unused gym memberships
When gyms set sales targets for their membership fees, they do so based on the expectation that only 18 percent of gym members will show up consistently to work out. That’s in part why it’s so much easier to find workout machines available in mid-February than in mid-January. The other 82 percent of gym members are no longer showing up.
ATM fees
When we use out-of-network ATM machines to withdraw cash, we typically pay between $3 to $4 per use. Planning ahead could eliminate this.
Unhealthy habits
Americans spend $117 billion on fast food each year, and $2.8 billion on Halloween candy, just to name a few of our bad-health habits. Other costly culprits include alcohol, tobacco and soda (or pop, as it’s known in my part of the country).
Unused gift cards
Approximately $2 billion worth of gift cards go unredeemed each year.
Credit-card interest
Collectively, Americans owe over $800 billion in credit-card debt. With credit-card interest rates averaging between 13 to 15 percent, and many are higher, you don’t actually have to do the math to know that the interest charges are astronomical.
Fighting affluenza each Lent reminds me of whose money I am spending. How easily we forget that God is the source and supplier of every dollar, talent, and piece of property that comes into our hands. This Lenten season, let’s remember we are the only bank account God has to change the world. Let’s restore God’s rightful ownership.
Mike Slaughter is the almost four-decade chief dreamer and lead pastor of Ginghamsburg Church and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. Mike’s call to "afflict the comfortable" challenges Christians to wrestle with God and their God-destinies. This blog is based on his newest book, The Christian Wallet: Spending, Giving, and Living with a Conscience .
"7 of the quickest ways to frustrate people on a team"
By Ron Edmondson
Bigstock / diego cervo
With every team or organization I have led there have been people who get frustrated with someone else on the team. In full disclosure, sometimes others have been frustrated with me.
Frustration is common in relationships. It happens within the healthiest of families — and the healthiest of teams. We certainly shouldn’t strive to frustrate others, but we shouldn’t be surprised when we do.
I have learned there are some actions which can frustrate people faster than others. This might be a good time to do some self-reflection. As you read these, don’t be quick to think of others — although certainly there will be some of this too — but consider your own actions when you (or I) may frustrate people on your team.
Here are seven of the quickest ways to frustrate another team member:
Promising to do something and not following through.
One of the quickest ways to frustrate people is to make a commitment and then not do what was promised. People are depending on each other on a team. When one person “drops the ball” — especially consistently — it impacts everyone. Scripture says it something like this: “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” It’s better to commit to less and complete it than to take on assignments and never see them to the end.
Saying one thing to one person and something different to another.
Healthy teams are built on trust. Trust is developed with time and consistency. No one likes a people-pleaser. This person is often popular for a time, but they lose favor as soon as they’re found out to be two-sided in their opinions.
Never being serious.
This is the person who embarrasses you by making awkward comments and including you in them like you are part of it. Teams should be fun, but this person makes everything a joke — and other people are often the brunt of them. They delay meetings with their constant antics. It can be funny for a while, but it wears thin quickly, as it begins to delay progress towards a goal.
Having an excuse for everything.
This is the person who can’t complete the task, but doesn’t want to admit fault, so they blame it on something else — or someone else. They refuse to ever admit fault. There is always a reason. They actually may become frustrated with you if you dare challenge one of their excuses. They expect you to just keep believing them.
Always having a trump story.
You know the type. You went on an exciting adventure — it was a great vacation — and the person who, often before you finish, has to share with you their vacation which was far better than yours. Or, what they accomplished at work is always far superior to what you accomplished. They can’t let anyone receive recognition grander than they receive.
Complaining consistently.
You may be just as frustrated with things at work as everyone else, but the one person who always complains sucks even the slightest joy from the room. They sow negativity into the team and try to bring everyone down to the pit of despair with them. They don’t like the vision, the plan of action, or those charged with leading them. They are naysayers. They overreact to everything and blow it out of proportion. These people weigh heavily on the morale of the team.
Only looking out for themselves.
This person really isn’t on the team, because the very definition of team involves shared progress towards a goal. They may be on the team by position, but in actions they are very much independent of others. They look out for themselves first. If they can take advantage of an opportunity — they will — even to the detriment of others.
Let’s build better teams!
Those are just some of the more frequent ones I’ve observed. Have you ever been frustrated by anyone on your team who does one of these? Have you been the cause of any of these frustrations?
What are other frustrations you’ve seen people bring to a team?
Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.
"Remembering Julia Wilke, co-author of Disciple Bible Study"
By Wini Grizzle
Julia Wilke
Hearts were deeply saddened on Friday, February 26, 2016, when the word came that Julia Wilke had departed this earth, as a result of complications during surgery.
Julia, wife of Bishop Richard Wilke, left an incredible legacy for her contribution to the development of theDisciple Bible Study program.
It was in March 1986, at Flower Mound Texas, that the United Methodist Publishing House brought together a group of persons from across the church to shape the vision of what is now offered as Disciple Bible Study. At that meeting, Bishop Wilke and Julia were asked to write the commentary for this new long-term pastor/laity-directed Bible study for developing Christian disciples.
Julia loved the Scripture and was a student of the Bible but not a biblical scholar. She made her indelible contribution to Disciple Bible Study by reading the text after it had been written by her husband, and determining if the words and phrases would resonate with lay readers. Her contribution allowed for the commentary on the most complicated of biblical subjects to be clear and understandable for everyone. She succeeded beyond measure in this role. Thirty years later, laity of all denominations and around the world continue to reap the benefits of her work.
Julia lived faithfully by the tenets of Christianity. She was a devoted wife, incredible mother and treasured friend. She will be greatly missed by family, friends and colleagues.
Funeral Services will be held in Winfield, Kansas, on Thursday, March 3, 2016.
"4 bold leadership moves Zumba can teach the church"
By Rebekah Simon-Peter
Photo courtesy Zumba Fitness
I’m a Zumba aficionado. I admit it. I love the rhythms, the music and the fun of these classes. Zumba, in case you don’t know, is a fitness class that draws on elements of Latin dance moves such as salsa, merengue and cumbia. It also involves a fair amount of of hip rolling and shoulder shaking.
At first, I was pretty self-conscious about moving my body in these ways. (Do I look ridiculous? Are they judging me? Does the teacher think I’m a jerk?) With practice I’ve gotten more comfortable and the moves have gotten a lot easier. I’ve stopped asking those self-conscious questions.
Song lyrics aside, there are some surprising similarities between Zumba and the church. In fact, I’d like to offer four bold leadership moves Zumba can teach the church.
Leadership move #1: Dance big
To get the most from a Zumba class means dancing big: moving freely, trying new things, striking out in directions you haven’t gone before. The bolder the moves the more calories you burn, the better the workout and the more fun you have. Dancing big requires letting go of two things: self-consciousness and wondering how you look. It means trusting the process.
Dancing big is not only essential to having fun with Zumba, it’s part of emulating the Lord of the Dance. Jesus took all sorts of risks and never once did he ask: How do I look? He trusted God, trusted his disciples and trusted the process.
Here’s the catch for us: The more institutionalized an organization is, the more pressure there is to play it safe. How old is your church or organization? 40 years? 100 years? 200 years? You’re probably going to come up against some resistance as you try new moves. But Jesus and his disciples did it. They took risks within the context of Judaism which was centuries old at the time. That they did so spoke to their very high levels of faith.
Leadership move #2: Lead with your feet
Zumba instructors give very little in the way of instruction. Instead, she (or he, but I’ve never see a male Zumba instructor) leads by example. She moves and the class follows suit. Believe me, it can take a while to catch on to the moves. The trick is to watch her feet. Once you’ve got the steps down you can add arm movements, then embellishments with hips and shoulders. While the students are catching on, the instructor needs to remain focused on executing the proper steps, encouraging others, and staying in rhythm. All while refraining from judgment.
Same thing in the church. While the church leader models the moves of discipleship, others are watching. But to wait for them to have the moves down first, without your modeling it over and over will be an exercise in disappointment. Jesus demonstrated his moves for his followers. For three whole years. They caught on. That’s how he could send them out two by two to to perform miracles and announce the Kingdom.
Leadership move #3: Set the tone
Zumba instructors sets the tone and intensity of the class. The more restrained and self-conscious she is, the more restrained and self-conscious the class is. The class rarely moves past her. In fact, there’s a certain amount of peer pressure to not be more expressive than the instructor. So if she remains timid, they will too. But if she is willing to freely express herself with big bold moves, the class follows suit. If she adds embellishments, they will too.
At every area of leadership in the church, followers look to their leaders to figure out the acceptable moves. That’s true from bishops all the way to the members of the Trustees.
Jesus set the tone and standard in his way of living, and in his teaching. His followers came to expect they too would challenge authority, be bold and look for the impossible to become possible.
So, if you micromanage, displaying hesitation and caution every step of the way, others will follow suit. Let’s say you shy away from conflict and avoid issues that need to be addressed; the people you lead will get the hint to do the same. If you refrain from talking about how giving is connected to your vision, don’t count on others making the connection.
One of the pressures of being a leader is setting aside your own level of comfort for the group’s greater good. Let’s say you dance big, lead with your feet and model new moves — your followers will try to keep up with you. That means you also need to assume responsibility if the bold moves don’t pan out. Or being the one who levels with people: “Look, this might not work. But we’ve got to give it our best shot. Because if it does work, it will launch us into the kingdom of God! That’s just the kind of risk that our faith asks us to take. And if it doesn’t work, God will be with us to help us try, try again.”
Leadership move #4: Relax and have fun
The best Zumba instructor is relaxed and enjoying the process. She leads the kind of classes where mistakes aren’t catalogued and bad moves aren’t noted. It’s the kind of place people want to return to. It’s easy to leave self-criticism and self-consciousness at the door.
Why do people prefer to be at soccer fields, Zumba classes or coffee shops instead of church? A denominational leader recently told me of visiting a farmer’s market on a Sunday morning. “Everyone was happy,” he marveled! “No one was scowling or throwing darts with their eyes like some of the churches I’ve been in.”
I have been to too many churches where it’s all doom and gloom. It’s as if celebration weren’t kosher. Answered prayers are never mentioned. Testimonials are never given. Joyous songs of trials overcome are never sung. Even visitors are viewed with suspicion. No good news there, no matter what the Gospels say. If you’re not enjoying your life of faith and discipleship, why do you think others would want to follow?
Mastering Zumba takes practice and lots of it. Effective church leadership too. But you can have a lot of fun and make a real difference along the way.
Still not convinced that you can make the bold moves necessary? A good place to start kicking up your heels is through the award-winning leadership program I developed called Creating a Culture of Renewal. You learn how to dance big, lead with your feet, set the tone for renewal all while being more relaxed and having more fun than before. You might still stumble a bit, maybe confuse salsa with merengue, but we help you learn the steps that make a true difference. When that happens, you’ll start seeing positive, life-changing results in both your leadership and your ministry. We love helping people find their leadership groove and dream like Jesus.
Rebekah Simon-Peter blogs at rebekahsimonpeter.com. She is the author of The Jew Named Jesus and Green Church.
"This Sunday March 6, 2016"
Fourth Sunday in Lent: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Joshua 5:9 Adonai said to Y’hoshua, “Today I have rolled off from you the stigma of Egypt.” This is why the place has been called Gilgal [rolling] ever since. 10 The people of Isra’el camped at Gilgal, and they observed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the month, there on the plains of Yericho. 11 The day after Pesach they ate what the land produced, matzah and roasted ears of grain that day. 12 The following day, after they had eaten food produced in the land, the man ended. From then on the people of Isra’el no longer had man; instead, that year, they ate the produce of the land of Kena‘an.
Psalm 32:(0) By David. A maskil:
(1) How blessed are those whose offense is forgiven,
those whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed those to whom Adonai imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no deceit!
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
because of my groaning all day long;
4 day and night your hand was heavy on me;
the sap in me dried up as in a summer drought. (Selah)
5 When I acknowledged my sin to you,
when I stopped concealing my guilt,
and said, “I will confess my offenses to Adonai”;
then you, you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah)
6 This is what everyone faithful should pray
at a time when you can be found.
Then, when the floodwaters are raging,
they will not reach to him.
7 You are a hiding-place for me,
you will keep me from distress;
you will surround me
with songs of deliverance. (Selah)
8 “I will instruct and teach you
in this way that you are to go;
I will give you counsel;
my eyes will be watching you.”
9 Don’t be like a horse or mule
that has no understanding,
that has to be curbed with bit and bridle,
or else it won’t come near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
but grace surrounds those who trust in Adonai.
11 Be glad in Adonai; rejoice, you righteous!
Shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
2 Corinthians 5:16 So from now on, we do not look at anyone from a worldly viewpoint. Even if we once regarded the Messiah from a worldly viewpoint, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation — the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new! 18 And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, 19 which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making his appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God! 21 God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness.”
Luke 15:1 The tax-collectors and sinners kept gathering around to hear Yeshua, 2 and the P’rushim and Torah-teachers kept grumbling. “This fellow,” they said, “welcomes sinners — he even eats with them!” 3 So he told them this parable:
11 Again Yeshua said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will be mine.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home and went off to a distant country, where he squandered his money in reckless living. 14 But after he had spent it all, a severe famine arose throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch.
15 “So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him any.
17 “At last he came to his senses and said, ‘Any number of my father’s hired workers have food to spare; and here I am, starving to death! 18 I’m going to get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 So he got up and started back to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son — ’ 22 but his father said to his slaves, ‘Quick, bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him; and put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let’s eat and have a celebration! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he’s alive again! He was lost, but now he has been found!’ And they began celebrating.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. As he came close to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked, ‘What’s going on?’ 27 The servant told him, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father has slaughtered the calf that was fattened up, because he has gotten him back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son became angry and refused to go inside.
“So his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 ‘Look,’ the son answered, ‘I have worked for you all these years, and I have never disobeyed your orders. But you have never even given me a young goat, so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 Yet this son of yours comes, who squandered your property with prostitutes, and for him you slaughter the fattened calf!’ 31 ‘Son, you are always with me,’ said the father, ‘and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has come back to life — he was lost but has been found.’”
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Joshua 5:9-12
Verse 9
[9] And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
The reproach of Egypt — That is, uncircumcision, was both in truth, and in the opinion of the Jews, a matter of great reproach, and although this was a reproach common to most nations of the world, yet it is particularly called the reproach of Egypt, either, 1. because the other neighbouring nations, being the children of Abraham by the concubines, are supposed to have been circumcised, which the Egyptians at this time were not, as may be gathered from Exodus 2:6, where they knew the child to be an Hebrew by this mark. Or 2. because they came out of Egypt, and were esteemed to be a sort of Egyptians, Numbers 22:5, which they justly thought a great reproach; but by their circumcision they were now distinguished from them, and manifested to be another people. Or 3. because many of them lay under this reproach in Egypt, having wickedly neglected this duty there for worldly reasons; and others of them continued in the same shameful condition for many years in the wilderness.
Gilgal — That is, rolling.
Verse 10
[10] And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
The passover — Which was their third passover: the first was in Egypt, Exodus 12:11-24, the second at mount Sinai, Numbers 9:1-5, the third here; for in their wilderness travels, these and all other sacrifices were neglected, Amos 5:25. While they were in the wilderness, they were denied the comfort of this ordinance, as a farther token of God's displeasure. But now God comforted them again, after the time that he had afflicted them.
Verse 11
[11] And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
Old corn — The corn of the last year, which the inhabitants of those parts had left in their barns, being fled into their strong cities, or other remoter parts.
The morrow — That is, on the sixteenth day; for the passover was killed between the two evenings of the fourteenth day, and was eaten in that evening or night, which, according to the Jewish computation, whereby they begin their days at the evening, was a part of the fifteenth day, all which was the feast of the passover; and so the morrow of the sixteenth day, was the morrow after the passover, when they were obliged to offer unto God the first sheaf, and then were allowed to eat of the rest.
Parched corn — Of that year's corn. which was most proper for that use.
Self-same day — Having an eager desire to enjoy the fruits of the land. And this corn came very seasonably; for after the passover, they were to keep the feast of unleavened bread, which they could not do, when they had nothing but manna to live upon.
Verse 12
[12] And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
The manna ceased — Which God now withheld, to shew that Manna was not an ordinary production of nature, but an extraordinary and special gift of God to supply their necessity. And because God would not be prodigal of his favours, by working miracles where ordinary means were sufficient.
The morrow — That is, on the seventeenth day.
Psalm 32
Verse 2
[2] Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Imputeth — Whom God doth not charge with the guilt of his sins, but graciously pardons and accepts him in Christ.
No guile — Who freely confesses all his sins, and turns from sin to God with all his heart.
Verse 3
[3] When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
Silence — From a full and open confession of my sins.
Old — My spirit failed, and the strength of my body decayed.
Roaring — Because of the continual horrors of my conscience, and sense of God's wrath.
Verse 4
[4] For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. /*Selah*/.
Hand — Thy afflicting hand.
My moisture — Was dried up.
Verse 5
[5] I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. /*Selah*/.
The iniquity — The guilt of my sin.
Verse 6
[6] For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
For this — Upon the encouragement of my example.
Found — In an acceptable and seasonable time, while God continues to offer grace and mercy.
Waters — In the time of great calamities.
Not come — So as to overwhelm him.
Verse 8
[8] I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
I will — This and the next verse seems to be the words of God, whom David brings in as returning this answer to his prayers.
Mine eye — So Christ did St. Peter, when he turned and looked upon him.
Verse 9
[9] Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Will not — Unless they be forced to it by a bit or bridle. And so all the ancient translators understand it.
Verse 10
[10] Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.
Sorrows — This is an argument to enforce the foregoing admonition.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Verse 16
[16] Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
So that we from this time — That we knew the love of Christ.
Know no one — Neither ourselves, nor you, neither the rest of the apostles, Galatians 2:6, nor any other person.
After the flesh — According to his former state, country, descent, nobility, riches, power, wisdom. We fear not the great. We regard not the rich or wise. We account not the least less than ourselves. We consider all, only in order to save all. Who is he that thus knows no one after the flesh? ln what land do these Christians live? Yea, if we have known even Christ after the flesh - So as to love him barely with a natural love, so as to glory in having conversed with him on earth, so as to expect only temporal benefits from him.
Verse 17
[17] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Therefore if any one be in Christ — A true believer in him.
There is a new creation — Only the power that makes a world can make a Christian. And when he is so created, the old things are passed away - Of their own accord, even as snow in spring.
Behold — The present, visible, undeniable change! All things are become new - He has new life, new senses, new faculties, new affections, new appetites, new ideas and conceptions. His whole tenor of action and conversation is new, and he lives, as it were, in a new world. God, men, the whole creation, heaven, earth, and all therein, appear in a new light, and stand related to him in a new manner, since he was created anew in Christ Jesus.
Verse 18
[18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
And all these new things are from God, considered under this very notion, as reconciling us - The world, 2 Corinthians 5:19, to himself.
Verse 19
[19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Namely — The sum of which is, God - The whole Godhead, but more eminently God the Father.
Was in Christ, reconciling the world — Which was before at enmity with God.
To himself — So taking away that enmity, which could no otherwise be removed than by the blood of the Son of God.
Verse 20
[20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ-we beseech you in Christ's stead — Herein the apostle might appear to some "transported beyond himself." In general he uses a more calm, sedate kind of exhortation, as in the beginning of the next chapter. What unparalleled condescension and divinely tender mercies are displayed in this verse! Did the judge ever beseech a condemned criminal to accept of pardon? Does the creditor ever beseech a ruined debtor to receive an acquittance in full? Yet our almighty Lord, and our eternal Judge, not only vouchsafes to offer these blessings, but invites us, entreats us, and, with the most tender importunity, solicits us, not to reject them.
Verse 21
[21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
He made him a sin offering, who knew no sin — A commendation peculiar to Christ.
For us — Who knew no righteousness, who were inwardly and outwardly nothing but sin; who must have been consumed by the divine justice, had not this atonement been made for our sins.
That we might be made the righteousness of God through him — Might through him be invested with that righteousness, first imputed to us, then implanted in us, which is in every sense the righteousness of God.
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Verse 3
[3] And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
He spake — Three parables of the same import: for the sheep, the piece of silver, and the lost son, all declare (in direct contrariety to the Pharisees and scribes) in what manner God receiveth sinners.
Verse 12
[12] And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Give me the part of goods that falleth to me — See the root of all sin! A desire of disposing of ourselves; of independency on God!
Verse 13
[13] And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
He took a journey into a far country — Far from God: God was not in all his thoughts: And squandered away his substance - All the grace he had received.
Verse 14
[14] And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
He began to be in want — All his worldly pleasures failing, he grew conscious of his want of real good.
Verse 15
[15] And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
And he joined himself to a citizen of that country — Either the devil or one of his children, the genuine citizens of that country which is far from God.
He sent him to feed swine — He employed him in the base drudgery of sin.
Verse 16
[16] And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
He would fain have filled his belly with the husks — He would fain have satisfied himself with worldly comforts. Vain, fruitless endeavour!
Verse 17
[17] And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
And coming to himself — For till then he was beside himself, as all men are, so long as they are without God in the world.
Verse 18
[18] I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
I will arise and go to my father — How accurately are the first steps of true repentance here pointed out! Against Heaven - Against God.
Verse 20
[20] And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
And he arose and came to his father — The moment he had resolved, he began to execute his resolution.
While he was yet a great way off, his father saw him — Returning, starved, naked.
Verse 22
[22] But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
But the father said — Interrupting him before he had finished what he intended to say. So does God frequently cut an earnest confession short by a display of his pardoning love.
Verse 23
[23] And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Let us be merry — Both here, and wherever else this word occurs, whether in the Old or New Testament, it implies nothing of levity, but a solid, serious, religious, heartfelt joy: indeed this was the ordinary meaning of the word two hundred years ago, when our translation was made.
Verse 25
[25] Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
The elder son seems to represent the Pharisees and scribes, mentioned Luke 15:2.
Verse 27
[27] And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
Thy father hath killed the fatted calf — Perhaps he mentions this rather than the robe or ring, as having a nearer connection with the music and dancing.
Verse 28
[28] And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
He was angry, and would not go in — How natural to us is this kind of resentment!
Verse 29
[29] And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
Lo, so many years do I serve thee — So he was one of the instances mentioned Luke 15:7. How admirably therefore does this parable confirm that assertion! Yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends - Perhaps God does not usually give much joy to those who never felt the sorrows of repentance.
Verse 31
[31] And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine — This suggests a strong reason against murmuring at the indulgence shown to the greatest of sinners. As the father's receiving the younger son did not cause him to disinherit the elder; so God's receiving notorious sinners will be no loss to those who have always served him; neither will he raise these to a state of glory equal to that of those who have always served him, if they have, upon the whole, made a greater progress in inward as well as outward holiness.
Verse 32
[32] It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
This thy brother was dead, and is alive — A thousand of these delicate touches in the inspired writings escape an inattentive reader. In Luke 15:30, the elder son had unkindly and indecently said, This thy son. The father in his reply mildly reproves him, and tenderly says, This thy brother - Amazing intimation, that the best of men ought to account the worst sinners their brethren still; and should especially remember this relation, when they show any inclination to return. Our Lord in this whole parable shows, not only that the Jews had no cause to murmur at the reception of the Gentiles, (a point which did not at that time so directly fall under consideration,) but that if the Pharisees were indeed as good as they fancied themselves to be, still they had no reason to murmur at the kind treatment of any sincere penitent. Thus does he condemn them, even on their own principles, and so leaves them without excuse. We have in this parable a lively emblem of the condition and behaviour of sinners in their natural state. Thus, when enriched by the bounty of the great common Father, do they ungratefully run from him, Luke 15:12. Sensual pleasures are eagerly pursued, till they have squandered away all the grace of God, Luke 15:13. And while these continue, not a serious thought of God can find a place in their minds. And even when afflictions come upon them, Luke 15:14, still they will make hard shifts before they will let the grace of God, concurring with his providence, persuade them to think of a return, Luke 15:15,16. When they see themselves naked, indigent, and undone, then they recover the exercise of their reason, Luke 15:17. Then they remember the blessings they have thrown away, and attend to the misery they have incurred. And hereupon they resolve to return to their father, and put the resolution immediately in practice, Luke 15:18,19. Behold with wonder and pleasure the gracious reception they find from Divine, injured goodness! When such a prodigal comes to his father, he sees him afar off, Luke 15:20. He pities, meets, embraces him, and interrupts his acknowledgments with the tokens of his returning favour, Luke 15:21. He arrays him with the robe of a Redeemer's righteousness, with inward and outward holiness; adorns him with all his sanctifying graces, and honours him with the tokens of adopting love, Luke 15:22. And all this he does with unutterable delight, in that he who was lost is now found, Luke 15:23,24. Let no elder brother murmur at this indulgence, but rather welcome the prodigal back into the family. And let those who have been thus received, wander no more, but emulate the strictest piety of those who for many years have served their heavenly Father, and not transgressed his commandments.
Sermon Outline "" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 6 March 2016 with Scripture Joshua 5:9 Adonai said to Y’hoshua, “Today I have rolled off from you the stigma of Egypt.” This is why the place has been called Gilgal [rolling] ever since. 10 The people of Isra’el camped at Gilgal, and they observed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the month, there on the plains of Yericho. 11 The day after Pesach they ate what the land produced, matzah and roasted ears of grain that day. 12 The following day, after they had eaten food produced in the land, the man ended. From then on the people of Isra’el no longer had man; instead, that year, they ate the produce of the land of Kena‘an.
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We come to realize that in our Old Testament passage from Joshua that God has invited the next generation of Israelites to enter the promised land. This was after the previous generation who did not trust God to lead them to victory over the people who lived in the promise land have all died in the 40 years of wandering in the desert. God has called the new generation of Israelites to be circumsized because they have not been obedient to the act of obedience to God in the rite. After they were circumcized, they were to celebrate the Passover Feast which as initiated on the night before they left Egypt and celebrated at Mount Sinai after the Law was given through Moses but has not been celebrated since. They prepared for the feast and they celebrated the Passover Meal to enter the Promised Land the next day where they ate the food from the Land. From the time they entered the Promised Land and ate the food from the land, the Israelites did receive the manna they ate in the desert. The amazing thing is that the sign of circumcision is similar to what Paul was writing to the People in Corinth that they would be witnesses and reconcilers for others to come into faith of the One True God. Then, just as the younger son returned to his senses to return to the Father, the Israelites came to their senses and trusted God to provide the Promise Land to be delivered from the people who currently posses the land. Just as god brought them into the Promised Land, He brings us into the Promised Land of inner peace and salvation through the blood of The Lamb's Blood we know as Jesus. Just as the Israelites still celebrate the Passover Meal to remember their deliverance from the Bondage of Slavery from the Egyptians we are to celebrate the Passover Feast to not only remember the deliverance of the Israelites from their bondage; we are to remember the sacrifice of Jesus for our freedom from the bondage of our sins and the promise of the Holy Spirit coming to us and the promise of Jesus' return to set up His full Kingdom for all His people. We usually celebrate the Passover Feast in an abbreviated form we call the Holy Eucharist as often as we come together to worship God. We come now to eat the Body of Jesus and drink His Blood in our celebration of the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to receive from God His promises for our lives. We come to receive from God His blessings and love singing the Hymn "Let us break bread together on our knees"
1. Let us break bread together on our knees.
Let us break bread together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
2. Let us drink wine together on our knees.
Let us drink wine together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
3. Let us praise God together on our knees.
Let us praise God together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
"How to ruin a team ministry | Church buildings | Evangelicals & Donald Trump" Ministry Matters Preach. Teach. Worship. Reach. and Lead. for Friday, 4 March 2016
"Maybe church buildings aren't as big a deal as we thought" by Joseph Yoo
Wikimedia Commons/Anthony92931 CC 3.0
Those of us who have attended church seemingly forever sometimes feel that the church building is the best tool for evangelism. When we’re confronted with (or we finally recognize/accept) declining worship attendance and overall involvement at our lovely church, panic sets in. We need to dosomething.
And churches usually seem to move toward the path of least resistance. We decide what we think we should do and pour more energy and resources into building maintenance and/or upgrades.
The theory is that an update to the building will bring curious onlookers to the campus.
The building often becomes the focus of evangelism because it’s the easiest thing to change. And almost everyone usually agrees that a church building could benefit from a facelift or two.
It perpetuates the idea of changing without really changing.
It’s the easiest path because all it really requires is throwing money at the problem. I’m not suggesting that it’s easy funding a building project but diagnosing issues with the building is easier than than pointing out problems with the church’s ministries that may have led to the decline in attendance.
Someone once told me, “If you have a problem you can solve by throwing money at it, you don’t have a very interesting problem.”
Just upgrading your campus won’t bring people to church when they have little to no interest in coming to church in the first place.
My wife loves the craft store Michaels. She can spend hours, and I mean hours, at Michaels.
I absolutely despise that store. Even more because I get no cell reception/data there AND they have free wi-fi but it never works.
It motivates me to be a good Christian because I feel that’s what my hell would be like: an eternity in Michaels with no wi-fi. It already feels like eternity when I’m there with my wife.
When we first moved here, I drove by that Michaels dozens of times and never noticed it because I have no interest in that store. I can tell you, however, where the Apple Store, Best Buy and every Starbucks in Santa Barbara are.
Michaels could go through a facelift. They could change their storefront. They could change their store sign. They could paint their store a different color. They could guarantee that their wi-fi works or they could make everything in the store free. They could even change their name to “Mike’s” and have their slogan mimic the great Gatorade ad: I wanna be like Mike. I still wouldn’t go to “Mike’s” because I’m not into crafting or crafty things.
The only reason I would find myself in Michaels is if my wifethreatened gently invited me to go with her.
I’m not suggesting that non-churchgoing folks have quite the adverse reaction to church that I do to Michaels. What I’m trying to say is that, perhaps, the only people who will notice the changes to your building and campus are your church members. People who have little to no interest in going to church to begin with probably wouldn’t notice if your building disappeared altogether.
But you know what your non-churchgoing friends might have an interest in? You. Think of all the places you’ve gone because you were invited.
The most effective way to get folks to your church is for you to invite them to come with you. A church planter told me that “80% of newcomers come on the elbow of someone else” meaning they were invited. But that takes effort and risk. You may be turned down. You may be scoffed at. You may have to do some work.
Having a great building is important for increasing the quality of overall church life. But putting ourselves out there and inviting folks is what ensures that our buildings will continue to be used as instruments of God’s saving work for years to come.
Joseph Yoo is pastor of St. Mark United Methodist Church in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author of Practical Prayer and Encountering Grace. He blogs at JosephYoo.com.
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"How to ruin a team ministry in 5 easy steps" by A. Trevor Sutton
Bigstock/monkeybusinessimages
Practicing team ministry is like assembling Ikea furniture without the instructions. With both, there are many parts, each with a specific function, and no obvious clues for how everything fits together. And with both, you’re sometimes tempted to toss everything aside and quit in frustration. It is by God’s grace that bookshelves and ministry teams come together.
Whether in a congregation with many pastors, a church or school staff, or any other setting, ministering in partnership with others is a challenge. For it to work well, team ministry requires loyalty, patience, forgiveness and much, much more.
Building a thriving team ministry is difficult. But ruining a team ministry is easy. It is so easy, in fact, that it can be accomplished in just five simple steps. Follow these, and any team ministry is certain to implode.
Step 1. Have a large ego
If you want to destroy a team ministry, make sure that you always know best. Know, and make known, that your team members’ ideas are always at least slightly inferior to your own. Their sermons are less engaging than yours, and their work ethic -- well, let’s just say they could stand to work as hard as you do.
Egos destroy ministry teams. Keep the egos in check, and the ministry team can thrive. Easier said than done — reining in the ego requires daily contrition, unending humility and being honest before God and others about your own failures.
Step 2. Keep score
Once you have established that you are the best person on the team, begin keeping a running tally of others’ failures. Keep a list of grievances, including such offenses as unanswered emails, overlooked details and botched sermons. Use your imagination! The possibilities are endless.
Watching for the mistakes of others is cancerous for team ministry. Scripture describes this as “counting up wrongdoing” (1 Corinthians 13:5).
Obviously, accountability should be a given in team ministry; clear expectations, high standards and mutual responsibility are vital. But if all you look for is others’ mistakes, then that is all you will find.
Step 3. Speak only for yourself
Don’t speak on behalf of your ministry teammates. Always, always avoid using words like “we” or “our.”
For example, don’t say, “We are working on …” or, “Let me tell you about our …” or, “ Our team is focusing on …”
Instead, try to use singular pronouns as much as possible. Teams that are bound to collapse say things like, “He is trying to get everyone to …” or, “I don’t know anything about that -- it’s not my area” or, “She thinks that our leaders …”
The difference is in the pronouns. Team ministry lives and dies by first person plural pronouns.
Working together in a team ministry requires speaking for others. You must answer questions about your teammates’ areas of responsibility. You will have to defend your colleagues and their work. You may even have to promote their ideas over your own ideas.
Suggestions, questions and skepticism must be given privately; praise, support and enthusiasm must be given publicly.
Step 4. Stop praying for the team
If you’ve followed Steps 1-3, the hard work is over. The next step in destroying a team ministry is easy: stop praying.
This can take many shapes. Maybe you stop praying for God to give you humility, patience and love in your interactions with your team. Perhaps you stop praying for the others on your team. Or perhaps you stop praying with each other. The options for how to stop praying are endless, but the results are always the same — a dysfunctional team ministry.
Prayer makes or breaks team ministry. Coming before God, admitting your mutual failures and seeking Christ’s forgiveness will protect a team ministry from implosion. Paul was serious when he said to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Step 5. Lose trust
The coup de grâce for a battered team ministry is broken trust. A team may be able to survive inflated egos and petty score keeping. Partnerships might even endure long periods of ungenerous speech and prayerlessness. But broken trust spells the end of a team ministry.
Trust can be broken quickly. Lying and deceit, stealing and manipulation are certain to destroy it; such actions need happen only once. But trust can also be broken slowly. Minor breaches in trust -- fueled by the preceding four steps — can build up to toxic levels. A ministry team without trust is done. Over. Gone.
So if you want to destroy a team ministry, follow those five easy steps. But if you want to build a team ministry that thrives, then do everything possible to avoid them.
Keep your ego in check. Keep no record of wrongdoing. Speak kindly and publicly on behalf of your teammates. Pray for them. And work with integrity so as to build and preserve trust.
God uses many different teammates to proclaim the gospel. Imperfect, broken, sinful people are on God’s team and doing the work of ministry. God leads us with the humility of Christ Jesus, unending forgiveness, generous speech, constant prayer and unbroken trust.
God’s kingdom is built with imperfect, broken, sinful people. And God can build a great ministry team in and through you.
"The biblical mandate to fight rape" by David Person
Bigstock/karich
In 1944, Mrs. Recy Taylor was walking home from church with some friends in Abbeville, Ala., when she was abducted by Army Private Herbert Lovett and six other men. They took her to a secluded area in Abbeville and gang-raped her. After threatening her life, they left Mrs. Taylor in the woods to find her way back home.
Mrs. Taylor, who is still alive at about 96 years old, was 24 at the time. She was a wife and mother. But because she was a black woman in Jim Crow Alabama, she never had the benefit of seeing justice served to the white men who raped her.
"Wasn't nothing done about it," Taylor, now 91, told The Root in a 2011 interview. "The sheriff never even said he was sorry it happened. I think more people should know about it … but ain't nobody [in Abbeville] saying nothing."
Her rapists were never prosecuted. And it was 71 years before any state entity addressed this travesty by apologizing to Mrs. Taylor.
Sadly, the heinous, ruthlessness of rape is not a modern phenomenon, nor does it target only one race. Judges 19 tells the story of the gang-rape and murder of a woman that is so brutal, it would get an R-rating if Hollywood made it into a movie. To make sure that readers wouldn’t miss the point, verse 30 says this in the New King James Version: “No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day.”
And then it closes with this mandate for the children of Israel— and I would argue for those of us who claim to be the body of Christ today: “Consider it, confer, and speak up.”
Consider it — acknowledge the reality of these atrocities. Stop being deniers and excuse-makers. Stop ignoring troubling statistics such as these:
- Approximately 1 out of every 6 women in our nation has either been raped or had a rape attempted against her.
- Girls under 12-years-old constitute 15 percent of rape and sexual assault victims.
- Females between the ages of 12 and 34 are more likely to be raped than any other age group.
- Females 16-to-19 years old are 4 times more likely to be raped, have a rape attempted against them, or to be sexual assaulted than the general population.
- Confer — start having discussions in our families, churches and communities about rape and sexual assault. We should make sure that survivors find their voice and can speak their truth. We should also make sure our young people are quite clear about what does and doesn’t constitute consent — and that they always have the right to say “no,” and to report it if someone doesn’t honor their wishes.
- Speak up — we must become the voices of those survivors who won’t or can’t speak up. We must become their allies, crying out for justice and doing everything in our power to curb the prevalence of rapes and sexual assaults.
We who claim a belief in Christ today know better. So where we have devalued women, or allowed them to be devalued, we must repent. Where we have allowed a national culture of rape to go unchallenged, we must stop and begin to fight it.
Judges 19 spells out the evil and its solution. We have no excuse.
"Trump, evangelicals and the road ahead"
By David F. WatsonU.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. Photo: Bigstock/andykatz
In 1934, at the age of 28, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a letter to a friend about an upcoming conference that would involve members of churches from several countries and denominations. In this letter, he wrote, “We must make it clear — fearful as it is — that the time is very near when we shall have to decide between National Socialism and Christianity. It may be fearfully hard and difficult for us all, but we must get right to the root of things, with open Christian speaking and no diplomacy. And in prayer together we will find the way.*” This was before the Holocaust began, before World War II began. But Bonhoeffer saw that one could not embrace the Christian faith and embrace the political tide of his nation that was so enamored with the Nazi party. The two simply were not compatible. On April 9th, 1944, he was executed for his part in the German resistance to the Nazi regime.
The necessity of such a distinction — between the values of our faith and the values embodied in large segments of the wider culture — is once again becoming apparent. It is alarming to see so many people in the United States embracing Donald Trump in his bid to become President of the United States. No, Trump is not Hitler, but he nevertheless embodies values that should cause serious concern among Christians.
One of the great ironies of Trump’s candidacy, however, is that so many of his supporters are evangelical Christians. While many evangelicals, as well of Christians of other stripes, oppose Trump, he doesn’t need all of us. He only needs enough to get elected. Christian support for Trump is essential for his success moving forward.
I myself identify as an evangelical, though this may not tell you much. The term evangelical has become rather diffuse over the last couple of decades. It can describe Christians as different as Franklin Graham and Jim Wallis. According to the National Association of Evangelicals, there are four primary characteristics of evangelicalism:
- Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be transformed through a “born-again” experience and a life long process of following Jesus.
- Activism: the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts.
- Biblicism: a high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority.
- Crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as making possible the redemption of humanity
Nevertheless, a substantial number of evangelicals are backing Trump. Why would they do this? According to the New York Times,
“Social conservatives are taking a look at Trump and saying he’s not with me on all these issues, but the overall larger imperative for us is to tear down this system that has not served us for a very long time,” said Gregg Keller, a former executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, which was founded by the Christian conservative Ralph Reed.
Presumably, once we “tear down this system,” we will replace it with one friendlier to our own priorities. My fellow evangelicals, let me state this clearly: the “system” will never serve us, because the “system” is not of Christ. The “system” is a political machine beholden to special interests, lobbying groups, large corporations, financial contributors, and other entities, many of which are not the least bit concerned with anything remotely resembling Christian values. The idea that you can tear down the “system” and reshape it to serve you is, and always has been, a lie. It has been a lie since the time of Constantine. The “system” is about power, but Christ’s power is the power of the cross, and God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Christians must always stand outside the “system,” even when it is ostensibly Christian. As Christ taught us, “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.” Christians willing to compromise core tenets of the faith in order to bend the political process to their will may win in the short term, but it will be a pyrrhic victory. In the end, they will lose far more than they gain. “For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?” (Mark 8:36). It’s not worth it, Christians — not even close.
Many Christian leaders have been critical of Trump. Pope Francis stated, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.” Max Lucado has written that Trump does not pass the decency test. Evangelical attorney and activist John Stemberger has written a scathing critique of Trump for CNN. Trump seems unfazed by these remarks. He criticized the Pope’s remarks, saying that it is “disgraceful” to question another person’s faith. Consider, for a moment, the great irony of Trump — who has made public remarks belittling Hillary Clinton’s sex life, who called Arianna Huffington a “dog,” and who belittled John McCain’s service to his country in a Vietnamese prison camp — calling another person’s remarks “disgraceful.” Consider the additional irony of the fact that the person whose comments Trump criticized is Pope Francis, a man who has championed the cause of the poor and the politically disenfranchised. Trump has made his faith a matter of public record. It would be irresponsible for Christian leaders not to scrutinize the extent to which his actions are consistent with the faith he claims to hold.
I have a robust doctrine of sin, and therefore I don’t hold very high expectations of politicians. I’m not singling Trump out because of his unchristian behavior. I’m writing about him now because his behavior and proposed politics resemble nothing like Christianity and he is enjoying a substantial portion of the evangelical vote. I don’t expect Trump to act like a Christian, but I also don’t expect other Christians to support a candidate whose values are so antithetical to those of Christians across a broad theological spectrum.
Cultural Christianity has collapsed, and Christians do not enjoy the place of privilege we once did in the United States. It was only a matter of time before this happened, but now we have to make a choice. The time has come. We are going to have to choose between a false sense of national and cultural security and the values of Jesus. The xenophobic, privileged, narcissistic ethos that Trump embodies is antithetical to the values of Christ, who said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel,will save it” (Mark 8:34-35).”
I am not suggesting that Trump would usher in an era as tragic as the one Bonhoeffer foresaw. Nevertheless, America is not so exceptional that we are incapable of grievous sin as a nation. We have done it before, and we are capable of doing it again. There is much to love about the United States, and there is much for which we should repent. The curious phenomenon of Donald Trump’s candidacy makes it clear that Christians are now at a point where we are going to have to make a choice. Who will we follow? Will we follow Christ and rightly understand ourselves as a countercultural family of faith, or will we baptize an idol of crass materialism, place a crown on its head, and call it Jesus?
* Hauerwas, Performing the Faith, 60.
David F. Watson blogs at davidfwatson.me.
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"Advice for when you're leaving your church"
By Tom FuerstBigstock/Marmion
As a pastor, I know there are people who come to my church from other churches and who leave my church to go to other churches. I understand that this happens, and in some cases, I understand why it happens — especially in a country with a church on every block. That said, on the rare occasion I get to meet with people who are leaving my church, I give them a few pieces of advice. I always assure them that their decision istheirs to make and that I will neither judge them nor try to convince them to do otherwise. However, I do give them a few of my thoughts to help them on their journey.
1. This should be one of the hardest thing you ever do.
I’m of the opinion that churches and organizations throw around family-language too frequently. We speak as if the church is a family, but we don’t function that way. We function as if church is a supermarket which we frequent depending on whether or not it offers the products we wish to consume.
However, if the church really is a family, as it should be, then leaving your church should be the hardest thing you ever have to do. It should, literally, be like leaving your biological family. There may be justifiable reasons for such a move, but it should not be easy to do it.
My wife always says, “When you’re leaving somewhere and it hurts, that meant you did it the right way.” What she means is, if you lived your life in a church, community or city the right way, there should be an aspect of leaving that should rend your soul. Even if your leaving is necessary, it should hurt.
If you can go from one church to another without pain, then you did not fully enter into the church you’re leaving. If this describes you, I suggest you look more closely at why you feel like leaving your current church. It’s not a supermarket; it should be more difficult to leave.
2. Consider your motivations
Your motivations, whether you feel pain at leaving or not, really are an important factor to consider. What is motivating your leaving? Has the pastor stopped preaching the gospel? Has the community stopped being there for one another? Or is there just another church in your town appealing more to your preferences for music, entertainment or tradition (or the lack thereof)?
Do not misunderstand me, I appreciate having my preferences met in church. Don’t we all? But I also don’t think preferences in themselves are a sufficient enough reason to leave your church. There are many people in my family who do not act in a way that I would prefer. They do things, say things, think things and assume things that annoy me to no end. But I don’t check out of my family simply because people don’t conform to my preferences.
Essentials, not preferences, are the only legitimate reason to leave a church. This is not to say you should have to endure going to church like it’s a family reunion. I hardly think church is something we should ever have to “endure.” And besides, you certainly want to have a church where you feel comfortable and safe inviting others. But just keep in mind that your personal preferences are not the highest value in a church community. They may be more or less important, depending on what they are, but they are not the highest value. If you combine a deep reflection on what constitutes “essential” and “preferential” with the emotional and spiritual connection assumed in point one, then you may see that leaving your church may not be the answer to your church problems.
Something that may help with this is, write down a list of 10 essentials — true essentials! — that you’re looking for in a church. Be sure to distinguish between essentials and preferences. Then ask yourself whether these essentials are manifest in your church. If not, and you decide to leave, keep these essentials in mind as you visit other churches.
3. Tell the leadership why you’re leaving
This can be scary, I know. And I understand that not everyone is going to take my track of promising non-judgment and non-coercion. But if you believe your pastor is a safe place, then I highly recommend you express to him/her why you’re leaving. If they are the safe place you think they are, they may have suggestions for other churches you can attend to meet your needs. They may even tell you of things in your own church community you didn’t know were options for meeting your needs.
If you’re leaving your church because there is something that has seriously compromised the church’s integrity, this is also a great reason you should communicate with the church’s leaders. If they’re not aware of the issue, you may be the first to tell them something is wrong. If they are aware of it, you may be the first to have the courage to confront it. Telling the truth in such a situation may be exactly what is needed. You don’t need to go out with a dramatic mic-drop, but you can find an appropriate time/setting in which to speak your reasons for leaving. If you feel you need another person with you, by all means bring someone along.
It’s also important for you, no matter the reason you’re leaving, to communicate effectively with your leaders because if you have been involved in the church’s ministries, they may need to find a replacement for you. Communicating your decision and the time-frame of your departure informs your leaders of how quickly they’ll need to act.
4. Don’t church-hop for long.
No one can survive for long without a family. Since church isn’t primarily about my preferences or desires, I need to contribute to and be encouraged by another Christian community.
Yes, absolutely, take enough time to make sure you find the right fit for your family — a place where your essentials are met and your gifts are needed. But take only the time necessary and no longer. Find somewhere, get plugged in, use your gifts, contribute to the family. That’s what you were made to do.
5. You will never find a perfect fit
You will never find a perfect fit because there is no perfect Christian community out there. And if you did find a perfect church out there, you would be sure to ruin it because you’re not perfect. The Christian community is not a community of perfection, it’s a community of saints who still struggle to fight sin and weakness. If you have an ideal church in mind, one where everyone is a Green Beret Christian, then you are going to be a huge problem for whatever church you choose to attend. No church can live up to that standard.
6. Think of your needs, but also think of the needs of others
Once you accept the simple truth that no church is perfect, then you are then free to use your gifts to fill up that which may be lacking in your new church community. Yes, of course, your family may have special needs. Those needs may be essentials that you have to consider. But once you’ve found a place where your needs can be met, start asking where your gifts and talents can be used to meet the needs of others.
Too many Christians never get involved in any meaningful way in their church communities. There may be seasons of life when this is appropriate, but it should never be a long-term reality for any Christian. The church is a body, according to Paul, and the body needs all its members to be involved for it to fulfill its God-given purpose. There may be other things to say to people who are leaving one church to go to another, but these are my standard pieces of advice. If you’re considering leaving your church, I hope you found these encouraging and helpful.
Your turn: What pieces of advice might you give to someone leaving their church or looking for another church to attend?
Tom Fuerst blogs at Tom1st.com. You can subscribe to his blog via email here.
"Fasting from unnecessary spending"
By Mike SlaughterBigstock/dolgachov
One of the Lenten practices I try to assume every year, no matter what other commitments I have made, is to fast from all unnecessary spending. Like so many others, I am not immune from the influenza strain known as affluenza
Hoarders, on the A&E network, is not a show I choose to watch regularly, but I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from the screen if I stumble upon it while channel surfing. I am both repulsed and fascinated by how some live who have slipped into the dark underbelly of where our consumer-driven passions can carry us. I would never live like that, I protest to myself, while mentally cataloging the mounds of baseball memorabilia (one of my main life passions in addition to Jesus) collecting dust in my basement and the plethora of leather jackets I no longer wear that crowd my closet space.
Yet daily I continue to peruse persuasive email offers for new coats from my favorite department store. Even my Mac’s web browser knows my tastes perfectly and helpfully displays just about every tasteful temptation I struggle to resist in the sidebar. I am a huge fan of every i-gadget that has ever been invented. Although I have never stood outside an Apple store for 48 hours in a line that stretches for blocks to purchase the newest release of the iPhone, I can understand why many people do. I am not immune by any means to the siren call of consumerism. I suspect I’m not the only one who confuses “wants” with needs on a regular basis.
Sometimes our “wants” are expansive and expensive, like an extravagantly oversized home or a luxuriously equipped SUV. In many cases however, our purchases may be as inexpensive as a fun, new ringtone. But, over time, they all add up.
A quick Google search will easily reveals lists of the top ways Americans waste money. Here are some that frequently appear on those lists.
Wasted energy
One source estimated that we collectively throw away $443 billion on avoidable energy costs. So unplugging energy vampires when not in use, turning off lights once in a while, and setting our thermostats at more reasonable ranges can add up.
Daily coffee trips
One survey indicated that American workers who regularly buy coffee out each week spend on average $1,092 annually. That’s $21 a week, or approximately four-to-five fancy coffee drinks.
Premium cable packages
If I think I can actually justify the exorbitant costs of premium packages against the quantity of my television viewing time, I am simply watching too much TV — end of discussion.
Unused gym memberships
When gyms set sales targets for their membership fees, they do so based on the expectation that only 18 percent of gym members will show up consistently to work out. That’s in part why it’s so much easier to find workout machines available in mid-February than in mid-January. The other 82 percent of gym members are no longer showing up.
ATM fees
When we use out-of-network ATM machines to withdraw cash, we typically pay between $3 to $4 per use. Planning ahead could eliminate this.
Unhealthy habits
Americans spend $117 billion on fast food each year, and $2.8 billion on Halloween candy, just to name a few of our bad-health habits. Other costly culprits include alcohol, tobacco and soda (or pop, as it’s known in my part of the country).
Unused gift cards
Approximately $2 billion worth of gift cards go unredeemed each year.
Credit-card interest
Collectively, Americans owe over $800 billion in credit-card debt. With credit-card interest rates averaging between 13 to 15 percent, and many are higher, you don’t actually have to do the math to know that the interest charges are astronomical.
Fighting affluenza each Lent reminds me of whose money I am spending. How easily we forget that God is the source and supplier of every dollar, talent, and piece of property that comes into our hands. This Lenten season, let’s remember we are the only bank account God has to change the world. Let’s restore God’s rightful ownership.
Mike Slaughter is the almost four-decade chief dreamer and lead pastor of Ginghamsburg Church and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. Mike’s call to "afflict the comfortable" challenges Christians to wrestle with God and their God-destinies. This blog is based on his newest book, The Christian Wallet: Spending, Giving, and Living with a Conscience .
"7 of the quickest ways to frustrate people on a team"
By Ron EdmondsonBigstock / diego cervo
With every team or organization I have led there have been people who get frustrated with someone else on the team. In full disclosure, sometimes others have been frustrated with me.
Frustration is common in relationships. It happens within the healthiest of families — and the healthiest of teams. We certainly shouldn’t strive to frustrate others, but we shouldn’t be surprised when we do.
I have learned there are some actions which can frustrate people faster than others. This might be a good time to do some self-reflection. As you read these, don’t be quick to think of others — although certainly there will be some of this too — but consider your own actions when you (or I) may frustrate people on your team.
Here are seven of the quickest ways to frustrate another team member:
Promising to do something and not following through.
One of the quickest ways to frustrate people is to make a commitment and then not do what was promised. People are depending on each other on a team. When one person “drops the ball” — especially consistently — it impacts everyone. Scripture says it something like this: “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” It’s better to commit to less and complete it than to take on assignments and never see them to the end.
Saying one thing to one person and something different to another.
Healthy teams are built on trust. Trust is developed with time and consistency. No one likes a people-pleaser. This person is often popular for a time, but they lose favor as soon as they’re found out to be two-sided in their opinions.
Never being serious.
This is the person who embarrasses you by making awkward comments and including you in them like you are part of it. Teams should be fun, but this person makes everything a joke — and other people are often the brunt of them. They delay meetings with their constant antics. It can be funny for a while, but it wears thin quickly, as it begins to delay progress towards a goal.
Having an excuse for everything.
This is the person who can’t complete the task, but doesn’t want to admit fault, so they blame it on something else — or someone else. They refuse to ever admit fault. There is always a reason. They actually may become frustrated with you if you dare challenge one of their excuses. They expect you to just keep believing them.
Always having a trump story.
You know the type. You went on an exciting adventure — it was a great vacation — and the person who, often before you finish, has to share with you their vacation which was far better than yours. Or, what they accomplished at work is always far superior to what you accomplished. They can’t let anyone receive recognition grander than they receive.
Complaining consistently.
You may be just as frustrated with things at work as everyone else, but the one person who always complains sucks even the slightest joy from the room. They sow negativity into the team and try to bring everyone down to the pit of despair with them. They don’t like the vision, the plan of action, or those charged with leading them. They are naysayers. They overreact to everything and blow it out of proportion. These people weigh heavily on the morale of the team.
Only looking out for themselves.
This person really isn’t on the team, because the very definition of team involves shared progress towards a goal. They may be on the team by position, but in actions they are very much independent of others. They look out for themselves first. If they can take advantage of an opportunity — they will — even to the detriment of others.
Let’s build better teams!
Those are just some of the more frequent ones I’ve observed. Have you ever been frustrated by anyone on your team who does one of these? Have you been the cause of any of these frustrations?
What are other frustrations you’ve seen people bring to a team?
Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.
"Remembering Julia Wilke, co-author of Disciple Bible Study"
By Wini GrizzleJulia Wilke
Hearts were deeply saddened on Friday, February 26, 2016, when the word came that Julia Wilke had departed this earth, as a result of complications during surgery.
Julia, wife of Bishop Richard Wilke, left an incredible legacy for her contribution to the development of theDisciple Bible Study program.
It was in March 1986, at Flower Mound Texas, that the United Methodist Publishing House brought together a group of persons from across the church to shape the vision of what is now offered as Disciple Bible Study. At that meeting, Bishop Wilke and Julia were asked to write the commentary for this new long-term pastor/laity-directed Bible study for developing Christian disciples.
Julia loved the Scripture and was a student of the Bible but not a biblical scholar. She made her indelible contribution to Disciple Bible Study by reading the text after it had been written by her husband, and determining if the words and phrases would resonate with lay readers. Her contribution allowed for the commentary on the most complicated of biblical subjects to be clear and understandable for everyone. She succeeded beyond measure in this role. Thirty years later, laity of all denominations and around the world continue to reap the benefits of her work.
Julia lived faithfully by the tenets of Christianity. She was a devoted wife, incredible mother and treasured friend. She will be greatly missed by family, friends and colleagues.
Funeral Services will be held in Winfield, Kansas, on Thursday, March 3, 2016.
"4 bold leadership moves Zumba can teach the church"
By Rebekah Simon-PeterPhoto courtesy Zumba Fitness
I’m a Zumba aficionado. I admit it. I love the rhythms, the music and the fun of these classes. Zumba, in case you don’t know, is a fitness class that draws on elements of Latin dance moves such as salsa, merengue and cumbia. It also involves a fair amount of of hip rolling and shoulder shaking.
At first, I was pretty self-conscious about moving my body in these ways. (Do I look ridiculous? Are they judging me? Does the teacher think I’m a jerk?) With practice I’ve gotten more comfortable and the moves have gotten a lot easier. I’ve stopped asking those self-conscious questions.
Song lyrics aside, there are some surprising similarities between Zumba and the church. In fact, I’d like to offer four bold leadership moves Zumba can teach the church.
Leadership move #1: Dance big
To get the most from a Zumba class means dancing big: moving freely, trying new things, striking out in directions you haven’t gone before. The bolder the moves the more calories you burn, the better the workout and the more fun you have. Dancing big requires letting go of two things: self-consciousness and wondering how you look. It means trusting the process.
Dancing big is not only essential to having fun with Zumba, it’s part of emulating the Lord of the Dance. Jesus took all sorts of risks and never once did he ask: How do I look? He trusted God, trusted his disciples and trusted the process.
Here’s the catch for us: The more institutionalized an organization is, the more pressure there is to play it safe. How old is your church or organization? 40 years? 100 years? 200 years? You’re probably going to come up against some resistance as you try new moves. But Jesus and his disciples did it. They took risks within the context of Judaism which was centuries old at the time. That they did so spoke to their very high levels of faith.
Leadership move #2: Lead with your feet
Zumba instructors give very little in the way of instruction. Instead, she (or he, but I’ve never see a male Zumba instructor) leads by example. She moves and the class follows suit. Believe me, it can take a while to catch on to the moves. The trick is to watch her feet. Once you’ve got the steps down you can add arm movements, then embellishments with hips and shoulders. While the students are catching on, the instructor needs to remain focused on executing the proper steps, encouraging others, and staying in rhythm. All while refraining from judgment.
Same thing in the church. While the church leader models the moves of discipleship, others are watching. But to wait for them to have the moves down first, without your modeling it over and over will be an exercise in disappointment. Jesus demonstrated his moves for his followers. For three whole years. They caught on. That’s how he could send them out two by two to to perform miracles and announce the Kingdom.
Leadership move #3: Set the tone
Zumba instructors sets the tone and intensity of the class. The more restrained and self-conscious she is, the more restrained and self-conscious the class is. The class rarely moves past her. In fact, there’s a certain amount of peer pressure to not be more expressive than the instructor. So if she remains timid, they will too. But if she is willing to freely express herself with big bold moves, the class follows suit. If she adds embellishments, they will too.
At every area of leadership in the church, followers look to their leaders to figure out the acceptable moves. That’s true from bishops all the way to the members of the Trustees.
Jesus set the tone and standard in his way of living, and in his teaching. His followers came to expect they too would challenge authority, be bold and look for the impossible to become possible.
So, if you micromanage, displaying hesitation and caution every step of the way, others will follow suit. Let’s say you shy away from conflict and avoid issues that need to be addressed; the people you lead will get the hint to do the same. If you refrain from talking about how giving is connected to your vision, don’t count on others making the connection.
One of the pressures of being a leader is setting aside your own level of comfort for the group’s greater good. Let’s say you dance big, lead with your feet and model new moves — your followers will try to keep up with you. That means you also need to assume responsibility if the bold moves don’t pan out. Or being the one who levels with people: “Look, this might not work. But we’ve got to give it our best shot. Because if it does work, it will launch us into the kingdom of God! That’s just the kind of risk that our faith asks us to take. And if it doesn’t work, God will be with us to help us try, try again.”
Leadership move #4: Relax and have fun
The best Zumba instructor is relaxed and enjoying the process. She leads the kind of classes where mistakes aren’t catalogued and bad moves aren’t noted. It’s the kind of place people want to return to. It’s easy to leave self-criticism and self-consciousness at the door.
Why do people prefer to be at soccer fields, Zumba classes or coffee shops instead of church? A denominational leader recently told me of visiting a farmer’s market on a Sunday morning. “Everyone was happy,” he marveled! “No one was scowling or throwing darts with their eyes like some of the churches I’ve been in.”
I have been to too many churches where it’s all doom and gloom. It’s as if celebration weren’t kosher. Answered prayers are never mentioned. Testimonials are never given. Joyous songs of trials overcome are never sung. Even visitors are viewed with suspicion. No good news there, no matter what the Gospels say. If you’re not enjoying your life of faith and discipleship, why do you think others would want to follow?
Mastering Zumba takes practice and lots of it. Effective church leadership too. But you can have a lot of fun and make a real difference along the way.
Still not convinced that you can make the bold moves necessary? A good place to start kicking up your heels is through the award-winning leadership program I developed called Creating a Culture of Renewal. You learn how to dance big, lead with your feet, set the tone for renewal all while being more relaxed and having more fun than before. You might still stumble a bit, maybe confuse salsa with merengue, but we help you learn the steps that make a true difference. When that happens, you’ll start seeing positive, life-changing results in both your leadership and your ministry. We love helping people find their leadership groove and dream like Jesus.
Rebekah Simon-Peter blogs at rebekahsimonpeter.com. She is the author of The Jew Named Jesus and Green Church.
"This Sunday March 6, 2016"
Fourth Sunday in Lent: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Joshua 5:9 Adonai said to Y’hoshua, “Today I have rolled off from you the stigma of Egypt.” This is why the place has been called Gilgal [rolling] ever since. 10 The people of Isra’el camped at Gilgal, and they observed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the month, there on the plains of Yericho. 11 The day after Pesach they ate what the land produced, matzah and roasted ears of grain that day. 12 The following day, after they had eaten food produced in the land, the man ended. From then on the people of Isra’el no longer had man; instead, that year, they ate the produce of the land of Kena‘an.
Psalm 32:(0) By David. A maskil:
(1) How blessed are those whose offense is forgiven,
those whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed those to whom Adonai imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no deceit!
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
because of my groaning all day long;
4 day and night your hand was heavy on me;
the sap in me dried up as in a summer drought. (Selah)
5 When I acknowledged my sin to you,
when I stopped concealing my guilt,
and said, “I will confess my offenses to Adonai”;
then you, you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah)
6 This is what everyone faithful should pray
at a time when you can be found.
Then, when the floodwaters are raging,
they will not reach to him.
7 You are a hiding-place for me,
you will keep me from distress;
you will surround me
with songs of deliverance. (Selah)
8 “I will instruct and teach you
in this way that you are to go;
I will give you counsel;
my eyes will be watching you.”
9 Don’t be like a horse or mule
that has no understanding,
that has to be curbed with bit and bridle,
or else it won’t come near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
but grace surrounds those who trust in Adonai.
11 Be glad in Adonai; rejoice, you righteous!
Shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
2 Corinthians 5:16 So from now on, we do not look at anyone from a worldly viewpoint. Even if we once regarded the Messiah from a worldly viewpoint, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation — the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new! 18 And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, 19 which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making his appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God! 21 God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness.”
Luke 15:1 The tax-collectors and sinners kept gathering around to hear Yeshua, 2 and the P’rushim and Torah-teachers kept grumbling. “This fellow,” they said, “welcomes sinners — he even eats with them!” 3 So he told them this parable:
11 Again Yeshua said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will be mine.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home and went off to a distant country, where he squandered his money in reckless living. 14 But after he had spent it all, a severe famine arose throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch.
15 “So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him any.
17 “At last he came to his senses and said, ‘Any number of my father’s hired workers have food to spare; and here I am, starving to death! 18 I’m going to get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 So he got up and started back to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son — ’ 22 but his father said to his slaves, ‘Quick, bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him; and put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let’s eat and have a celebration! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he’s alive again! He was lost, but now he has been found!’ And they began celebrating.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. As he came close to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked, ‘What’s going on?’ 27 The servant told him, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father has slaughtered the calf that was fattened up, because he has gotten him back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son became angry and refused to go inside.
“So his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 ‘Look,’ the son answered, ‘I have worked for you all these years, and I have never disobeyed your orders. But you have never even given me a young goat, so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 Yet this son of yours comes, who squandered your property with prostitutes, and for him you slaughter the fattened calf!’ 31 ‘Son, you are always with me,’ said the father, ‘and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has come back to life — he was lost but has been found.’”
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Joshua 5:9-12
Verse 9
[9] And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
The reproach of Egypt — That is, uncircumcision, was both in truth, and in the opinion of the Jews, a matter of great reproach, and although this was a reproach common to most nations of the world, yet it is particularly called the reproach of Egypt, either, 1. because the other neighbouring nations, being the children of Abraham by the concubines, are supposed to have been circumcised, which the Egyptians at this time were not, as may be gathered from Exodus 2:6, where they knew the child to be an Hebrew by this mark. Or 2. because they came out of Egypt, and were esteemed to be a sort of Egyptians, Numbers 22:5, which they justly thought a great reproach; but by their circumcision they were now distinguished from them, and manifested to be another people. Or 3. because many of them lay under this reproach in Egypt, having wickedly neglected this duty there for worldly reasons; and others of them continued in the same shameful condition for many years in the wilderness.
Gilgal — That is, rolling.
Verse 10
[10] And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
The passover — Which was their third passover: the first was in Egypt, Exodus 12:11-24, the second at mount Sinai, Numbers 9:1-5, the third here; for in their wilderness travels, these and all other sacrifices were neglected, Amos 5:25. While they were in the wilderness, they were denied the comfort of this ordinance, as a farther token of God's displeasure. But now God comforted them again, after the time that he had afflicted them.
Verse 11
[11] And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
Old corn — The corn of the last year, which the inhabitants of those parts had left in their barns, being fled into their strong cities, or other remoter parts.
The morrow — That is, on the sixteenth day; for the passover was killed between the two evenings of the fourteenth day, and was eaten in that evening or night, which, according to the Jewish computation, whereby they begin their days at the evening, was a part of the fifteenth day, all which was the feast of the passover; and so the morrow of the sixteenth day, was the morrow after the passover, when they were obliged to offer unto God the first sheaf, and then were allowed to eat of the rest.
Parched corn — Of that year's corn. which was most proper for that use.
Self-same day — Having an eager desire to enjoy the fruits of the land. And this corn came very seasonably; for after the passover, they were to keep the feast of unleavened bread, which they could not do, when they had nothing but manna to live upon.
Verse 12
[12] And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
The manna ceased — Which God now withheld, to shew that Manna was not an ordinary production of nature, but an extraordinary and special gift of God to supply their necessity. And because God would not be prodigal of his favours, by working miracles where ordinary means were sufficient.
The morrow — That is, on the seventeenth day.
Psalm 32
Verse 2
[2] Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Imputeth — Whom God doth not charge with the guilt of his sins, but graciously pardons and accepts him in Christ.
No guile — Who freely confesses all his sins, and turns from sin to God with all his heart.
Verse 3
[3] When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
Silence — From a full and open confession of my sins.
Old — My spirit failed, and the strength of my body decayed.
Roaring — Because of the continual horrors of my conscience, and sense of God's wrath.
Verse 4
[4] For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. /*Selah*/.
Hand — Thy afflicting hand.
My moisture — Was dried up.
Verse 5
[5] I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. /*Selah*/.
The iniquity — The guilt of my sin.
Verse 6
[6] For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
For this — Upon the encouragement of my example.
Found — In an acceptable and seasonable time, while God continues to offer grace and mercy.
Waters — In the time of great calamities.
Not come — So as to overwhelm him.
Verse 8
[8] I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
I will — This and the next verse seems to be the words of God, whom David brings in as returning this answer to his prayers.
Mine eye — So Christ did St. Peter, when he turned and looked upon him.
Verse 9
[9] Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Will not — Unless they be forced to it by a bit or bridle. And so all the ancient translators understand it.
Verse 10
[10] Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.
Sorrows — This is an argument to enforce the foregoing admonition.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Verse 16
[16] Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
So that we from this time — That we knew the love of Christ.
Know no one — Neither ourselves, nor you, neither the rest of the apostles, Galatians 2:6, nor any other person.
After the flesh — According to his former state, country, descent, nobility, riches, power, wisdom. We fear not the great. We regard not the rich or wise. We account not the least less than ourselves. We consider all, only in order to save all. Who is he that thus knows no one after the flesh? ln what land do these Christians live? Yea, if we have known even Christ after the flesh - So as to love him barely with a natural love, so as to glory in having conversed with him on earth, so as to expect only temporal benefits from him.
Verse 17
[17] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Therefore if any one be in Christ — A true believer in him.
There is a new creation — Only the power that makes a world can make a Christian. And when he is so created, the old things are passed away - Of their own accord, even as snow in spring.
Behold — The present, visible, undeniable change! All things are become new - He has new life, new senses, new faculties, new affections, new appetites, new ideas and conceptions. His whole tenor of action and conversation is new, and he lives, as it were, in a new world. God, men, the whole creation, heaven, earth, and all therein, appear in a new light, and stand related to him in a new manner, since he was created anew in Christ Jesus.
Verse 18
[18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
And all these new things are from God, considered under this very notion, as reconciling us - The world, 2 Corinthians 5:19, to himself.
Verse 19
[19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Namely — The sum of which is, God - The whole Godhead, but more eminently God the Father.
Was in Christ, reconciling the world — Which was before at enmity with God.
To himself — So taking away that enmity, which could no otherwise be removed than by the blood of the Son of God.
Verse 20
[20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ-we beseech you in Christ's stead — Herein the apostle might appear to some "transported beyond himself." In general he uses a more calm, sedate kind of exhortation, as in the beginning of the next chapter. What unparalleled condescension and divinely tender mercies are displayed in this verse! Did the judge ever beseech a condemned criminal to accept of pardon? Does the creditor ever beseech a ruined debtor to receive an acquittance in full? Yet our almighty Lord, and our eternal Judge, not only vouchsafes to offer these blessings, but invites us, entreats us, and, with the most tender importunity, solicits us, not to reject them.
Verse 21
[21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
He made him a sin offering, who knew no sin — A commendation peculiar to Christ.
For us — Who knew no righteousness, who were inwardly and outwardly nothing but sin; who must have been consumed by the divine justice, had not this atonement been made for our sins.
That we might be made the righteousness of God through him — Might through him be invested with that righteousness, first imputed to us, then implanted in us, which is in every sense the righteousness of God.
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Verse 3
[3] And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
He spake — Three parables of the same import: for the sheep, the piece of silver, and the lost son, all declare (in direct contrariety to the Pharisees and scribes) in what manner God receiveth sinners.
Verse 12
[12] And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Give me the part of goods that falleth to me — See the root of all sin! A desire of disposing of ourselves; of independency on God!
Verse 13
[13] And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
He took a journey into a far country — Far from God: God was not in all his thoughts: And squandered away his substance - All the grace he had received.
Verse 14
[14] And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
He began to be in want — All his worldly pleasures failing, he grew conscious of his want of real good.
Verse 15
[15] And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
And he joined himself to a citizen of that country — Either the devil or one of his children, the genuine citizens of that country which is far from God.
He sent him to feed swine — He employed him in the base drudgery of sin.
Verse 16
[16] And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
He would fain have filled his belly with the husks — He would fain have satisfied himself with worldly comforts. Vain, fruitless endeavour!
Verse 17
[17] And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
And coming to himself — For till then he was beside himself, as all men are, so long as they are without God in the world.
Verse 18
[18] I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
I will arise and go to my father — How accurately are the first steps of true repentance here pointed out! Against Heaven - Against God.
Verse 20
[20] And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
And he arose and came to his father — The moment he had resolved, he began to execute his resolution.
While he was yet a great way off, his father saw him — Returning, starved, naked.
Verse 22
[22] But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
But the father said — Interrupting him before he had finished what he intended to say. So does God frequently cut an earnest confession short by a display of his pardoning love.
Verse 23
[23] And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Let us be merry — Both here, and wherever else this word occurs, whether in the Old or New Testament, it implies nothing of levity, but a solid, serious, religious, heartfelt joy: indeed this was the ordinary meaning of the word two hundred years ago, when our translation was made.
Verse 25
[25] Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
The elder son seems to represent the Pharisees and scribes, mentioned Luke 15:2.
Verse 27
[27] And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
Thy father hath killed the fatted calf — Perhaps he mentions this rather than the robe or ring, as having a nearer connection with the music and dancing.
Verse 28
[28] And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
He was angry, and would not go in — How natural to us is this kind of resentment!
Verse 29
[29] And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
Lo, so many years do I serve thee — So he was one of the instances mentioned Luke 15:7. How admirably therefore does this parable confirm that assertion! Yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends - Perhaps God does not usually give much joy to those who never felt the sorrows of repentance.
Verse 31
[31] And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine — This suggests a strong reason against murmuring at the indulgence shown to the greatest of sinners. As the father's receiving the younger son did not cause him to disinherit the elder; so God's receiving notorious sinners will be no loss to those who have always served him; neither will he raise these to a state of glory equal to that of those who have always served him, if they have, upon the whole, made a greater progress in inward as well as outward holiness.
Verse 32
[32] It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
This thy brother was dead, and is alive — A thousand of these delicate touches in the inspired writings escape an inattentive reader. In Luke 15:30, the elder son had unkindly and indecently said, This thy son. The father in his reply mildly reproves him, and tenderly says, This thy brother - Amazing intimation, that the best of men ought to account the worst sinners their brethren still; and should especially remember this relation, when they show any inclination to return. Our Lord in this whole parable shows, not only that the Jews had no cause to murmur at the reception of the Gentiles, (a point which did not at that time so directly fall under consideration,) but that if the Pharisees were indeed as good as they fancied themselves to be, still they had no reason to murmur at the kind treatment of any sincere penitent. Thus does he condemn them, even on their own principles, and so leaves them without excuse. We have in this parable a lively emblem of the condition and behaviour of sinners in their natural state. Thus, when enriched by the bounty of the great common Father, do they ungratefully run from him, Luke 15:12. Sensual pleasures are eagerly pursued, till they have squandered away all the grace of God, Luke 15:13. And while these continue, not a serious thought of God can find a place in their minds. And even when afflictions come upon them, Luke 15:14, still they will make hard shifts before they will let the grace of God, concurring with his providence, persuade them to think of a return, Luke 15:15,16. When they see themselves naked, indigent, and undone, then they recover the exercise of their reason, Luke 15:17. Then they remember the blessings they have thrown away, and attend to the misery they have incurred. And hereupon they resolve to return to their father, and put the resolution immediately in practice, Luke 15:18,19. Behold with wonder and pleasure the gracious reception they find from Divine, injured goodness! When such a prodigal comes to his father, he sees him afar off, Luke 15:20. He pities, meets, embraces him, and interrupts his acknowledgments with the tokens of his returning favour, Luke 15:21. He arrays him with the robe of a Redeemer's righteousness, with inward and outward holiness; adorns him with all his sanctifying graces, and honours him with the tokens of adopting love, Luke 15:22. And all this he does with unutterable delight, in that he who was lost is now found, Luke 15:23,24. Let no elder brother murmur at this indulgence, but rather welcome the prodigal back into the family. And let those who have been thus received, wander no more, but emulate the strictest piety of those who for many years have served their heavenly Father, and not transgressed his commandments.
Sermon Outline "" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 6 March 2016 with Scripture Joshua 5:9 Adonai said to Y’hoshua, “Today I have rolled off from you the stigma of Egypt.” This is why the place has been called Gilgal [rolling] ever since. 10 The people of Isra’el camped at Gilgal, and they observed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the month, there on the plains of Yericho. 11 The day after Pesach they ate what the land produced, matzah and roasted ears of grain that day. 12 The following day, after they had eaten food produced in the land, the man ended. From then on the people of Isra’el no longer had man; instead, that year, they ate the produce of the land of Kena‘an.
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We come to realize that in our Old Testament passage from Joshua that God has invited the next generation of Israelites to enter the promised land. This was after the previous generation who did not trust God to lead them to victory over the people who lived in the promise land have all died in the 40 years of wandering in the desert. God has called the new generation of Israelites to be circumsized because they have not been obedient to the act of obedience to God in the rite. After they were circumcized, they were to celebrate the Passover Feast which as initiated on the night before they left Egypt and celebrated at Mount Sinai after the Law was given through Moses but has not been celebrated since. They prepared for the feast and they celebrated the Passover Meal to enter the Promised Land the next day where they ate the food from the Land. From the time they entered the Promised Land and ate the food from the land, the Israelites did receive the manna they ate in the desert. The amazing thing is that the sign of circumcision is similar to what Paul was writing to the People in Corinth that they would be witnesses and reconcilers for others to come into faith of the One True God. Then, just as the younger son returned to his senses to return to the Father, the Israelites came to their senses and trusted God to provide the Promise Land to be delivered from the people who currently posses the land. Just as god brought them into the Promised Land, He brings us into the Promised Land of inner peace and salvation through the blood of The Lamb's Blood we know as Jesus. Just as the Israelites still celebrate the Passover Meal to remember their deliverance from the Bondage of Slavery from the Egyptians we are to celebrate the Passover Feast to not only remember the deliverance of the Israelites from their bondage; we are to remember the sacrifice of Jesus for our freedom from the bondage of our sins and the promise of the Holy Spirit coming to us and the promise of Jesus' return to set up His full Kingdom for all His people. We usually celebrate the Passover Feast in an abbreviated form we call the Holy Eucharist as often as we come together to worship God. We come now to eat the Body of Jesus and drink His Blood in our celebration of the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to receive from God His promises for our lives. We come to receive from God His blessings and love singing the Hymn "Let us break bread together on our knees"
1. Let us break bread together on our knees.
Let us break bread together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
2. Let us drink wine together on our knees.
Let us drink wine together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
3. Let us praise God together on our knees.
Let us praise God together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
MINISTRIES AND MESSAGES by Thomas R. Steagald
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
“Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin, and who seek to live in peace with one another.” Every time I hear that invitation to Holy Communion I shudder a bit, for there are many Sunday-go-to-meetin’ Christians who seek no such thing, and my own father one of them, God rest his soul.
Dad went around the world a couple of times, but he never took the longest and most important trip any of us need to take; the fifteen-inch journey from head to heart. That is to say, although he was a preacher of the gospel for many years, he never quite got this verse worked out in any way that was the least bit obvious to the rest of us: “We no longer regard anyone from a human point of view.”
In some ways, of course, I understand. He was born in the Deep South and formed in the days of Jim Crow and stark segregation. He could never see past that particular picture of divided humanity.
He fought in World War II, and spent his tour directing artillery fire against the Nazis and Fascists. He never got used to the alliances that emerged soon after the war. My father hated the Communists too, even more than he had hated Germans, Italians, and Japanese.
He raised children through the sixties, when most every value he had lived by, gone to war for, and very nearly died on account of was questioned, denied, usurped, or burned. And although my sister and I were pretty well-behaved, I can still remember him sitting in his chair, railing at the TV, yelling at the news, shaking his head with disgust.
Until the end of his life he regarded many things not only from a human point of view but also from a very particular human’s point of view. My father never got outside himself or his experience to see things from a different perspective—the perspective of Paul, say, or the perspective of grace. Oh, he knew these words of Scripture. He had them memorized, and other good words too, such as Galatians 3:28. And in fact he preached a lot on grace, but it never made him particularly gracious.
When my father preached from Paul, very often the limit of his interest seemed similar to Luther’s: how can sinful persons stand righteous before a holy God? How can we hope for God to love us? How can we get to heaven? Never, so far as I know, did he ask the parallel question, “How can I or we become more loving?” His reading of the text dealt with fear of God’s judgment, not love of God’s children.
Paul answers the question of salvation, of course—even in our text for the day—but he does not stop or get stuck there. Instead, he moves on to the need and call for community-building.
Paul affirms that we who are Christians are “in Christ.” This is the amazing gift of an amazing grace, a grace that creates a new creation. All the old things have passed away, Paul says, and among them enmity, prejudice, and hatred. We have been reconciled, brought near to God through Christ. That reconciliation to God draws us nearer, in turn, to our brothers and sisters. God loves us with heart, strength, and Son, so we can love our neighbors as God does.
That is what the “ministry of reconciliation” is, then: the bridging of old gaps, the healing of old wounds, the forgiving of old enemies, and the forming of new friends. It is not only hospitality and welcome; it is more like the practice of loving one another as Jesus has loved us. Seeing one another as God sees us, loving one another as Jesus loved, we find a unity that is both profound and profoundly countercultural. We no longer see one another according to human values, but learn to look through the lens of the precious price paid by Christ.
On the cross all the dividing walls of hostility have been broken down—between us and God, and between us and one another. We are now one people, a new creation.
Reconciled to God, we become reconcilers among God’s people, and it seems Paul is referring to members of the church. But this “in-house” ministry of reconciliation becomes a message to those outside; indeed, the message of reconciliation. In sum, what we practice on each other we proclaim to everyone else, and as we learn how to love and forgive, how to confess and pardon, how to live in mutual service and fellowship, we take that message of life together into the world: “Christ for the World We Sing” (The United Methodist Hymnal [Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989], 568).
Until the day when Christ is all in all, we do this ministry and we proclaim this message, Christ making his appeal through us, his ambassadors.
The man of the house stopped by to tell me his family was going to join another church. They had visited us a few times, and really liked some things about us, he said, but we fought too much and not about the important things. I don’t mind a good argument, he said, but you folk sometimes just fuss.
I was reminded of that time in Mark 9, right after the Transfiguration, when a man had seen so much of the disciples’ incompetence that he questioned the person and work of Jesus. I wonder how often our ministry of reconciliation, or the lack thereof, renders our message moot.
If we can’t learn to be reconciled to one another, how can we preach reconciliation in the world? If we continue to see each other and talk to each other, or not talk to each other on account of our human points of view, then we will never be the kind of ambassadors for Christ who will evoke God’s new creation.
WORSHIP ELEMENTS: MARCH 6, 2016 by Rebecca Gaudino
Fourth Sunday in Lent
COLOR: Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
THEME IDEAS
Today’s readings speak of the power of honest human speech, heard and answered by a God who delivers us from burden and bondage to freedom and possibility. These readings testify that even before we speak, God, as loving parent, waits for the wandering child; God, as provider, gives
manna even while we wander. God waits on us, listens for us, plans for us, and reaches out to us most compellingly in Jesus Christ. Our texts instruct us to speak our deepest failings and fears, for to be silent, to hold everything within, is to waste away. When we speak boldly and honestly, we hear
God’s glad cry: “Quickly, bring out a robe!”
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Psalm 32, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21)
In Jesus Christ, there is a new creation.
Everything old has passed away.
Everything has become new.
This newness is from God,
who has reconciled us through Jesus Christ.
Rejoice and be glad!
Everything has become new.
Opening Prayer
God of steadfast love and mercy,
remind us once again that in Jesus Christ
everything has become new.
For far too often,
things seem as they have always been:
old habits die hard,
difficult situations linger,
failures from our past linger.
We look for your promised newness
but cannot see it.
Speak to us again of your new creation.
Open our eyes to its presence in our lives.
Call us forth to claim this newness,
that we may be healed and made whole. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Psalm 32)
O God,
when we keep silence about our sin,
we waste away with regret and guilt;
we feel your hand upon us,
and our strength dries up.
And so we acknowledge our sin to you,
holding nothing back,
for you are a hiding place for us;
we trust in you to preserve us.
Forgive us and reclaim us, we pray. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Psalm 32)
Steadfast love surrounds those
who put their trust in God,
for God forgives the guilt of their sin.
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven!
Be glad in God!
Prayer of Preparation (Psalm 32)
O God,
teach us the way that we should go;
counsel us in the ways of life.
We wait upon your teaching and counsel,
for we are lost without it. Amen.
Response to the Word (Luke 15)
(Use this as a Prayer of Confession after a sermon based on Luke 15)
Loving God,
when we wander to distant places,
you watch the road to greet us
when we finally come home.
Whenever we are far from you,
remind us that we are your beloved children,
the longing of your heart,
and give us the strength and courage
to return to your open arms.
When we have sinned against heaven and before you,
forgive us, for we are coming home! Amen.
Words of Assurance (Luke 15)
Quickly, bring out the robes, the best ones.
Put them on—and these golden rings, too!
For my children who were lost are now found.
Let us celebrate and rejoice!
(Hobby shops sell very inexpensive, bendable rings. Drape a
luxurious robe on the Communion table, and pass out baskets of
golden rings to joyous music.)
—OR—
Response to the Word or Benediction (Psalm 32)
Happy are those whose sin is forgiven!
In times of distress,
the mighty waters shall not reach us.
You, O God, are our hiding place.
You preserve us from trouble.
You surround us with glad cries of deliverance.
Happy are those whose sin is forgiven!
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation to the Offering (Luke 15, 2 Corinthians 5)
Through the gifts of our possessions and our presence, we let those who are far from home know that we are their brothers and sisters. Through our gifts, we welcome them to our home, to God’s home. We are the ambassadors for Jesus, our brother and savior, spreading the news of a home of love and hope through our gifts.
Offering Prayer (Luke 15)
Bless these gifts, Generous God,
that they may be used to find your children—
children who wander in hunger,
children who long to come home.
Through our gifts,
may all who wander set off for home,
and may we celebrate and rejoice
in their homecoming. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Psalm 32, Luke 15)
Go forth in renewed strength, knowing who you are:
the sons and daughters of God—
celebrated, rejoiced in, welcomed, dearly loved.
Wear your robe and ring with joy!
Be glad in God and rejoice, O you righteous!
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Psalm 32, 2 Corinthians 5, Luke 15)
Have you looked for crocus shoots or buds on trees?
Look around and see the newness!
Did you hear this week about love in action?
Look around and see the newness!
Did someone who was lost find her way home?
Look around and see the newness!
In Jesus Christ, God is busy making all things new!
Be glad in God and rejoice!
Praise Sentences (Psalm 32)
Be glad in God and rejoice!
Everything old has passed away!
Be glad in God and rejoice!
Everything has become new!
From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2016 is now available.
WORSHIP CONNECTION: MARCH 6, 2016 by Nancy C. Townley
Fourth Sunday in Lent
COLOR: Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1
L: Come, let us celebrate the forgiving, reconciling love of God.
P: For once we were lost and felt so far away; now we have been found and welcomed home.
L: Know that God’s love is lavished upon you forever.
P: We rejoice at the news of forgiveness and hope!
L: Come, let us celebrate and praise the God of Love.
P: AMEN!
Call to Worship #2
L: How blessed we are that God forgives us and loves us!
P: For all those times when we have fallen short of what God would have us be, we have been forgiven.
L: God makes us new in God’s Spirit!
P: Now is the time to joyfully accept the newness of life which God offers to us.
L: Come, let us worship and be thankful.
P: Let us open our hearts to the peace and joy of God. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2055, “You Are My Hiding Place”, offer the following call to worship as directed]
Choir: singing the song through one time.
L: From darkness and despair, from being lost and lonely, God calls us home.
P: Even though we have been selfish and let God down, we are still called beloved.
L: Remember the eternal love of God which has been poured out for you.
P: Our hearts rejoice at the wondrous ways in which God loves and forgives us.
L: Remember that in all your ways you can trust in God’s compassion.
Congregation: singing the song through one time.
Call to Worship #4
L: We have been given a ministry of reconciliation and sharing.
P: God reconciled us to God’s self through the witness of Jesus Christ.
L: No longer do we need to fear.
P: Hope has been given to us.
L: So we are now ambassadors for Christ. God is making God’s appeal to all humankind through us - in all that we say, think and do.
P: Praise be to God who has placed God’s trust in us. We will strive to serve God faithfully. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
How incredible is your love, O God! We have been made new in your love and reconciled to you and to each other in peace and joy. Be with us this day as we hear your words of comfort and hope. Guide our lives that we may serve you more fully all of our days. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
Lord, it is interesting that it is easy for us to identify with today’s scripture about the “Prodigal Son”. Some of us are easily reminded of our own selfishness and stubbornness when we willfully sought our own way. Others are reminded about how angry we were when others were not held accountable for their actions, when we have been so careful not to displease anyone. Still others can identify with the father who, feeling the loss of his son, welcomes him home again, reminding the brother that he has always been in the love and care of the Father. We hear this story and it’s a pleasant memory. But do we really understand what it is about? Do we know that we have also been stubborn and selfish, angry and unforgiving, sorrowful and caught between two conflicting factions? We are no different from these characters, in our own unique way. Yet, in God’s infinite love, we also are forgiven and healed. We are called to turn our lives back to God’s care, which is always extended to us. Forgive us and heal us, gracious God. Open our hearts and our spirits to truly receive the blessings of your healing love. For it is in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, that we pray. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Once we were “dead” to all the things that God hoped for us; but in God’s love we are again brought to life. Rejoice, dear ones, you are forgiven!
Pastoral Prayer
Gracious Lord, we have set aside this day to celebrate One Great Hour of Sharing, a time in which we can offer our help and our substance for the work of your kingdom in helping others. We have created a special day for this offering, yet you would have us adopt this attitude of sharing all of our days. Bring us to the understanding of the joy of sharing all that we have with others; of reaching out to others in compassion and love as you have done for us. We hear the words of scriptures about the Hebrew people who had wandered long in the wilderness. They were fed on the manna which you provided for them; at last they were able to provide for themselves. Help us to realize that you have given us all that we need to be those who would bring peace and hope to others. Let us place our trust in you so that our sharing is a reflection of your forgiving and reconciling love. In Jesus Christ, we offer this prayer. AMEN.
Litany/Reading
[It will be important to have the readers practice their lines, seeking to determine the attitude and stance of each of the characters. In each instance the first speech is one of anger, self-reliance, disrespect; however, in each of the second speeches, the tone is one of contrition. The “voice” reader should be the same person, reading in an even, and compassionate tone. Don’t over-dramatize the first lines following the first speeches of each of the readers. The power comes at the end when the message of hope and reconciliation is given equally to each one.]
Reader 1: I’m going to do whatever I want! I have the right to my own life. Even though someone wants to control me and run my life, I’m going to go far from here and make my own way. I know that I can do it.
Voice: Even though you will be far away, know that my love goes with you.
Reader 2: Listen! There are so many things happening to me right now. I don’t have time for the “love, peace, and joy” stuff. You’ve got to make in the world on your own. Do unto others before they do unto you - that’s my motto. Look out for number one, and I’m number one in my life.
Voice: When you reject all the love that I have poured on you, I will still love you.
Reader 3: I’ve always been responsible, taking care of things when no one else would do it. I never asked for much, not much in the light of what has been given to others who are less appreciative. I have stayed and done the job. It’s about time someone could see how faithful I have been. I deserve something for that.
Voice: Beloved one, you have my love and my thanks for all that you have been and continue to be. Know that you are never out of my love.
Reader 1: I’ve failed miserably. I thought that I knew everything, that I could make it on my own, that I didn’t need your love and care. How can I face you now?
Voice: Come home. Come to me. Forgiveness and welcome await you always.
Reader 2: I kept my focus on myself and all the so called “things” that were important to me, but they just proved to be shadows. What I really needed all along was to let myself feel your love, your trust, your forgiveness. How can I face you now?
Voice: Come home, Come to me. Forgiveness and welcome await you always.
Reader 3: I stand here proclaiming myself to be so righteous, but the truth is that I am also selfish. I couldn’t look beyond my own needs and see the joy of the reconciliation of others. I thought the only thing I needed was to be appreciated, to be told that I was important, but I wanted that in light of diminishing the importance of others. How can I face you now?
Voice: Come home. Come to me. Forgiveness and welcome await you always.
Benediction
Forgiven and Beloved Ones of God, go now in peace, sharing with others the Good News of God’s love. Help those in need. Give and receive from each other the joy of peace. Amen.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
Note: I recommend putting a brief paragraph describing or explaining the symbolism used in your visual display in the worship bulletin. This a good teaching tool for the congregation.
The traditional color for this Sunday is PURPLE.
The theme for Lent is JOURNEY INWARD/JOURNEY FORWARD. The idea is that discipleship is a journey that is first lived inward, introspectively, reality-check, and then lived forward in service. The worship center will remain covered with the base cloth of burlap or other neutral rough material. Each week something will be added to the worship center and perhaps other things removed, until all are placed at the foot of the cross. I recommend that you have someone construct an “old, rugged Cross”, about 6-7 feet tall, on a free standing base. This cross will be used during Holy Week, but you want to plan far enough ahead to have it ready.
The theme for today is forgiveness, with the gospel‘s focus on the story of the Prodigal Son. This is a theme which is difficult to symbolize. I have used a sign which says “Welcome Home!” and added a traveling cloak and the walking stick beside it. Again the cloak represents the journey both inward and outward, but also moving away from something and returning to something
Remember that you also may have the walking stick and back pack from Lent 1, the rocks/bricks from Lent 2, the gnarled branches from Lent 3 remaining in your worship center. If you feel that is too crowded, only use the theme for the day. A lot depends on your space.
SURFACE: Place several risers on the worship center. The tallest riser, approximately 1 foot above the main level of the worship center, should be placed to the upper left as you are facing the worship center. The other risers, about 4-6” high, may be placed, one at the center and the other slightly to the right of the middle one.
FABRIC: Cover the worship center in burlap or other neutral colored, rough fabric. Under the welcome home sign, place a 15” square of yellow fabric.
CANDLES: On the middle riser, place a white pillar candle, about 10” high, representing Christ. Place a back pack and a walking stick against the worship center. You may place a canteen and walking shoes on the worship center, if you wish - there is no map, no compass, only what you bring with you (Note: you may want to make this part of the statement about this particular journey during Lent). To represent the concept of welcome, you might consider a lantern or a special candle to be placed by the welcome home sign.
FLOWERS/PLANTS: No plants or flowers on the worship center
ROCKS/WOOD: Some rocks and wood may be placed on the center and at the base of the worship center.
OTHER: No cross on the worship center at this time. Create a special “Welcome Home” sign which can be read from just about anywhere in the sanctuary. Make it bright and welcoming. This will be placed where it can be seen and tied into the theme of reconciliation and renewal.
SERMON OPTIONS: MARCH 6, 2016
SUSPENDED JOY
JOSHUA 5:9-12
Have your ever lost something? The wilderness had taken its toll on the people of God. For forty years Israel has been a transient nation, wandering throughout an endless desert wilderness with no destination. They were there because they broke covenant with Yahweh. And throughout those four decades they suspended covenant living, thus suspending the joy of the covenant God. If they were to regain the joy of covenant privilege there was a standard of living to be maintained. Joshua summons the joyless people to a new departure—a departure to joy.
I. A Return to Joy Begins by Reestablishing a Pattern of Godly Living
Their disgrace seems to be a noncovenant status from not obeying the law of circumcision in the desert. The mass circumcision described atonement for a whole generation's neglect. God's intention was a circumcised heart, a new commitment to not pass disobedience on to another generation.
Gilgal, which means "circle," is a play on words related to the Hebrew gallothi, "to roll away." The designation of flint knives indicates that iron knives were in common use (v. 2). However, only through obedience to Yahweh and dedication to covenant demands could Israel be a conquering nation. Circumcision testifies that their God is native among them, a presence that heals and restores joy. This sanctuary can be your Gilgal, the place where you too roll away the sadness of life and become a conqueror again.
II. To Restore the Joy of God's Promise You Must Also Release the Past
Verses 10-12 are the climactic words of the entire Exodus narrative. Combining the two independent feasts, the full moon festival and the Passover, Israel must transition from wilderness manna to Canaan's fruit.
On that day the manna ceased. The point was not that they had denied themselves yeast, but joy. Now they could eat a normal diet with the prospect of much more to come.
What has tied you to the past, to disappointment? Virginia Dailey wrote in Healing for Life's Hurts: "We look back with dismay upon our wrong decisions, poor choices. . . . We dwell endlessly on our past mistakes until we make ourselves miserable and physically or emotionally ill. . . . We can't drop those hateful errors. . . . We keep dragging them out. . . . Continual rehashing of previous mistakes can cause us to lead gloomy lives" (pp. 50-52).
Personal power begins today by releasing your past—the mistakes, the pain, the misfortune to the creative ability of God. The preacher wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1, "For everything there is a season . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."
III. To Restore the Joy of God's Promise You Must Rehearse the Pleasure of God's Presence
"They ate"—they began eating and continued to enjoy the produce of the land. The "produce" was a provision of grain not planted by Israel. Joy was not something they could produce. It is a state that God alone can provide.
"Grandma," he began, "you said when I eat a piece of pie I should say thank you, keep one hand in my lap with the napkin, and eat every bite, right?" "Yes, that's right," she replied. At that he requested, "Well, do you have a piece of pie I could practice on?" Rehearsing obedience to the word of God, Israel learned the success of God's ability.
Rehearsing a cleansed life, a circumcised life, Israel experienced the joy of God's affirming presence as opposed to God's corrective presence.
You rehearse the pleasure of God's providing presence by disciplined prayer, memorization of Scripture, trust in God's ability during difficult times. It is time for you, as C. S. Lewis phrased it, to be surprised by joy. (Barry J. Beames)
NEW CREATIONS IN CHRIST
2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-21
"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new" (v. 17). That is exactly what I am afraid of. Everything old has passed away. But I like a lot of the old me. In fact, I like most of the old me. Sure, nobody is perfect, but all that was needed was a minor correction here to some language that wasn't always good; moderate a few other minor habits that were rather excessive. Just a touch-up here and there and I would have been fine.
If anyone be in Christ, they are a new creation. And that's where the problem is. It isn't me that needs to be made better, it is all of them. If the men would just treat women better, then there would be no problem. It isn't women who need to be new creatures in Christ, it is the men. It isn't the minorities who need to be more responsible and work harder, it is the whites who need a new attitude. It isn't the Irish Catholics who need to be new creatures in Christ, it is the Protestants.
That is precisely one of the major problems the good news has. There is all this talk about being a new creation in Christ, and we are not sure we want to be a new creation. We have been told by the New Age religion that God is everywhere and we are God, so we feel pretty good about ourselves. Why should we want to be different? The educational philosophy of the last twenty years has been trying to give me self-confidence, self-esteem, and isn't it a surefire sign of lack of self-esteem to believe that I need to be made over, to be made new?
"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation, everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new." We don't think we need to be made new, but we do think you need to be worked on. So why do we keep preaching that if it is not what we think we need? Because we will admit that there are terrible conflicts raging around us. There are hostilities that are more than four thousand years old still being fought in the Middle East; there are conflicts between tribes in Africa; there are Chinese people shooting at other Chinese people for a tiny little island. And there is a war in our own family—fathers and mothers fighting over power and intimacy, there are children fighting with each other, and children fighting still with their parents. If we are ever to find any reconciliation and peace, it is going to be as we accept the gift of God to make us all new in the gift of Christ.
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us" (vv. 18-19). We do not come judging you and telling you that you need to become reconciled because you have this and this fault. We are not telling you to become new in Christ because you are a failure or you are a horrible sinner. We are not into the counting of weaknesses and trespasses.
We invite you into Christ so that Christ might be at work in you so that you become part of the new reconciled humanity that is not playing games of "I'm better than you," "Did so, did not," "Yes, but," and "Give me, give me, give me." God is at work in the power of Jesus Christ to bring all creation and all humanity together in a new heaven and a new earth, and it is only as we become one in Christ that we are renewed so that we are fit for this new, reconciled and redeemed community. And in that new creation we do not lose our interests and talents and abilities, our love for Scrabble, and our delight in country music. Our new creation is all our unique talents and abilities now made compatible with the abilities and interests of others so that we are all made better and more talented and more blessed by the gifts of all.
We are invited to become new in Christ, to become one in Christ so that we can participate in a whole new reconciled reality. It is not that the old is lost, but the old is united in reconciliation and redemption with all others and thus made new. (Rick Brand)
THE PIGSTY FREEDOM OF A WAYWARD SON
LUKE 15:1-3, 11b-32
The parable of the prodigal son begins with a declaration of independence. The young son of the good father has decided to make his own way in the world. Evidently he finds himself pinched by the constraining limits of family life. The household traditions have grown to seem oppressive to the young man, whose imagination is filled with the exciting possibilities of the wider world. The familiar atmosphere has grown stale.
Surely life must have more to offer than this. Surely there are places where the rising of the sun brings something new with it and not just more of the same old stuff yesterday was made of. The son wants to experience the thrill of the unknown. He believes this will not be possible as long as he stays under the protective but suffocating roof of his father's house. He must leave. He must go out and live on his own. He must be free.
The young man has so often been depicted as a low-life rowdy. We think of him as being the archetypical "party animal." Consequently most of us don't see ourselves in him. The young man was a self-indulgent pleasure-seeker who was utterly without prudence or forethought. We're not that way, are we? But maybe he's more like us than we want to admit.
Sure, the Bible says that he got involved in "loose living." But must we conclude that he was after nothing more than cheap thrills? Perhaps what was going on was that he was on a quest for self-realization. He wanted to expand his horizons, discover new things about himself and his world, find out who he was apart from his father. Perhaps he did things he had never done before so that he could learn to be himself, and not just be his father's son. Perhaps by doing more he could be more. If he could just cast off the limitations and responsibilities of the past he could live in a magnificent freedom that would put all manner of exciting possibilities at his fingertips.
It took the prodigal son some time to make this realization. But finally, the Bible tells us, "he came to himself." He discovered that life independent of his father was not so grand as he thought it might be. The hard-won knowledge that he attained was that his purpose in life and his true identity were to be found in his father's household, not in rebellion and isolation from his father.
The prodigal son had a bad experience with his freedom. The consequences of his actions were more than he could bear. He was entirely ready to get rid of it. "I will arise and go to my father, and I will say . . . I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants." But while it can be a dangerous and demeaning thing to give up our freedom to other people or to governments or even to churches, it is only as we place our freedom in the hands of God that we can live in true freedom. Only as we are willing to take our place as servants, indeed, as slaves in the household of God can we experience liberation as children of God.
Some people have noted that when the prodigal son went home he never did ask to be received as a servant. He was taken back as a son. True. But every true child of God is also a servant of God. And even in earthly households both children and servants must accept structures, guidance, and obligations from outside themselves. But with God we are most free when we are most obedient. For we are able to find our true selves and our higher purpose only as we take our place under the loving authority of God.
Some years ago, a visitor to a factory in Detroit, Michigan was very upset because he had seen a man chained to his machine. The visitor concluded that some form of secret slave labor was being practiced. But, in fact, the chain was a safety feature. A mechanism had been devised that would pull the man's hands out of the way before the press closed. Light chains were attached to straps around his wrists as a safeguard against absentmindedness. To an unknowledgeable observer it looked like some cruel practice was taking place when in fact it was a blessing.
So it is in our relationship with God. The word of command is a word of blessing and the call to be children and servants of God is a call of the One who loves us more than we love ourselves. Like the good father of the parable, God has given us the capacity to choose to live against the divine Word or to live out of relationship with God. But true freedom is ours only as we are willing to be servants in the household of God who lovingly receives us as sons and daughters. (Craig M. Watts)
WORSHIP FOR KIDS: MARCH 6, 2016 by Carolyn C. Brown
From a Child's Point of View
Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32. Most church children will be familiar with this story since it is included in much church school curriculum. The message of the story is that God is like a father who keeps on loving his child no matter what the child has done. The promise to children is that nothing they can do is so bad that God will give up on them. Children who feel they never meet their parents' high standards, children who are constantly in trouble with parents and teachers at home and school, and children who do not have loving parents draw special security from this promise-story.
Be careful about using "father" language. Remember that the parable says God is like a father, not is a father. God is also like a loving mother, an always-there-for-you grandparent, or a special aunt or uncle. To help children stretch their understanding that God is more than any of our images, and to protect those children who do not have loving fathers, avoid phrases which imply that God is a father.
Any child who has a brother or sister can appreciate the older brother's position. It always seems that the other one is getting away with murder. Older children feel that younger siblings go to bed later than they did at the same age, are given less demanding chores and rules, and are "let off" more easily when the rules are broken. Frequently, they are right. Parents often learn as they raise a first child that they need not "sweat the small stuff." Expectations of the younger children are relaxed. Family schedules change as the shape and age of the family as a whole change. And of course, different children have different needs. All this is hard for children to see and to interpret as fair, loving behavior. It is so easy to decide that "they love her more than they do me" and to cry "Unfair!" with the older brother.
The challenge to the preacher is not to convince children that they are equally loved (some are not), but to urge them to be friends with their siblings—even if they are spoiled and petted. Children are not to judge their siblings harshly, but to judge them with love.
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 5:16-21. This is what happens when a trained preacher (Paul) puts the meaning of Jesus' parable into his own words: The simple is made beautifully profound in ten-letter words. Although Paul's big words and complex sentence structure are intimidating at first glance, all that children need in order to understand Paul's message is a good definition of reconciliation. The Good News Bible provides the best definition: "God . . . changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also." In other words, God (1) has treated each of us with all the forgiving love the father bestowed on the lost son; and (2) asks us to reach out to other "lost sons" as the father asked the older brother to welcome the returned brother.
Old Testament: Joshua 5:9-12. Before reading this passage, remind worshipers of the story and purpose of manna. With this background, children can hear that God kept the promise. God fed the people until they were able to eat the food of the Promised Land.
Psalm: 32. The sin vocabulary of this psalm makes it difficult for children to understand as it is read. But it includes a description of a situation that is familiar to them and parallels that of the runaway son in Jesus' parable. The psalmist, like children, knows what it is like to hide after having done something wrong. It feels awful! It can make you feel sick. Fortunately, the psalmist also knows how good it feels to admit what you have done and be forgiven. Then you feel happy enough to shout for joy (verse 11).
Watch Words
Reconcile, reconciliation, and reconciling are key words in these texts, especially in 2 Corinthians. This word group is worth introducing, defining, and using again and again to build familiarity. The Good News Bible translates these words as phrases about "making enemies into friends." Peacemaking and peacemaker are good parallel words.
Let the Children Sing
"For the Beauty of the Earth" and "Now Thank We All Our God" praise the God who is Lord of a world united by love.
"Let There Be Peace on Earth, and Let It Begin with Me" gives us the opportunity to commit ourselves to the ministry of reconciliation.
The words of "In Christ There Is No East or West" and "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" are difficult for children. Make the message of either song visual by asking everyone in the congregation to hold hands or to put a hand on the shoulder of the person holding the hymnbook.
The Liturgical Child
1. To create a responsive prayer of confession, the worship leader offers a series of brief prayers about our stubborn sins (greed, wanting our own way, etc.). To each, the congregation responds: "Lord, forgive us when we act like stubborn mules." For example:
Lord, we admit that even when we know what you would have us do, when we know your will, when we know what the loving thing is, we ignore it. Instead, we do what we want. (RESPONSE)
2. As the parable is read, have three actors pantomime the action. Although it is possible for children to do pantomiming with some practice, teenage or adult actors can express feelings with their faces and bodies more forcefully and with more insight. The richness of their performances will add to the understanding of worshipers of all ages.
Begin with all three actors at the front of the church. The younger son can "run away" down the middle aisle (perhaps throwing party confetti), "eat with the pigs" near the back of the church, then walk "home to meet his father" in the chancel.
3. If you sing "In Christ There Is No East or West" or "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" as a closing hymn, begin the charge and benediction before hands can be dropped. Say something like this:
God in Christ has changed us from enemies into friends. We are God's friends, and we are friends to one another. Now go out into the world, supported by God's love and the love of your friends in this congregation. Make friends with other people. Reach out in love to draw others into God's worldwide family. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us. Amen.
4. Remember to pray about spring vacations (from school) the week before they occur. Pray for safety, a good time, a chance to be outside, and so on. Remember as you pray that not all children will leave town on exciting trips.
Sermon Resources
1. Tell stories in which children take the lead in peacemaking. School children in Illinois welcomed AIDS victim Ryan White after another community had forced him and his mother to move. Every summer, Catholic and Protestant children, who would not speak to one another at home in Ireland, visit America together. In the process they form friendships they can use to build understanding between warring groups back home.
2. List some of the sinners God loved and used: tricky Jacob, braggy Joseph, hate-filled Jonah, Saul/Paul, and Jesus' disciples (a temperamental fisherman, a fiery troublemaker, a cheating tax-collector). The stories of these people are further proof of God's love. They challenge us to befriend the "impossible" people we live with at home, at school, and in the community.
3. One verse of "Jesus Loves Me" particularly fits the story of the loving father:
Jesus loves me when I'm good.
When I do the things I should.
Jesus loves me when I'm bad,
Even though it makes him sad.
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Ministry Matters
2222 Rosa L. Parks Boulvard
Nashville, Tennessee 37228, United States
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