Sunday, July 16, 2006

Who Is The Church?


Today, I preached about ecuminism. My Scripture text was John 17:20-26 where Jesus prayed that all beleivers would be united in Him. What is ecumenism? It is a movement promoting unity among Christian churches or denominations. The word “ecumenism” is derived from a Greek word that basically means “the inhabited world.” It is used several times in the New Testament, but one time in particular stands out. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all the world…” All the world. That is the spirit of ecumenism. All the world. We are to be one Church, one body of believers united by our common belief in the saving power and grace of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 12 said, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." THat was the point I tried to get across this morning. The Church (capital "C"), the Body of Christ is bigger than any 1 local congregation, bigger than any one denomination, and we as disciples of Jesus Christ must realize this fact and work together to be part of God's answer to Jesus' prayer that we would be one.

To put it another way, being the Church is like eating Oreos. How many different ways are there to eat an Oreo? Some of us simply start eating it, nibbling at it as if we had all the time in the world. Some of us will twist it apart and lick the filling out first. Some of us will get a glass of milk and hold the Oreo in there until it almost ready to fall apart, and at the last minute pull it out and eat the whole thing in one bite! Does it really matter how we eat the Oreo? In the end, the Oreo is still being eaten!... What do you think?

If your heart is as my heart, then give me your hand.
Grace & Peace,
Rev.Kev

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Running the Race of Faith: What I learned from a flying pig.

On May 7th of this year I did something I never thought I would--I ran a marathon--the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, OH!
Now I didn't break any land-speed records, and I didn't qualify for the Boston Marathon, but I finished (4 hours 29 minutes). I ran as part of "Team in Training," which is part of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Basically, they helped me get ready to finish the marathon & I helped them by raising money for LL Society ($1650). It was a great experience, and I will probably never run a marathon again. The run was great, but the lessons I learned were greater...In Hebrews 12:1 it says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us." I was reflecting on this while I was running this morning and I realized that faith is more like an endurance contest and less like a speed contest. I confess that throughout most of my life I have treated faith like a series of sprints. I get all fired up and I run full bore for a very short distance, then I have to stop and catch my breath. What I have learned from the flying pig is that I should have a training plan instead of simply sprinting until I collapse. I learned to rejoice in the process of gradual improvement (sanctification?). I learned that the "training" is easier with friends (like my friend John in the picture). I learned a new rhythm to my breathing--when I felt like my heart rate was getting too high I would take a deep breath thinking "Jesus in" hold for a couple of seconds then let it out thinking "Kevin out." I usually do that in threes, it seems to work for me and keeps me centered on Christ when I run. I learned that having goals is a powerful motivator--I was training to finish a marathon (26.2 miles) and I raised money to help with blood cancer research. I learned that having mentors/coaches increases that likelihood of success geometrically. What better way could there be to get somewhere in your journey than to learn from someone who has already been there? Last, but not least, I learned that I can complete what I set out to complete if I rely on God and my brothers & sisters in Christ. That's what I learned from a flying pig.
Grace & Peace,
Rev.Kev



Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Rant N Rev


Hi & welcome to the inaugural posting of rantnrev. I am your rant n rev host--Kevin. I am starting this blog because sometimes I want to rant & sometimes I want to express reverence for God and the Grace, Mercy, & Love our Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God pours out on us. I hope to share with people around the world about the joys and concerns of our journey with God the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.
Grace & Peace,
Rev.Kev