FUMC Page 1 12/24/2006

We made it. Christmas day is tomorrow. After the two worship services today most of us will be enjoying family and recovering from the hustle and bustle of the season. Steph, the kids and I will be driving to Texas (yeehaw!). Whatever you may be doing on the 25th remember, the Church set aside this day to remember the Incarnation—God putting on flesh and becoming human. Christmas is the day to celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, the greatest gift ever given.

Emmanuel. God with us. That’s what Christmas is all about. And to speak the name should be enough. I should be able to simply stand up and say God is with us and that should be enough to move us on our way, longing to look out for one another, making us yearn to be connected to this creator of the universe who loved us so much that he gave up heaven to come to earth to be with us. God with us. Why even say more?

There’s a part of me that wants to say nothing else. If I stop now it’s a happy message—one that will make us all feel good; one that reminds us how much God loves each one of us, and one that helps us to grasp how important we are to God. But I will say more because it is important to do so. All week, Stephanie and I have struggled with writing a sermon about Emmanuel—God with us—as our hope, our peace, and our joy. We had this idea that we would write something uplifting so that everyone would leave feeling happy and joyous on Christmas Eve, and so that happy feeling would take us through Christmas Day. But then Thursday happened. Thursday was the day we passed out food baskets and gifts to needy families in Sardinia.

On Thursday morning, Steph went to the store and bought all of the perishable items and then Linda, Marge, and Dennie came on Thursday afternoon and helped me get the boxes organized and ready. And then at five Steph went to the church to pass everything out. There is a part of me—that would like for things at that point to have gone something like this: the people walk in, tell me their names, take the food, and go. I know that sounds a bit harsh and I don’t mean to sound ugly, but if things would have worked that way, that would have been easy. Instead, a good number of people walked through the door and told their stories. One woman can’t work because of a bad accident a couple of years ago and so now all of her utilities will soon be turned off. One young couple with three small children struggles as the husband tries to go to college and can’t find a job that will work around his schedule. One woman just looked completely overwhelmed by the gifts. I mean completely overwhelmed. She’s struggling through a bad divorce and she’s trying to work and earn her GED and raise three kids all at the same time. And on top of all that, her car was stolen on Thanksgiving weekend. One woman has a seventeen year old daughter with a three year old child and another daughter who I think is a drug addict. One woman has three sons and I’m pretty confident that she’s an alcoholic. One woman’s husband is an alcoholic and his alcoholism is completely destroying their family life. Every family comes with a story, and some of those stories aren’t so great.

Later on in the evening Joy Polstra came and helped out for a while. She heard a few of the stories, too. And I heard some of Joy’s story—parts that I hadn’t heard before. And we had a good conversation about what was going on. Steph told her that the days where we buy food and give out meals are the worst and the best days. She asked why they were the worst. Steph told her that we don’t love doing the shopping and the organizing necessary to make a day like this happen. It takes a long time and a good amount of concentration. But then Steph was also really honest and told her that the pastoring part of being a pastor doesn’t come easy to her. (Isn’t that a great thing to hear one of your pastors say?) That is why she keeps doing the food pantry and the Thanksgiving and the Christmas meals. At this point in her life, this is the only thing that keeps her connected with the poor and the needy.

Thursday night Stephanie did something that she rarely does—she went to bed at 10:00. Part of the reason was because she was physically tired. But I think the bigger reason is because we were emotionally spent. Their stories don’t simply go away. Their stories are now forever a part of us. And we feel powerless.

Steph and I sat down and we talked about all of this. And we talked about Emmanuel—God with us. The four Advent candles traditionally represent love, peace, joy, and hope. This is Emmanuel—God with us. Out of his great love, God sent Jesus to be our peace, our joy, and our hope. We call this act the incarnation. The word literally means “in the flesh.” God is with us. But, as Steph and I discussed all that had happened on Thursday, the question arose: how is God “Emmanuel” for the folks we met last Thursday? How is God love, and peace, and joy, and hope for those distressed faces that walked through the door? This is the question we must struggle to answer…

Let me switch gears—our reading from Titus is quite interesting when taken in context. Titus is a short letter. It was written by Paul to Titus who was leading the church at Crete. Paul says to Titus in chapter one, “I left you in Crete so that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint leaders in every town.” Titus was supposed to be in the business of putting upstanding people in charge of what were most likely small house churches. Paul then reminds Titus that there was a group of Jews going around telling people that they had to be circumcised first in order to be a Christian. And no—this is not anti-Semitic literature—Paul was a Jew also. Paul wasn’t calling Jews troublesome—he was calling the “circumcision group” troublesome. So then Paul says to Titus—you’re job is to teach people what is appropriate to sound doctrine. And he gives a list to give to the people and the list is about behavior. Here’s how these certain groups of people should act so that “God our Savior will be attractive.” And that’s where our reading starts, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives…while we wait for our blessed hope.”

“The grace of God has appeared.” Here’s my brief interpretation:

“Act like you believe what you say you believe so that God will be attractive because God’s love and salvation is for everybody.”

Generally when I read these types of passages I focus in on the “God’s love is for everybody” parts of it, but right now I’m focused in on the “Act like you believe what you say you believe” part.

What is it that we believe? As Christians what do we believe about how we should act? One way to begin to find an answer is to go to the source. In Luke chapter four, we find Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown. This episode takes place very early in his ministry. He stands up and he takes the scroll of Isaiah and he says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." ²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.”

The way Jesus, Emmanuel, the incarnate One, starts his ministry is our first clue. He makes very clear who his message is for and what he has come to do. As we keep reading through the gospels we find that Jesus over and over again goes to the poor, the helpless, and the outcasts. We find that Jesus loves and touches the unclean, the women, the forgotten, the Gentiles—all the people that he isn’t supposed to touch. And he proclaims the good news—that the kingdom of God is at hand. In other words, he tells the people that Emmanuel has come. Jesus is the good news! The incarnation—the fact that God has come in the flesh to be with us is the good news!

Now, do we really believe that Jesus is our ultimate example? Do we really believe that in Jesus we find our hope, our joy, and our peace? Because our actions are based on our beliefs, aren’t they? This is what Titus is telling us. Say “no” to all of the stuff that keeps you from loving your neighbor. Say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions so that your life can make a difference for the kingdom of God. We are saved to do good so that others might want to be saved so that they will do good so that others might want to be saved. See how that works? The cycle keeps going, one person at a time, redeeming and reconciling a lost and hurting world.

Emmanuel. God with us. How is “God with us” for those people who walked through the door on Thursday evening or for the kids I see standing on the street corner? I don’t know all of the answers, but I hope that together we can figure some out. I open to suggestions for outreach to the schools. Let’s prayerfully consider what we can do in this community.

Part of what we are called to do as Christians is to get together and figure out ways to act like Christians. I am starting a program in January that is designed to help us do just that. You’ll find information on the insert about the 1^st meeting that will take place at the Sardinia church. All four churches are invited to come and learn about this program. The January 9^th meeting will be an informational meeting. The whole point of program is to help us to study the Bible together, to pray together, to be in relationship together, to be accountable to one another, so that our individual lives will be enhanced and then our communal life will be enhanced and then we will make God attractive to those around us. The point is to teach us to live incarnationally. A reason that we celebrate Christmas is to remind ourselves of God’s great gift to us and also to remind us that we now represent God’s great gift. Living incarnationally means that we are fully aware of the fact that we represent Jesus to a lost and hurting world. The people who walked through the door on Thursday hopefully got a glimpse of what God with us looks like, but we all know that a meal and some gifts aren’t enough. We all know that the real answer is Jesus. I ran across a poem that I would like to share with you. This poem is about the importance of incarnational living. It was written by Tim Celek and Dieter Zander.

Do you know,
do you understand
that you represent
Jesus to me?

Do you know,
do you understand
that when you
treat me with gentleness,
it raises the question in my mind
that maybe he is gentle, too?
Maybe he isn't someone
who laughs when I am hurt.

Do you know,
do you understand
that when you listen to my questions
and you don't laugh,
I think,
"What if Jesus is interested in me, too?"

Do you know,
do you understand
that when I hear you talk about arguments
and conflict and scars from your past
that I think, "Maybe I am just a regular person
instead of a bad, no-good, little girl who deserves abuse?"

If you care,
I think maybe he cares --
and then there's this flame of hope
that burns inside of me,
and for a while,
I am afraid to breathe
because it might go out.

Do you know,
do you understand
that your words are his words?
Your face,
his face
to someone like me?

Please be who you say you are.
Please, God, don't let this be another trick.
Please let this be real.
Please.

Do you know,
do you understand
that you represent
Jesus to me?

This is Emmanuel.

As you leave today and you go about the business of Christmas celebrations, leave feeling really, really good. God really loves you. Christmas proves how much God loves you. But I want you to also begin thinking about living incarnationally in a lost and hurting world.

I know I don’t say it enough, but we truly are blessed to be your pastoral family. May Emmanuel be born anew in your hearts and homes every day.

Amen.

Benediction:

Go in peace, love and care for one another in the name of Christ, and may the hope, the joy, the peace, and the love of God dwell richly within you; may God grant unto you a humble spirit and an a compassionate heart, and may his strength, his tenderness, his wisdom and his grace guide you and support you both now and forevermore. Amen

1

Bumps in the Road

Luke 2:1-5 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

As we were reflecting on the Christmas story this year we were drawn to the journey that Mary & Joseph had to make. It seems that the journey was not at all smooth and easy. As a matter of fact the text even said they went “up!” (Do you remember those stories your daddy told about walking to school in the snow uphill both ways? J) There were many obstacles, not the least of which was the fact that Mary was very pregnant—not a good time to go on an 80-mile hike! There were rough spots on the road, it was dirty, and the days may have been hot and the nights were probably cold. They had to make the trip because the oppressive occupying force, Rome, wanted to count everyone and Joseph knew what that meant—higher taxes! To top it all off, when they finally arrived in Bethlehem there was nowhere for them to stay. In spite of all this frustration and hardship was the hope Mary carried in her womb, the little baby that had to be laid in a feeding trough—Jesus.

We currently live in a world where folks all over are experiencing “bumps in the road.” Sadness and despair are all around us. But the hope Marry carried in her womb was born, lived, died, and, in victory, rose to life again. That hope is what Advent is all about. When you hit a bump in your road, cling to Hope. Know that God has done, is doing, and will do the seemingly impossible just because he loves us! And the incarnation (God coming to earth as Jesus) is proof of that incredible love. Remember that “Emmanuel” means “God is with us!” And if God is with us, who or what can be against us? Have a blessed Advent season and a wonderful Christmas time!

In the love of Christ,
Pastors Kevin and Stephanie White

The Porpoise Driven Life

A few weeks ago I preached on the Sabbath rest. God wants us to enter His rest. The Israelites of Moses’ time experienced a foretaste of God’s rest in the Promised Land. Even though Christians will experience everlasting life on a new earth in the future, we can enjoy God’s rest now. We do not need to wait for the next life to enjoy God’s rest, peace, & joy; we may have it now—we should have it now! F.B. Meyer put it this way, “To all of us Christ offers ‘rest,’ not in the other life only, but in this. Rest from the weight of sin, from care & worry, from the load of daily anxiety and foreboding. The rest that arrives from handing all worries over to Christ and receiving from Christ all we need.”

I knew I wanted us to examine what it means to rest in the Lord, but I couldn’t figure out how. Then I started thinking about porpoises. Mark Twain once said, “You talk about happy creatures--did you ever notice a porpoise?--well there ain't anything in heaven here superior to that happiness.”[i] Then I realized what I had in mind was probably dolphins, not porpoises (they come from the same family but are totally different species of marine mammals), but Dolphin-Driven life didn’t seem as punny to me.

That being said, we need to have a rhythm of devoted rest built into our lives. Many people say there just isn’t time. It simply is impossible—the demands of career & family are too great. The preacher in our text from Hebrews is warning us to make the time because not doing so has very serious consequences. We must pause & spend time with God. Therefore, I propose we look to the porpoise, or dolphin and see what we can learn from him.A porpoise/dolphin lives in 2 worlds. They are mammals who live in the sea—the domain of fish! They are great swimmers and can stay under water for a very long time, but eventually they must come up for air. Christians live a double life and need to come up for air as well. One translation of Exodus 31:17 reads, “On the seventh day God rested and drew breath.” As Christians we are called to be in the world, but not of it. We are Kingdom of God people living in the last days of this fallen world—Satan’s domain. In ANE literature the sea usually represents chaos. Therefore, the porpoise teaches us that we can swim through the chaos of this finite, fallen world, but eventually we must come up and breathe the air we were created to breathe.

Up above the surface of the chaos, pain, loneliness, and death of this world is the glorious Son of God and the air we breathe is the Spirit of God. The Hebrew & Greek words for spirit, ruach & pneuma, can also be translated as wind or breath. The point is, we are not meant to stay submerged in the chaos of this fallen world. No! We must rise above the surface, breathe deep of the Spirit & bask in the Glory of the Son. We must gather to worship God, because when we do we are living the life God created us to live—we are breathing the air God created us to breathe. Furthermore, we need to be together. Dolphins & porpoises are always seen together racing, and jumping, and laughing, we should do the same. In Hebrews 10:24-25, the preacher says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”[i]
I know the analogy breaks down pretty quick, but it comes out of my desire to proclaim and live the Good News in a way that is attractive. Dolphins & porpoises almost always look like they are having fun—their mouths even seem to be turned up in a perpetual smile and the noises they make sound like laughter. I want to make the same impression as a Christian and as a church. I want folks to wonder why we always seem to be having fun—“I thought you had to give up fun to go church!” Let’s swim through the chaos and lead people up above it to breathe in the Spirit & be warmed through & through by the Son.

This past week I had set a goal to spend time in reading the Bible, meditating, and praying at least 4 out of the 7 days. I used A Guide to Prayer to stucture my time. I actually surpassed my goal. I have my accountability group to thank for this discipline--thanks guys! I don't think the sermon I preached this morning was anything special, but I felt a better connection with God and with the congregations than I have in a quite a while.

It is good to come for air!
Blessings & Peace,
Rev.Kev
[i] New Living Translation
[i] Notebooks & Journals, Vol. 2 (1877-1883), p. 275.

The Problem with Infant Baptism

My wife, Stephanie, wrote this article--I think it is awesome! What do you think?

The Problem with Infant Baptism

Last week was an incredibly moving event. What a blessing it was to see and be a part of the baptisms of Rick, Martha, and Laura Holbrook. I hope that they will always remember the mystery and the sanctity of the moment.

For a lot of folks, this is the problem with infant baptism—that they won’t remember it and that those infants didn’t choose it. As far as choosing goes, I wish my parents would have made the choice for me. Perhaps the first 20 years would have been different. Besides, in the case of infant baptism, it isn't really complete until at a later point that person chooses to participate in the baptismal covenant (hopefully after confirmation). And as far as not remembering it goes, well, this is a problem with parents and church families. We too easily let our children forget that they are living the life of a baptized person. We let them forget that God is mysterious. We let them forget that in some incredible way they were claimed as babies. Parents, if your children were baptized as infants, do not let them forget. Sure, they may forget the actual moment, but don’t let them forget the significance, mystery, and honor that it brings. And don’t let them forget that the journey only began then and it goes on now.

After last week’s baptism, I was cleaning up and I used the baptismal water to make a sign of the cross on both Malachi and Zeke. (They are amazed by the symbol of water.) We talked how as little babies God swept down into the chaos of this life and claimed them in the water of baptism. Then we said a special prayer and poured the water into the grass. (Blessed water isn’t fit for a drain!) Folks, this is what it takes. We must be diligent and purposeful in the spiritual training of our children.

Be blessed.

Pastor Stephanie

Am I a Liberal?!!!

Here's a picture of my daughter, Liberty Ann, when she was visiting our family back in TX this summer. It has nothing to do with this post, I just think she's the cutest! :-)



I ran across a blog called "Connexions" today and read a post called "What is Liberal Theology?" by Joel. The blogger gave a list of the characteristics of "liberal theology" that gave me pause. Why did it give me pause? Because, I thought I was an orthodox, evangelical, conservative Christians (too many adjectives/labels). Here's the list...
Here is my understanding of some components of liberal theology:
1. View of the Bible as inspired and not inerrant.
2. An understanding that some passages in the Bible are metaphorical or “myth based.”
3. An emphasis on the need to apply human reason, experience and tradition in interpreting the Bible.
4. Application of insights from the social sciences (which are also not inerrant) is crucial to interpreting the Bible. As the social sciences are themselves God’s revelation of truth, they complement rather than compete with Scripture.
5. An emphasis on Biblical criticism and literary analysis.
6. Scripture must be viewed through the lens of time and culture.
7. Doctrines, church authority and Scripture cannot be divorced from subjective personal experience.
8. Community wholeness in relation to God is as important as a personal relationship to God through Christ. (“Shalom” creation.)
9. An understanding that the Bible contains “all things necessary for salvation” but not necessarily all things related to salvation.
10. A refusal to make creeds a test of faith.
11. Openness to “finding Christ in the culture.”
12. Doubt is not inherently the enemy of faith, but can be used by God to engage that very faith.
13. A strong commitment to social justice.
14. The idea that self-reflection is a necessary component of faith.
15. Acceptance that the Bible incorporates an intentional tension between “universal” and “exclusive” salvation. (To remind us that God alone judges?)
16. The possibility that not only may we acquire new understandings of God’s revelation but that it is possible that God is still revealing.
17. Humans, while tending toward depravity, are capable of responding to divine grace.
18. As “imitators” of Christ, we must engage the essential unity of faith and works.
19. That Christian existentialism is criticized but effectively practiced by the “orthodox” and fundamentalists but honestly admitted to by many liberals.
20. Rejection of an over-emphasis on a “personal relationship with Christ” that fails to adequately place faith in the context of community.
21. A strong emphasis on “corporate sin” as being as evil and destructive as personal sin.
22. That while miracles happen, God does not ordinarily suspend the laws of nature.
The entire thread can be found @ http://theconnexion.net/wp/?p=2420

I am in agreement with the underlying sentiment that I find resonating in this thread that labels are meaningless. My desire is to be part of the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17 for unity in His body. To that end I read all over the theological spectrum and, to quote Bruce Lee, “Absorb what is useful.”

What do you think?
Grace & Peace,
Rev.Kev

Just Looking...

The Christian life is much more than "just looking." Fayetteville Christ UMC/ 9/17/06
James 1:17-27

Does your job require you to work on commission? I used to work on commission selling men’s clothing. To someone who works on commission, there are few more disheartening words from a browsing customer than when in response to a polite "May I help you?" one hears "No thanks, I'm just looking." "Just looking" -- What it mostly means is "Go away, I have no intention of buying anything here." Sometimes we go "just looking" because we're bored. We cruise the malls looking in one shop after another, simultaneously overwhelmed by all the choices before us and uninterested in what seems to be just "more of the same."

Sometimes we go "just looking" to sneak a peek at all those things that are beyond our reach. Ever pretend to be studying the photos of yachts for sale down at a marina? Or ever walk through the showroom of a Porsche dealership, checking out the latest models you won't be buying? Or maybe you prefer trying on a few diamonds and rubies, just to see how they look on your finger? "Sorry, just looking."

But some people spend all their lives "just looking" -- never willing to invest their energies or emotions or economic security in anything because of the risks involved. People who are permanently "just looking" drift in and out of jobs without ever finding a vocation; they drift in and out of relationships without ever daring to love; they drift in and out of communities without ever casting a vote or dropping anchor; and they drift in and out of the church without ever opening their hearts to the spirit of God or feeling the pulse of Christ's body. The text from James today reveals the author obviously felt a similar sense of frustration with would-be Christians who were bystanders and bench-warmers. People saying they were Christians without having any sort of commitment. The writer reminds us that just hearing the word, the good news of Jesus Christ, is not enough. We must be "doers who act."

A biblical faith finds plenty of precedence for action without a plan, but very little evidence of plans without action.

- Abraham didn't have a plan ... but he packed up and left home.

- Moses didn't have a clue ... but he confronted Pharaoh with an ultimatum.

- Rahab didn't have a friend ... but she hid Joshua's spies to Jericho.

- Elijah didn't have a hope ... but he defeated all the prophets of Ba'al.

- Nehemiah didn't have a country ... but he rebuilt the Wall of Jerusalem.

- Mary didn't have a name ... but she bore the Son of God.

- John the Baptist didn't have a home ... but he made the wilderness his pulpit.

- Peter didn't have a backbone ... but he became the "rock" of the church.

- Saul of Tarsus didn't have a heart ... but Paul became the spokesman for the Gentiles.

- Jesus didn't have a sin ... but he suffered and died on the cross for our sake and our salvation.

You know what is really amazing about all of these people? They had an idea of what the end goal was, but they didn’t know what would happen the next day. They couldn’t go through life “just looking” because they had to be ready to act at all times. Faithful Christians must be doing, not "just looking." The whole crux of faith is that we don't know every detail, every contingency, every possible development that awaits us. But we do know who is in charge. A life of faith demands we work hard but know that ultimately God is in control.

Thumb through the Old and New Testaments and try to find God speaking through people with lots of plans. Notice how the people God used to put God's love and deliverance into action are not called planners, instead they are called prophets. Christians are those who have heard the word and are called to act upon it, we are not to plan but to prophesy our way forward in life. When we prophesy our way forward, our faith is not in demographics or flow charts, in financing schemes or economic trends -- our faith is in the power of the Holy Spirit. When we prophesy our way forward, the way is not always clear; the risks are real; the commitment required is total; and the results may surprise us. When we prophesy our way forward, no one is "just looking" -- no one is just along for the ride. Everyone must get out and push when the going gets tough. Please don’t hear me say that plans are bad because I strongly believe that the Holy Spirit can be a part of the planning process, but we can’t let plans and what if’s keep us from doing what we are called to do.

A community of faith that would prophesy its way forward for Christ's sake must also be willing to listen to the Spirit and trust in the Spirit’s power. The hot and sweaty slogan of the Nike company, "Just Do It" isn't quite right. In the church we don't "just do it," we "just pray it." It is in the power of a Spirit-filled closeness with God's desires that the church begins to see the shape of its future. That kind of closeness is possible only through prayer -- the Christian's conduit to God. Maybe you’ve been wondering, “Why aren’t more people coming here?” I have thought about that question for a long time and I am still thinking about it. Then something happened that I think gives me at least part of the answer. A few weeks ago, Stephanie asked you all to engage in daily prayer. She gave you a sheet of paper with prayers for certain times of day asking you to pray for certain things. She asked you to reflect on what God was saying to you during your prayer times. Finally, She asked you to write down what you thought God was saying to you about this congregation. How many of you did it? You don’t have to raise your hands, but I think you get my drift. We haven’t received many reflections back. I’m happy for what we received, but why weren’t there many more? I hear so many of you saying that you want the congregation to grow, but when I ask you to do a simple thing like pray, you don’t do it. This is a part of the reason why people aren’t coming here. We, this congregation, aren’t connected to the power that is available to us. We have opportunity for Bible studies and only a very small number participate. How can we expect to be connected to God if we aren’t willing to pray to God and to study about God? How can we expect to know how we fit into this community as an agent of change if we aren’t willing to humble ourselves and seek God’s face?

Several years ago, I heard the story of Larry Walters, a 33-year-old man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. He went down to the local army surplus store one morning and bought 45 used weather balloons. That afternoon, he strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends tied the now helium-filled balloons. He took along a six-pack of beer, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and a BB gun, figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air, was caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11,000 feet into the sky -- smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport. Too frightened to shoot any of the balloons, he stayed airborne for more than two hours forcing the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon, causing long delays in flights from across the country.Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police, reporters asked him three questions"Were you scared?"…"Yes."…"Would you do it again?"…"No."…"Why did you do it?"…"Because," he said, "you can't just sit there."[1]

This is what James is talking about. We can no longer give lip service to being Christians. We must act like Christians specifically for the sake of the Kingdom of God. I mean more than just being good people. “Being good people” isn’t cutting it!! You know, in the Old Testament, God told his people that they would look like his people when they were seeking justice for the poor and the widows. The poor and the widows were the most oppressed people of the land, and God wanted his people to actively seek justice for those people. God didn’t say try to get all the money you can. God didn’t say be nice to everyone you meet and hang religious pictures in your houses and decorate your cubicles with crosses and posters from Family Christian Store. God said seek justice. The Old Testament prophets were constantly conversing with God. The prayers prophets breathed up to God of praise, confusion, anger, fright, anguish and joy kept them motivated and kept them moving. It was only on those occasions when the prophet lost contact with God -- through cowardice or indecision or stubbornness -- that the prophetic witness became muted and mired down. Our prophetic witness to this community has become muted and mired down. And it is time for us to heed the words of James and rise up and do something that stretches us beyond our own families into the kingdom of God.

The "buster" generation, those born between 1965 and 1983, this is where Stephanie and I fall in, are making a reputation as slow to commit and cynical of wit. So many grew up in broken homes that the notion of a life-long relationship seems a dream at best, a joke at worst. They expect the worst and are afraid to risk hoping for the best. They look at a world of diminishing resources and shrinking economies and tragically tease, "I had a dream."

Can the church universal and this congregation in particular stand as an exciting alternative to a "just looking" culture? Are we willing to trust in the spirit and dive in? What paths lie ahead of us that call us to prophesy our way forward?

Conversion is meaningless unless it leads to a changed life. A changed life leads nowhere unless it serves others. The reading from James chapter 1 began with a reminder that every good gift comes from God and those gifts are perfect. The chapter ends by stating The Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.[2] By caring for powerless people, the Church puts God’s Word into practice. When we give without regard for receiving anything in return we are doing so much more than “just looking.” Remember, God showed His love for us in this that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. That proves God’s love for us. Remember that we Christians are a people who are live by the example of Jesus who gave us the ultimate example of living a life of self-sacrifice and service. Are you willing to serve?
Our challenge for this day and always is to be Christians who act in this world for the sake of the Kingdom of God. So that others will know the same power offered through Christ that frees us to be whole human beings who live in God’s shalom—God’s restorative, saving peace. To grow in faith takes work. That reminds me of the story about a little boy who was listening to his mommy play the piano...

She began by playing the simple melody of one his favorite songs. Then she began improvising, weaving in some incredible harmonies and the little was enraptured. He slid onto the piano bench and waited for her to finish so he could try. When he tried to imitate his mommy the resulting sound was chaotic and eventually even irritating to a little boy. He stopped, looked up and asked, “Mommy, when can I play like you?” A flood of memories washed through her mind of the hours…weeks…years of drills and scales and practice that got her to the point where she could play with such freedom.

Are you willing to act?

In closing, I’m going to read the Scripture passage again from The Message. As I read, contemplate what God is saying to you right now. Are you willing to act? If at any point you feel God moving you to pray and you would like to kneel, feel free to join me at the chancel rail.

So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.
Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.
Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but. You let the Word go in one ear and out the other! Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.
But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

Take a moment to pray silently.

Oh, holy and merciful God forgive us for not being who you have called us to be. Forgive us for not seeking your face. Forgive us for not actively seeking justice for your kingdom. Empower us right now God so that we will move. We want to move for you. We want to act for you. We want to be agents of change in your community and in your kingdom. Help us O God. We cry out to you. Help us O God. Move us to action. God move us. In the name of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Benediction
Now O Lord, let us not live to be useless, for Christ's sake. Amen.[3]

[1] --Gary Gonzales, "Raising Your Creativity Quotient," Leadership 14 (Summer 1993), 35
[2] James 1:27
[3] John Wesley (1703-1791)

PUMPANDRUNRACE.COM --

I am running for a good cause, again! Please PRAY for me as I train.
Thanks,
Rev.Kev
PUMPANDRUNRACE.COM --

p.s. Any tips on increasing my running speed or the number of reps on the bench would be most appreciated!
<{{{>< Rev.Kev

Going to Prison Set Me Free!

This past weekend, August 17-20, I served as a table pastor at Kairos #13 at Ross Correctional Institute in Chilicothe, Ohio. I am trying to put into words what the experience was like, but I don’t know where to start. I guess I will begin with a description of Kairos…
Kairos is a short-course on Christianity like the “Walk to Emmaus” or Cursillo for the residents of correctional institutions.

The Mission of Kairos, is to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families, and those who work with them, and to assist in the transition of becoming a productive citizen[i].

Kairos Prison Ministry is a ministry rather than a movement. Kairos is a ministry of the church ... a ministry of the apostles whom Jesus, the Christ, has called into community and sent forth into the environment of the correctional institution. Kairos has been called the best example of the early church in existence today[ii]. I chose to get involved with Kairos for 2 reasons: 1) I have felt the Holy Spirit encouraging me to get involved in prison ministry because of Mtt. 25:36, 2) the testimony of other volunteers (including my wife, Stephanie), and 3) Kairos seeks to help create a community of believers within the institution…

In a hymn about the Holy Spirit, Charles Wesley wrote, “O come and dwell in me, Spirit of power within, and bring the glorious liberty from sorrow, fear, and sin.”[iii] In John 8:36 Jesus says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” That is Glorious Liberty. That is True freedom. Without the Holy Spirit dwelling in us individually and corporately, we are unable to escape our inclination to sin, but when we surrender to Christ Jesus as Lord we are free to be all that God created us to be. That is what Jesus is talking about in these verses from John 8. Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever” (vss. 34-35). The Good News is that because of God’s overwhelming love we do not have to continue as slaves to sin. Look at Isaiah 61:1-3 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. This is the text that Jesus quoted in His home town synagogue when He said, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.[iv]" This is Good News! And at RCI Kairos #13, I saw why. Every resident who comes to the retreat is given a prayer book called a Freedom Guide, which we used throughout the weekend so that they could learn to use it in their personal devotions, in Kairos reunion and Prayer & Share meetings, and in their small groups. As I was driving back to RCI this past Thursday (August 24, 2006) I was reflecting on the previous weekend and all I learned and witnessed. I was thinking about the Freedom Guide. I realized that Freedom Guide is good name for followers of Jesus Christ. On the final morning of the retreat I gave a devotion entitled “Sending Us Forth.” I reminded everyone of the grace, love, and power that we all experienced, and I challenged us all to continue in the journey of Christian faith. I gave a challenge to use the mountaintop experience of a Kairos weekend to propel them through the valleys that will come. I gave a challenge to live a life that points others to Jesus—I gave a challenge to be Freedom Guides. I want to share some of the experience of the Kairos Weekend with you now and issue you the same challenge to be Freedom Guides.

Over the course of a weekend I witnessed the transformative power of the presence of God. I experienced being used by God to convey His Good News—a message of unconditional love and true freedom. I was confronted by a sinful prejudice that I have been holding onto for way too long, and I learned an important lesson about the ministry to which Jesus Christ calls His Church.
· I witnessed the transformative power of the presence of God. For 8 weeks prior to the weekend, those of us who were going to be volunteering inside met on Friday evenings in order to prepare. We had a time of devotion, we were given security briefings by a couple of corrections officers from Ross, we previewed the talks some were going to give, and we prayed for and with each other. Being a rookie, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and the veterans did a decent job of answering most of my questions before I even thought to ask. Many people told me how incredible it is to bear witness to Spirit of God working in the lives of people in prison—people who have lost all hope, but it truly is an experience beyond description because we are talking about the very work of God! This is what it is all about, folks. Presenting the God’s story of freedom and reconciling love in such a way that people who have not even acknowledged their need of God find they are loved and that God’s story of True Freedom can be their story. Many of the men I met on Thursday evening were not the same by the closing service on Sunday afternoon. I met guys who wanted me to be frightened of them. I met men who made it obvious that were not going to “open up” they were just there for the great food & cookies. I sensed an air of distrust in just about every resident I met. Some of the guys came hoping to meet God and their hope was answered! But many came in at least wanting us to believe that they had no interest in God or religion. What the residents didn’t know was, people all over Ohio, the nation, and around the world were praying for RCI Kairos #13 and the presence of God was tangible. That chapel building at RCI became what the ancient Celts would have called a “thin” place meaning a place where the spiritual and physical are very close. Before the retreat began I prayed that God would use me to speak His love and acceptance to these men who feel so unloved and unaccepted. I prayed that I could get out of God’s way. My prayers were answered and…
· I experienced being used by God to convey His Good News—a message of unconditional love and true freedom. Friday morning I read the morning devotion. I was unaware that I would be doing any talking to the entire group before Thursday. I was given 2 devotions to read because our team of volunteers had become smaller just a few days before the retreat. As I stood and the devotion Friday morning and looked out at the residents the Spirit of God washed over me and I began to see those men as God sees them—precious. These guys were hurting, lost, angry, confused, and sad. I saw myself in them. I saw them in me. I was struck by the realization that while everyday I walk in freedom, they barely have any say at all about their day to day lives. They are there because of some bad choices they made, but they are still men created in the image of God just like me. Both times I got the opportunity to stand in front of the entire group to read devotions I felt God working through me—it was awesome! One of the men at my table received salvation and has submitted a request to be baptized by me! At one point on Saturday evening I turned to another one of the men at my table (the Family of Mark) and out of the blue asked him when he was going to start preaching—surprised, he looked at me and said earlier that day another volunteer had asked him the same thing. Before I asked him that, the thought hadn’t even entered my mind because he had been very quiet the whole time. Also, several men asked to meet with me one on one for counsel and prayer. I was overwhelmed by this because there were 6 other clergy persons there all of whom have way more experience than I. The residents could request to speak with any of us and many chose me. They asked some tough questions and shared some tough experiences and I listened and prayed and God gave me the answers and the love they needed! Wow! Most of the experience during that Kairos weekend was positive, but there was something negative and unexpected…
· I was confronted by a sinful prejudice that I have been holding onto for way too long. I became aware of it Thursday as we were all going around the room introducing ourselves. I have been aware of this prejudice for quite some time, but I had done such a good job of suppressing it and denying it that I forgot it was in me until it reared its ugly head that 1st evening. I do not hold any racial prejudice. I am guilty of a sinful attitude that is much more insidious and universal than racism—classism. Growing up in the suburbs I was shielded from the desperate poverty that is a reality for many Americans and even more people outside the United States. Some of the guys I met were functionally illiterate, some were missing teeth, most had much less education than I do and for a moment I was repulsed! Fortunately, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the sinful attitude & I immediately repented. I bowed my head & prayed silently. I confessed this sinful attitude and asked God to love these men through me in spite of myself until God could love them through me with me. God answered! When we got back to the church where we were sleeping I confessed my sinful attitude to one of my teammates and then to Stephanie on the telephone. God worked a miracle in my heart that weekend—He stretched to love more people than I was willing to love before. Which leads me to my final point…
· I learned an important lesson about the ministry to which Jesus Christ calls His Church. At the top of the 1st page of the Freedom Guide are the words “Listen-Listen—Love-Love.” That is the ministry of the Church! The lost and hurting people of the world are all around us and they are crying out for someone who will listen to them and someone who will love them with no strings attached. That is what we tried to be for those 42 residents at RCI Kairos #13. I thought I knew what God’s “Agape” Love was all about. Now I know I have a lot to learn. The team I served with, including everyone who helped by giving cookies, making posters, praying, and giving financial gifts taught me how far the love of God can stretch us when we let it and let me tell you, the more you let God love others through you, the more love you get experience yourself. It’s like the song by Michael W. Smith that says “Love, isn’t love until you give it away.” Love. Why do we try and make things so difficult? Jesus gave us the answer when He was asked about the greatest commandment: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.””[v] I learned “Listen-Listen—Love-Love” first hand when one of the residents from another table family was sharing the meaning of a poster they made in response to one of the talks. Every day, even at the closing, he wore a Kufi-the head covering worn by Muslim men. The poster had a cross, a crescent moon, a Star of David, one other religious symbol on it. He talked about many paths to one god and alarms started going off in my head. I stifled an urge to speak out against this heresy. I found myself feeling angry at the clergy person at his table for letting this heresy be proclaimed. Just then I realized that my face was betraying my feelings. Again I found myself disgusted by my own sinful attitude. I prayed and repented. I prayed for that young man—I pray for him all the time. At the next break I made myself go talk with him. No one judged him or told him he was wrong, which is what he expected. Everyone extended love to this man, and he is closer to the Kingdom of God because of it. While I disagree with him about the truth of God, I have no right to think of myself as better than he is because of my faith. I have studied in order to be ready to argue Muslims out of their faith. I learned at Kairos that it is better love people into the truth than to berate them for their inaccuracies. The Lord helped me to remove 2 huge planks from eyes last weekend in order to prepare me help others to remove the speck from their eyes.
The challenge for all of us is to “Listen-Listen—Love-Love.” As we live our lives God is calling us to be Freedom Guides for the people around us who are still imprisoned in sin. Amen.





[i] http://www.kairosprisonministry.org/
[ii] ibid.
[iii] Wesley, Charles. “O Come and Dwell in Me.” UM Hymnal #388
[iv] Luke 4:21
[v] Matthew 22:37-40

High Sacramentality

I preached the final sermon on "Wesleyan Disctinctives" yesterday. My focus was on the Sacraments, specifically Holy Communion. The text is below...

High Sacramentality? 1Corinthians 11:23-34

The past few weeks, we’ve been talking about Wesleyan Distinctives—what makes us distinct as Wesleyans. The first week we talked about practical theology—the order of salvation, the second week we talked about ecumenism; the third week we talked about conjunctive theology—the Whole Gospel; and last week we talked about free will and predestination—Arminianism vs. Calvinism. Today, we will discuss High Sacramentality.
Did y’all know that the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, our highest level of denominational direction, has recently released a document encouraging UM congregations to begin celebrating the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis? What do you think? No, really, what do you think? I think it is a great idea, and hopefully by the end of our time together this morning y’all will understand why.
The Sacraments of Baptism & Holy Communion are identified by John Wesley as means of grace. In his Sermon on the Means of Grace, JW defines the means of grace as “the outward symbols, words, and actions that God ordained to be the ordinary channels through which He might convey to us His prevenient, justifying and sanctifying grace.” In other words, along with the other means of grace, Holy Baptism & Communion are the normal ways through which the ever-present grace of God is made available and useable to us. A major factor in my choice to practice my faith in God through Jesus Christ as a UM comes from my experiences of the grace and presence of God through the Sacrament of Holy Communion. I deeply appreciate the UM high view of the Sacraments balanced with our zeal for evangelism and social justice. The conduct of worship and the administration of the sacraments create the Body of Christ, and we devote ourselves to being faithful members of it. Therefore, today we are going to talk about Sacraments.
What is a Sacrament? The Greek word used in the early church for sacrament is mysterion, usually translated mystery. It indicates that through the sacraments, God discloses things that are beyond human capacity to know through reason alone. In Latin the word used is sacramentum, which means a vow or promise. Therefore, when we celebrate the mystery of Holy Communion we are remembering Jesus’ promise that we are reconciled to God the Father through Christ, the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The sacraments were instituted by Christ and given to the church. Jesus Christ is himself the ultimate manifestation of a sacrament. In the coming of Jesus of Nazareth, God's nature and purpose were revealed and active through a human body. The Christian church is also sacramental. It was instituted to continue the work of Christ in redeeming the world. The church is Christ's body — the visible, material instrument through which Christ continues to be made known and the divine plan is fulfilled. Holy Baptism and Holy Communion have been chosen and designated by God as special means through which divine grace comes to us. Holy Baptism is the sacrament that initiates us into the body of Christ "through water and the Spirit". In baptism we receive our identity and mission as Christians. Holy Communion is the sacrament that sustains and nourishes us in our journey of salvation. In a sacrament, God uses tangible, material things as vehicles or instruments of grace. Wesley defines a sacrament, in accord with his Anglican tradition, as "an outward sign of inward grace, and a means whereby we receive the same[i]." Sacraments are sign-acts, which include words, actions, and physical elements. They both express and convey the gracious love of God. They make God's love both visible and effective. We might even say that sacraments are God's "show and tell," communicating with us in a way that we, in all our brokenness and limitations, can receive and experience God's grace[ii].
Specifically this morning I want to focus on Holy Communion—The Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist—and then we will share this special feast together. In the UM hymnal A Service of Word and Table the invitation to Holy Communion is; “Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another...” I don’t know why, but one Sunday about 12 years ago those words resonated with me. For some reason the ritual of The Lord’s Supper was meaningful to me for the 1st time in a lifetime of monthly communion rituals. Maybe it was the physical act of walking forward to receive it (the church I grew up in passed the elements through the pews), maybe it was taking the elements by intinction (I do love dunking things—donuts & French dip sandwiches), maybe it was the delicious Kings Hawaiian Bread instead of those gross little squares we used @ St. Luke CPC, or maybe it was because that was the 1st time I celebrated the Eucharist with a heart that was longing for God. Actually, it was probably all of the above, but the most important factor was the inclination of my heart. Practicing traditional church liturgy with a heart that earnestly longs for more of God is true, high sacramentality.
The story is told of a little girl whose parents had taken her forward to receive Holy Communion. Disappointed with the small piece of bread she was given to dip in the cup, the child cried loudly, "I want more! I want more!" (you could also talk about how boys always try to get seconds.) Like the little girl who was disappointed with what she received, United Methodist people are looking and hoping for something more in their Eucharistic experience. As we move toward a richer sacramental life, including weekly celebration of Holy Communion, we ask what spiritual benefits we receive from it. What do divine love and power do in and for us through our participation in the sacrament? The answers to this question involve forgiveness, nourishment, healing, transformation, ministry and mission, and eternal life. This morning I will highlight the nourishment available through Holy Communion.
We receive spiritual nourishment through Holy Communion. In his sermon, “The Duty of Constant Communion,” Wesley wrote that, "This is the food of our souls: This gives strength to perform our duty, and leads us on to perfection[iii]." God makes such sustenance available through the sacrament of Eucharist. In John 6:35, Jesus tells the crowd: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." As we return to the Table again and again, we are strengthened repeatedly. We go out empowered to live as disciples, reconcilers, and witnesses. In the words of the prayer after Communion, "Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others[iv] . . .” As we encounter Christ in Holy Communion and are repeatedly touched by divine grace, we are progressively shaped into Christ's image. All of this work is not done in a moment, no matter how dramatic an experience we may enjoy. It is, instead, a lifelong process through which God intends to shape us into people motivated by love, empowered and impassioned to do Christ's work in the world. The identity and ministry that God bestows on us in our baptism are fulfilled as we continue to be transformed into disciples who can respond to God's love by loving God and others (Romans 12:1-2). The Christian life is a journey, one that is challenging and arduous. I am convinced that the life of faith is like a marathon, not a sprint. When I decided to run in the Flying Pig Marathon back in January, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but I knew it would require a lot of nourishment and training. As the months progressed I became better equipped to run long distance. Running the actual 26.2 mile race was like a condensed version of life. The event itself was very exciting. There were thousands of people crowded onto the street at the starting line and for the first few miles many of us were together, then we hit a pretty long and steep hill and the crowd began thinning out. Along the way were people cheering us on, bands playing, and gator-aide/water stops. There were a couple spots where we got cookies and oranges, too, (one was a Presbyterian church, I think). I also had some GU with me in order to provide my body with the carbs it needed to keep going. After the initial excitement wore off, my running buddy, John, and I settled into a rhythm—you could almost say the journey became routine almost boring at points. Then, there was the pain. At about mile 18 my hip starting hurting and by mile 22 the pain was so excruciating I was ready to quit. It was about that time that I saw Hannah & Dave Granger. They were waiting for me and they ran along side for a mile or so—there was no way I was gonna let them see me quit! Dave told me I was almost to the finish line (very good news indeed) and he told me how the end of the course was laid out so I would know what to expect. The pain didn’t go away, but I got renewed energy from their encouragement and I even found some reserves to fuel a sprint for the final 50 yards. Crossing the finish line I experienced euphoria and an incredible sense of accomplishment. I had trained well, partaken of the proper nourishment, and thanks to my friends who had already been to where I was going I reached my goal—that is such a good picture of Christian living I will be using that story for a long time! Just like running a marathon takes a lot of fuel, to continue living faithfully and growing in holiness requires constant sustenance.The sacrament of Holy Communion is one way that we experience that sustenance. You know, there are several different ways that Christians have historically experienced communion. The Roman Catholic Church teaches “transubstantiation” which means that the bread and the wine actually and miraculously transform into the body and blood of Jesus. It’s kind of gross to think about eating actual flesh and blood, but what a statement it makes! We remember that a big part of what Jesus did for us was to sacrifice his actual blood and body. He suffered and died for us, and we feast on his divine substance. We are nourished by the divine. Then there’s a much more laid back approach that was forwarded by Ulrich Zwingli in the 16th century. He said that it was merely an act of remembrance. That’s it. The act of communion helps us to remember the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. In Zwingli’s view, it isn’t very spiritual or mystical, it is simply a manner in which we remember. We Wesleyan’s stand somewhere in the middle. We believe it is more than just a simple act of remembrance, but we also don’t teach that the bread and wine actually turn into flesh and blood. In this sacred and mysterious act we are nourished by the holy presence of Christ. We are also nourished by the presence of each other. We are not in this Christian life alone! The essence of Christianity is community, therefore we practice communion. We commune with the triune Godhead and we commune with one another. We share in this sacred journey and along the way we grab some nourishment at the Lord’s Table. We remember that our source is Jesus Christ and we remember his life and death in this holy act of communion. And we also remember that Christ is victorious. He crossed the finish line and now thanks to the giving of Holy Spirit at Pentecost God is running along side us encouraging us, guiding us up over the next hill and around the bend. Christ overcame slavery to sin and death for you and me. And every time you eat this bread and drink this wine, you are expected to remember the victory just as much as you are expected to remember the sacrifice. Christianity is a religion of hope. Always of hope. Let’s commune together now in hope. Amen.
[i] "Means of Grace," II.1
[ii] “This Holy Mystery: The Theology of the Sacraments.”
[iii] "The Duty of Constant Communion, I.3
[iv] UMH; page 11

Church: And Those Who Don’t Go…

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and he asked me what it was like being a preacher. I confessed to him (and now all of you) that it is the weirdest job I could have imagined. I also told him I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. However, sometimes I do get frustrated. Frustrated that there are people who don’t come & worship with us. I am frustrated because I know there are people all around us who are lost and hurting. People who are lonely, poor, and defeated. I am frustrated because I know that people are turning to drugs, alcohol, sex, and consumerism to try and fill a void in their lives that they can’t even define. I am frustrated because I know what they are missing—I mean I know Who they missing. But because I am human, sometimes I don’t represent Jesus the way He deserves. God deserves our best. God, the creator of the universe, wants a relationship with us—every human being who will respond to the invitation to an abundant life in God’s reality. Donald Miller in his book Blue Like Jazz, says, “believing in God is as much like falling in love as it is like making a decision. Love is both something that happens to you and something you decide upon” (104). Let’s help each other present our faith this way instead of as a long list of do’s and don'ts. I think more people will be interested in what we have say if we do. Do I know exactly what this will look like as a community of believers? Not yet!
Rev.Kev

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

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

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