Luke 15: 11-32
The Parable of the Lost Son - Both sons were lost.
Which one makes it into the house?
Sermon Series - Lost & Found
Sunday, September 29, 2013
John and Charles Wesley
Rev. Dr. Robert Williams shares about the impact of the Wesleys on the Methodist Movement. He is the General Secretary on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church.
Monday, September 23, 2013
two women.
A tale of two women.
One woman stands in front of me because she lost her son to a heroin OD. He was 23.
Her questions are difficult to answer and she searches for hope in the midst of her devastation. To this point what we offered to her as a church was not a place of hope or community of faith. It was a seemingly irrelevant institution that would have been the last place to be on a Sunday morning. Too many important things to do and tasks to get done. Why come to church? What have we invited her to? In a moment of crisis she turns to the church to offer comfort and peace.
Tonight, I attended the Lower Township Symposium on Substance Abuse. I appreciated the response from our community leaders because they are willing to be open and honest about the issues and concerns in our town. Other politicians in our state hide behind their office and turn a blind eye to the problems to make sure that their communities hold to a pristine image in the media. Our town has a problem with heroin. Every town does. We are willing to acknowledge the problem and seek a solution. Here are just a few facts and figures of interest -
Usage of heroin with 18-25 year olds - up 24%
91 ODs so far this year - 5 last week alone.
Heroin is going for about $20 a bag. Over 3500 bags were seized this year alone.
Adolescents - (15-18) 2009 reported a 9% usage. 2013 shows a 27% usage
Our counseling and treatment centers are revealing a 154% increase in treatment for heroin. A noticeable impact is seen on younger students.
Our Superintendent of Schools gave a great talk about how we need to have a cultural change, an attitude change, and learn how to take ownership and respond to individual accountability. This is one of the hardest, but most important, challenges of all. In a culture that wants to blame someone else this is tough. It seems that everyone I talk to about their problems has someone else to point the finger at. It is certainly not 'their' fault. How do we recognize our need if we are so quick to blame others for the problems?
Today another woman stood in front of me. She is removing her membership from our church because she felt like she wasn't being 'fed'. Ah yes, the classic 'being fed' line. Basically what this means is that I don't like the Pastor and am not able to listen to what s/he says. I appreciate her honesty though. I think it takes true courage to say it to someone's face. She has been a long time member of the church. The challenge is that we took one of the many sacred cows, and not only tipped it over, but BBQ'ed it and served it for lunch. She didn't want to eat this kind of meal. The change was too much, her institution that she loved was different than the way it used to be, and she is leaving.
I am upset about both of the women that stand before me. The experienced and more reasonable pastors would suggest to me that I should grieve about both women. I don't. I grieve the first rather than the latter. The latter, for me, has had decades of an institution that meant something to her. She will find the same irrelevant and insider-focused culture in the next church she is attending. I am not upset about her salvation or her eternal destiny. I am grieved that this is the product of disciples that we have produced too often in the mainline church. After all the decades of discipleship we have created folks that don't know how to feed themselves. Infants still. Look - the language of being fed in church needs to stop. Or at least let's talk about it in its fullness. If people are allowed to talk about being fed or not fed, can we realize that we have spiritually overweight Christians? Those who take in but never give back? We have eaters but very few exercisers.
For those of you (all two of you who read this blog) - What bothers you more? The upset church member who is leaving, or the mother who has never come?
One woman stands in front of me because she lost her son to a heroin OD. He was 23.
Her questions are difficult to answer and she searches for hope in the midst of her devastation. To this point what we offered to her as a church was not a place of hope or community of faith. It was a seemingly irrelevant institution that would have been the last place to be on a Sunday morning. Too many important things to do and tasks to get done. Why come to church? What have we invited her to? In a moment of crisis she turns to the church to offer comfort and peace.
Tonight, I attended the Lower Township Symposium on Substance Abuse. I appreciated the response from our community leaders because they are willing to be open and honest about the issues and concerns in our town. Other politicians in our state hide behind their office and turn a blind eye to the problems to make sure that their communities hold to a pristine image in the media. Our town has a problem with heroin. Every town does. We are willing to acknowledge the problem and seek a solution. Here are just a few facts and figures of interest -
Usage of heroin with 18-25 year olds - up 24%
91 ODs so far this year - 5 last week alone.
Heroin is going for about $20 a bag. Over 3500 bags were seized this year alone.
Adolescents - (15-18) 2009 reported a 9% usage. 2013 shows a 27% usage
Our counseling and treatment centers are revealing a 154% increase in treatment for heroin. A noticeable impact is seen on younger students.
Our Superintendent of Schools gave a great talk about how we need to have a cultural change, an attitude change, and learn how to take ownership and respond to individual accountability. This is one of the hardest, but most important, challenges of all. In a culture that wants to blame someone else this is tough. It seems that everyone I talk to about their problems has someone else to point the finger at. It is certainly not 'their' fault. How do we recognize our need if we are so quick to blame others for the problems?
Today another woman stood in front of me. She is removing her membership from our church because she felt like she wasn't being 'fed'. Ah yes, the classic 'being fed' line. Basically what this means is that I don't like the Pastor and am not able to listen to what s/he says. I appreciate her honesty though. I think it takes true courage to say it to someone's face. She has been a long time member of the church. The challenge is that we took one of the many sacred cows, and not only tipped it over, but BBQ'ed it and served it for lunch. She didn't want to eat this kind of meal. The change was too much, her institution that she loved was different than the way it used to be, and she is leaving.
I am upset about both of the women that stand before me. The experienced and more reasonable pastors would suggest to me that I should grieve about both women. I don't. I grieve the first rather than the latter. The latter, for me, has had decades of an institution that meant something to her. She will find the same irrelevant and insider-focused culture in the next church she is attending. I am not upset about her salvation or her eternal destiny. I am grieved that this is the product of disciples that we have produced too often in the mainline church. After all the decades of discipleship we have created folks that don't know how to feed themselves. Infants still. Look - the language of being fed in church needs to stop. Or at least let's talk about it in its fullness. If people are allowed to talk about being fed or not fed, can we realize that we have spiritually overweight Christians? Those who take in but never give back? We have eaters but very few exercisers.
For those of you (all two of you who read this blog) - What bothers you more? The upset church member who is leaving, or the mother who has never come?
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
chasing the storm
"This house is safe and warm, but I was made to chase the storm." - John Mayer
Comfort zone - comfort zone. What does this place look like to you? We talk about this all the time, but the reality is that I don't think we can fully express what this looks like to us. This is because it is the safest part of who we are. We can't express it because it is us. It is our default even when we don't want it to be.
We run from storms. We fear storms. We want the storms to be calmed. That is unless you are a storm chaser. There has to be moments where we step out of our warm houses and be storm chasers. I think in fact that there is a created part of us that wants to chase it. We are just to afraid sometimes.
Rediscover who you are. Maybe you need to go chase some storms.
Comfort zone - comfort zone. What does this place look like to you? We talk about this all the time, but the reality is that I don't think we can fully express what this looks like to us. This is because it is the safest part of who we are. We can't express it because it is us. It is our default even when we don't want it to be.
We run from storms. We fear storms. We want the storms to be calmed. That is unless you are a storm chaser. There has to be moments where we step out of our warm houses and be storm chasers. I think in fact that there is a created part of us that wants to chase it. We are just to afraid sometimes.
Rediscover who you are. Maybe you need to go chase some storms.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
The Lost Sheep
Luke 15: 1-7
The Lost Sheep
Lost & Found Sermon Series
The joy is not in being found, but in the finding.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Anniversary Sunday 2013
Our Annual Anniversary Sunday. Celebrating the past, living in the presence of the present, and hopeful for the future.
Jeremiah 20:9
Isaiah 43
Rekindling the Fire
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
genius of Mayer
I love it when we critique celebrities, (who we don't even know) because they are supposed to be the moral compass for our country, children, or lives. While there has been a lot said about particular celebrities recently, I wanted to turn my thoughts to John Mayer. I am a fan. Most of the time when I mention that, someone responds by saying something about the not-so-recent-scandal that he had. Yes he said some foolish things to reporters and is maybe not the nicest guy at certain points in his life. Isn't this the whole point of his fleeing to Montana for the sake of restarting? Reference Shadow Days - by the way. We don't like it when our foes become admirable. We don't like it when people become real, particularly when they break out of the boxes we have so carefully placed them in. Let me tell you a little bit about John.
He is a genius. Not so sure? Go watch him play. This is his gift, his sanctuary, his place in the world. He was made for this. While watching him in concert a few days ago the word that kept coming to my mind about his playing was that he 'wails'. I also appreciate his range, musicality, stylistic creativity, and of course lyrics. He is trying to say something and at the same time he manages to 'entertain' us along the way. Why do we want geniuses to be everyday people? Let Einstein have his crazy hair.
I was in the hospital room visiting with a church member. Their child was very sick (those are the hardest visits). The doctor came in and he had terrible bed-side manor. The doctor walked out and I could tell that the mother was not comforted. She wanted comfort and the doctor didn't give it. Good thing I was there, I guess. Here is what I said: "I want that doctor." Why did I say that? I told her that he was the kind of doctor that would get the job done. He was a genius. He probably spends all of his time thinking about science that he doesn't have the time to pick up on social cues. This is the kind of doctor that I want when my child is sick. I don't want a Jerry Seinfeld or a Santa Claus. Give me the awkward genius every time. This for me is John. So gifted in his area that yes some other areas may lack. It is these suspected 'deficiencies' as a person that I believe helps make him to be the artist that we love to hear. Remember - if he walked up to you and had a cup of coffee, you would like him. You may not just like all of his life choices. Guess what - he probably won't like yours either. But last time I checked, I am not a genius and you aren't probably either.
He is a genius. Not so sure? Go watch him play. This is his gift, his sanctuary, his place in the world. He was made for this. While watching him in concert a few days ago the word that kept coming to my mind about his playing was that he 'wails'. I also appreciate his range, musicality, stylistic creativity, and of course lyrics. He is trying to say something and at the same time he manages to 'entertain' us along the way. Why do we want geniuses to be everyday people? Let Einstein have his crazy hair.
I was in the hospital room visiting with a church member. Their child was very sick (those are the hardest visits). The doctor came in and he had terrible bed-side manor. The doctor walked out and I could tell that the mother was not comforted. She wanted comfort and the doctor didn't give it. Good thing I was there, I guess. Here is what I said: "I want that doctor." Why did I say that? I told her that he was the kind of doctor that would get the job done. He was a genius. He probably spends all of his time thinking about science that he doesn't have the time to pick up on social cues. This is the kind of doctor that I want when my child is sick. I don't want a Jerry Seinfeld or a Santa Claus. Give me the awkward genius every time. This for me is John. So gifted in his area that yes some other areas may lack. It is these suspected 'deficiencies' as a person that I believe helps make him to be the artist that we love to hear. Remember - if he walked up to you and had a cup of coffee, you would like him. You may not just like all of his life choices. Guess what - he probably won't like yours either. But last time I checked, I am not a genius and you aren't probably either.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
1 John 3:16
How do we know what love is?
The answer - This is how we know - Jesus laid down his life for us, we ought to lay our lives down for one another.
This is the self-giving and self-sacrificial love of God in and through us.
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