Passionate Worship

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 8/28/ 2016

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^NRS  2 Samuel 6:15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. ¹⁶ As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷ They brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the LORD. ¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts, ¹⁹ and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes. ²⁰ David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!" ²¹ David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD, that I have danced before the LORD.

We are here today to talk about Passionate Worship. What makes the worship experience passionate for one is not the same as for another. What does Passionate Worship mean? I hear so often that we need to grow the church. What they mean of course is Pastor what are you going to do? I also hear people tell me that if we only had one worship service that we would have the church of our youth back. I agree. But then I also would like to see fifty nine cent milk and bread for a quarter and gas that costs fifty cents a gallon. We can’t go back and what worked for our parents and grandparents won’t work for us. Surprisingly, what worked for our parents did not work for our great grandparents. Fact is, things change and they constantly evolve. Bishop Schnase in his Book, Five Practice for Fruitful Congregations, reminds us that a hundred years ago a congregation had three different generations present who all spoke the same language, shared the same stories and culture and sang the same music. Today we watch TV and see a commercial that we don’t understand because it is not geared toward our age group or culture. Likewise our churches have become a melting pot of cultural understandings and common worship experiences still work, but not for everyone in everyplace. It is a time to think less about ourselves and our own personal agendas and more about worshipping God. We have to remember that we came here to praise God for what God has given us, but we need to speak the language of the people around us. We’ve got to get back to the wedding banquet that God has set for us.

• Good food
• Good fellowship
• Good music
• Good dancing

Years ago there was a young couple that attended their local church. They had been in youth activities in the church, had met there and had married in the church. They had been active in worship and ministry. And then they began to have children and careers and found themselves falling away from weekly worship. One day the young man showed up for Sunday worship. The preacher seeing the young man asked him what was going on. The young man replied to the preacher that he and his family had been working harder than they ever had and had been enjoying success. One day he realized that the reason for his success was God and that he was not present thanking God. So he came back where God was, to Sunday worship. Why are you here? Are you here to renew and strengthen your relationship with God? That is what passionate worship is all about.

When Michael Slaughter arrived at Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio he found fifty faithful people in an area devastated by poverty and unemployment. As the church began to grow it grew with the introduction of small group worship experiences. Today there are over 30 worship experience opportunities each week with 3000 plus in attendance. The point I am trying to make here is that worship today is as varied and diverse as the populations we serve. And as a church, we must be prepared to step up to that challenge in order to invite people in. One of his churches took out the pews, set up tables and there worship is relaxed with coffee and pastries. Hmmm! Might that be an opportunity to worship in Hottle Hall?

So let’s answer the fundamental question here. What is worship? And what makes it passionate worship? Well the first answer is that worship is the weekly, daily or periodic time for some us when we come together to praise God for what God has given us. It is a time of rejoicing and singing, of lifting up prayers for the people and a time of fellowship and sharing with one another our witness to God’s work in our lives. How then do you prepare for Sunday worship? Do you read the scriptures that we are going to study on Sunday that are listed in the bulletin the prior week? Do you pray that God will come into your heart and share the power of the Holy Spirit within you? Do you get yourself in a reflective state in order to encounter God? And of course all of this before you ever arrive at church. Let me repeat that. All of this, praying, studying and reflecting before you arrive at the church door. Do you remember when you went on dates with your spouse, a former love or even a casual date? What did you do prior to ever leaving the house? Most likely, you reflected on what experience you desired to have during the date. Was it going to be romantic? Was there going to be a first kiss? You probably reflected on where you would be going and what the proper dress would be for that occasion. You certainly wouldn’t want to be seen in that same dress that you wore for the ring dance at the prom now would you? And then the time of primping arrived. Now mind you, men do it to, they just refuse to admit it. You prepared your hair, checked yourself in the mirror, not once but several times and then you were ready. All this for a date! Should we maybe talk about what you did to prepare for a child or your wedding? My point here is that our relationship with God is intimate and personal. It is loving and caring and as deep a relationship as a date where we expect to get engaged. So if that is true, how do we prepare for meeting our partner in God each Sunday morning? Shouldn’t we spend as much time preparing to meet God as we would preparing to go on a date with someone we deeply care about? And then once we get there how do we make that passionate?

There is the story of two men Jim Smith went to church on Sunday morning. He heard the organist miss a note during the prelude, and he winced. He saw a teenage talking when everybody was supposed to "bow in prayer." He felt like the usher was watching to see what he put in the offering plate, and it made him boil. He caught the preacher making a slip of the tongue five times during the sermon by actual count. As he slipped out through the side door during the closing hymn, he muttered to himself, "Never again! What a bunch of clods and hypocrites!" Ron Jones went to church on Sunday morning. He heard the organist play an arrangement of "A Mighty Fortress", and he was thrilled by the majesty of it. He heard a young girl take a moment in the service to speak her simple moving message of the difference her faith makes in her life. He was glad to see that the church was sharing in a special offering for the hungry children of Nigeria. He especially appreciated the sermon that Sunday – it answered a question that had bothered him for a long time. He thought, as he walked out the doors of the church, "How can a man come here and not feel the presence of God?" Both men went to the same church on the same Sunday morning. From this story we glean that what is passionate for one person may be the opposite for another. It could also say that we came with different expectations and they were either met or not.

Passionate worship is the worship experience where we feel that we have encountered the Holy Spirit. For some it may come through the music. For others it may come through the sermons and for some it may be through the prayers and liturgies. For some it may be traditional hymns while others love bluegrass gospel and yet others love the modern praise music. But whatever it is that allows us to encounter God, that is what we as a church need to be striving to attain. Truthfully we can’t meet the needs of everyone. But we can try!

Let us for a moment look at our worship experience. We begin by looking at prayer and litany, the words of interactive response. Do we as a congregation embrace the concept of prayer and litany? Or do we fumble our way through it each week. I dare say each of you can repeat the words to the Lord’s Prayer from memory. When is the last time you listened to the words as you spoke them or put emotion behind them as you pray to the Lord. Should we change our order of worship so that we might enjoy meaningful prayer? Should we change our doxology and responsive reading in order to get involved in worship? My peers would suggest that we throw the bulletin and order of worship out and start over with meaningful worship in the context of this church.

Let us talk about our singing. We have become a congregation of mumblers. John Wesley encouraged early Methodists to, “sing lustily and with good courage. Be aware of singing as if you are half dead or half asleep, but lift your voice in strength.” He did not care whether or not you could carry a tune, he cared that you put your whole life behind it, that singing is supposed to be a sharing of our inner joy through the vocal sharing of song. We have become so focused on how we sound to each other that we have forgotten who it is we are singing to. If I said to you that we may need to revamp our song selection, what would you say? Would you be willing to give me a list of your favorite hymns so that when we sing, we all sing lustily and with good courage? Does it really matter what our sister churches are singing on Sunday morning if we are being uplifted in song where we are? Or is it more appropriate that we mumble our way through songs because we are not familiar with the words of the music? And when we come to the word I intend each week to provide vibrant, relevant, inspiring and hopefully provoking preaching.

What all this means for us today is that we are on a new journey. And with your help we will transform this weekly worship service into a vibrant renewal of our relationship with God. Remember that worship is about God, not about us. And when we center worship into that relationship with God, “…we feel his mighty presence and his grace. I can feel the brush of angel’s wings; I see glory in his face. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.” Let us transform worship into passionate worship.  

Intentional Faith Development

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 8/21/16

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^NRS Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. ³ By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. ⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain's. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. ⁵ By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and "he was not found, because God had taken him." For it was attested before he was taken away that "he had pleased God." ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷ By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith. ⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old-- and Sarah herself was barren-- because he considered him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, "as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore." ¹³ All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, ¹⁴ for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return.

 ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

Within the Discipleship series that I am preaching on is this five week introduction to Bishop Schnase’s Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Bishop Schnase began a study to determine the practices that make congregations fruitful. He believed at the beginning that different size churches were doing different things. But what he found is that every fruitful church was in fact doing the same kinds of things in the context of their setting. These fives things are Intentional Faith Development, Passionate Worship, Radical Hospitality, Risk Taking Mission and Extravagant Generosity. These five things are a foundation to what a fruitful, vibrant church is doing. Are we doing these things? A great question to ask ourselves as we hear about each one. Today we are going to explore what it means to be intentional about faith development.

We are called to practice intentional faith development as individuals and as a church community. Let’s talk about the model for individual faith development for a moment as we understand faith in the Gospels and New Testament. We each have been called by name to share in this great journey that began when we accepted Jesus into our hearts. It means that we begin to become a transformed people, changing inside to match the outward change that should become evident to others. When we look to the scriptures to understand this change, we focus our efforts on what the bible speaks to us about faith and then how did Jesus call us into faith. In Hebrews, we see the transformation of people throughout the history of humanity because of their faith in God. And what we understand most of all is that often faith is that which is not seen, but is real, and becomes a part of our living towards a new image of ourselves and the world. Abraham left all that he had to go to a place he did not know on faith. Noah built an ark in the sunshine on faith that God’s promise of rain would come and it did. Sarah begat a son at the age of 100 because God promised it would happened and though she laughed at first, in the end she too had faith in the promise. And it tells us that all of these died in their faith without receiving the promises but that they saw them from a distance and so they took to the journey for that reason.

           

Jesus walked intentional faith development with the disciples. His faith development was in the one on one teaching that he had with each of them and the community of teaching that occurred as they traveled together. Jesus was intentional about the faith development of the disciples, so much so that he instructed them to follow him. And they did! As simple as that sounds, it was a major thing for each of them to drop their occupations and their families and follow Jesus for three years as he prepared them for the task that they would fulfill upon his death at the cross. But they did. So what are we prepared to do in order to be intentional about our faith development? Are prepared to drop everything and follow the Master wherever he goes? We start that process by daily bible reading, prayer and devotion time. We continue that by becoming involved in discipleship training within the church community or in the community of believers in our geographic communities. Intentional faith development is both individual willingness to give up of themselves to be disciples and the churches intentional focus to give them the opportunity to learn more about being a disciple. John Wesley’s small groups focused their discussion on three questions. How is it with your soul? How have the fruits of your witness shown themselves this week? Where have you stumbled?

"Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice Intentional Faith Development. From the first generations of Christians to the earliest Methodists to the youngest generations of faithful members today, the followers of Jesus mature in faith by learning together in community. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development offer high quality learning experiences that help people understand Scripture, faith, and life in the supportive nurture of caring relationships. ... Christian disciples strive to develop faith and grow in Christ-likeness through study and learning, and God is best able to form disciples when people do this together and not by themselves." - Robert Schnase, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations

What this all means is that a successful church is one that practices intentional faith development among its people. Part of the Discipleship training that I will begin in September is to determine where you might be on the Discipleship journey and together to know where the church is on that journey. By exploring that information we can begin to formulate classes that reach people where they are. Sunday school, intentional group studies and bible studies where people come together to share in their faith journey, special events where witnessing occurs and peoples stories are shared among the faithful and those searching for answers. These are the things of intentional churches. Could any of us last long in the faith community if not for the strength that comes from being with each other? We need constant reinforcement, constant lifting of one another and friendships and fellowship to survive. Thankfully we do not have to endure the persecution of the early church where many died for their faith. But in this age of political correctness and subdued Christian behavior at civic and public functions, persecution is already here, just not in a life threatening form. Our own government dictates to us even now that we are to be subdued in our outward expressions of Christianity so as to not anger other religious views while allowing those other religious views to have public and civic voice. From the first generation of Christians to the earliest Methodists to the youngest generations of faithful members today, as followers of Jesus we mature in the faith by learning together in community! The Christian faith is not something that is to be static, but rather it is something we grow into and strive toward. The practice of learning in community gives disciples a network of support, encouragement, and direction as we seek to grow in Christ. The answer to getting in shape, as well as to developing our faith is to covenant with friends who share the same interests and goals. If we know that people are waiting for us and are expecting us at the gym at six-thirty, then we’ll roll out of bed at six even when we don’t feel like it. In community there is a natural accountability. That’s why Jesus sent the disciples out two by two to go “to every town and place where he himself intended to go.” From the first generations of Christians to the earliest Methodists to the youngest generations of faithful Christians today, we mature in our faith by learning together in community.

I used to spend time with local pastors and candidates for ordination as we talked theologically. Part of intentional faith development is to teach us that the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life are not future events. When we accepted God’s offer of eternal life and freedom from the chains of sin, we are justified in our faith. That is what justification grace is all about. But after that moment when we come to maturity in our early Christian life, we begin to transform into the image of Christ. That is what our path to perfection looks like. Learn these words. Learn these phrases. They are the framework that allows us to witness to others what we believe. But it is deeper than that. When we accept God’s promise, we receive the promise at that moment. Not later when we physically die, but at that precise moment of justification. So we become eternal people at that moment. We enter into a new reality where we live in the Kingdom of Heaven at that moment. Not some future event, but a present reality. Intentional faith development is learning how to live into being Christ in the world in the reality of our physical lives.

In Acts Paul tells us that the early church devoted themselves to the Apostles teachings and fellowship. One without the other will not bear as much fruit. There is a story of two men, lifetime friends who go camping, fishing and hunting. But on Saturday night, the one friend prepares himself to leave as he has for forty years in order to be at church on Sunday morning. The other friend asks him why he has to go. Can’t he enjoy God among the stars and in the streams and woods? The Christian friend doesn’t say anything, rather takes a stick and moves a coal from the campfire. He remains silent as the coal cools and then extinguishes itself. Then the moves the coal back into the fire and it reignites. Without saying a word, he has told the friend that life outside the fire is hard and it is easy to cool off. It is only within the fire, within the community of believers that we can stay strong and ignited in our faith. Intentional means deliberate, purposeful action toward an end and high prioritization of that action. Intentional means that we are not afraid of failing as we try, try again to accomplish the goals that have set for us in Christian faith. 

Random Thoughts

Each week that I preach there are new banners with the key words and new images around the sanctuary. Here are feet outlining key words for each of the sermons in the Disciple series. It is wonderful to have gifted arts people who provide those gifts ot God and for the visual that allows those who are so oriented to be enriched in the service.

Random Thoughts

This last week was a full week with Bonnie being in class to become a Stephen Minister. Stephen Ministry is a lay ministry of caring, sharing and being with those who need someone to bring love and ministry to them in their time of struggle. It is also a great extension of the visitation ministry Pastors are called upon to do. She was commissioned on Saturday along with a number of others and it was a great honor that I got participate in that.
I have been truly blessed to be in a church that strives for mission. We are beginning the process of preparing for a Discipleship class that I hope will share what it means to be a Disciple of Christ and how the church can truly move in that journey to support those in the family who desire to strengthen their relationship with God. It is rewarding each week to see the key words of my sermon highlighted on the walls and to see the footsteps beginning to surround the sanctuary. There is always much work to be done but great strength and reward in doing it.

Joining

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 8/14/16

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^NRS  Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and he started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!" Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." But before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

We need to join Christ where Christ is working. Henry Blackaby teaches that God is already working in the world around us and we need to open our senses to that work and join in. It means that we begin to focus our lives on service to others and giving generously. One thing I will say for this church is that when there is a need, this church can give generously. But it means that as a disciple that I am prepared to give of my time and my money where God is already working in the world. Disciples tithe! Disciples sacrifice! To be a disciple means that when given the choice between attending an important function in the church or some social activity that the church event is attended. It means that when given the choice of doing what I want to do versus what God wants me to do, God wins out every single time.

So what does joining Jesus really mean? It means living a life that is attuned to where Jesus is already working and allowing our senses to see how we can best fit into that world plan. It is a life of service as Jesus showed us when He shed His regal robes and put on the robes of the servant as He washed the feet of the Disciples. It is about being willing to dig ditches for those who cannot do it on their own. It means we are to feed the homeless when they cannot feed themselves. I was in awe of the work of Martha’s Table to prepare 5,555 sandwiches that went into Washington to do just that. It is to realize where Jesus would be if He were here among us and to be in those places. Jesus would not be at the places where we are most comfortable, He would be in the places where the marginalized are living, where the downtrodden are seeking answers, in the prisons and in the streets with the homeless. He would be in the bars with the alcoholics and addicts trying to lift them up and restore them to relationship. So where should the church be?

When we begin to join Jesus we begin to open our eyes to see the world in a very different way. Did you know that the homeless are the most invisible people in the world? They did a study where they took family members, dressed them as homeless people and then had family members walk by them. Not a single family member recognized the homeless who were their brothers, sisters, husbands and wives. Jesus is calling us to a life of service. Being a Disciple is a life of service. It means for some that you may feel the call to mission work and I know that many of you already do just that. It means that some of you it may require us to come away from our comfort zones to reach out. We will talk more about that in a few weeks when we talk about risk taking mission.

We must live a life of generosity. What that means is that we as Disciples of Christ need to think about how we spend our money. John Wesley would say to us, make all that you can, save all that you can and give all that you can. What he is saying is what Jesus is saying. If wealth is your motivation for living, then stop living. Sounds harsh? Well our lives should be focused on providing compassion, comfort and life for those who cannot do for themselves. A life of generosity means that we work towards tithing in our personal lives and the church works towards at least 25 % of its income going out to mission and benevolence, much of it locally.

Finally, I believe that every Christian, every Disciple of Christ ought to memorize the Great Commission. It is our mission statement given to us by Jesus. It is our marching orders that we are to respond to. Nothing is as important in our lives as it. Jesus said Go. He wants us to be in ministry in the church but more importantly outside the church. We cannot win new souls to God when our harvest field is old and the nutrients have been pulled out of it. That is why farmers let fields sit for a year every so often to replenish the nutrients in the ground. When they don’t all they get is dust. We must reach outside to spread the word. Jesus said make disciples of all nations. He did not leave anyone out. Making disciples means that we are teaching and leading by example so that others might truly see what God’s love looks and feels like. Jesus said, Baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He dictates to us that the Trinity is important and vital. Think on it for a moment. Normally two is a couple and three’s a crowd. But to God, the trinity is the perfect formation of love. Creation, redemption and sustaining power wrapped into one in three. Baptism in this sense is not the baptism of water but the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul speaks to it in his letters and we should be aware that unless we die to self and fill ourselves with the spirit of God, we can do nothing. And finally to teach the commandments of Jesus to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors in the same way.

Shortly after World War II came to a close, Europe began picking up the pieces. Much of the Old Country had been ravaged by war and was in ruins. One of the saddest sights of all was the little orphaned children starving in the streets of those war-torn cities. Early one chilly morning, an American soldier was making his way back to the barracks. As he turned the corner in his jeep, he spotted a little boy with his nose pressed to the window of a pastry shop. Inside the cook was kneading dough for a fresh batch of doughnuts. The hungry boy stared in silence, watching every move. The soldier pulled his jeep to the curb, stopped, got out, and walked quietly over to where the boy was standing. Through the steamed-up window he could see the pastries as they were being pulled from the oven, piping hot. The boy salivated and released a slight groan as he watched the cook place them onto the glass-enclosed counter ever so carefully. The soldier's heart went out to the nameless orphan as he stood beside him. “Son . . . would you like some of those?” The boy was startled. “Oh, yes Sir, I would!” The American stepped inside and bought a dozen doughnuts, put them in a bag, and walked back to where the boy was standing in the foggy cold of the morning. He smiled, held out the bag, and said simply: “Here you are.” As he turned to walk away, he felt a tug on his coat. He looked back and heard the boy ask: “Mr . . . . Are you God?” We are never more like God or show the nature of the love of God more than when we give and share with others unselfishly. 

Random Thoughts

What a week. Children and VBS and all of the activities of the church. Being the pastor of a mid-size church can be overwhelming at times but the spiritual presence is great. Adult leaders who step up and make a difference, youth who want to be involved and hearing the voices of children raised in praise makes a great lifting of the soul. The children participated in a great ministry of the church called Martha's Table which makes sandwiches for the homeless once a month. This past month there were 5,555 sandwiches made with the children helping and it was wonderful. I had a youth council meeting on Sunday where the youth leadership expressed their desire to be a more active part of worship. Praise God for that. We have systems issues to overcome but what a difference when the people desire to be Disciples. We will become a family in short order, God willing, and when we do I can only imagine what we can do.

Becoming

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 8/2-3/ 16

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^NRS  Matthew 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' ³⁹ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; ⁴⁰ and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; ⁴¹ and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. ⁴² Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. ⁴³ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I once heard a story of a carpenter, a man who was well respected in the community and his field. One day a man came to him and asked him to build him a house. They discussed the floor plan, the materials to be used and the price. The man told him that money was no object and he wanted the best house that the man could build to be built. After several weeks of negotiation, they came to an agreement of what was to be built and the carpenter began his work. About a week into the project, the man told the carpenter that he was going out of the country for several months and that he trusted the carpenter to do the best job he could do. Several weeks into the project, the carpenter needed to order more materials and he thought to himself, well you know if I get the good stuff but not the best stuff, I can make more money on this job and nobody will ever know. So into the walls went the second grade lumber, the ½ inch sheet rock instead of the ¾” stuff. The stairs became pine instead of oak; they were going to be carpeted, who would know. And so on and so on until the house was finished. When it was done, just as the man had said, he returned and brought the man his money. They walked through the house and sure enough, the man did not see the inferior lumber or sheet rock or paint. So it came as a real surprise when the man turned to the carpenter and said these words. You know, he said, I have watched you for some time and have come to respect the work that you have done for people. When you could have cheated them, you did not. So I said to myself, I should reward this man. And so here, take the keys to this house, your house, with the best of materials. It is a gift.

We need to become like Christ. Jesus spent His life showing love for the people of Israel. Whether we are involved in benevolent ministries, healing ministries or focused on eradicating hunger, poverty and addiction, we need to become Christ for the world. That means not only speaking the language of Christ, but living our lives as Christ did for each other. Christ commanded us to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbors in that same way. The parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are stories that reach into our hearts and tug at us in special ways when we focus our lives on discipleship. When we become more like Christ it requires us to allow others to see God in every action, word and deed that we do each and every day.

Our scripture today is a scripture of hope and love. It comes from a caring and loving Lord who desires in us that we find the kind of love for each other that God has for us. A love that knows no boundaries and no limitations! A love that does not know hate and anger! Where can we find such love is the question that is asked of us and so often we ask ourselves? What does it mean to be Jesus? What does it mean to imitate Jesus? Well we must answer the first question before we can answer the second.

Jesus is the personification of God, the human source of who God is and what God envisioned us to be. Jesus, while the son of God here on earth, is the piece of God sent down to the earth to restore the relationship, to renew the wisdom and understanding and to provide the example for us of God’s love for the world. The prophets foretold of Jesus, hundreds and thousands of years before he came. The world waited for him to come and the Hebrew community looked for him among every prophet. John the Baptist was asked if he was the one who had been foretold and he told them that he was not fit to tie his shoestrings. When we follow the story of Jesus we see a man who turned his world upside down. He taught about loving one another and serving one another. He talked about prosperity being the wellness of the community and not the individual. He showed us that it means that you give all of yourself when you feel this love for one another.

I think about a town not far from here that lost more lives per population in one day than many cities lost in an entire war. I am talking about sacrifice that means giving one’s life for another, for an ideal or for love. When we experience this kind of sacrifice we are changed forever. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be a disciple of Jesus while he lived, to hear him, to see him and to be in his presence. If we understand the biblical story correctly then we know that we all live in his presence in spirit and that he is here with us right now. What does it mean to be Jesus?

It means that the essence of perfect creation is living among us. It means that God’s love and grace are extended to every person that comes into the presence. It means that compassion and caring are lived out in the healing, teaching and feeding of people. These are the stories of Jesus.

What does it mean to imitate Jesus? It means that we spend our lives trying to become the human that Jesus was. When we achieve this state of living, we will find ourselves working toward focusing our attention on the world around us rather than the world within us. The author Matthew shares what Jesus said He expects of us if we desire to imitate Him. To have compassion and sympathy, to be of the same mind, having the same love and being in full accord with the will of God in everything that we do. What that means in real life is that we focus our lives on unselfish behavior without ambition that the world tells us is most important. In our world today we have been taught to focus on our success and to achieve that success at any cost. What Godly behavior means is that we achieve success by allowing God to direct our lives and whatever God wants for us is what we accept and find joy in. When we walk with God we never consider ourselves as better than anyone else. One of the truths of the world today is that as humans, we almost always judge others by our own standards. If we are Christian then we see those who are not Christian as somehow inferior.

But when we truly walk with God, then we see everyone we meet for the unique human being that they are. And we see them as having gifts and talents that God gave them. And when we gather together in this community of accepting people, we achieve so much more for the community than our peers who focus on themselves. When we walk with God we focus on the interests of others rather than ourselves. When we do that, we involve ourselves in community, sharing in ecumenical endeavors and assisting wherever your talents may lie.

Jesus did not live to glorify Himself; rather, he continually showed us how to be subordinate to the Father. Rather than chose the role of King, Jesus chose the role of servant and that is the example that He set for us. The scripture tells us that He chose the role of servant and emptied Himself completely to the cross, even unto death itself. We are often faced with the concept of giving everything to God. What does it mean? It means that you live a life in such a way that the only thing that matters is God. Homes don’t matter, money doesn’t matter, and even human relationships may not matter as much as the relationship with God matters. I suspect that most Christians do not understand this important concept.

When we see that Jesus gave up everything for God, then we understand that we are supposed to do the same. But it doesn’t mean that you must sell everything you own, turn away for everyone you know and walk with God. Rather it means that you must have a willingness to do whatever God asks of you. Abraham was willing. God asked him to sacrifice Isaac and Abraham set about the path of doing just that. But God never intended that Abraham would be required to do so. He simply needed to know that Abraham was willing to place his total trust in God.

What kind of life do you want for yourself? One where God is absent? Or do you desire that God is first in your life and that others become more important than self? Do you desire to walk in the image of the man who showed us what righteousness means? The choice is yours! We must choose to imitate Christ in our own lives, caring for others first and sacrificing to place them in positions of abundance. We must learn to be Christ to the world in order that we can live out the vision of bringing God to people and people to God.

Being

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 7/28/16

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Scripture Reading:

^NRS  John 6:60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" ⁶¹ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³ It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. ⁶⁵ And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." ⁶⁶ Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

A twelve year old boy became a Christian during a revival. The next week at school his friends questioned him about the experience. "Did you see a vision?" asked one friend. "Did you hear God speak?" asked another. The youngster answered no to all these questions. "Well, how did you know you were saved?" they asked. The boy searched for an answer and finally he said, "It’s like when you catch a fish, you can’t see the fish, or hear the fish; you just feel him tugging on you line. I just felt God tugging on my heart."

Discipleship should be as important to you as eating. Now we all love to eat. Eating is essential to life is it not? If we don’t eat we die. If we find ourselves hungry our bodies tell us that they we are hungry. Eating is essential to life. Like the little boy in the story, discipleship should be the same way. Like the fish on the line, we can feel it tugging at the bait and we know that we have caught a fish. Discipleship is that tugging on the heart, that feeling inside that tells us that we are hungry and need to be fed. Discipleship when given the proper priority in life keeps us nourished and strong. Discipleship is not simply showing up, it is a determination to live a different kind of life.

All too often we equate discipleship with Sunday morning worship attendance. If we show up then God will know that we are disciples. But Jesus pushed that bar way beyond simply showing up. Jesus said to the disciples that in order to follow Him, one would need to be willing to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Well I know as you do that if someone said that to us without some other understanding we would find that thought revolting. But what Jesus was trying to say is that we need to be willing to take Jesus completely inside of us, to become Jesus to the world in order to be true followers of Christ. In other words, we must abide in Jesus and then Jesus will abide in us. I once preached on the fruitless fruit tree and how if we don’t have the evidence of fruit about us then how can anyone know that we truly have Christ within us. So let us talk about discipleship today.

Today young people say that the church is no longer relevant. Reverend Judy Worthington points to three issues that they claim assures them that the church does not stand for what it should. First, that we preach love your neighbor and then exclude those who follow a different path sexually and religiously. Jesus said there is one true path and that the path is paved with God’s love. We will never win our neighbors if we say we are inclusive and then have exclusive doctrines and paths to membership. Second is the issue of authenticity. We claim to the authentic message of God.  With over seven hundred Christian denominations, what is the one true path? Jesus was clear in His teaching that we are to love one another above all else. That love is the only answer about the Christian doctrine. It doesn’t matter how you baptize, how you serve communion, how you dress or even what Bible version you use, the only thing that matters is that the Christian community loves the world. Authentic love looks like love, feels like love and responds to the world like love. It doesn’t demand that you dress or act a certain way to earn that love; it is simply given expecting nothing in return. True love allows choice to love back. It cannot force, does not abuse and does not purposely harm. I once asked a young lady why she wore Gothic clothing. We talked a little and she asked if I was serious. I was! A week later she brought me a multi-page report on Gothic lifestyle. Why? Because she sensed that I wanted to be in relationship, not condescending, but understanding. That is authentic love.

Finally, that we preach diversity but on Sunday morning we are anything but. But the reality is that even in a racially diverse area such as NOVA, churches tend to be more diverse than the corresponding communities in which they exist. Well everyone’s place is that they share an equal setting at the table of God. Look to the teaching of the Parable of the Good Samaritan if you want Biblical reference for it. When we get to heaven I would highly advise that you leave those misconceptions about race relations where they belong, in the trash and begin to realize that we are all God’s creation, regardless of color, nationality, language or upbringing. Until we the church begin to realize that we have some work to do, larger and larger percentages of young people will flock to the “None Religion” category. You fear Muslims, learn from them. They teach community and establish expectations and rules. Even Moose Lodges and the Elks kick you out if you fail to attend and pay your dues. If you fear those who practice other religious practices, find out what attracts people to them and you may realize they are practicing the teaching of Jesus.

Phil Maynard who teaches about Discipleship around the country says that we need to learn about being, becoming and joining. It will become somewhat of a mantra around here in the next few months as we engage in Discipleship as a church. We need to focus on being the body of Christ. As a disciple, we need to be focused on being in a life of worship. That is more than just showing up on Sunday morning. It means that we focus on reading the Bible daily, praying constantly and following our spiritual disciplines as we get closer to God. It means that we need to be in life of hospitality towards our neighbors, reaching out to them where they are. Today we live in a society where most people are not part of a church anywhere. So we need to be about building relationships with the people around us. The early Christian movement built itself on relationship, relationship with each other and relationship with God. Our task ought to be focused on reaching out to new people who have never heard the truth of the Gospel, that God loves them and wants them to experience that love. How many of you prepare for Sunday worship? The scripture for next week is in the bulletin along with the topic. How many of you prayed this morning for God to enlighten your heart today as you participated in the music, the liturgy and the Word? If not, why not?

Today we struggle with the world around us, politics gone amuck, terrorism on the rise, and we see inhumanity in every place we look. If we cannot find support amongst the people of the congregation then who will give us strength and courage? Not too many years ago if your barn burned down the whole community would come together to build you a new one. If you were injured members of the community would cut their fields and then come over and help you with yours. We are not farmers much anymore but why can’t we carry those same values and ethics into the communities in which we live? Can’t we find ways to rebuild that which is broken and assist those who cannot do what they used to do? That is what the Body of Christ is all about. People loving people! People helping people! We are family and we need not be dysfunctional about it if we can.

Being, becoming and joining are the mantra of a discipleship church. Being, becoming and joining become the lifestyle of a person who follows Jesus and wants to make a difference in the world. Our world is in need of learning about the love of God. Our world is desperately in need of feeling, experiencing and living into a relationship with God. If we do not reach out and share the love of God with the world, the world will pervert it into sexual innuendo, self-fulfillment mandates and success at any cost agendas. The world is doing that every minute of every day. It is up to us, the followers of Jesus to change that. Do you really believe that we cannot do what the early Christians did? The stories throughout history talk of thousands if not millions who have been brought into relationship with Christ through the love of someone they knew who took the time to reach out to them.

We profess to give God our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. Did you not take that seriously? It means that each and every day we vowed to God and our community here at Sydenstricker to give our daily prayers, to be present at the activities, programs and events here at Sydenstricker, to give our gifts to the Lord and our service where God wants us to go. Our gifts are the unique talents that God has given you. Maybe you are given the gift of leadership, maybe the gift of teaching, or maybe the gift getting the job done. Whatever your gift, are you using it to the glory of God? And the abundance that God has given you, are you giving 10 % of it back to the Lord? We spend several hours making sandwiches, gathering school supplies and canned goods, our youth spent time in mission helping those who could not help themselves and we give where we are asked, not for bragging rights, but because God is calling us to show love in those ways. We are to witness to the power of God. It means sharing our stories with those around us so that they might know that they are loved.

I want to close this morning with the things that I have learned about God from Noah.

• One: Don't miss the boat.
• Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
• Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
• Four: Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. 
• Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
• Six: Build your future on high ground.
• Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
• Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
• Nine: When you're stressed, float a while.
• Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
• Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
• Twelve: Remember that no matter where you’ve been, no matter what you’ve done, no matter how you got here, God loves you. God has always loved you and always will.