The Ultimate Test of Faith

Daniel 3:1-30

Right after King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face (2:46) and worshipped Daniel – he told Daniel “truly your God is God of god’s and Lord of our King’s.” Daniel was then promoted and at Daniel’s request, the King appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego over the affairs of Babylon.

Of course, this is where our story begins, after King Nebuchadnezzar had acknowledged God he decides to make a golden statue 40’ high and 4’ wide – essentially making for himself and the people of the land an idol.

How often do we, like King Nebuchadnezzar worship God maybe even falling on our face in honor and praise of God and then return to our idols - whatever idols you may have in your life.

King Nebuchadnezzar then has all the people of the provinces to come and assemble for the dedication of the statue. The herald then proclaimed ‘You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.’

Someone rats out Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and tells King Nebuchadnezzar that they are in violation of his command to worship the golden statue. King Nebuchadnezzar becomes enraged and demands that the 3 violators be brought before him – and they are. They provide no defense for their violation. They tell King Nebuchadnezzar “If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us.^{* 18}But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”

As Christians, we proclaim our faith and seek God in the midst of our everyday life - or at least that is what we tell others and ourselves. But, when we are faced with adversity do we truly trust God? Do we trust God with our lives? Are we willing to die for our faith? In our lives, we will face test as did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. We will then have a choice to – will we choose a path that pleases God; or one which dishonors and rejects God.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose the path of pleasing God even in the face of death. Even in our world today, there are those among us who choose to honor God and their faith in the face of death. We call these folks modern day martyrs.

“Samuel Masih was a simple street cleaner. One day, while cleaning a garden in Lahore, the twenty-seven-year-old Pakistani Catholic was accused of deliberately piling garbage against the wall of a mosque. He was arrested and thrown in jail, where he was repeatedly tortured for his faith. While being treated for tuberculosis, which he contracted in prison, a police constable decided to earn a place in Janna’ (Paradise) by killing him with a brick-cutting hammer.

Thousands of miles away, on a beautiful mid-August day, thirty-two-year-old Fr. Jesus Adrian Sanchez was giving religious instruction at a school in the rural area of Chaparral (Tolima), Colombia. An armed man burst into the classroom, ordered him outside, and shot him dead.

Deep in the Brazilian rainforest, a seventy-three-year-old Sister of Notre Dame, Dorothy Stang, was use to living among people who wanted her dead. She had long been trying to protect peasant laborers from exploitation by logging firms and ranchers. One day, while walking to a meeting of poor farmers near the town of Anapu in the western Brazilian state of Parà, two armed men intercepted her on the path. She knew what they were there to do. Taking out her Bible, she began reading to them and, for a precious few minutes, they listened before opening fire. Sr. Stang was shot six times in the head, throat, and body.”[1]

Some of us here today, know better than others the face of adversity and have even faced the threat of death – on the streets of Birmingham, in the jungles of Vietnam, and other places. From a personal perspective, I have faced the threat of fire head on – so I truly understand what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were facing when they refused to worship the golden statue.

See, I was a firefighter for several years, prior to moving to Birmingham. I had trained in smoke houses, which are much more than just smoke and have entered into burning buildings. Of course before I ever entered into the smoke house or a burning building I was trained and prepared and I had all the right equipment. I was covered from head to toe in protective equipment. I had to make sure that no skin was showing and that everything was protected.

You to must be covered! For you see, when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the golden statue and gave no defense to King Nebuchadnezzar they were covered – covered by their faith in God. Now that is the faith that I want and I’m sure that is the kind of faith that you seek in your lives.

It is often easy for us to verbalize our faith, but are we willing to give up our life for God? Are we willing to die for the Gospel – not figuratively but literally? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced fire and death instead of sacrificing the integrity of their faith.

The decisions you make this week will be governed by one of two things, either inner principle or outer pressure. That is, either by the Word of God or by the world's system. If you allow God's word to dictate your inner principle then you will react to life's fiery furnaces with faith and the result will be deliverance. If you allow the world to dictate your outer pressures then you will react with fear and the result will be bondage. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego lived by inner principle. They got it from the Word of God. Others lived by outer pressure and they had what they tolerated.

We all have fears in our life, but if we are Christians, whom shall we fear. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego teach us that even in the face of death, God is with us – literally!

It actually bothers me when I hear Christians say they are afraid to die or afraid. I just found out a few weeks ago that I will be going on a trip to Israel with my fellow classmates from United Theological Seminary. I was excited to find out about that trip and called my mom to tell here about it. My mom was one who drug be to church as a kid, every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. My mom has never caused me think about her faith – or lack thereof. Though when I called her and told her about my trip, the first question I was asked is “is it safe?” “Should you really go over there, what if something happens?” I wanted to question my mom’s faith at that point, but out of respect and remembering I am her son, not her pastor that I should just let my mom be my mom and let it slide.

My conversation though did make me think about the average church goer. Are they covered? They come and worship each and every Sunday, they partake in the Sacrament’s, they go to Sunday School, and they do all sorts of Church things, but are they covered?

See, God never promises to keep us out of the fiery furnace. John Wesley said this “the God of nature can when he pleases control the powers of nature! The Son of God. Jesus Christ, the Angel of the covenant, did sometimes appear before his incarnation. Those who suffer for Christ, have his gracious presence with them in their sufferings, even in the fiery furnace, even in the valley of the shadow of death, and therefore need fear no evil.”[2]

God did not keep Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the fire. However, Jesus Christ got in the fiery furnace with them. And, the same Jesus Christ will get in with you – whatever fiery furnace you are facing in life. And you, like them, can come out stronger. The Christ of our salvation is the same Christ who loosed their bonds and walked with them in the midst of the flames.

God does not promise you that your life will be easy, or that we will face no adversity. From my perspective, following God’s will, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did, actually makes things harder on us.

What idols do you have in your life that you are willing to turn away from with the risk of being burnt? Worshipping an idol is not worth risking your integrity for and going against God’s will for your life. We all will face times when we are asked to worship an idol and we have to have the fortitude to say no and say as did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego “we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. ¹⁷If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us.^{* 18}But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”

God will deliver us, sometimes through life and sometimes through death. So, do not fear for your life in the face of doing the right thing, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus Christ. For as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego know, it is far better to lose your life and maintain your integrity to the one whom you call Lord, than to sacrifice your integrity for an idol and false god.

This ultimate acct of faith is a witness to what a few faithful followers can do. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego served as a seedbed of the Christian Church.

Amen!

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[1]Brinkmann, Susan.The Greatest Story Never Told: Modern Christian Martyrdom December, 5 2008.  http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=30882 Accessed June 6, 2013.

[2] Wesley, John. Explanatory Notes on the Old Testament http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/daniel/daniel-3.html accessed June 7, 2013.

Get off the Sidelines

Matthew 28:19-20

It’s that time again in Alabama. It is football season. High school and college programs across the state and the southeast are sweating it up in the scorching temperatures of August. Most of the guys on these football teams are looking for an opportunity to play football on Friday and Saturdays. They are out there in the heat; day in and day out giving it their all so that they can have an opportunity to play. This game of football is too hard and too demanding for anyone to just want to be on the team and wear the uniform as the sacrifices are too great for anyone to just want to be on the team and stand on the sidelines. Each one of those kids want to play, however; realistically we know not all of them will be able to play they will just be standing on the sidelines watching as their teammates play on the gridiron.

When we look at the game of football how does it relate to today’s scripture beginning with v. 18 where in Jesus’ last words, he indicates that he has been granted all (pas) authority (exousia) in heaven and on earth (28:18). An on this mountain, Jesus gives a command to his disciples to Go! In this climatic ending to the Book of Matthew Jesus is setting fourth what must be done in order to carry own his legacy and his ministry. In v. 20 Jesus reassures his disciples that he would be with them until the end of the age. We all know this passage of scripture as the “Great Commission” and its significance to the call of those disciples at that time to spread the Word and the witness of Jesus Christ to the world. Yet it was not just for those disciples, but for all disciples of Jesus Christ then and now.

It was a hot September day in 1992. I was a starting offensive lineman for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons as we opened up the season against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels! The Saturday before, my ankle had started to bother me a little, but it was no big deal. I practiced throughout the week yet my ankle never stopped hurting me, but I preserved. Game day came and my ankle was still bothering me, I was hurting but not injured, at least at that time. I played the first half of the game and the pain in my ankle became increasingly severe. I was hobbling back and fourth to the huddle and off the field, but when the ball snapped I felt no pain. By half time, I was in such severe pain I was hyper ventilating and crying from the pain in the locker room. I was done for the day and later I would learn I was done for the year. When the team returned to the field I was on the sidelines! It was not a place I wanted to be as it pained me to be on the sidelines. I wanted to be in the game, but I was just a spectator and not an active participant.

So from the perspective of the Church, if you allow me to draw some analogies, we can view ourselves as a team. When you come to Church on Sundays or participate in Bible study or Disciple you are at practice. You are being prepared for game day, if you will. What you are being prepared for is the equivalent of the playing field or in Church terminology the mission field.

There’s a book I found related to this topic called Church is a Team Sport by Author and Pastor Jim Putnam who says that “Coaches speak from the heart with words and with passion. Coaches teach from experience with knowledge and with precision. Coaches lead from the start with integrity and with inspiration, but without a team behind them there’re just preachers.” You, the church are the team.

You can view your pastor as the head coach for our team. The associate pastors are the assistant coaches. Each one of us has different gifts and talents for which God has blessed us with. The question is what are we doing with those gifts and talents as it relates to our faith? Scripture tells us in Ephesians 4:11 "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

When you come to church and here the Word of God read to you and the Word proclaimed it is to equip you and to prepare you as it is analogous to learning football plays and being prepared to run those plays on the field. Being a Christian is far more than just coming to Church it is about getting off the sidelines and doing something. Do you really just want to be on the team or do you want to get your uniform dirty and have battle scars on your helmets. Yes, the mission field can be messy and sacrifices must be made, but are they not worth it for the sake of the Gospel. Is it not a small thing we do to demonstrate our faith for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who bore the burden of our sins? Can we not do as he commands and “Go and make disciples?”


In James 2:14 we read “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” If you have faith in Jesus Christ and you have fully committed yourself to him, can you sit on the sidelines when there is so many in this world, we live in, that need to hear the Good News? The Gospel of Jesus Christ!


Missions are a result of true faith in Jesus Christ which produces good works! Thus we learn in James 2:14 that belief becomes faith only when it produces action. Thus the writer is conveying to us that it is sincere belief which is accompanied and validated by good works.

Mission is not just a church mission, it is an action in which the Holy Spirit does new things through those whose faith is demonstrated in works. You may be sitting there right now and thinking what can I do? My answer is to be in mission and fulfill the Great Commission.

I am learning more about missions and have learned more about missions over the past couple of years than any other period in my life. I like some of you, heard pastors preaching from the pulpit about missions. I always figured as long as I paid my tithes and offerings that those financial contributions were my duty to missions. It was only the missionaries who did the actual work in the field. If you are like I was, then we were both wrong. Now don’t misunderstand me, we do need your tithes and your offerings for missions and other projects, but God wants your time and your talents as well.

One of my favorite songs is If We are The Body” by Casting Crowns. The chorus goes like this:
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way
Jesus is the way

In Romans 12: 4-8 “For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.”

John Wesley once stated that it does a persons soul good to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked within the God given ability that you have. Thus by performing these acts of mission we can awaken “those that sleep in death; to bring those who are awakened to the atoning blood, and to provoke those who have peace with God to abound more in love and in good works.”

Mission is in and of itself Trinitarian in nature. God sent Christ to redeem the world, and then God and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. So as the church is the body of Christ it should be in mission outside the church walls so that no one would not know the Gospel, the Good News, that Jesus Christ is risen and he is our Lord! He is our Savior!

I am going to give you a word picture to demonstrate the importance of missions to the church! “The Church exists by missions as a fire exists by burning. No burning no fire! No mission no church!” How powerful a word picture is that? Without missions there is no church. Many churches miss that concept in this modern day what’s in it for me culture. If you “take mission out of church what do you have left? Potentially, a social club, which; is unfortunately true in some American churches.

As we consider the importance of missions and the mission field which lay outside the walls of this church, I want to ask you a question which I have borrowed, from the former President John F. Kennedy, and altered it to fit our topic of missions this morning.

Ask not what God can do for you, but what can you do for the Kingdom of God?
When we consider the importance of missions does it pain you to be on the sidelines? Do you want to be in the game? You have to remember Church is a team sport requiring your participation it is not a spectator sport. I am asking you this morning to get off the sidelines and step out of your comfort zone in the name of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is calling us to Go! Will you Go?
Amen.

Act of Random Kindness-Sermon Preached on Sunday July 11, 2010

Luke 10:25-37

The story of the Good Samaritan is one that most of us have heard whether we grew up in church or are new to the church setting. It is a story that provokes thought about human nature, but today I want to talk about its purpose. Now this may seem strange if you have heard this story as many times as I have and you may be setting there thinking David, this story is about compassion and helping someone in need. I will not deny that yes, that is part of the lesson to be learned here, but there is more!

What I want us to see here is that through this one act one man began to change the world. I am sure at certain times in our life many of us could relate to some of the people in this story, whether it was as the priest or Levite who passed by the man in need or the Samaritan who came to the man in need. Some of us may have actually been the person in need of help and thought that no one would show up to help us when through the grace of God, someone does show up.

What I get out of this scripture this morning is something that we really can compare to our current time. We hear so many stories of people in need and no one comes to their aid and in worst case scenarios people are left for dead as people literally walk by them and gawk or peer with interest but never take action. A recent story by Good morning America captures a good Samaritan as he tried to stop a man from attacking a women as she walked down a Queens NY city Sidewalk. The Good Samaritan is then stabbed by the woman’s attacker and then try’s to pursue the attacker, but collapses on the side walk. As he lay there dying; more than 20 people walk by and do nothing. One person does stop by to take a photo with their cell phone and then moves on. What has our country come to that no one values human life enough to stop and check on someone who appears to be in need.

A similar story occurred in Hartford CT a few years ago when an elderly man is hit by a car crossing the street and the driver of the car keeps on going. More than 10 cars pass by and no one stops to help a man lying in the middle of the street. How can this be! What have we as a people succumbed to?

As Christians we are called to be doers of the word, as read in James 1:22. As well as in James 2:20 we read that faith apart from works is barren. We are called to action and fortunately for us our local church, as well as the Methodist church as a whole, is one that has been and is mission focused, but I believe we can do more. We can be doers of the word though living out our faith and helping those in need.

In order for us to do this, it takes two things in addition to our faith and being filled with the Holy Spirit. The first is we have to be willing to take risk and the second is we must have courage. This of course comes as a result of our faith through prayer and opportunity. I will come back to this.

This past Monday as I was eating breakfast and drinking coffee, I was flipping channels on TV. I typically do not watch much TV, but as I was flipping the channels came across the movie Evan Almighty, just as it was coming on. Now I told myself, you cannot watch this movie; you have to prepare a sermon today and time is precious. But I got sucked into the film and began to think was this by chance or was it a God thing. Because of this movie, I had to rewrite my sermon and I even borrowed the name of this sermon from the movie. A.R.K. (Acts of Random Kindness). What does that mean to you? If you look at performing Acts of Random Kindness from a faith perspective what are you doing? As God, told Evan in this movie, you are changing the world one person at a time and just maybe you may have the opportunity to share your faith with someone.

So, back to risk and courage! In this movie do you think Evan had to take a risk? He was recently elected to congress and as a freshman congressman he was given the opportunity to co sponsor a bill. But during this time, God also appeared to Evan and ask him to build an ark. What a crazy idea! What would you do if God appeared to you in some form or fashion and ask you to do something crazy like build an ark? Would you have the courage to do it? Would you being willing to risk everything for God! Or for that matter, what are you willing to risk for God’s sake?

Jim Seale had such an opportunity one evening to risk everything for the sake of the Gospel and living out his faith. As he and several people were leaving an Emmaus meeting one evening, a gentleman was outside and needed $10 for gas. This gentleman even offered to sell his car jack to Jim for $10.00. Instead, he offers the guy a ride and takes him to gas station and pays for $10.00 worth of gas. Later several of the Emmaus community he had been with told him he was crazy for doing that and that he could have been killed or robbed. Jim, through his faith, took a risk and demonstrated courage in providing to this gentleman an Act of Random Kindness to those in need so we can change the world one person at a time.

Some of us may have had opportunities to help people in need, but when the opportunity presented itself you turned it away. Now I understand that we live in a society where we have to be careful. I am not asking you to do something that will put yourself in harms way, but to do what God is calling you to do. To live out your faith, by taking risk and having courage and by showing that Act of Random Kindness

And when that person you just shared an Act of Random Kindness ask you why did you do that, you can reply because of Jesus Christ! It is in our sinful human nature to be selfish and to not necessarily go out of our way to help others, but that is what we are called to do as Christians. We are called to help others or scripturally speaking to “Love our Neighbors.” That is sometimes hard and difficult. To love our neighbors requires us to take risk and be courageous. Are you ready for that!

As God told Evan, going back to the movie, when you pray for something such as patience or courage it is not just given to you, but you are given an opportunity to show patience or to show courage. As I child, I remember my mom telling me that she prayed for patience often when I was young. I apparently tested her patience daily and continued to through most of my childhood and probably even in to my late teens. So if you want to know about praying for something and being given that opportunity just ask my mom! I was her opportunity to learn patience. It must have worked, because nothing my sisters ever did rattled her cage like I could.

So, I digress. What I would ask you to do today is to pray. Pray for the opportunity to help someone in need. Pray for the opportunity to show someone an Act of Random Kindness. If you are not demonstrating your faith through action by doing the word of God then what are you doing? John Wesley denied that religion consist in “forms of worship or rites and ceremonies.” He says that “true religion consists in a heart right toward God and neighbor, and it implies nothing less than happiness as well as holiness.” If your heart today is not filled with the love of God and love for your neighbor, know that it can be. But, know that it is not something you can do but it is what God does in you when you say not my will God, but yours.

Going back to our movie, Evan experiences a similar scene with God when God is telling Evan what he wants him to do and Evan replies, that is not in my plans. God’s will is not our will and we have to allow ourselves to be lead by him. Remember this Christian faith is not a destination, but it is a journey. It is a journey like riding on a river. Sometimes the torrents of the river scare us to death; we do not know what lies before us around the next bend. It could be deep calm waters, or it just might be someone in need of our help.

The river of life awaits you it is like that road to Jericho. God is calling you to action for he still has lost sheep; they are in need of our help. Our streets are filled with homeless who are Hungary, we have orphans without a home, and many around us are in need. Are you going to set there today and say there is nothing I can do, I am too old, and I am too young? I do not have the time to do that. If not you, then who?

A man was robbed and beaten and left for dead on a road leading from Jerusalem to Jericho. Two men, a priest and a Levite, both at separate times walked by the half dead man in need yet did nothing. A third person, a Samaritan, actually came to his aid and provided an Act of Random of Kindness. He did not just show compassion for the man, he took action. He bandaged his wounds; he poured wine and oil on the wounds and carried him to an inn where he gave the innkeeper enough money for the poor man to stay there for two months.

I ask you today, who of the three men who came upon this man in need was his neighbor? Will you be a neighbor to someone in need? Will you take risk, will you be courageous and help someone like the Good Samaritan did? If not you, then who will be the one that will offer that Act of Random Kindness to the one whom God created? As the Good Samaritan did and as Jesus commands, “Go and do likewise!”

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Review of Justo L Gonzalez, Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes

David Lowe. Review of Justo L Gonzalez, Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996).



In review of this book, I believe the main point is that it is important for the reader to be able to understand biblical texts based on their own context and perspective. Context and perspective play an important role in understanding the Bible and engaging it in relation to discipleship and spiritual growth. Seeing the Bible through Hispanic eyes allows the read to see the Bible from another dimension enabling the reader to understand Scripture in a new light.

In the opening of the book, Gonzalez begins with a story about a question posed to him regarding the inerrancy of the Bible. He responded that yes the Bible is inerrant, however; “same cannot be said for any interpretation of the Bible” (12). Gonzalez informs the reader that “to read the bible is to enter into a dialogue with it” (14). Furthermore, he adds that “texts do not err” but that instead it is “writers and readers who err” (14). So with this in mind Gonzalez attempts to help the reader understand that questions of biblical inerrancy are not so much about inerrancy as much as it is authority (14).

As previously stated, the main point of the entire book is for the reader to be able to understand the biblical texts based on their own context and perspective. That is still true, but to further clarify the aim of the book is to delve deeper into Hispanic hermeneutics. Specifically, the author discusses five varying themes of Hispanic hermeneutics of which are Marginality, Poverty, Mestizaje and Mulatez, Exiles and Aliens, and Solidarity (32).

As the author notes in his text, the Hispanic culture cannot be confined to one particular people or segment of the Hispanic population. Gonzalez says:
“some of us are descendents of the original inhabitants of these lands, who were here long before the arrival of the first Europeans. Some of us are descendents of African slaves brought to work for Spanish masters. Some of us are descendents of the Spanish conquistadors and colonizers. Most of us are mixture of these and other strains. In background, some of us are Mexican, other Puerto Rican, other Cuban, or Dominican, or Central American. Some can claim more than one of these various backgrounds. Some of us were born in the United States. Others came as political exiles. Still others came for economic and other reasons. Many of us are not even quite sure why we are here. Some call ourselves “Latino/as,” others “Hispanics,” or “Hispanic Americans.” Some prefer more concrete identifications: “Chicano,” “Puerto Rican,” “Cuban American,” “Mexican –American,” “Salvadoran,” and so on” (32).

The importance of understanding or aim of Santa Biblia: The Bible through Hispanic Eyes is that Hispanic culture is diverse and in that diversity a wide variety of views can be discerned from the reading of the biblical text. None of these views are wrong, as much as they are all contextual and based on an individuals perception. Perception, for the reader, becomes reality so the perception of a person’s reading of the biblical text becomes the reality of the text for that individual.
The central argument of this book is to understand the ways in which an individual can understand and interpret Scripture given one’s background and cultural context. Our Hispanic bothers and sisters offer us unique ways in which we as fellow Christians can read, interpret, understand and act upon Scripture. The following few paragraphs offer a glimpse into the themes of the book and some of the ways the author goes about arguing how one can understand and interpret Scripture given the reader’s background and cultural context.

As Christians, we should be able to appreciate the themes and experiences of our Hispanic brothers and sisters in Christ. We can do that through the five varying, aforementioned; themes discussed in this book. As non-Hispanic Christians, we too experience some of these themes in varying scenarios and situations. For example, the author states that “the value of marginality is crucial, not only for reading the Scripture, but also for reading the history of the church, and even for reading our task as a church today” (45). One such task is meeting the needs of those on the margins, by being Jesus to them.
In marginality, we as a church have opportunity to reach out to those on the margins and to welcome them into our churches. The author states “a reading from a perspective and experience of marginality tells the church that bringing the marginalized to the very center of God’s love and community is essential part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ-so essential, that the doubt arises: In a society and a world in which so many are marginalized, is it legitimate for a church to call itself at the same time both “mainline” and “Christian”? (55).

In review of the theme of poverty, Gonzalez makes it clear “in general, the Latino experience in the United States is one of poverty” (57). As Christians, we are called to be in “partnership” and to share our resources in order to meet the needs of those in our community (70). Gonzalez points to this sharing of resources when he references Deuteronomy 15:4-5 which says “there will, however; be no need among you…if only you will obey the Lord your God”? (74). In the world of most Hispanic communities, this sharing concept comes naturally versus the average American who is selfish and often finds this concept hard to grasp to share what they have worked so hard for with those, whom may be perceived in a different light.

The Hispanic culture can find its origin in a mixed background as the result of Spanish conquest of those in Mexico or the mixing of Spanish and those of African backgrounds. Gonzalez says “We read much of the Bible from a perspective of ethnic and cultural purity” (80). Hispanics find solace in understanding that Christ himself was the product and came from a lineage of women who were not of Jewish descent. The author notes that “Mestizaje, both genetic and cultural, is part of the biblical reality, even though the deuteronomist historian may have tried to suppress it” (90).

Hispanics in many contexts, especially those in the United States can relate to the biblical stories of Exiles and Aliens for they themselves have lived this life or are still living it. Gonzalez informs the reader that those “who were born here and those whose ancestors have lived in this country for generations, have little or no desire to move toward the center, for they fear that the cost will be a loss of identity” (93). This philosophy and outlook on their situation thus impacts their perception and interpretation of Scripture and life.

The last major theme in the text in review is that of solidarity. This solidarity in one aspect is one of family connection and relationship and extensions within not just the nucleolus of the family, but the extended family itself. The author states “the present notion of the nuclear family is a relatively recent phenomenon, mostly the result of the industrial evolution and of developments that took place since then (105). The concept of extended family is important and for Christians we serve as an extended family and we have a responsibility to welcome those into our family who are without a family. “Our churches must be a welcoming home for those who have no home and a family for all those who have no functional family” (105).

In review of the content of the book, I now want to critically review, in my opinion, the intent of the book and whether the author was able to accomplish his goal. I will do this through the asking of a few questions related to the text.

Early in the introduction Gonzalez stated that “reading is always a dialogue between the text and the reader” or the understating of the text from an individual perspective (13). Did Gonzalez make clear in his text the truth of this statement? I do believe Gonzalez was able to demonstrate that in his analysis and commentary that the perspective of the individual is important in the understanding of the Bible in the context of the reader. For example, in chapter 3, we gain perspective through Hispanic eyes in the story of Jesus lineage. For the average reader of the Bile Jesus lineage is purely Jesus, yet we know the other side of the story now.

Does the Bible speak to us where we are or can we even relate to a text which is centuries old? As I reviewed the themes, poverty came to mind in answering this question. For a large segment of the Hispanic population in the United States are on the margins or considered poor. From their eyes though, we learn of the concept of community and how from a scriptural standpoint we can learn to share in our abundant resources. Through this theme Gonzalez clearly establishes for us a way of understanding the Bible through the Hispanic context and perspective.

Through the reading of Santa Biblia: The Bible through Hispanic Eyes, I ask how I have been shaped through this book and its aim. Clearly at this point in the review, I see Gonzalez’s aim and of understanding the Bible through one’s own context and perspective. When a reader engages the biblical text in dialogue their context and perspective plays a major role in the understanding of the scripture and its life application. By understanding this, we can appreciate differences and learn in an ecumenical environment.

In closing, my thoughts regarding this book are that context is important when we read or interpret the Bible. From a New Testament perspective, it is critical to understand how Jesus speaks to us in varying ways. Viewing the Bible through Hispanic eyes allows one to see how the Bible is able to speak to each one of us where we are and bring meaning and purpose to us in that stage in our Christian journey. The reading of this book has enlightened me and opened my own eyes up to the possibility of seeing more than just meets the eye in Scripture. As the Holy Spirit, in my own context and perspective leads me, I will be open to new possibilities within God’s Word.

St Patrick: By Dr. Michael Matlock Professor at Asbury Theological Seminary

Patrick ... what can we learn from this man of God?

Most of my thoughts come from a colleague in this area, a pastor of a church in the Anglican tradition.

St. Patrick was the wealthy son of a clergy person who lived in Roman Britain during the fifth century. As a young man, he rejected the faith of his family and lived a wild life with his wealthy friends. When he was a teenager, raiders from Ireland kidnapped Patrick, took him to Ireland and sold him into slavery. For six years, he faced hunger, privation and nakedness as he served his master as a shepherd.



During his servitude, Patrick returned to the faith of his family. While he was alone in the fields, he turned to God and found solace through faith in Jesus Christ. After a number of years, Patrick received a vision from God that called him to escape and return to his home. By God’s protection, he returned home. In time, he sensed a calling to be a priest in the Church. During his preparation for this vocation, Patrick again heard God’s call. This time it was a call to return to the Irish and bring to them the message of God’s extravagant love revealed in Jesus Christ.




Patrick obeyed this heavenly voice and returned to Ireland as a Bishop to make disciples of Jesus Christ and organize communities of Christians throughout the land. Within Patrick’s lifetime, a multitude of faith communities was founded and within a few generations, the Irish people were converted from paganism to Christianity. The Irish or Celtic Church then sent missionaries all over Scotland , England and Northern Europe.




The Celtic Church was marked by a number of features that made it flourish:


•A focus on founding deep communities of faith for outreach and service to the Irish people.

•Intensive, intentional disciple-making through the liturgy, practical spiritual instruction and deep friendships.

•A holistic faith that embraced all of creation as a means to understand and draw closer to God

•An emphasis on mission and self-giving to the surrounding culture as central to the Christian life.

•A wedding of the historic Christian faith with the forms of Irish culture.


In our increasingly post-Christian and post-modern culture, many women and men are fully disconnected from Christianity. We look to Patrick, and the story of God’s work through him, as an inspiration and model for us as a faith community.

By Dr. Michael Matlock Professor at Asbury Theological Seminary March 18 Asbury Virtual Campus http://virtual.asburyseminary.edu/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=135494

The Future Chruch

I am going to share this with you. Keep in mind this was a class assignment where I had to pretend to be the Pope,(Pope is really another word for Bishop, so keep that in mind when reading this as I am not arrogant enough to think myself a Pope or Bishop). The assignment was to write a paper about the future of the chruch. I hope you like it and please make comments.
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The foundation of the Church is Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, and Peter for whom Christ said he would build his Church (MT 6:8). We know who founded the church and from whom the church was built; thus we also know that the Church is the Bride of Christ “Not only is the universal church described as the bride of Christ, but so is the local church” (Devenish, p.41) So, what is the future of the church? It is a tradition which has, for over 2000 years, grown and faced challenges of it own as it strives to do the will of God, through the Son and with the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Church was created so that the people of God could join with him in his redemptive mission of the world (McNeal, p.15) Will we be able to continue that mission in the future as we examine what the church of the future will be like? If we are, what ever the future holds for the Church it must be Christ centered.

The Future of the Church will need to focus on three key areas for its future, with a simple policy of growth and sustainment of growth, with three focal areas; other than being Christ centered, which are leadership development, spiritual formation (discipleship) and mission. These three focal areas for sustainment of growth will have more impact on the future of the church than any other areas of consideration and I will ensure these three concepts backed by policies and church governance to support the growth plan.

Effective leaders are long term planners and look well into the future to ensure that what they do today positively influences their church for future generations. In 2004, Bishop Joseph Pennel of Franklin TN said that "every congregation deserves spiritual leaders," and; "…we need leaders today who are concerned about more than institutional maintenance. We need leaders who are more concerned about faith than maintaining the status quo. We need leaders today who are nailed to the historic faith, which brought the United Methodist Church into being."

If the Church is to have a future then leadership will be a key aspect of the future of the Church. Bishop Pennel further stated that "leadership determines the path and pathos of an institution and organization" of which the church is applicable. I recently heard a sermon by Adam Hamilton, a UMC pastor at the Church of the Resurrection in Leewood Kansas. Adam mentioned that it seems as if God had stopped calling young people into ministry within the UMC and that he was calling second career pastors at a more rapid pace. I can relate to that and maybe there is a reason for that. Maybe the church is at a point where the business world experiences of someone such as my self can be of critical importance in the future of the church or is it that with the noise of the world and the call of the secular world young people, analogous to the call of Samuel, need someone to help them hear the call. (1 Samuel 3:1-10)

No matter the reason, we need to mentor and encourage the young people of the church to hear God’s call. They are our future leaders and it is essential that we develop young leaders within the church. “The number of clergy (UMC) under 35 fell from 3,219 in 1985 to 876 in 2007, but it increased in 2008, according to the study. The consistent decline in under-35 elders as a percentage of all elders seemed to hit its low point in 2005, when it sank to 4.69 percent, the study noted. In 2006 and 2007, the percentage increased to 4.89 percent and 4.92 percent, respectively.” (Green)

Can the foundation of the Church, which is Jesus Christ, withstand what the future brings and can we as a Church grow outward and into the world for which Christ came to save; for at its core the Church is established to make disciples so that no one will be lost. The Church over the years, in some context, has become more of an institution where people come to hear a message and then they depart until the same time next week. From an outsider’s perspective, some churches could be construed as social clubs in some aspects. The average church goer today is self seeking in one sense instead of seeking to grow in the spirit in order to go fourth into the world to fulfill the great commission. “In a Christian age we needed a pastoral church. In the largely pagan age of today, we need a missionary church and that is profoundly different” (Devenish, p.127) In other words, the church is a place to develop Christians to go fourth into the world, the place outside the church walls, to seek the lost and bring them to know Christ.

How do we ensure the future of the church and do what it is God calls us to do? First of all “Our understanding of church needs to large enough to embrace all the bible has to say about what it means to be His people, and what it means to be in the world” (Peterson, p.171). Being in the world is one aspect of the future church. “It seems that Jesus regards his Church as a people sent into the world-in other words, he calls us for mission!” (Devenish, p.20) So a vital part of the future church is that of mission so it is essential that I as the Pope help the Body of Christ “recapture the mission of the church” (McNeal, p. 12).

In most churches today there are a few in missions or interested in mission. Many people just show up to church to be served instead of learning to serve or even desiring to serve. As Pope, I will ensure that the Elders are encouraging and making the Church about mission from the pulpit. In this modern day era where some churches preach a form of self help and prosperity preaching little is said about helping or serving the least of those in society as a result of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Of course by saying missions are important and preaching on missions from the pulpit is important are not enough. Christians must consider the work of missions as vital to their own spiritual formation and spiritual health. Unfortunately for the church, “we have made following Jesus all about being a good church member” (McNeal, p. 72) We have not done a good job of teaching or preaching about spiritual formation and growing in both personal and social holiness. In addition to that “we have assumed that if people come to church often enough they will grow” (McNeal, p. 80). That is not of course necessarily true. Church is about worship and learning, but it is a place to prepare Christians to go fourth into the world in Christian service, that is missions.

Though in spiritual formation we teach and encourage and allow the Holy Spirit to work in people and as they grow in faith then their faith will result in works of love and kindness to those in the world who are in need such as the homeless, the poor, the windows and the lost. “The spiritual formation process is important for the community of faith and should be an environment where the number one pursuit is the development of human beings created in the image of God and redeemed into this family through Jesus” (McNeal, p. 91)

We cannot as Christians hide behind the walls of the church for “The whole essence of the church is that it exists for mission” ((Devenish, p.21). If our lives as God’s people are to be lived out in full view of the world, we need to take conscious, deliberate steps to be sure this is happening” (Peterson, p.173). By developing spiritually formed Christians who understand their duties as well as Gods plan for their lives as a Christian; they can fulfill their call as it relates to personal and social holiness in order that we may transform the future church. This requires us to challenge people with the Word of God and their understanding of the Trinity. Christians must understand that “the Trinity is missional. The father sent the son. Father and son send the Holy Spirit (29) “So in the Church, Jesus forms a community that reflects these qualities of the Trinity” (Devenish, p.29)

The future of the Church will require us to maintain laser focus on the 3 key areas noted in this paper. Through a Christ centered approach to leadership development within the church we will have leaders who can teach and disciple to the people of the church (spiritual formation) who then are ready and prepared to go fourth in mission. The first two focal points are parts of the whole but necessary in order to fulfill the ultimate call of the church which is to be in mission.





Bibliography




Anderson, Leith. A Church for the 21st Century 1992 Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Devenish, David. What On Earth Is The Church For? A blueprint for the future for church based mission and social action. 2005, Authentic Media Waynesboro,GA.

Green, Linda. Young clergy numbers rise, bucking leadership trend January 6, 2009 http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=4862911&content_id=%7BB6902198-9170-4477-9FE0-1082BB1EB5F3%7D¬oc=1 Accessed November 7, 2009


McNeal, Reggie The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church Jossey Bass 2003 San Francisco CA

Pennell, Joseph. Church’s future depends on developing leaders. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=2&mid=5830 accessed November 7, 2009


Peterson, Jim. Church without Wall: Moving Beyond Traditional Boundaries 1992. Navpress, Colorado Springs Colorado.

The Foreknowledge Debate: Where do you fall?

Abstract

Does God have foreknowledge of all that is to come or is the future open for events to occur that God does not have knowledge of how they will end? This question opens up a discussion of two views on the foreknowledge of God. What does God know? Are our futures open or have they already been settled?
This reflection paper will cover the two views of the debate over God’s foreknowledge of the future. The two views which will be discussed are the classical view and the open view. Within the classical view there are two trains of thought, the Calvinist and the Arminian perspectives, each with a similar but different take on the classical view. Of course the views as they relate to the Calvinist and the Arminian perspectives fall in line with the doctrinal differences of the two as it relates to predestination and free will. The open view is more singularly focused and does not require additional explanation at this time.
Within the context of the argument both sides argue that Scripture is on their side and of course each side highlights Scriptural references to aid them in their arguments of their views as it relates to the topic of the foreknowledge of God. The classical view perspective says “Christians hold that humans are responsible for their actions but deny that the future is entirely up to humans to settle” (p. 38).
The open view side of the foreknowledge debate, as noted above, also cites scripture for the sake of their argument and theological perspective and note “that God sometimes predestines and/or predicts aspects of the future” but that “the future is partly settled, either by God’s will or as a consequences of present circumstances” (p. 43)
Both sides agree that God is “omniscient (all knowing)” though the open view disagrees with the classical view over what there is for God to know (p. 38 & 43). I will discuss in greater detail the two views and my own personal thoughts and beliefs as to the theology I most prescribe to.

Highlight

In the reading of The Foreknowledge debate, I came across a statement made by the author which summed up for me my belief as it relates to this debate. “God knows what I shall freely do, but this does not mean that he determines what I do” (p. 43). Of course as a Methodist (Arminian), I must “insist that exhaustive divine foreknowledge is compatible with self-determination” (p. 43). An example of how God can take a decision, with malice intent, and turn it around for good or into his will is the story of Joseph (Gen. 37-47). Joseph's brothers hated him and threw him into a pit. Then they sold him as a slave, and he was taken to a foreign country. People lied about him, and as a result, he was thrown into prison. In the end, we know how God took this decision and made it work out to fulfill his will.
I can understand aspects of the open view perspective and from one point see that what they are saying could in some ways be construed as an Arminian classical view perspective on some levels, but know that there are divergent issues which make that comparison somewhat challenging. One example of this is where the author points out that “the open view allows us to affirm the scriptural teaching that prayer can change God’s mind and affect what happens in the world” (p. 47) Is that to say the classical view does not believe in the power of prayer? No! I do see where this allows for free will, for one to make a conscience decision to ask God for intervention or insight into a particular situation. Prayer is one relational aspect of our relationship with God and our way of communication with him, however; through prayer God is still ultimately in control. I find comfort in knowing that “God knows not only what will happen, but what would have happened under different circumstances” (p.38).
I do not believe, from either perspective, that we cannot box God into a particular category. The open view theology has points of interest which merit dialogue, but given the context of the entire debate I must side with the classical view Arminian perspective as it relates to the theology debate of God’s foreknowledge.

Effect

In the reading of this brief essay, the concepts of the classical view and open view have become clearer to me and allowed me to understand that within the circle of Christian theology that there will continue to be debates, but we must be open to discussion of the debates and be willing to attempt to see others viewpoints even though we may disagree with them.
As I consider how the reading of this essay will affect my ministry, I am forced to think of the world around me and the secular world which on its face appears to be spiritual in many ways these days, but they have an attitude of anything goes and that one should believe what they want to believe. That concept in and of itself to me is very idol focused. Our world is similar in aspects to the time spoke of in Jeremiah 10: 1-10. Our world is full of idols and people believe that they “have the sole power and sole responsibility to determine the future for themselves and for life” (p. 38). Whereas, Christians hold that humans are responsible for their actions but deny that the future is entirely up humans to settle.” (p. 38).
It will be an uphill battle, but going fourth in my ministry I feel called and obligated to reach out to those that are lost, those that are making idols of money, and career and addictive substances or other substitutes for God. By informing people that God is in control and “that God knows all that shall come to pass, including the decision of free agents” I think is powerful (p. 39). Open view theists object to this view, but who are we to limit the power of what God knows of all time both past and future. Knowing that God has the foreknowledge of all to come and knowing that he will ultimately win the battle against evil and that through my faith and belief is Jesus Christ brings comfort to me and I want to share that with others who may not have that comfort in their life.
In the end, I agree with the classical view and from that perspective I strongly believe that “any view that denies God the ability to know the whole of the future is misguided” (p. 39). I as well as the people that I will minister to will find comfort in that I believe.

References

Boyd, Gregory A. & Eddy, Paul R. (2002). Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology. Grand rapids Michigan: Baker Academic.

Would Christ be Welcomed in Your Chruch?

The following is a sermon preached at Old Chapel United Methodist Chruch today, September 6, 2009.

The scripture for this sermon was James 2:1-13. A scripture of reference to note in addition to the primary scripture is Romans 16:16 " In Christ divisions are insignificant"
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James 2:1-13

In the scripture of James 2:1-13, we have a letter written by James brother of Jesus. This letter was written in the mid 60’s C.E. This letter was not written to one particular church, but written to numerous churches in the Diaspora. In this scripture lesson the partiality, or discrimination, being addressed is most likely in a synagogue setting. It may not have necessarily been a worship service, but a meeting where decisions regarding the church were taking place amongst it members. We are able to break the scripture lesson into two segments. The first being vs. 1-7 which is focused on not showing any partiality in church and the second vs. 8-13 which notes that showing partiality is against God’s law.
In the First Century A.D., people were either rich or poor, slaves or free, Jew or Gentile, Greek or barbarian. We can see in Ga 3:28 that we are all one in Christ & Col 3:11 which says that Christ is all and in all. In modern day America we still place people into groups or classifications as we attempt to describe people and place them into categories. I believe it is human nature to do this as our brains work to somehow organize what we see. However, God calls us to aspire to have a nature of that of Christ. Whether rich or poor, both groups fall within God’s people and we do not glorify one that is God’s people, for the sake of the other or because of one’s status in culture. Being rich or poor has no impact in God’s eyes, it all about one’s heart.
In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” That usher’s prejudice not only betrayed Jesus but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior.
In modern day America, this very example that Mahatma Gandhi experienced is repeated in some churches across this great nation of ours. One Sunday morning, when I was about 6 or 7 years old, the church service was just getting started. My memory of this event is somewhat hazy, but I always have remembered it. As the service was starting a young black couple walked into the church. One could have heard a pin drop and the piercing glares shot right through them in this rural southwestern Virginia all white church as they slid into the back row. This memory has always stayed with me. We must remember that Christ died for all people, black and white, rich and poor as we are all one because “the blood of Christ makes us one” and as Christians we must challenge ourselves and our fellow Christians that “now is the time for his church to come together.”
We have to be cognizant of our tendencies to judge people on their outward appearances. This tendency is inconsistent with our faith. Take the Movie Shallow Hal for example. This movie obviously does not discuss the issue of rich and poor in the church or even racial issues, but it does address our own prejudices to judge people based on appearance.
As we delve into the scripture vs. 1-7 two very important questions come to mind.
1. Have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
2. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

To prefer the rich and discriminate against the poor is to align oneself with the secular world and to become worldly in the worst sort of way. If a poor man is a good man and the rich man is an evil man then why would we judge them on their outer appearance, for that matter until you get to know the person then how can you judge them if you do not know them. God does not judge us because of what we outwardly do, but what he sees in our heart that we really are. It’s like Shallow Hal, who when under Tony Robbin’s spell, he saw Rosemary’s heart and her inner person, who she was in God’s eyes. We must appreciate people for who they are and not what they have or how they look. We should look at people as God see them and that is through their heart.
The 2nd part of the scripture for today is vs. 8-13. I like the way it reads in The Message,

8-11You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: "Love others as you love yourself." But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it. You can't pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God's law and ignoring others. The same God who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't murder." If you don't commit adultery but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery will cancel out your murder? No, you're a murderer, period.
12-13Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.
From vs. 8-13, there are two main phrases I want to discuss. The first is "Love others as you love yourself." And the second is kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time. Both of these statements tie into what I think the main point is for this entire scripture, which is to welcome all into this “House of Prayer.” Rich or poor, black or white welcome all. As we read in Matthew 25:43 Jesus said “I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” I believe this scripture speaks to the lesson today and that is as Christians, we must welcome strangers, we must love others as we love ourselves and grant mercy and grace to others as God grants grace and mercy to us. A stranger, rich or poor must be welcomed by us who call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ.
I close today with two questions for you to ponder: Are you a Christian? For real Christians are known by their love. And if you are, would Christ be welcomed here today?

Unlock the Door and Answer God's Call

Ephesians 4: 1-6

Has someone ever begged you for something? Can you recall that scene in your head when that person was begging in front of you? Usually if someone is begging they are sincere, they have a purpose in mind, and they are earnest and insistent especially in what they are asking for.

Back in the spring, I was taking my oldest daughter to a softball, clinic prior to the season starting. She had never played an organized sport before. We tried upward basketball when she was in kindergarten but it didn’t go well. I digress, we pulled into the parking lot at the softball field and she said she was not going to do it. She even locked the doors of the car. I got out going around to her door in an attempt to assist her out of the car. She locked the door and held her finger on the lock so I could not open the door. I was begging her to get out. I knew she would have fun if she would just make that first step onto the field. She was unwilling to take that step. She was scared and anxious. She did not know what to expect.

In the opening of Ephesians 4: 1 Paul is begging us to live a life “worthy of the calling to which we have been called.” You may say God has not called me, but yes, he has. We have all been called by God to do something as he guides our life. It is up to us to listen to him. He has given each of us fruits and gifts for us to use. “God is like a good gardener, who selects the seeds (our life call) that will blossom in the pristine sunlight of spring (our vocation, ministry, and profession). In our calling God, wants us to live a life “worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”[1]

The story I told you earlier could be analogous to God’s calling on our lives’s. Are you willing to unlock the door and answer God’s call?

John Wesley wrote about this and he referred to this, our life call, as Holiness. Holiness is total dedication to the Lord from all that pollutes, defiles, or draws people away from God. God is love, all encompassing love. This is the character of God, and therefore as John Wesley emphasized it must be the character of Gods people. We are called to live a life of personal and social holiness.

Through love we are united as one in Christ. Unity is the hallmark of the church and all its creation. It is to be maintained by love expressing itself in
lowliness,
meekness,
patience
forbearing.



As Methodist, we read in the Apostles Creed “I believe in the holy catholic church”
(that means universal church not Roman Catholic). When we say this, we are confessing that we believe in one Church of God, not the one true Methodist Church. We want to be conformed to Christ in “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Like John Wesley, “we are eclectic, willing to learn from a wide array of fellow Christians and their traditions.” [2]

In order for us to be truly “United” we have to embrace the fullness of Christian teaching and embrace the concept of inclusivity and ecumenical acceptance. To be ecumenical does not mean we will sacrifice our doctrine or compromise our beliefs, but we focus on the similarities we have with others and love them. To be Methodist, as John Wesley stated, is to be one who has ‘the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him;’ one who ‘loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind and with all his strength.”

Through love, we can unite, as a church, as a community, as a nation and throughout the world. The scripture today is teaching us that we must put our love into practice in order to maintain Christian unity. We as a church are just like a normal family. We have those people that we love to be around and we have those people who get on our last nerve, but we are called to love, to be “worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”

Aristides, a second-century apologist for the Christian faith, wrote this to the Roman emperor Hadrian about believers in his day:“They love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If they have something, they give freely to the man who has nothing; if they see a stranger, they take him home, and are happy, as though he were a real brother. They don’t consider themselves brothers in the usual sense, but brothers instead through the Spirit, in God.”As human beings, we all belong to the same family. Even though we are divided by all sorts of barriers and differences, “under the skin” we’re all the same.As believers in Jesus Christ, then, whatever our differences—denominations, preferences, worship styles—we are one spiritual body that acknowledges the same heavenly Father. Let’s do all we can to demonstrate our unity in Christ. Unity in our diversity is the most effective witness to this sin-fractured world. —Vernon C Grounds

I found a poem I want to share with you this morning as it relates to this subject of unity.
Join hands, then, brothers of the faith,Whatever your race may be;Who serves my Father as a sonIs surely kin to me. —OxenhamUnity among Christians comes from their union with Christ.[3]


Earlier I mentioned that we maintain unity in the church through lowliness, meekness, patience and forbearing. I want to walk through each of these concepts with you and explain a little more about what each mean and a context for your life.

Lowliness: We should not be prideful we should not to think of ourselves more highly than we are. We are sons of Adam and have suffered from the results of the fall. We have to be humble and know that our only saving grace is that of God’s grace for our lives and the sacrifice Christ made for us that our sins are washed away. The Crimson Blood of Christ has made us white as snow.

Meekness: In meekness we, with God’s help, must control our anger. As Christian’s we are called to live a peculiar life. When in the workplace or other public areas, we are held to a higher standard. Non believers love to see one of us fall! When we as Christians err in judgment it can sometimes become headline news. We must remember that we are to be “worthy of the calling to which we have been called.”

Patience: When I think of patience I think of my wedding vows, Love is patient, love is kind. I have had to learn patience with my wife over the years, but probably not as much as she has had to learn to deal with me. Just as in a family or in a marriage we are called to be patient with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Forbearing: Bearing with one another in love to me implies being empathetic with our brothers and sisters in Christ as they are carrying their cross. We have to be supportive of our fellow Christians as we support each other. I would say it is analogous to a football team. Each person has a specific role within the church, just as on a football team each player has a different role to fill. Each contributes to the overall success of the church or the team.

John Wesley was quoted as saying "Ye are the light of the world!" Ye are "a city set upon a hill," and "cannot be hid." O "let your light shine before men!" Show them your faith by your works. Let them see, by the whole tenor of your conversation, that your hope is all laid up above! Let all your words and actions evidence the spirit whereby you are animated! Above all things let your love abound. Let it extend to every child of man: Let it overflow to every child of God. By this let all men know whose disciples ye are, because you "love one another."

In his book Great Church Fights, Leslie B. Flynn tells how two porcupines in the freezing north country of Canada huddled together to keep warm. But because they were pricked by each other’s quills, they moved apart. Soon they were shivering again and had to lie side by side once more for their own survival. They needed each other, even though they needled each other!

“How like Christians! Through the centuries the church, instead of majoring in communion, has often muddled in contention. Despite the halo of spirituality imagined over the apostolic church, the dust clouds of sharp collisions were equally visible. There was Paul’s dispute with Barnabas, the clashes of the cliques at Corinth, the contention of the women at Philippi, and several other controversies.” Flynn goes on to show that even though there may be conflicts among Christians, they should not overshadow the greater spiritual warmth received from gathering with the family of God. Because of Jesus’ redemptive work, the Holy Spirit binds us together and gives us the help and strength we need.” [4]

Christ suffered and died for you so that you could be reconciled to God. In Christ, I beg you today; live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Unlock the door and answer God’s call!

[1] Guinness, Os. The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003.

[2] United Methodist Beliefs: A Brief Introduction William Willimon p.49
[3] http://www.preceptaustin.org/ephesians_sermon_illustrations_4.htm
[4] http://bible.org/illustration/ephesians-41

United Through Christ

Ephesians 2: 11-22

Have you ever had someone do something for you that changed your life forever? Well, I want to tell you a story about how my wife and I met. My sister and I am sure God had something to do with it as well, knew that if she did not intervene I would probably never get married. I was a police officer at that time in my life, so I was focused on my career and dating was the last thing on my mind. After some prodding and encouragement I gave in. So I was set up on a blind date and 15 years later here I stand today!

Now you may be wondering, what is the purpose of this story? Often times in life and in our relationships we need help. Sometimes it is to bring two people together who have never met, like my wife and I, or some times to bring people back together who may have had some differences or a broken relationship. Either way we often have someone who is working on our behalf. I think most of us probably have friends or family members who fit this bill. I am thinking of someone in particular whose name is Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Christ we have someone, the Messiah who died for each one of us. To fully understand the context of this sacrifice, just imagine before Christ, Gentiles, that is you and me, did not know the God of Israel. Had God not sent Christ to us, we would not be sitting here today! We would be hopeless. But, because he did send Christ we are reconciled to God as well as to the Jews of Israel and therefore to one another.

I have 3 primary points I want to make with you this morning.
1. We are all one in Christ Jesus
2. We have peace in Christ
3. Christ is our foundation

So, as we read in Ephesians 2: 11-12

11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth,* called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Paul spent a great deal of time and energy persuading the Ephesians that Gentile believers were spiritually equal to their circumcised Jewish counterparts. His repeated conversations on this subject to reveal problems in the early church that continue to plague present-day would-be worshipers. Namely existing church members making newcomers feel like a stranger in a new sitting, or unwelcome in this environment. We must welcome folks in the Church as new parents welcome an adopted child into their home.

In the context of this scripture vs. 11-12, Christ did not come so that we could be separate from our Jewish brothers and sisters. He came to unite all! Jew and Gentile. For one day Christ will come to unite his church. In Hosea 3:5 Afterwards the Israelites shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days. This verse references God’s desire to reunite the divided people of God, Jew and Gentile!

I had the pleasure this year of attending a Passover meal the night before Easter. This Passover meal is referred to as a Sedar meal (which is a Jewish ritual feast held at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover to describe the Exodus from Egypt) EXODUS CHAPTER 12/13. Each of you should have received handout this morning with your bulletin that goes into more detail about the Sedar. If you ever get the opportunity to do this, please do it! You will be glad you did. Just a little helpful hint though, do not do like did. I like horseradish, but a teaspoonful on Matza bread is a tad too much!

Seriously though, God is doing amazing things in the Messianic Jewish congregations and Jews are coming to know Christ in all places. I feel we as Christian’s have a duty to pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters for we must remember that we were at one time without Christ, but praise God we do have hope with God in the world through the power of Jesus Christ.

You may be setting there wondering why this is important. Before his death, Christ participated in a Sedar; one could refer to it as “The Last Sedar”. Everything that Christ did for us has deep symbolism rooted in the Old Testament. It is imperative that to understand the life of the messiah and why He came to die on our behalf we must understand the Passover in the context of the Old Testament.

In order to fully understand who we are as Christians we must understand the whole story of the bible and in a Jewish context, for if you didn’t know. Jesus was a Jew! Jesus did not have the New Testament. His Bible and his scriptures came from the Torah! This story is about God’s family, both Jew and Gentile, and we are called to be one for Christ himself, for we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.

John Wesley was quoted as saying “I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship and the whole world for my mission field.”

As we read on in Ephesians 2: 13-18

13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.15He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16and might reconcile both groups to God in one body* through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.

In vs. 13-18, Paul is pointing out two very important concepts. These two concepts may seem contradictory or be seen as contrasting concepts. The first is Peace and the other reconciliation.

1. Christ is our peace who has made us both Jew and Gentile one in the Church. Peace is a very important word in this context especially in the fact it is used 4 times.

John Wesley’s commented on the subject of peace and said “For he is our peace - Not only as he purchased it, but as he is the very bond and centre of union. He who hath made both - Jews and gentiles, one church.”

The Second important concept Paul makes is:

2. Reconciliation- Occurs through the cross
a. Reconciliation with God
b. Reconciliation of the Church
c. Reconciliation of one to another or the unity of mankind. Vs 18 notes one Spirit to the Father


If you do not know this, it is important to know. Listen! Christ did not come to create Christianity. He came to reconcile both Jew and Gentile into one faith. Early Christians were known as “The Way” Christ Disciples were “Followers of The Way” They met in Synagogues early on and were a sect of Judaism, but eventually a struggle for power came into play and the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus, at least the majority of them and you know the rest of the story!

Why is this important? How does knowing Jesus was a Jew or the fact he did not come to create Christianity relate to our lives? Being a Christian also requires much. It is not easy, but it is worth the eternal reward.

As St. Clement of Alexandria said, “For the sake of each of us he laid down his life--worth no less than the universe. He demands of us in return our lives for the sake of each other.”

Just as God reconciled all through Christ you can through prayer and the Holy Spirit’s guidance reconcile your differences with that family member or friend and mend that broken relationship. Christ demands of us in return our lives for the sake of each other.

Just as the Blood of the cross reconciled mankind, Jew and Gentile, to God, don’t allow your own personal broken relationships go un- reconciled. Come to the cross. Lay your burden down and ask Christ for guidance so that you can reconcile those broken relationships in your life, just as Christ did for our relationship with God!


The last part of today’s Scripture is Ephesians 2: 17-22

19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.21In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.

In this last part, we learn Christ came to bring us peace to our world in the merging of Jew and Gentile into one family! In this house of God none of us are strangers for we are one in the spirit and Jesus Christ is the rock of our foundation!

The story of Ephesians which we have just experienced is that the mission of Christ is to tear down walls of division in every place where worshipers gather in God's name. We want to welcome all who come to hear the word. Reach out to those you do not know, welcome strangers with open arms so that we can as the body of Christ, bring them into the family of God. For we are all reconciled in oneness with Christ!

We are not reconciled with one another simply because we decided to "bury the hatchet" and move past our differences. We are reconciled because of something that God has done within each of us. No matter who we were before, we are made members of the household of God only by his saving grace.
Christ is our peace and we have access to God in one Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savoir. It does not matter who we were before, we become one new community unified through the cross. There are no aliens and strangers here we are a community of worshippers here in this Church of God!

I close with a story, Arthur Burns, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve System and Ambassador to West Germany, was a man of considerable gravity. Medium in height, distinguished, with wavy silver hair and his signature pipe, he was economic counselor to numerous presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan. When he spoke, his opinion carried weight and Washington listened.

Arthur Burns was also Jewish, so when he began attending an informal White House group for prayer and fellowship in the 70’s he was accorded special respect. No one in fact quite knew how to involve him in the group and week after week when different people took turns to end the meeting in prayer, Burns was always passed by out of a mixture of respect and reticence.
One week, however, the group was led by a newcomer who did not know the unusual status Burns occupied. As the meeting ended, the newcomer turned to Burns and asked him to close the time with a prayer. Some of the old timers glanced at each other in surprise and wondered what would happen. But without missing a beat, Burns reached out, held hands with the others in the circle, and prayed this prayer: “Lord, I pray that you would bring Jews to know Jesus Christ. I pray you would bring Muslims to know Jesus Christ. Finally, Lord, I pray that you would bring Christians to know Jesus Christ.

Most of us here today are Christians. I leave you with this thought. Don’t be just a Christian, be a follower of Jesus Christ!

Chruch of the Reconciler Sermon for June 7

Below you will find my very first sermon which I will be preaching at the Church of the Reconciler this coming Sunday.

The Sermon is inspired by the word of God found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
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Why are you here today? What is God’s purpose for you being here at the Church of the Reconciler? Are you seeking spiritual nourishment or physical nourishment?
We have many people in this room today that are hungry! You may have had something to eat this morning or you may not have. You may have been given a sandwich or a bag lunch as your breakfast. I have seen some of you eat your meal and you are not satisfied, and want more. That is truly understandable knowing that you may or may not know where your next meal is coming from.

I am going to talk to you about a meal, a meal which came out of the Jewish tradition of Passover. You all know the meal I am referring to. This meal is well known across many nations and many people. This meal knows no boundaries and its power does not waiver, nor fail; whether you are poor or rich, black or white, or red or yellow. This meal brings all people to their knees ands calls upon us to recognize our Savoir in the context of this meal.

Many people would argue that this meal is just a remembrance. I think otherwise! Let me tell you a story. There was a young boy in a small Alabama town. He wondered about this meal that came around once every month. This boy one day was so curious he just had to know more. He went to his grandmother and asked her, “Grandma” I was curios, why do we have this meal with bread and wine once a month at church. What is it for? I hear the preacher read about it from the Hymnal and everybody comes up front and eats the bread and drinks the wine, but what is it. Why do we do it? The grandmother replies, “Son it’s just like the table says, it’s a remembrance”

Before we move forward, we must understand the term remembrance in the context of Jewish thought. Remember, Jesus was a Jew, so in a Jewish context and to a Jew remembrance is to acknowledge a vital presence of the past in the present. So this meal, a meal which was a Passover meal, a Covenant meal, and a Gospel meal is to be a meal of a real presence with Christ.

This meal I am referring to has many different names, most of us refer to it as Communion. The Eucharist is another term used for this meal, which is a Greek word for thanksgiving; it reminds us that the sacrament is a thanksgiving to God for the gifts of creation and salvation. We also refer to it as the Holy Mystery or Holy Sacrament as the word Mystery is derived from the Greek word in the New Testament mysterion. This Holy Mystery is one of the two Sacraments of the Church of which are Baptism and this Holy Mystery, (Communion).


The sacraments were instituted by Christ and given to the church. It, as I mentioned before is a gospel meal, and we should realize that it is to be done in order to proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again. But the power is not in his death, the power is in the risen Christ! For we worship a risen Lord! A Lord of power! A Lord of Mercy and of grace! And he is coming again and he will come in a like manner as he departed in the clouds! As in Revelation 1:7 “7Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.So it is to be. Amen.”

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 key word there is active. Active has many different meanings causing change; communicating action or motion; acting; opposed to passive. Communion is active, not passive. In communion, we have the risen Christ, over it; he is with us and brings us his gift of eternal life through his own sacrifice. In Communion, Christ satisfies our hunger and meets our spiritual needs and desires!

The Church is having a reawakening of the power of Communion and its grace and spiritual power. Through Communion Christ comes to us in mercy and in healing. Through communion we demonstrate an outward sign of an inward grace. When you come to the table, this table of remembrance, it is more than a remembrance. It is your opportunity to experience Jesus Christ! He gave of his body and poured out his blood for you and I so that we may not perish in our sins, but have everlasting life!

My most memorable experience in communion was an Ash Wednesday Service in the spring of 2004 at Cave Spring UMC. During this service we took communion using intinction which is the dipping of one’s bread into the wine, just like we do here at the Church of the reconciler. With this in mind, I want to draw a word picture of the communion experience I had on that Ash Wednesday Service and why it was so powerful an experience for me. In this church we would walk forward to receive the sacraments just as Jesus went forth with the cross, just as Christ offered his body on the cross first, so are we given the bread to remember his body first. Then, as he was pierced and the blood poured forth, for the forgiveness of our sins, we take the bread and combine it with the wine just as Christ’ body was saturated with his own blood we saturate our bread and fulfill the commandment “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” How powerful is that?

Now let’s move forward to the actual crucifixion. As Christ, hanging on the cross, took on the sin of this world he cried out “My god, my God why have you forsaken me.” At this very moment, literally the sin of the world fell upon this man and like we do, in our own pain, cried out to God! Christ did not suffer on the cross just so we could remember him? He experienced excruciating pain and suffering on the cross so that we could be redeemed. He took on more pain and suffering than any of us here today ever has encountered no matter our personal situations or tragedies in our life they do not come close to the sacrifice he made for us. Let me repeat this, he took on the sin of the world for you, for me, for us! Jesus Christ did not suffer on a cross, die and come back from the dead so that we can just remember him. Do you recall the earlier part of the sermon where I mentioned that remembrance in a Jewish context is to acknowledge a vital presence of the past in the present? Christ wants us to be able to experience him at the table. He is alive! He is risen! When you partake in Communion, you are communing with Christ himself. I want to go back now and ask you those three questions I asked at the beginning of the sermon. Why are you here today? What is God’s purpose for you being here at the Church of the Reconciler? Are you seeking spiritual nourishment or physical nourishment? I know many of you are hungry here today and seeking physical nourishment. However, my next questions is are you as hungry for Jesus as you are for bread? Jesus said I am the bread of life! (John 6:48)

In 2nd Timothy Chapter 2 v. 8 we read “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel.” To remember a risen Christ you must encounter him, and at his table you can. Lift up your hearts! Look past the sacrament to the one who is giving it to you.

John Wesley participated in communion an average of four to five times a week. You here at the Church of the Reconciler are lucky, not every church grants there congregation the honor of receiving communion on a weekly basis. I have been personally moved and have felt the presence of Christ here at the Church of the Reconciler during the participation of communion. It’s sad that some churches only sporadically share in this Holy Mystery a few times a year. There are many reasons why they sporadically participate in this Holy Mystery, but none really matter when we consider the price Christ paid so that we could partake of this Holy Mystery and meet him here at this table!

In 1 Corinthians 10:16, it says: 16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? When we come to the table it is in participation with Christ. You are active in communion; it is truly not just a remembrance as it says on the table.

In Luke, 24 Simon and Cleopas are walking to Emmaus and they encountered a stranger on the road. They are discussing the events of Jesus death and resurrection with this stranger; of course whom we all know was Jesus, whom they were kept from recognizing as they walked. Jesus then ask them what they were talking about as they walked. They of course were talking about the events of the crucifixion and resurrection. They respond to Jesus by asking him “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things which have taken place there in these days? They continued to walk together and the two invited Jesus to dine with them. In verse 30 it says: When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight

This scripture is another example of participation in the Holy Mystery. In the blessing and breaking of the bread, our eyes are opened to the wonders of Jesus Christ just as Simon and Cleopas were. When you come to this table today, please realize that you are not just taking bread and wine as a remembrance of Jesus Christ, you are participating in the Holy Mystery, the semblance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, broken and poured out for us for the forgiveness of our sins.

I hope you can see through the scriptures and through my sermon today, that the Holy Mystery, the Sacrament of our Lord and Savoir, is not just a remembrance; it is a participation in the blood and body of Jesus Christ. He suffered and died and rose again to save us all; and until he comes again each time we come to Communion he is there with us and we can recognize him.

Christ comes and hands us the bread and wine as himself. Let us now open our eyes and recognize him!

Amen!