tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48501357741817231852024-02-19T16:43:00.502-08:00Amy's AllegoriesAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-48603044822465748412013-12-20T16:07:00.003-08:002013-12-20T16:07:48.207-08:00Duck DynastyPlease quit sending me invitations on Facebook to "like" pages supporting Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson. Please quit assuming that, since I am a Christian, I agree with what he said. Please quit believing that, as a pastor, I believe the same way he does. I don't.<br />
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First, let me get all of the "political correctness" out of the way. Yes, Phil Robertson can say anything he would like without risking being thrown in prison. And that is what the first amendment protects against. But if we look back through history to the men who drafted the Constitution, we will see they were in a different situation that we face today. They had lived through a period where saying anything against their king would land them in jail - or worse. They wanted to prevent that from happening again which is why they began our government providing protection to those who would speak out against the leadership of our country. That is why those who desire to can clog up Facebook feeds with "president-bashing" posts - regardless of which president they are bashing. Were that first amendment not in place, there would be a whole lot of people heading to my hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas for a nice, long visit with a wardrobe of black and white stripes with nicely stenciled numbers on the chest.<br />
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Through the decades, our society has morphed that amendment and broadened it to extend - and excuse - anything that anyone says. And that's fine. But here's what the first amendment doesn't protect us from.<br />
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Our behaviors, our words, our decisions ALL HAVE CONSEQUENCES!! Phil Robertson has the right to verbalize what he believes. And his bosses have the right to reprimand him for doing so. The problem is that we've become a society that refuses to take responsibility for our actions. We're always looking for "a way out" of messy situations that we get ourselves into instead of owning up to what we've done, apologizing and taking our medicine. So to those shouting that Phil Robertson can say what he wants and have first amendment protection, I reply "not really" - at least when it comes to dealing with the fall out of what he said. Man up, Phil.<br />
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Now that this is taken care of, let's look at what he said. Unfortunately, Phil voiced his beliefs on two hot button topics in our society: Homosexuality and racism - a double whammy! It was all offensive - to gay and straight alike. But here is what offends me the most - and what makes my job as pastor even harder.<br />
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I'm not going to try and deny what the Scriptures tell us about homosexuality. I will say that I am still working on my understanding of them. Now in my earlier days of ministry, I would have been right there with Phil for two reasons. First, that was what I was taught in my church - a conservative, evangelical tradition like it appears - at least from what he said - that Phil comes from. Second, I didn't know any LGBT people - I hadn't listened to their cries of "Why am I like this?" and "Why did God make me this way?" I hadn't held someone's hand as they cried because they had been kicked out of their house when they told their parents they were gay or because they lost their best friend when they came out. This is why I now struggle with what the Scripture tells us - because beforehand, I wasn't looking through God's eyes of love.<br />
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Here's my second struggle. Most Protestant Christian traditions (so basically, everyone who's not Catholic) believe that sin is sin is sin: There are no "degrees" of it. Sin is abominable to God - no matter what it is. So, if we've embracing the theory that homosexuality is a sin, it's no worse than adultery or lying or gossiping or . . . you get the idea. Why then do we focus on the sin of homosexuality? Is it perhaps because it's not one that we have to face? Scripture tell us to quit focusing on the speck in someone else's eye while ignoring the log in our own. I'd better get my own sins under control before I start bashing other people for theirs.<br />
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My final struggle is this: Anyone who tries to claim that someone won't get into Heaven is assuming the role of God. God decides who goes; it's His party and He can invite anyone in that he wants to. <br />
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My job as a pastor is to love people and share with them the message of God's Word. It isn't to tell them that they have no chance of getting into Heaven because of their sins: If that's the case, then I won't be there, either. My duty is to help them learn to love God so that His transforming Holy Spirit can work in their hearts. That is the only thing that changes us. Those hearts certainly won't be transformed by someone saying, "You've got no chance!"<br />
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So no, I won't be signing any support Phil Robertson petitions or liking any Facebook pages. I also won't be bashing him either because he deserves the mercy and grace that seem to be lacking from his statements. I will instead, try to figure out how we can harvest all of the time and energy vested in this ridiculousness and put it toward more productive issues like taking care of the needy and feeding the hungry. That seems a much better use of my time.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-85194863294734765452012-08-13T11:49:00.002-07:002012-08-13T11:49:49.078-07:00Black and White and Gray All Over
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Black and White and Gray
All Over</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I have found myself
thinking lately about colors. Well, two in particular:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Black and white – and how those colors relate
to our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find myself wondering
about living in a world of black and white because as I get older, and
hopefully a bit wiser, I find more and more gray in this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There can be a danger in
living in a world of black and white. Black-and-white people are very certain
of the blackness and whiteness, of their lives and everything must fall into
one of those two colors. And if other people don’t categorize everything as
black or white, then they are wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Unfortunately, this world
of black or white seems most prevalent in our religious culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“There is only one correct way to have a
relationship with God.” That’s the black-and-white world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the people of that world spend their time
trying to convince others that they are right. We fight with each other about
who is more correct instead of uniting and realizing that, just perhaps, there
might be more than one path to God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The problem with the
black-and-white world is that it is about rules: A person follows them or they
don’t. But where does that leave the person? In the Christian tradition, we are
called to care more about people than about rules. If, in our black-and-white
world, we condemn a person for not following the rules, we fail to show them
the love and grace of God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Living in a black-and-white
world can be an attempt for us to try and make decisions for God – decisions
that are not ours to make. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah tells us that God’s
thoughts are not our thoughts, nor our ways his ways. God’s ways and thoughts
are higher than our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9) It is not our job to point out
the rules and call a person out if they don’t follow them. It is our job to
love. That’s it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">What if people in their
black-and-white world took some advice from a clergy colleague of mine?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rev. Caela Simmons Wood asked her
congregation to come to every conversation with these four words in the back of
their head: “I could be wrong.” That’s caring more about people than about
rules. That’s living in shades of gray instead of living in black and
white.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">So today, embrace the gray!
Love people more than rules. Put aside your pride and be willing to admit that
maybe you could be wrong. And see how many people you can touch with God’s
love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Rev. Amy Seifert</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Assistant Pastor</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Shepherd of the Hills
United Methodist Church</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">St. George, UT</span></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-34237359825449722232012-08-05T14:06:00.001-07:002012-08-05T14:06:46.141-07:00When Christians Get It Wrong: Science & Politics<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When Christians Get It
Wrong</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Christians, Science and
Politics</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When Michael and I were deciding which one of us would tackle
the topics of our latest sermon series, he asked if there were any that really
spoke to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had already decided to
tag team the topic of homosexuality and the final topic of the series – when
Christians get it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said that I
would like to tackle the topic of when bad things happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said that he would introduce the series
and take different religions and then suggested that I tackle the sermon on
science and politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>THE BIG CHICKEN!!!<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Two big, hot button topics – especially right now in light of
this being an election year and the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson – the
god particle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like I said – the big
chicken!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Well, I think I’ll tackle the one I think will be less likely
to get tempers flaring – Science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
some Christians, science is a mortal enemy of faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, if science is able to prove how
things came into being and how things work, what use is there for our faith,
our creation stories, our belief that God is in control of the universe?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And conversely, if a person puts all of their
energy into science, how can they acknowledge that there is a God that can’t be
seen or explained?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The battle of science vs. faith is a long one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, it was June 22, 1633 that Galileo
was labeled a heretic for his preposterous idea that the earth moves around the
sun and not the other way around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today
of course, we know that Galileo was correct and not only does the earth revolve
around the sun, but that there are potentially millions of other galaxies out
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I don’t know about you, but
having this knowledge certainly hasn’t shocked my faith – it hasn’t wavered or
changed anything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And yet for some Christians, this is a battle that they feel
they must continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, if the
so-called God particle has been located, that means that God didn’t create
everything, doesn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How sad it must
be to have such weak faith that the words Higgs Boson can destroy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How sad it must be to have that much fear
that one’s faith can be destroyed simply by a scientific discovery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s a good thing that God is not threatened by science!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think that God is threatened if
science is able to explain how he went about creating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if God is actually saying, “Let’s
see if they can figure this one out!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Last year when the choir went to Rome, we were able to tour
the Sistine Chapel and see the beautiful artwork that Michelangelo painted on
the ceiling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our tour guide was able to
showcase the chapel and explain many things about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, how did he paint the ceiling?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Laid on his back on the scaffolding, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
found out that he actually stood and cocked his head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the fact that the ceiling wasn’t painted
the way we thought it was negate the impressiveness of the art?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not at all!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, it make a person appreciate it even more – because standing
there with his necked crooked back had to have been far more uncomfortable for
Michelangelo that laying on his back!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In much the same way, scientists act as the tour guides of
God’s creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By helping us understand
God’s handiwork, they add to the majesty and glory of creation that can leave
us with a greater sense of awe about the One who created it all to begin with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or it can even prove God’s existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s His eye as taken by the Hubble
telescope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t believe me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is his other eye!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK, OK I’ll quit joking around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then again, maybe it really is his eye!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The other side of this story is that Christians often
misinterpret or misunderstand the biblical creation stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They read and interpret them as historical
texts – science books if you will – instead of the poetry that they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stories were not written as lessons in
biology or physics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were written to
say that behind all the magnificent beauty of creation, there is One who
created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The creation stories were not
meant to teach us <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i> God created,
but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> God created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christians get it wrong when they see science as a threat to
faith or when they try to make the Bible a scientific textbook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They get it right when they see science as a
companion to finding knowledge and truth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">OK, let me get ready for the next one!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Politics is a topic that I avoid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You won’t hear me talk politics from the pulpit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You won’t even see it on my Facebook page. You
won’t hear my sharing my political beliefs and opinions - first, because it’s
just too dangerous:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I share my
political theories, I have the potential of alienating perhaps as many as half
of the congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, it’s not my
job as a spiritual leader of a church to tell you what I think about the
political climate or if I think the president’s – whoever it is at the time - latest
legislation is good for our country or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Third, the church is under pretty strict restrictions as to what we can
and can’t do in the political arena and be able to keep our charitable
status.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I speak as a pastor of a
church – this church – I can’t run the risk or doing or saying anything that
could get us in trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it’s easier
just to avoid it completely rather than run the risk of doing something I’ll
regret later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The unfortunate thing is that many of my fellow clergy and
fellow Christians do not abide by these same rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the result of this has manifested itself
in the following ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have people
believing that a person cannot be a democrat and a Christian: in fact, some
people even believe that a person’s political views will keep them out of
heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There is no doubt that when it comes to politics, some
Christians say and do things in the name of God that are the antithesis of the Gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, Adam Hamilton received
a note from a parishioner that said, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“We have close friends who are
passionate about their politics. They regularly profess their strong Christian
commitments, but somehow have a blind spot when it comes to how they react to
views and opinions of those with whom they differ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we get close to that political arena, I
have trouble sensing any Christian love or tolerance of any perspective but
their own…”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When you think about our political system and how it works –
or doesn’t work – there are some biblical aspects to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they aren’t good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because, in essence, politics is about power:
who has it, who doesn’t, who wants it and who wants to keep it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And whenever there is a power struggle, no
good can come from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Slander, gossip, malicious talk, mean-spirited rhetoric,
disrespect – these are just a few of things that come out of our political
system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus wasn’t a democrat or a republican.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, Jesus had some strong words for the
politicians of his time – the Pharisees and Sadducees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sadducees were the wealthy and powerful
in Jesus’ day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They held the majority of
seats within the Sanhedrin – the ruling council of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were more concerned with politics than
religion – concerning since they were also the religious rulers as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These men were the chief priests and the high
priests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t relate well to the
common man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Pharisees, in contrast,
were mostly middle class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were the
minority in the Sanhedrin but wielded a great deal of power because they had
the support of the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These two
groups – these two political parties, if you will – were in constant opposition
to each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>History shows that they
came together in solidarity for one event – the crucifixion of Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If we turn to Matthew 16:5-12 we learn that Jesus was wary of
the political leaders of the time. In fact, the people that Jesus had the most
problems with were the Pharisees and the Sadducees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <i>When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, "Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." They said to one another, "It is because we have brought no bread." And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, "You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> No, there was definitely no love lost between Jesus and the
politicians of the day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Now, I’m not saying that we as Christians should have nothing
to do with politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, as Christians
we do have a moral and spiritual responsibility not to slander or send out what
we believe to be correct political statement or opinions that support our own
political agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we definitely have
a responsibility to not let our political beliefs become too closely associated
with our faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, our faith
plays a role in what we believe to be correct politically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if those political beliefs superceede what
we believe and know to be correct as Christians, we have a HUGE problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we lay aside our Christian ethics or
God’s call to love our enemies, choosing instead to engage in slander and mean-spirited
partisan politics, we have a HUGE problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s when we get it wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
get it right when we work for justice imparted with grace, truth and love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ probably doesn’t care about your political views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we know he cares about is how we treat
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do your political views and how
you share them reflect this?</span><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-22531739154563997302012-08-05T13:54:00.001-07:002012-08-05T13:54:45.134-07:00What God Wants - What I Want Part 21 Samuel 11:1-15<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Those who follow college
football – and those who don’t – have been following the saga of Jerry Sandusky
and the Penn State football program when allegations of his sexual abuse of
children came to light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The investigation
and grand jury that resulted showed that the scandal went deeper and longer
than most people would have realized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Head football coach Joe Paterno and Penn State administrators were found
to have barely addressed the problem at best and covered up the abuse at
worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Just a few days ago the
NCAA handed down sanctions against the university that stopped just short of
killing the football program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The school
will have to pay $60 million dollars – the average annual yearly income the
program brings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The football program
will have a 4 year ban on any post season activity – bowl games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All game victories since 1998 will be vacated
which includes 6 bowl game wins and 2 national championships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the program will have to reduce 10
scholarships immediately and eliminate 20 over-all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Joe Paterno’s coaching
record is also affected by these sanctions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With the vacating of the games, he loses the number 1 rank of most wins,
going from 409 to 298, and now becomes the 12<sup>th</sup> overall winning-est
coach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of course, we shouldn’t
forget his bronze statue being removed from Beaver Stadium.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">All because somebody – ok,
a lot of somebodys – did something wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s more than enough blame to go around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s Sandusky, who abused little
boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s Paterno who, seemingly
more concerned about his football program than the lives of children, either
did nothing or not enough to report Sandusky’s actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are administrators at the school, other
Penn State coaches – plenty of people who were drawn into this unholy mess.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But there will continue to
be fallout from this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not just
talking about victims who have yet to come forward – and believe me – there
will be more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sandusky didn’t just wake
up one day in 1994 and decide to become a pedophile!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about the young men who were recruited
to play football at Penn State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
program that they were promised, no longer exists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about the programs at the school that
depend upon the revenue the football program brings in?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$60 million is a lot of money to be used for
education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about Bill O’Brien who
became the head coach last November when Paterno was fired?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has to try and keep a program together facing
the possibility of team members leaving the program, trying to recruit new
players in light of a scandal and without the ability to be able to promise
them a national championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the
effects of this mess will be long coming and long reaching.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">All because people made
the choice to do something wrong – to do something God tells us not to do.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">And this is where we find
King David today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one heck of a
mess he’s gotten himself into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
everything he did was wrong:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>adultery,
lying, manipulation, even murder.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Let’s take a minute to
remember what we talked about last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Often times what we want to do isn’t what God wants us to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either it doesn’t fit into God’s timing or
his plans. Or what we plan to do isn’t really for God’s glory but our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is that very reason that led to the
events in today’s scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Remember, David is riding
pretty high on the hog right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
achieving military victory after victory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He believes that God has blessed him and rightly so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then his ego gets in the way and he
really starts to think that he can do no wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He sees a woman – a married woman – that he desires sexually and goes
about making it happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His one moment
of putting what he wants above what he knows is right changes the course of
people’s lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It doesn’t take a genius
to realize that when God tells us not to do something and we do it anyway,
things are probably not going to end well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But instead of coming clean about what we’ve done, we try to clean up
the mess ourselves – as if that’s going to go any better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we find ourselves exactly like David.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">So now that David has
committed this sin, he has to find a way to cover it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(And you thought political sex scandals were
just a recent phenomenon!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one can
find out!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is what David thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he began to enlist people to help him do
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, he started out
enlisting people to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, he
sent someone to bring Bathsheba to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surely, this person had some idea of what David had in mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">After Bathsheba had
returned home and discovered she was pregnant and sent word to David, he sent
Joab to bring Uriah to him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He tried to
manipulate Uriah several different ways to entice him to go home and sleep with
his wife, making it seem as if he had fathered the baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, people hadn’t begun the practice
of trying to decide who the baby looks like, mom or dad, and wouldn’t have
noticed if the baby bore no resemblance to Uriah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And finally, when those plans didn’t work,
David used Uriah, sending him back to battle with his death sentence in his own
hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes, the choice of one man
certainly had vast consequences beyond himself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it’s easy for us to see that – from the outside looking in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, when we make a boneheaded choice against
God’s will, we do the same thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What
can I do to take care of this?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or “How
can I cover this up?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or “How can I fix
this?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we seek to enlist the help of
people we trust. If I had a dollar for every time I’m approached to help fix a
problem that I didn’t create.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not
talking about counseling someone and helping THEM figure out a solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m talking about people who expect me to
solve the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Amy, you need to
call so and so because they’re acting really weird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I’m not telling you is that I’ve really
ticked them off so they have a right to act weird around me and I can’t call
them myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you call them and find
out what’s going on.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When we can’t figure out a
way to cover up what we’ve done, we panic – just like David did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He heard those words, “I’m pregnant” and
immediately went into “How do I fix this” mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we panic, we don’t think rationally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We start coming up with all of these ideas
that may seem like they’ll work, but in reality have disaster written all over
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, deciding to essentially
murder Uriah after he wouldn’t return home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Does this seem like David was thinking rationally?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or does this seem to be the action of a
desperate man?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, you know the
answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, we fall into the same
trap as David when we panic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When we’re trying to hide
a poor choice that we’ve made, we do everything we think will work to keep our
secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, everything except the one
that will work which is to admit what we’ve done and accept the consequences of
OUR choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We aren’t thinking
rationally and we don’t realize that our actions are probably not going to
cover anything up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Then we find our lives out
of control – much like David did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were two things in this situation that were in David’s control: whether or not
he slept with Bathsheba and his ordering Uriah to the front lines of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the events were beyond his
control. And when things feel out of control, we do whatever we think we have
to get things back under control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
David’s case, it was ordering the assassination of Uriah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem is that the more David did to try
and get control over the situation back, the more out of control things
got.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, once Uriah had been
assassinated, one problem was solved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But how many more did that act create?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The hope that comes out of
this story of King David is God’s promise to give us another chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we were to continue reading this story, we
discover that the baby that was conceived from David’s & Bathsheba’s
adultery died in infancy shortly after he was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of that conniving, all of that plotting,
that one poor choice made by David in a moment of weakness, didn’t work and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>continued to have effects months later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the death of that child that brought
David back to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And David received
mercy and forgiveness and was given another chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We later learn that David and Bathsheba
conceived another child – Solomon who was considered the wisest king to have
ruled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">God wants the best for us
but he also wants us to listen to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like most parents, he has good reasons for telling us what to do –
reasons that we don’t always understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But he gives us the choice to obey or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When we think we know
better – or at least just as good – as God (There’s that original sin, again)
we see just how much we don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like
David, we panic and come up with ways to keep our sins hidden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just like David, we sometimes have to be
brought to our knees to be able to bring us to our senses – and bring us back
to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We repent and we try to better
next time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Doing better next time
doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to sin and mess up any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it does mean that instead of trying to
hide it, we confess it and hand it over to God to handle – in his perfect
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is able to make beauty rise from
ashes, to make something good come from something bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to give up our control, trust him and
allow him to do what he does so well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">So the choice is
yours?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What will it be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-11132583339313462812012-08-05T13:52:00.002-07:002012-08-05T13:52:47.352-07:00What God Wants - What I Want Part 1<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1 Samuel 7:1-14a </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We’re heading to the Old
Testament for the first of a two part series on What God Wants: What I Want.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In today’s text, King
David is riding a big high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has been
named the King of all of Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
just achieved a huge military victory: he and his army have defeated the
Philistines and brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is thinking that there is nothing he can’t
do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">So how is he going to top
all of this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sets a new goal of
building a house for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I am living
in a house of Cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t think it was right that he was
living in a house while the ark – the symbol of God’s presence on earth was
shoved in a tent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Now certainly this is an
honorable goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of us would want to
think of God living in worse conditions than we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prophet – and David’s friend – Nathan
tells David he thinks it’s a good idea before he consults with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And why would he need to?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This just seems like a win-win situation for
everyone.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The problem is that God
says “No.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He says that he’s going to
continue to bless David but David wasn’t going to be the one allowed to build
God’s temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, of course, know that
David’s son Solomon would be the one to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But why didn’t God allow David to do it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There are a couple of
different reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One could be that by
Solomon building the temple, David’s kingdom will be established forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another is that David was surrounded by so
much war and bloodshed that God didn’t want him building it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 Chronicles 22:8 says, “But the word of the
LORD came to [David], saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great
wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much
blood on the earth before Me.’”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Scripture doesn’t tell us
what David’s reaction was when he heard the news from Nathan that he wasn’t
supposed to build God’s temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do
know that he obeyed God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I wonder –
did he sulk?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he throw a fit?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he try to rationalize with God – if you
just let me do this,…?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Sometimes we can be like
David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We come up with a great
idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we convince ourselves that God
really wants us to do it or that we’re doing it for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then God tells us “no.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do we do?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It can be difficult to
hear the answer no and even more difficult to accept it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we try to convince ourselves that the
answer really isn’t no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, why
would God tell us “no” when we are trying to do something for him?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There are several
different reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is that
your plan doesn’t fit into God’s timing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we look at this story of David today, we can see that God had a
timeframe for when he wanted the temple built.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it wasn’t right then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Scripture backs this
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re probably familiar with
Ecclesiastes 3 that tells us “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> For everything
there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Perhaps less familiar is Habakkuk 2:3
which says, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For there is still a vision
for the appointed time. If it seems to tarry, wait for it:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it will surely come, it will not delay.” </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of all the times that angry mobs were
after Jesus to do him harm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many
times could Jesus have been killed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
he wasn’t – until it was the right time – God’s right time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The second reason that God
tells us know when we want to do something is that whatever we want to do
doesn’t fit with his plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only must
things happen in God’s time: They must happen according to his plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I know the plans I have for you, says the
Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your plan doesn’t mesh with God’s plan,
you aren’t going to be successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’ll hit roadblock after roadblock after stumbling block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the funny thing when we wonder why we
aren’t being successful, we never stop to consider that perhaps God doesn’t
want us doing what we’re doing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We think, “Well, I must
not be doing something right” which is, in essence, our pride talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s a whole other sermon for another
time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But here is the biggest
reason I think that God tells us “no” when we have big plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We really aren’t doing it for God’s
glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re doing it for our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We’re warned about this is
Philippians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2:3 says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem is that we’re really good a
deluding and convincing ourselves that what we are doing is for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get an idea and we convince ourselves that
it is what God really wants us to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And like David, the ideas are honorable and seem like the right thing to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But the danger with our
delusion is that it ISN’T what God wants:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>it’s what we want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when we
start doing what we want, we are taking God’s role upon ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We fall into that original sin of wanting to
be like God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember how the serpent
was able to tempt Adam and Eve?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told
them that if they ate of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden,
they would be like God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, they bit
and we’ve been biting ever since.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Our desire to do what we
want – to be like God, if you will, makes it all about us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I start a program to help homeless people,
I’m doing what God wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, he
told us to take care of people like this so I must be doing his will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if this program really gets going, people
will respect me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll be important
because I started this wonderful program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People will seek me out wanting my ideas and my opinions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And all because I’m doing God’s will.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Let’s examine what
happened to a couple of biblical characters when they did God’s will –
according to what they wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Samson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Nazarite – one of a
group of people who were separated out to be especially holy unto God all the
days of their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite the ladies
man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He worked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had long flowing hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t exactly follow God’s path for his
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kind of thought that it was all
about him and what he wanted to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Remember what happened to him?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">What about Moses?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, what bad thing could I find to say about
Moses?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find it in Numbers 20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Israelites are still wandering around in
the desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they’re still
complaining about the same old stuff: nothing to eat, nothing to drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God tells Moses to take his staff, strike a
rock and water would come out of the rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, that’s what Moses did – sort of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, he did strike the rock with his staff and water did come out of
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then he lit into the
Hebrews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Listen you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?</i>
(10)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s the big deal? Who
could blame him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, he’d been
listening to the griping and complaining from these people ever since they left
Egypt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was a big deal to God. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Because you did not trust in me, to show my
holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this
assembly into the land that I have given them. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One careless moment, a few choice words, and
the promised land was no longer available to Moses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Need a New Testament
example?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at Paul – or rather,
Saul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Persecuting Christians, thinking
that it was God wanted him to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
all, they weren’t following the law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were following this criminal Jesus – this blasphemer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he was rather important because he was
doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But God made it abundantly
clear – or maybe it’s better to say abundantly dark – that what Saul was doing
wasn’t for God’s glory but his own when he struck him blind on the road to
Damascus. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">So what happens when we
are so blinded by what we think God wants us to do that we can’t see that it
really isn’t?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s when we need
someone – a Nathan – to come in and tell us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First, God is going to try and tell you himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be roadblocks, problems, and
issues that should serve as signs to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if we don’t listen, he’ll send a Nathan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan will say things like, “Are you sure
this is what you’re supposed to do?” or “I don’t think this is a good idea.” or
just flat out ,”No, don’ t do this!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do
you have a Nathan in your life?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When Nathan –or God, if we
listen – comes and tells us “no” we have to swallow our pride and back. That’s
not fun to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we’ll save ourselves
a lot of pain, grief and fruitless efforts if we do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to trust that if God wants something
done, he will accomplish it in his time and with his plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you have to accept that it might not
involve you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Once we do this, we can
focus on what God is really telling us to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Next week we’ll talk about
when we go ahead and do what God tells us not to do.</span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-19381366102925216222012-01-30T16:00:00.000-08:002012-01-30T16:00:03.455-08:00Mark 1:21-28<!--[if !mso]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A new teaching with authority!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anytime authority is mentioned, it can bring to mind grandiose visions of power or fearful thoughts of submission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, our lives, our societies and our world work because there is authority in it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkq5nRcQxzJh25gHmEEpK-TcrwM9YnraDk38dMxb7vFnVEaWEG0k48_IE66T-woVQyUTj26ao_5KhnGlar1IZlJZ3nOuCY9z62g8TTwP9dEJX_4fw5-WUk5fl9GkyLFepc3wEjRHuanNGP/s1600/authority1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkq5nRcQxzJh25gHmEEpK-TcrwM9YnraDk38dMxb7vFnVEaWEG0k48_IE66T-woVQyUTj26ao_5KhnGlar1IZlJZ3nOuCY9z62g8TTwP9dEJX_4fw5-WUk5fl9GkyLFepc3wEjRHuanNGP/s320/authority1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So what does it mean to have authority? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Authority is defined as </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle <span style="color: #333333;">issues</span> <span style="color: #333333;">or</span> <span style="color: #333333;">disputes;</span> jurisdiction; the right to control command, or <span style="color: #333333;">determine;</span> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">a power or right delegated or given; an accepted source of information, advice, etc. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In other words, a person can have authority over someone like a parent over a child, a supervisor over an employee or a police officer over a civilian.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Or a person can have authority over something – a person who is very knowledgeable in a subject matter is called an authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Authority can be a funny thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people who think they have it, don’t. Like our friend here. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQcNEGrjn1M</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people who think they don’t have it, do. There’s usually someone who is more authoritative above you who knows more than you do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just when you think you are an authority, you may find that you aren’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That’s what happened in today’s Scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people who were in the synagogue when Jesus began to teach were used to being taught by teachers who had pretty good knowledge of their subject matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Jesus showed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s kind of hard to call yourself an authority on the law when the author of the law arrives to teach the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, as it turns out, the scribes weren’t quite the authorities they thought they were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I digress.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now, as if teaching with authority wasn’t enough, Jesus seals his authority in the eyes of the people by casting out an unclean spirit – a demon – from a man. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was not something folks were used to seeing from their religious leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the ironic part of this exorcism is that the demon recognized Jesus as the Holy One – the Son of God – while none of the Hebrews in the synagogue did – not even Jesus’ disciples.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now you may be asking, “What does this have to do with me? I’m certainly not a Biblical authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there’s no way I can perform an exorcism.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Perhaps not, but Jesus calls us to love and care for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He calls us to make disciples of all nations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he gives us – all of us – authority to do it by one simple method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lives within us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If you are a baptized follower of Jesus Christ, if you have accepted Jesus or found Jesus, if you’ve been saved – whatever language you’re accustomed to – your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit and because of that, a part of our triune God lives within you!!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That is powerful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is authoritative!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must only embrace that authority that already lies within your heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in order to do this, you need to have an understanding of what authority is – and what it isn’t;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what authority looks like – and what it doesn’t.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Once there were two men who were asked to recite the 23<sup>rd</sup> Psalm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One was a trained stage actor; the other was an old, feeble minister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The actor went first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He began to recite the familiar words, using his training to give a powerful performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His deep baritone voice held the audience in rapture as he spoke with inflection and emotion. When he finished, the audience rose to their feet in thunderous applause.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When he had sat down, the minister<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>slowly rose to his feet to render his version of the Psalm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His voice was not as large as the actor’s; his delivery not as profound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He stumbled over a few of the words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet when he was finished, there was not a dry eye in the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The actor was able to explain the dramatic difference between the two recitations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, “I know the Psalm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knows the Shepherd.” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Knowing the shepherd is what made him an authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must know the shepherd.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Authority means stepping up to the plate at all times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter if it’s convenient or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter if it’s acceptable to who is hearing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter if it causes a ruckus and gets people angry. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>It doesn’t matter if it’s in your comfort zone or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking authority means doing what needs to be done no matter the cost.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jesus’ message is challenging:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was for him and it is for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The message calls for a drastic change in how we do things, in how we relate to others and how we live our lives.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Finally, authority commands us to image a new world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve all heard what we are supposed to do: Love your neighbor, care for the least, the last and the lost, show mercy to all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People aren’t tired of the message – the message is eternal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are tired of the old ways of thinking about the message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all know the words but something is lacking between hearing the words and doing the deeds.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We need authority to begin thinking about a new world – to use our imaginations in a new way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes imagination to create communities of healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes imagination to offer everybody the opportunity to live as a child of God. Some people don’t respond to the old ways of doing church – our ways of sharing Christ with the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to be creative and do something different. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But before we all jump on board and get excited about taking authority, we need to remember one thing – the most important thing about authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It comes with accountability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those with authority must have accountability – otherwise it’s dictatorial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We read in the gospels about the leaders who “lord their authority over others.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having authority doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want with no questions asked of you like the biblical rulers did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That makes you a Pharisee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke 12 tells us that “everyone to whom much is given, much will be required and to him whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That more is accountability.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What is accountability? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s first look at what it is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean you have to justify every decision you do or don’t make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean that you must consult with everyone before a choice is made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean that everyone is going to be supportive of your leadership at all times.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Accountability means that, because of your authority, you will be held to a higher standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>It means that your fellow leaders expect you to give your best for the cause and if you don’t, they will want an explanation as to why you haven’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It means when you behave badly, they will call you on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It means that when you do things that are not in the best interest of the church or you start doing things for your own glory and reasons, you will have to answer for actions.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIraTNBjIUhO-4myfSD6MBkqB39xPbfQVq4uPEsHelmofK3EC8GXn9uBdAnjMzw2dkLyy_1q6-M8n_z51dZK_vILNUDOACPS9DAA0dkWD5fszcpkVnygVYXhCK3VosTJltTowfipy1Wbs/s1600/Amy+commissioning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIraTNBjIUhO-4myfSD6MBkqB39xPbfQVq4uPEsHelmofK3EC8GXn9uBdAnjMzw2dkLyy_1q6-M8n_z51dZK_vILNUDOACPS9DAA0dkWD5fszcpkVnygVYXhCK3VosTJltTowfipy1Wbs/s320/Amy+commissioning.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This is a picture of me this past June at my commissioning ceremony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the 14 of us who were commissioned as elders or deacons were asked several questions,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Elaine laid her hands on each of our shoulders and said, in my case, “Amy, take authority as a deacon to proclaim the Word of God, and to lead God’s people to serve the world in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This is not something that can only be done by clergy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t have to wear a robe to share God’s love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, I say to you all, take authority as a child of God to proclaim the Word of God by sharing his love wherever you can, whenever you can, in all the places you can.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We follow the One whose authority cannot be silenced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use that authority to make a difference for and in God’s kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
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</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-42410484738076050392011-11-28T13:20:00.000-08:002011-11-28T13:20:58.554-08:00What is worship?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“But Amy, that’s not worship!” were the words that came from my congregation member’s mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was one of those moments where I wish I hadn’t been in such shock that I could have engaged my mouth to say something in reply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I just stood there looking at this person with a dumbfounded expression on my face.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">A group of us had been talking about different styles of worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One person said that a really contemporary style of worship – one with guitars and keyboards and the like – just didn’t satisfy him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another person said that different styles of music and worship services appeals to a lot of people and he mentioned a southern gospel group that occasionally stops and performs at my church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was at this point when the words above were spoken, suggesting that a concert performed by this group is not a form of worship.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wonder if there has been a topic argued about more within church walls than this one:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What defines worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dictionary.com defines worship as “</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Webster defines it as “a service or rite showing reverence for a deity.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But these definitions don’t help solve the problem.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I tend to define worship as “having an experience with God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a time for those of us who call ourselves sons and daughters of God to come before the Creator of the universe to give thanks for everything that we have and all that we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a time for us to lay our empty vessels before God in order that they can be replenished so that we may go out and share God’s love with the world. It’s a time for us to connect with God.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For some of us, this means having “high church” with clergy, wearing vestments, leading the congregation in liturgies, a choir singing and a pipe organ playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For others, this means a more casual atmosphere with the clergy wearing street clothes while a band of guitars, keyboards and drums plays in the background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is one of these styles a more right – a more correct – way to worship?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who am I to say if how a person experiences God is right or wrong?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What I do believe to be wrong is this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who believe that their way of worship is the only way to worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why can we not see that there is a multitude of ways to experience and worship God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The God I worship is not so minuscule that only one way of worship is acceptable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one’s worship is heartfelt, then God is worshipped – no matter what the style or setting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We can see the results of the insistence of what worship is or isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That’s not worship” is seen in the decline of United Methodist – and other mainline denomination – churches for the last 40+ years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That’s not worship” has resulted in a smaller number of young people in our pews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That’s not worship” will be our downfall!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So while one particular style of worship may not be right for us, it doesn’t mean that style is nullified in the eyes of another person – or in God’s eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t go around defining worship for anybody else except us because in doing so, we could be keeping someone from having an experience with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I don’t want that hanging over my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sermon 11/13/11</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 & Matthew 25:14-15, 19-29</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you remember the song “Fly Like an Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember how it starts out?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy, doesn’t it?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When we’re kids, time doesn’t seem to pass fast enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we’re grown, we can’t seem to hold on to it hard enough.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time is something that we all relate to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what seems to be our most common complaint?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have enough time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need more of it to complete everything we need and want to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, through some of you in this congregation, I’ve learned that for many years I’ve lived under the delusion that once I retire, I’ll have all the time necessary to do all of those things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have informed me that I’ll be just as busy in my retirement years as I am right now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, help me!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul reminds us today that we don’t get limitless time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have an endless supply of our own time – or an endless supply of God’s time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, we need to make good use of the time we have.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He tells us that this isn’t a surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As verse 4 says, we are not in darkness, to be surprised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are children of the light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that Christ is going to return once again!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We aren’t going to be able to stand back and say, “What’s going on here?!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul was very specifically talking about the return of Christ but we can apply it another way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all know what waits for us at the end of our life:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Death does not pass any of us by.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul warns us in today’s text not to fall asleep and to remain sober.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means more than just being aware that Jesus is returning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me show you what I mean.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jump over with me to Matthew 25 – the gospel lesson for today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a parable that you might be familiar with but we going to look at it a little bit differently today.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[Please read MATTHEW 25:14-15. 19-29]</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people interpret this parable in one way and that’s money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they don’t stop to consider that a “talent” can also mean a literal talent – gifts and graces given by God to be used for God.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I can hear you all now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I don’t have any talents, Amy!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>YES, YOU DO!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have at least one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we can’t limit what we think of as a talent to something like musical ability or artistic ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to look at 1 Corinthians 12:4-11<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in EVERYONE. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith, to another gifts of healing, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are more than just listed here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are you good at?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chances are that is your talent – your spiritual gift.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we look at this two Scriptures together, we find an important message that we should not and cannot ignore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul tells us that our time is limited – both ours and the world’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ tells us that we have been given talents that we should be using for God and his kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are called to occupy our time by doing God’s work – to live our lives ready to receive him at any moment while serving him every moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul is telling us to engage in two activities: 1) to encourage each other – comfort and affirm one another and 2) to build each other up – to push each other toward spiritual maturity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the question becomes have you fallen asleep?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s how you can tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Answer these three questions.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much of your time is spent doing things for God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now hear me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not saying that we don’t have the right to do things we enjoy doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not saying that you need to turn in your golf clubs for a daily shift at the food pantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you should try to find time to do both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what we are called to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’m not just talking about here at church but in the community as well.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this time right now – the time you are spending in church – that doesn’t really count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worship is provided for our benefit, not God’s – although he does sit enthroned upon our praises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worship is a chance for us to refill our pitcher – to replenish it – so that we can go and pour ourselves out for others.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Question 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you find reasons (excuses) for why you can no longer serve?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m too busy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m too old.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’ve done my time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s someone else’s turn.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, if you’re too busy, perhaps you need to reevaluate some priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, as Adam Hamilton told those of us at Annual Conference last year, there is no such thing as Christian retirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re retired when you die.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t mention a name because I don’t want to embarrass this person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we have someone in this congregation who is no longer able to drive and get out as much as they used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That doesn’t stop this person from serving our church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This person makes phone calls to people who are ill or are shut in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This person sends cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This person remains a vital part of our congregation and a vital part of God’s kingdom.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a job that everyone can do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, we need people to work at the soup kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need people to help teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need people to serve on committees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we need people to pray for this church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need people to make phone calls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You name it, we probably need it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What could you be doing?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Question 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you no longer see and get excited about possibilities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I’ve shared with you a number of times how this church came into existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of that would have been able to be accomplished if people hadn’t seen and been excited about the possibilities:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the possibility of having a United Methodist Church in southern Utah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, we have one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the existence of this campus mean that there are no more possibilities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hardly!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Michael and I have been dreaming and visioning about SHUMC, we’ve discovered – actually I’ve discovered more so than he has – that there is tremendous possibility here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a music program that could expand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have an education program that can grow and is growing! We have a worship schedule that will have to grow (judging from the crowd here this morning).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are mission possibilities that abound.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I will admit that as we were discussing all of this, I got a little overwhelmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought, “How are we going to do all of this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can I possibly take on more?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the answer is Michael and I can’t – nor are he and I called to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ephesians 4:11-13 says in part – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The gifts he gave were that some would be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the word of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s all of our responsibility!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In these next weeks, you will be learning how you can assume your role in this task.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So will you use your talent to encourage and build others up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or are you going to fall asleep?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I encourage you, brothers and sisters, do not be like the wicked slave who was thrown into prison for wasting his talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use yours to the fullest so that one day you will hear, “well done, good and faithful servant.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-10899561598440910032011-10-23T12:48:00.000-07:002011-10-23T12:48:02.380-07:00Cultivating ContentmentCultivating Contentment<br />
Oct. 23. 2011<br />
Stewardship Series Sermon 3<br />
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We’ve all, at one point or another, have thought about something. Unfortunately, I know there are some people here who have experienced it. The order comes that you must evacuate your home within the next upcoming minutes. What do you take? Perhaps it would be family photos, perhaps important papers. How difficult would it be for you to have to choose what few possessions mean enough to place them in higher priority over everything else?<br />
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It’s these traumatic occurrences that happen that remind us that everything in this life is temporary. We’ve heard all the jokes about not being able to take it with you when you’re gone. Like the one about the man who begs St. Peter to let him bring one suitcase full of gold bricks with him into heaven and all of the saints and angels wonder why he brought pavement with him. Luke 12:15 tells us that a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.<br />
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And yet the world tells us the complete opposite. Jesus tells us that our lives consist of more than money but culture shouts at us that it’s not true. And despite us saying that we believe Jesus’ words, we still devote a lot of time, talent and resources to acquiring more stuff. We say that our lives don’t consist in an abundance of possessions, but we live as if they do. Last week, Michael introduced us to two ailments we suffer from: credititis and affluenza. Today, I’m going to tell you about another disease that affects us: R.H.S. – Restless Heart Syndrome.<br />
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Now perhaps you’ve heard of restless leg syndrome – where people describe uncomfortable feelings in their legs like itching, tingling and pain. RHS works the same way – only with the heart. The primary symptom is discontent and it manifests itself in never being satisfied with anything. We acquire something and hardly take time to enjoy it before we want something else. The disease can progress to the point where we can become perennially discontent and, if left unchecked, RHS will destroy us.<br />
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Now we are designed to be discontent about some things. God wired us this way in order that we would seek the only One who can fully satisfy us. However, while there are certain things that we are supposed to be DIScontent with, there is a myriad of other things that we are to be CONtent with. And we get them confused. <br />
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The 18th century Scottish philosopher James Mackintosh once said, “It is right to be contented with what we have, never what we are.” The issue is that we tend to be content with that which we should be discontent and trying to gain more. We are content with our relationship with God rather than wanting more of him. We are content with how much we love others instead of growing in love. We are content with how much we read and study the Bible when we should long to do it more.<br />
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Oppositely, we aren’t content with the things that we should be content with. We can be discontent with our stuff – our homes, cars, tvs, and clothes. We can be discontent with our jobs and seek out better jobs that have better bosses or more money. We can be discontent with our families. As children we think that if had so & so’s parents, our lives would be better somehow. Then we grow and have children of our own and wish that they were more like someone else’s children. We can be discontent with our spouse, comparing him or her to others and imagine how much happier we’d be if we were married to another. We can even be discontent with our church. We see that our church isn’t perfect and has a couple of warts. We begin to see only the bad things and go church shopping. <br />
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What we are saying when we think like this is: “I don’t like what you’ve given me God and I want something else. I want to trade it in and get something better than what you gave me.”<br />
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Now luckily, there is a treatment for restless heart syndrome. To recovery from RHS, we must cultivate and contentment, simplify our lives and stock up on self control. So pay attention to the cure that I’m going to lay out for you.<br />
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There are 4 keys to cultivating contentment. The first is to remember that it could always be worse. Practice looking on the bright side – focusing on the silver lining. When you get in your older model car, say that it could be worse. When you find all the things in your house that need replaced or repaired, say that it could be worse. When you are frustrated or disappointed with your spouse, say that it could be worse.<br />
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The second key is to ask, “How long will this make me happy?” Will purchasing an item bring you sustaining satisfaction? Or will it only make you happy for a little while? One possible way to help decide this is to try before you buy an item. Rent the car you are considering purchasing for a couple of days. Borrow an item that you are wanting from a friend. You might discover that whatever it is, isn’t worth the expense.<br />
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The third key is to develop a grateful heart. This is one of the most important keys to contentment and happiness. In fact, it is essential if we are to be content. A grateful heart recognizes that all of life is a gift. Contentment comes when we spend more time giving thanks for what we have rather than thinking about what’s missing is wrong. In any situation we can complain or be grateful: we can choose to focus on disappointments or give thanks for blessings.<br />
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The fourth key is to ask yourself, “Where does my soul find true satisfaction?” The world tells us that satisfaction is found in ease, luxury, comfort and money. The Bible tells us that true satisfaction is found in God alone. St. Augustine wrote over 1600 years ago that “our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” Christ is the one who satisfies every need and enables us to be content in all circumstances. He gave us the great commandment of loving the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we focus on these two things, we will find satisfaction for our soul and lasting contentment.<br />
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But we won’t find complete contentment unless we learn how to simplify our lives. Simplicity says that less is more: it says that we don’t need as much as we think we do. We are like hamsters running on a wheel. We don’t know where we are going, but we’re running like to crazy to get there – AND to keep up with others. And we consume a lot in doing this. Every year 1.2 billion trees are consumed to make the packaging, paper, napkins and bags we use. 2.5 million plastic bottles are used every hour. The U.S.A. has 5% of the world’s population but produces 40% of the world’s garbage – 1609 pounds per person per year. We must make a conscious decision to get off of this hamster wheel? But how do we do it? Well, I’m going to help you.<br />
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First, set a goal of reducing your consumption and choose to live below your means. Use reusable canvas bags when you go grocery shopping. Look at the mid-grade item rather than the top of the line item when making a purchase. Adjust your thermostat when you are away.<br />
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Second, before making a purchase, ask yourself, “Do I really need this or do I want it?” And if you want it, ask yourself why. These questions help determine your true motivation of desire. Is the purchase a need or are you wanting it to help fulfill another need – like to make yourself feel better about something. What you can discover is that maybe your reason for making the purchase isn’t necessarily a good one.<br />
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Third, use something up before buying something new. Now, this isn’t always possible, but when it is, make sure something is completely used up before replacing it. And when you do replace it, purchase something that is made to last. Take better care of the things you and have make repairs when necessary. Remind yourself that you don’t always need to purchase something new. And like Michael recommended last week, donate or sell things that still work that you no longer use.<br />
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Fourth, plan low cost entertainment that enriches. Do things that are simple and cheap. How many times have we gone on a vacation and spent tons of money, ran around doing things and come back exhausted when all we really needed to do was lie around and relax? We think that we have to spend money to have fun and really, we don’t.<br />
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Fifth, and finally, ask yourself are there major changes that would allow me to simplify my life? The stress of living beyond our means can kill us. Making payments when the funds aren’t there causes stress. What if you sold that car that is strapping your checkbook and bought a car free and clear? If your car is paid off, keep it longer before buying another one. <br />
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The same can be said for our houses. Bigger houses mean bigger mortgages, bigger utility bills, bigger property taxes, more to clean and more furniture to purchase. <br />
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Is there a club membership that you hardly use? What could you be using the money for instead? <br />
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Finally, we have to work on self control. Self control acts like a wall around our heart and life that protects us from ourselves, from temptation and from sins that can destroy us. If you don’t exercise self control with possessions, you can be lead to financial ruin – lead into slavery. We become a slave to our things and to our desire to acquire more things.<br />
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Self control comes down choosing to satisfy an impulse to gain instant gratification or not act upon it for a higher cause or greater gratification later. It’s about stopping to ask yourself three questions.<br />
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What are the long term consequences of this action?<br />
Is there a greater good or better outcome if I use this resource of time, money or energy in another way?<br />
Will this action honor God?<br />
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So which “tent” will you live in? Discon-tent-ment or con-tent-ment? Now this doesn’t mean to we stop buying things or move into smaller homes where we will be crowded: God doesn’t require this. Choosing contentment means that we look to God as our source of everything we need and giving thanks for what we have. It means we ask God to change our hearts and minds and give us the right perspective on money and possessions. It means we decide to live simpler lives, wasting less and conserving more. It means we choose to give more generously.<br />
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Last week you received a static cling that had 6 financial planning principles to help manage your money. Today, you will be receiving a key ring tag that has a prayer on it. I encourage you to slip it on your key ring because it’s a great way to help you when you are in the midst of making a decision of whether or not to make a purchase. <br />
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So today, choose contentment by choosing to focus on what really satisfies and discovering true joy through simplicity. Amen.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-56788366706681178692011-08-07T15:54:00.000-07:002011-08-07T15:54:48.656-07:00Sit Down! You're Rocking the Boat!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span> </span>Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.<span> </span>And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.<span> </span>And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying “It is a ghost!”<span> </span>And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”</span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span> </span>Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sin, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”<span> </span>Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”<span> </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 4.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Matt. 14:22-33</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">As I began to prepare for this morning’s sermon, I struggled with how I would present this familiar story in a way that was fresh and new.<span> </span>After spending more time on this problem that I should have, I realized that it wasn’t necessary to do so because at the core of this scene between Jesus and his disciples is an issue that we all deal with – trust.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Trust is a huge issue with me.<span> </span>Now there are certain things that we all trust in without a second thought.<span> </span>I trust that when I flip the light switch, the lights are going to come on.<span> </span>I trust that when I turn on the spigot, water will come out.<span> </span>But when it comes to people, trust isn’t something I tend to give away easily.<span> </span>It takes time for people to earn my trust.<span> </span>And once I lose trust in someone, it is very hard for me to get it back.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Trust is one of those words that we tend to throw around a lot.<span> </span>How many times have we heard those famous words, “Trust me?” Or how about “Trust God?”<span> </span>For some of us, that’s hard to do because this is what the world has taught us about trust.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsSXMT0NrB4" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsSXMT0NrB4</span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Just like Charlie Brown, we have had the football yanked out from under us and we land flat on our back.<span> </span>And sometimes it happens over and over, making it almost impossible to trust anyone or anything again.<span> </span>But today we are going to take a look at what Peter’s willingness to get out of the boat teaches us about trust.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Let’s get ourselves in perspective with today’s Scripture.<span> </span>Last week, Rev. Michael talked about the feeding of the 5,000 – which is an issue on trust itself.<span> </span>Jesus told the disciples that 5 loaves and 2 fish would feed everyone.<span> </span>You have to wonder if the disciples just looked at Jesus and thought, “Yeah, right!”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Just before this miracle, Jesus had been told of the execution of John the Baptist.<span> </span>All Jesus wanted to do was to go off by himself to mourn the death of his cousin and pray.<span> </span>Instead, he ended up throwing a dinner party.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Today’s text picks up after the crowds had been fed.<span> </span>Jesus “made the disciples get into the boat” (v. 22) perhaps indicating they were unwilling to leave Jesus.<span> </span>After all, this was the first time Jesus had sent them out without him.<span> </span>But they trusted Jesus, so they obeyed.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Jesus prayed into the early morning hours – probably somewhere around 3 am.<span> </span>[As an aside, when was the last time you spent hours in prayer?<span> </span>But that’s another sermon for another time.]<span> </span>By the time he’s finished, a storm has blown in and the boat has drifted away from the shore.<span> </span>The winds and waves are so strong that the disciples cannot get the boat back to shore.<span> </span>So Jesus walks out to them and the disciples think they are seeing a ghost.<span> </span>Even after Jesus reassures them that it is indeed him, Peter still doesn’t trust.<span> </span>“If it’s really you, Jesus, command me to come to you.”<span> </span>And that’s exactly what Jesus does.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It would be interesting if we had access to the disciples’ inner monologue.<span> </span>I wonder if Peter – after Jesus called him out of the boat – said, “Dang it!<span> </span>He called my bluff!” or maybe “Me and my big mouth!”<span> </span>Regardless of what he was thinking, he gets out of the boat.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">If we look closely at the Scripture, we discover that Peter’s problems begin when he takes his attention off of Christ.<span> </span>He notices the waves and wind and starts to sink.<span> </span>Then, like so many of us do when we get into trouble, he cries, “Lord, save me!”<span> </span>Jesus responds by asking, “Why did you doubt?”<span> </span>In other words, “why didn’t you trust me?”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Could Christ ask us the same thing?<span> </span>“Why don’t you trust me?”<span> </span><span> </span>Perhaps we even think that we do.<span> </span>But if we really examine our hearts, do we?<span> </span>If Christ called you out of the boat, would you go?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">There are several things that can happen when we follow Christ out of the boat – or not.<span> </span>Remember, Peter left but 11 others stayed in the boat.<span> </span>Christ calls us but we don’t go because we don’t trust.<span> </span>Instead we ask, “You want me to do what?!<span> </span>Are you crazy?!”<span> </span>We stay in our deck chair; watching the waves go by and in doing so, miss the opportunity for a miracle because we don’t trust that God has our back.<span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">If you are sitting in the boat this morning, what is God calling you to get out of the boat for and why don’t you trust him enough to do it?<span> </span>What possible miracles are you missing?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Next, we trust God enough to get out of the boat but then we take our focus off of him and we start to sink.<span> </span>We cry out, “My God, what have I done?!”<span> </span>We start looking at the waves crashing around us, the wind knocking us off balance and we panic because we’ve lost trust in the fact that Christ has our back.<span> </span>Then we sink.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">We need to trust God enough to know that he is not going to call us to a task and then leave us to our own devices.<span> </span>He equips those whom he calls.<span> </span>When we realize that God is for us and assume the power of his authority, we have the incredible possibility and opportunity to be part of a miracle.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The third thing that can happen is we trust God and get out of the boat.<span> </span>But then we start listening to the others back in the boat.<span> </span>I’ve already reminded you that 11 men stayed in the boat.<span> </span>That’s where it’s comfortable and safe.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">When a person jumps out of a boat, the boat rocks.<span> </span>People don’t like to have the boat rocked.<span> </span>Remember that song from the musical “Guys and Dolls?”<span> </span><i>The people all said sit down.<span> </span>Sit down, you’re rocking the boat.<span> </span></i>Sung by one of the gamblers, he recounts what people are telling him to do because of his behavior.<span> </span>In other words, your behavior is rocking my boat, so stop it!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Our “shipmates” can do the same thing.<span> </span>They do and say things to encourage us to not leave the safety of the boat and therefore, not rock it.<span> </span>Things like, “You can try that idea but it will never work.”<span> </span>“There’s no way that you can do that.” “It’s a good idea but it will cost too much money.”<span> </span>We start listening to them and then lost our trust in God because, once again, our focus is off Christ.</span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-68126290343169606012011-07-08T17:53:00.000-07:002011-07-08T17:53:25.482-07:00No more excuses!Alright! Now that I am finished with seminary and have returned from my choir's trip to Rome, I have no more excuses for not blogging more. So, this is a new beginning - a mid-year resolution, if you will.<br />
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Things have been crazy since mid-June. I attended my church's annual conference in Denver and was commissioned as a deacon in the United Methodist Church. I returned from conference on a Monday and on Tuesday was headed to Rome. Since I haven't had a lot of time off since mid June, I took advantage of my first full day off in quite a while by doing as little as possible. Part of that included parking myself in front of the tv to catch up on some brain numbing shows. I soon found myself watching Clean House. I love watching this show because it makes me feel so much better about my own housekeeping skills. I appreciate knowing that, however bad my house looks, it's nowhere near the level that these houses are! Today's episode was on the Messiest Home in America. <br />
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If you aren't familiar with this show, it's about a group of people who go into a clutter-filled, filthy dirty house to clean and organize it. The contents of the house are sold in a yard sale and the proceeds are used to help furnish the house with new things.<br />
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At the end of every season, the show holds a contest to find the messiest home in the country. The premise is the same. However, the show picks up the entire tab for furnishing the house and the money raised at the yard sale goes to a charity of the homeowners choice.<br />
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This year's messiest house was particularly gross. Every square inch of floor space was filled with trash, junk and clutter. Every piece of furniture had stuff stacked on it. The bathroom was full of mold. The kitchen was not usable because it was so dirty.<br />
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The Clean House team cleaned everything out of the house. They found an empty warehouse to hold the yard sale in. And thousands of people - yes, thousands - came and purchased things from the yard sale.<br />
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Here is the question that perplexes me: Why would anyone want to purchase ANYTHING that came out of the messiest house in America? I'm all for a good garage sale find, but come on.<br />
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Now I do have some information that the yard sale people didn't: I saw what the house the items came out of looked like. But the shoppers knew that the items came from the messiest home in the country. Surely they had to have had some idea what the house might have looked like to have earned this title!<br />
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Perhaps they get wrapped up in the excitement of the tv experience. Perhaps they just want to see the Clean House crew. Perhaps they don't get as grossed out as I do about dirt and mold. Whatever their reason, I hope the clutter bug isn't contagious or the next messiest house in the country might be theirs!<br />
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AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-68258396940310446762011-01-28T06:51:00.000-08:002011-01-28T06:51:36.904-08:00Come and Follow . . . But Who?Sermon delievered to Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church, January 23, 2011<br />
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At the beginning of the service, I asked “What are you here for?” I now submit another question for your consideration: “Who are you here for?” Perhaps you are here for yourself and to have an encounter with God, praise and worship our risen Savior and Lord Jesus Christ and to be filled with the Holy Spirit for this upcoming week. Maybe you’re here because your spouse dragged you here! Or your parents! I won’t be so presumptuous as to think that you are here for me, but perhaps you are here to hear a sermon from Buddy. (Sorry you’re stuck with me today.)<br />
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Now you might be wondering why I am asking you questions that really don’t matter. You’re here and isn’t that all that’s important? And to a certain extent, you are right. You could be anywhere but here this morning but you’re not. You’re “parked in the pew.” But I would propose that the reason you are here is much more important that some might give it credit for. And the person you are here for is important as well. I will also submit to you that if you are here for any other person than Jesus, you’re probably here for the wrong reason.<br />
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We learn from the Epistle lesson today that the church in Corinth is having some issues. In fact, if you read the entire letter written by Paul, you’ll discover that the church in Corinth had a lot of issues. The city of Corinth was an important city. Corinth was a port city and most all of the trading between East and West took place there. It hosted a population of different ethnicities, backgrounds, socio-economic classes. The church there reflected these things. <br />
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The people in the church at Corinth were aligning themselves based on criteria they thought were important rather than on the teachings of Christ. Things like who had baptized them and who their favorite preacher was. Some were in Paul’s camp. Some were in Peter’s. Others in Apollos’ camp who had come sometime after Paul had left. Some claimed to be in Christ’s camp but that wasn’t a good thing either because they were placing themselves in a higher status than others.<br />
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And so what happens? Somebody tattle-tells to Paul. We have no idea who Chloe was or who her people were. We just know that one of “Chloe’s people” told Paul what was going on. And judging by today’s text, Paul was none too happy about it.<br />
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Paul’s problem with the Corinthian church is that they were dividing themselves up into “fan clubs” rather than uniting themselves under the one true Christ. They believed that they gathered together to judge a message based on what was said and the speaker’s power of persuasion rather than to worship and glorify God and to build one another up. So in today’s text, Paul is trying to reorient the Corinthian church to the way they needed to think about their preachers and the messages that were delivered to them.<br />
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It’s a good thing that we don’t have this problem today, isn’t it? We never place the messenger of God above the message that is delivered do we? We don’t idolize pastors today. The names Billy Graham, Jimmy Swaggert, Joel Olstein, and Rick Warren mean nothing to us today, do they? <br />
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Maybe we need to investigate this a little more.<br />
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First, we need to examine what exactly a preacher’s job is. A preacher’s job is to deliver the word of God – the good, the bad and the ugly. Then their job is to help you take that word of God and apply it to your life. By doing this, the preacher helps you little by little, step by step – in some cases, centimeter by centimeter – to move closer to God and become like Christ. The issue is – preachers and pastors are not two separate jobs. Preaching is just one part of a pastor’s job. <br />
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The pastor is the one we call when the big events in life occur. I want to get married – I need to call my pastor. I’m having an operation – I need to call my pastor. I’ve just been diagnosed with an illness – I need my pastor. I’ve just lost my spouse – I need my pastor. And by sharing in these intimate moments of people’s lives, pastors become a player in these sacred moments. We – both parishioners and pastors – develop relationships with each other. And those relationships can be strong depending upon the circumstances of the situation! So it’s no wonder that our pastors hold a special place in our hearts and in our lives.<br />
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But consider this - in sharing in these sacred moments with members of a congregation, pastors are still bringing the word of God. The word that God loves you and because God loves you and you are important to him, I love you too and you are important to me. <br />
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The danger arises when we place following a particular pastor above following Jesus Christ – or in thinking that we can’t follow another pastor. Because in doing so, you’re placing your trust and faith in a mortal, rather than in God – in something temporary, rather than something eternal. You’re counting on one particular person to deliver something that can only be delivered by God. You are also believing that one particular pastor is the only one capable of leading a congregation and sharing God’s word. This isn’t the case.<br />
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This is what Paul is trying to explain to the Corinthians in today’s passage. He begins by making his appeal “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” – grounding everything that he is about to say in the single reality of Christ. <br />
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Christ is the reason for the church. Christ exists for the church and the church exists for Christ. Scripture compares the relationship to a marriage. Jesus is the groom – the church is the bride. <br />
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Every bride needs her attendants – the ones who help her get ready for the wedding. Pastors are more like the maid or matron of honor. We help the bride prepare for the wedding. We make sure her dress is ok. We hold her bouquet when she needs us to. We smile as she lovingly looks at her groom. But we aren’t the one she’s marrying!<br />
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Paul then sarcastically asks in verse 13, “Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” The answer, obviously, is no. And perhaps we have no problem seeing it from that perspective. Let’s make it a little bit more personal.<br />
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Take a minute and think about a pastor that you hold in high regard. Now replace his or her name for Paul’s in verse 13. Since he’s not here today and I can get away with it, for my example, I’m going to use Buddy. Was Buddy crucified for you? He might argue that he has been figuratively crucified, but we can be assured that he has not been physically crucified. Were you baptized in the name of Buddy? I doubt it. And yet, I’ve heard rumblings from people that when Buddy retires this summer, they will be leaving the church as well. This means that there are people within this congregation who are identifying themselves with a Christian leader – Buddy- rather than with Christ. They are marrying the maid of honor rather than the groom!<br />
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If you think that because a pastor leaves, God will be leaving the church as well, you need to do some re-evaluating. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God is not going anywhere and neither is his word. If God’s not leaving, why should you?<br />
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Brothers and Sisters, hear me when I say: The word of God is the word of God no matter who it’s delivered by. It doesn’t matter if it’s Buddy, me, Darrel Hinshaw, a preacher from another church or a child during children’s time. The word of God will be spoken and if a person is truly called to share that word, God will make them heard. And shame on you if you are more concerned about the messenger than the message!<br />
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Let me share something else with you. Preaching is not and should not be a celebrity-making or celebrity-sustained enterprise. Our job is not to entertain you. If you have a pastor who chooses their words based on what they think people want to hear rather than what God wants him or her to say - if you have a pastor who is more concerned about winning a popularity contest with the congregation than sharing God’s word – you have a dud. If your pastor is in the game for his or her own glory rather than God’s there is a huge issue! And a pastor who’s in it for their own glory is pretty easy to spot.<br />
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The church universal – and our own church – has an important mission. That mission is to bear witness to the good news of God’s love that was shown to us by Jesus, to bring people into fellowship in which that love is shared, and to help people grow into followers of Jesus Christ. There are people within the reach of our church who are hungry for the love of God that we were given to share – some who don’t even realize how badly they need it.<br />
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Doesn’t it make sense that we focus on this mission rather than who is leading us in the charge? For if we are focused on this mission, who is leading us is inconsequential as long as they share in the mission with us. We are all called by Christ and everything that we have is owed to him. We don’t abandon the mission because of a change in leadership. We keep battling, because our true leader is Christ.<br />
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Amen.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-46234490465535584572010-11-02T11:50:00.000-07:002010-11-02T11:50:27.558-07:00Love and Acceptance for All?I had a Facebook chat with a friend the other night. It was a former high school classmate of mine but our friendship goes back further than that. In fact, if I remember correctly, we met in 5th grade when he moved to our town. We had lost touch after high school but now, through the magic of Facebook, have reconnected some 20 years later.<br />
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I remember back when we were in school, he always claimed he was going to be a politician - or a preacher. (I'll save the irony of those two vocations being linked for another blog.) So when we became Facebook friends, naturally I asked him which of those two paths he took. He answered neither and he had entered the business world. His reason: Once he had come to terms with who he was, he realized that a career as a politician or a preacher wasn't possible. He was a gay man and felt that because of this, neither of his childhood aspirations was possible.<br />
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I'm not going to spend the rest of this blog discussing the moral and ethical issues of a gay lifestyle. It's a topic that most people - for better of for worse - have already decided upon. What I am going to discuss is people - and how we treat each other.<br />
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I remember "talking" with my friend and upon hearing that he didn't realize his childhood dream, feeling my heart break for him. I felt that again the other night as we were IMing back and forth. Naturally, the recent news of all of these kids committing suicide because of their sexuality has really struck a chord with my friend. I had been reading some of his posts where he's been sharing parts of the "It Gets Better" campaign on his wall. And it got me to thinking. Then it got me to worrying. So when I saw him on Facebook, I asked him if life was really that bad for him back in high school.<br />
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I remembered him always having friends. He wasn't unpopular. And I don't remember people picking on him. But, as is often the case when we are teenagers, I was caught up in my own little world of drama and didn't see what was really going on.<br />
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He was being teased and called names. He was beaten up. And worse, he couldn't share any of this with anybody. None of his friends knew the truth. His parents didn't know the truth. He became very adept at pretending to be someone he wasn't. And it took it's toll on him. <br />
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As he shared some of his experiences with me, my heart broke again and my eyes filled with tears. To discover that one of my friends had endured horrible things was awful. What was worse was to realize that, not only did I do nothing about it, I didn't even know it was happening.<br />
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This is not about gay or straight. It's about how we treat people. As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. As decent human beings, we need to treat people with respect. Nobody should have to endure being tormented and tortured by others for any reason. Nobody deserves to be looked down upon because we perceive them as different.<br />
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I wish this behavior could be chalked up to ignorant teenage angst. But it can't be. We can be just as bad as adults as when we were kids. If someone is of a different religion, a different political party, a different sexual orientation, a different ethnic background - a different anything - some people feel as if it's alright to disregard them and treat them differently. It's not. Shame on us for thinking it is. And shame on us for doing it!<br />
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Everyone deserves to have a place where they are loved and accepted. If we can't provide that, Heaven help us all.<br />
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AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-43017881233299373222010-09-01T14:56:00.000-07:002010-09-01T14:56:10.954-07:00Sometimes being a pastor really sucks!Please understand that I really love what I do! There are so many rewards to being a pastor that I truly am blessed for being able to serve as people's spiritual leader. <br />
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But occasionally something happens when I wish I wasn't a pastor. Being a pastor, I need to behave in ways that show an example of God to people: If someone sees me behaving in an un-Christian like way, I could be causing them to stumble and I don't want that. But occasionally I would like to show the Sodom and Gomorrah side of God! Here's what I mean.<br />
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I had to return a purchase to a store. I turned into the parking lot to find a place to park my minivan. You see, I'm still in the soccer mom phase of life and have to haul my kids, their friends and all of their stuff from place to place. <br />
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I pulled into a stall that was a tight squeeze. On one side was a huge truck with those tires that lift the vehicle about 50 feet off of the ground and the other side was one of those smart cars. The smart car hadn't pulled in straight and the driver's side tires were on the dividing line. I pulled in and had to back up to straighten my car around so I would be in the center of the stall. It was a tight fit but I managed to get in the stall.<br />
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I got out and went to the passenger side of my van to retrieve the item to return when the window of the smart car went down and a woman - holding a venti size Starbucks cup - started chewing me out. "Do you know that you almost hit me?! Do you know how close you came?! Do you know where the front end of you car was?! I was scared you were going to hit me!"<br />
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Now I admit, I probably did come close to her car. But there was no need to overreact like she did. I apologized to her and told her that yes, I did know where the front end of my car was. That obviously wasn't enough to appease her because she continued to go on and on about my skills. And after I went into the store, I saw her get out of her car and examine her car as if I might have actually hit it without her being able to feel or see it.<br />
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Immediately I began to think of everything I could have said to her. I believe that we need to be good stewards of our planet and need to take care of it. However, smart cars are glorified golf carts and I'm not completely convinced they need to be on the road with other cars. Regardless of this, if someone driving one isn't able to park this tiny thing squarely in a parking space, perhaps they are the one with the driving issue. I could have pointed the fact out to her that had she not been parked on the line, there wouldn't have been an issue.<br />
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I could have told her that while she was waiting to go into the craft store to get her supplies for a day of scrap booking or card making or jewelery designing, I was on my way to hold the hand of a man as he died and help his family plan a memorial service. While she was sipping her venti white chocolate macchiato, I would be dealing with the resignation of the church organist. While she thought all of her daily activities were so important, they paled in comparison with what I had on my to-do list for the day.<br />
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I could have really overturned the tables of her temple just as Jesus did with the money changers!<br />
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But I didn't. Instead, I meekly accepted her rant, apologized and left. Because this is the example the Christ showed us.<br />
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I've often wondered if the humanity of Jesus made him want to react differently. Did he ever want to say to people, "Look. You need to get out of my face. Or else I'm going to prove that 'to dust you shall return' thing to be true."<br />
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He never did, though. He allowed people to mock him, to spit upon him and to hit him all the way to Calvary. He showed us the ultimate example of how to love people by not fighting back. That is his challenge to us.<br />
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Now if I could just find a substitute for a smart car!<br />
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Blessings!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-68076100217666493172010-08-20T12:52:00.000-07:002010-08-20T12:52:23.874-07:00Oh Sh*t!When my son was two years old, his favorite movie was "The Sandlot." If you aren't familiar with it the movie tells the story of a group of boys who play baseball in an open field - the sandlot. The main character - Smalls - is the new kid on the block and isn't very athletically inclined. In fact, he doesn't know a lot about sports. He doesn't even know who Babe Ruth is!<br />
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The end of the sandlot butts up against a junk yard - complete with its own junk yard dog whom everyone refers to as the beast. The boys regularly lose baseballs that are hit over the wall of the junk yard and cannot be retrieved because of the beast. <br />
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One day as the boys lose their last baseball, Smalls volunteers to run home and get another ball. The only problem is that the ball is from his step father's sports collection and it has been signed by Babe Ruth. <br />
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Of course, this ball is hit over the wall of the junk yard and when the boys discover that it is a Babe Ruth ball they devise all kinds of plans to get the ball back. But none of them work. Finally, one boy from the team decides he will hop the fence and get the ball back. He manages to do this but the beast decides to chase him. The boy manages to get back over the fence but the dog jumps over the fence, too. When Benny sees this he says, "Oh sh*t!" <br />
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This scene contains the one and only bad word in the movie. And it is the one and only word that my son decided to repeat from the movie - and at two years old, no less. He would reenact the scene from the movie for anyone who would watch, proudly saying "Oh sh*t!" The rest of the movie was filled with all kinds of funny and witty lines. But my son concentrated on the one bad one.<br />
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We sometimes are guilty of the same thing. There are so many good and wonderful and pleasant things that happen to us and around us. Yet we can choose to concentrate on the few bad things - the one naughty word so to speak. We focus on the sh . . . er, the nasty things instead of the good ones.<br />
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Let's try to focus on the good things instead of the bad. Sure, bad things are going to happen. But we don't have to dwell on them. Focusing on the blessings helps us to be thankful for what we have. And we have a lot more to be thankful for than we do to be sad about.<br />
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Blessings!<br />
AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-12650760572754304052010-07-29T12:52:00.000-07:002010-07-29T12:52:45.509-07:00Are you there, Margaret? It's me, God. (Sermon July 25, 2010)Our Scripture comes from the book of Revelation. Now some people hear that and go “ugh.” Revelation is one of those books that can be hard to interpret. This vision that John received – is it real? Is it not? Did he maybe just have bad Chinese the night before and have a really weird dream? <br />
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Regardless of your feelings on the book of Revelation the words that are contained within do speak to us. I will be reading from Revelation 3:15-22.<br />
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<em>“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. Therefore, I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”</em><br />
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There are at least 8-10 sermons in these 7 verses that I just read. But today we’re going to focus on about 8 words. “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying.”<br />
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I think I mentioned in one of my sermons earlier this year that when I have my next birthday, it’s going to be a big one. I hit the big 4-0 this year. But anyone woman who is around my age, probably read a book. It was almost a rite of passage for some of us. It’s by author Judy Blume and the book is titled “Are you there God? It’s me Margaret.” It’s really funny. I went to purchase the book at Barnes and Noble and when I found it I thought to myself I remember it being a lot thicker than one-half inch and 150 pages. I reread it in an afternoon. And it took me back. The first time I read it I was in the 4th grade and a few of my girl friends and I had a pact. There was a boy in our class who was determined to read this book. And at 10 years old we didn’t think he had any business reading it. So when one of us finished, another one of us checked it out so he didn’t have the opportunity to read what we thought was inappropriate for a 10 year old boy to be reading. Oh, the things that are important to 10 year girls. Anyway, I digress.<br />
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Margaret is an 11 year old girl. And she is in the process of discovering who she is. She’s becoming a young woman and she is lamenting over parts of her body that she thinks are too big. She’s lamenting over parts of her body she thinks are too small. And she’s not an avid church-goer. He father is Jewish, her mother is catholic and they don’t go anywhere. They’ve decided that when Margaret is older, she can decide what she wants to become as far as her religious affiliation. The one thing, though – Margaret does pray and she prays quite often. She always begins her prayers with this phrase. “Are you there, God? It’s Me, Margaret.” <br />
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Now some of the prayers are the prayers of an 11 year old girl. She’s getting ready to attend her first school dance and she feels a need to pray. This is her prayer. <br />
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<em>Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. I can’t wait until two o’clock, God. That’s when our dance starts. Do you think I’ll get Philip Leroy for a partner? It’s not so much that I like him as a person God, but as a boy he’s very handsome. And I’d love to dance with him…just once or twice. Thank you, God.</em><br />
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But some of her prayers are quite profound for an 11 year old girl. Margaret has decided that it’s time to discover who she is spiritually. So she has started visiting different churches with her girl friends. After come home from one church service, she prays,<br />
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<em>Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret. I’ve been to church. I didn’t feel anything special in there God. Even though I wanted to. I’m sure it has nothing to do with you. Next time I’ll try harder. </em><br />
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She visits another church with another church with another friend and prays this:<br />
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<em>Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret. I just came home from church. I love the choir – the songs were so beautiful.</em> [Huh! She came to our church!] <em>Still, I didn’t really feel you God. I’m more confused than ever. I’m trying hard to understand but I wish you’d help me a little. </em><br />
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Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret.<br />
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I wonder if God ever feels this way about us. Does God ever say, “Are you there, Amy? It’s me, God” I think perhaps He does. Because often times, we aren’t listening for Him.<br />
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Now we all have our stories and our differences of definition on what hearing and listening in. For instance, wives, can you relate with me? You’re talking to your husband telling him all kinds of important things that need to be taken care of and things that must be done and about half way through your spiel he goes, “Huh?” He’s hearing you but he’s not listening to what you’re saying.<br />
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Men, now I’m sorry. I don’t have the male experience to relate to – I’m a woman. I can only relate at a wife and a mother. Moms – how many of you can relate to this? You know when you hear your kids fighting what you can ignore. You hear the ruckus in the background. But immediately you know when to listen. You know when the cry or that scream means something is wrong! We’re hearing what is going on but we listen to what we have to.<br />
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I wonder what our excuse is for not listening to God. As I was thinking about this, I came up with several different reasons. The first is very simple - I don’t want to listen to God. “God, I’ve given you years of my service. I’ve done all of this stuff for your glory and your kingdom. And I don’t want to do anymore so I’m not going to listen to you anymore.” It’s almost a form of Christian retirement. <br />
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A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you in the report from annual conference that we heard from Adam Hamilton. He has everything from 2 day olds to 90 year olds in his congregation. And he regularly preaches to them that Christian retirement occurs when you die. Until then, keep working!<br />
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Take for example Mother Theresa. When I say the name, you immediately get a picture in your mind – I hope – of this little Catholic nun with her blue habit - a very frail looking woman who spent 69 out of her 87 years ministering to people. She began her ministry when she was 18 years old and she did not stop until she died. Even the weeks leading up to her death when she was weak and sick, she was still entertaining people. She was still mentoring them and helping them up until the final days of her life.<br />
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Now you might be sitting there saying, “Yeah Amy, that’s great! I ain’t no Mother Theresa!” I would respond, “Yes, you are!” You have your streets of Calcutta somewhere in your life. You have a calling that you were meant to do. There is something God is calling you do to.<br />
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One of the favorite shows that our family watches is “Clean House.” It’s a group of four people who go into a house that is just nasty with clutter and filth and dirt. They go in and they clean it and organize it. One of the reasons I watch the show is that I am able to look at the houses on TV then look around my own house and say, “I’m not doing such a bad job!” It’s a real morale boost for me.<br />
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The show gets rid of all the stuff in the house by having a huge yard sale and the families always balk at having to give up their things. The host of the show has a saying that goes like this: When your hand is open to giving something up, it is open to receive something even better.<br />
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When your hands are open and willing to do something for the Kingdom, they are open to receive wonderful blessings from God.<br />
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Maybe we need to start listening more.<br />
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Another reason people don’t listen to God is we’re scared to. He might ask us to do something that we don’t want to do. Luke 18 contains the story of Jesus’ encounter with a rich young man. You might be familiar with the story. It says,<br />
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<em>A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments” You shall not commit adultery: You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness: honor your father and mother.” He replied, “I have kept all these since my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. Luke 18:18-22</em><br />
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The ruler didn’t want to do what God was telling him to do.<br />
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There’s another Biblical story about someone who heard God’s call and said, “No, I’m not going to do that.” His name was Jonah. God tells the Old Testament prophet, “I want you to go down to Nineveh and deliver my message of repentence to the Ninevites.” And Jonah said, “Huh-uh” and went and boarded a boat to Tarshish. What happened to Jonah for disobeying? He became whale food and spent a few days in the belly of whale. He didn’t want to go Nineveh. But he ended up going.<br />
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To really drive home the point, I want to remind you of an occurance in the final hours of Jesus’ life. Matthew 26:39 says this:<br />
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<em>And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayer, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.”</em><br />
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In just an hour or so, Roman soldiers were going to be there to arrest Jesus to take him to be crucified. Are we lucky that he listened to the call of his father?<br />
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Another reason we might not want to listen to God is that we’re scared He’s going to ask us something we don’t know how to do. <br />
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Jesus had just learned that his cousin, John the Baptist had been beheaded and he went off by himself to grieve. He had lost not only a cousin but a beloved friend as well. But as so often was the case with Jesus, he went to be by himself and the crowds followed him. “Jesus, heal me.” “Jesus, do this for me.” “Jesus, please I need your help.” And he had compassion on them, even in the midst of his own grief and continued healing them and continued teaching them. <br />
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Supper time came along and the disciples tried to make everyone leave so that they could eat. But Jesus rebuked the disciples and said, “Give them something to eat.” The disciples said, “Um, how? We have 5 loaves and 2 fish. How are we going to feed them? There’s got to be 5,000 people out there!” And Jesus said, “Give them something to eat.”<br />
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They started to feed the crowd and everyone ate until they were satisfied and there were 12 baskets of leftovers. God makes a way where there is no way. If you don’t know how to do something, He will tell you how to do it – show you how to do it.<br />
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Take for example, Moses. He’s out in the field one day tending the sheep and all of a sudden a bush starts burning. He goes to check it out and this bush starts telling him, “I’m going to send you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt.” <br />
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What does Moses do? Well, he doesn’t say, “Let me go home and pack.” He tries to get out of it. He says, “Pharaoh is going to ask me questions that I don’t know how to answer. Well, OK you’re going to give me the answers, but these people aren’t going to believe me. Well, OK you’ll send signs and miracles and plagues to help convince them that I’m telling the truth, but I can’t speak well. You know I stutter. Send someone else.”<br />
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But God didn’t send someone else. He showed Moses how to do it – how to fulfill the call he had be given.<br />
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Finally, I think one of the reasons we don’t listen to God is that we don’t know how to listen to God. I’ve been on this ordination process for three years now. The end is in sight. But every committee that I’ve come up against, every group that I’ve had to pass inspection with, always asks this question: “Tell us about your calling.”<br />
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I’ve often wished that my calling were a little bit more exciting than it really is. I don’t have an impressive calling like Paul on the road to Damascus. I wasn’t struck down blind. And it can be a problem to say, “Well, you know, I just kind of fell into ministry because I didn’t want to go teach music in Fredonia, Kansas.” That doesn’t tend to go over very well. But what I’ve learned in these three years is the Paul on the road to Damascus experience is not the normal form of a calling – it’s unique. The norm is a still, small voice. In the Greek, it’s actually called silence: Listen for God in the silence. The norm are those little, random thoughts that pop into your head that won’t go away, those feelings that there is something you need to be doing. That’s God calling you. Are you listening?<br />
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The issue is in our busy, crazy, techno-crazed world, we don’t’ know how to listen for that still small voice. First, we aren’t still long enough. I’m not talking about periods where we sit and veg out and do nothing. I’m talking about specific, intentional periods of inactivity where we are diligently seeking an encounter with God – where we have the opportunity to hear his voice. Second, we aren’t satisfied with the dull and mundane. We don’t want the little, nagging feelings and voice. We want the Paul on the road to Damascus experience to be convinced that it really is God talking to us.<br />
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Today, we’re going to take an opportunity to listen to God. I invite you to sit and be still – not just a period of inactivity but a period where you are intentionally seeking an encounter with God. <br />
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This can be hard. We’ve been taught that if we just sit and do nothing, we’re lazy – a bum. That’s what our world has taught us. That’s not what Christ has taught us. Listen for what God is saying - what He wants you to do. <br />
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Maybe he’s already told you and like Jonah, you’re trying to avoid it. Ask him to help you not avoid it any longer.<br />
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Maybe what I’m asking is too much for you to handle right now. That’s OK. Please read the following words of the song “Word of God Speak” by Mercy Me as a prayer. The Holy Spirit wants to meet you here now. Please don’t stand him up. Listen to what he is saying to you.<br />
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<em>I'm finding myself at a loss for words </em><br />
<em>And the funny thing is it's okay </em><br />
<em>The last thing I need is to be heard </em><br />
<em>But to hear what You would say </em><br />
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</em><br />
<em>Word of God speak </em><br />
<em>Would You pour down like rain </em><br />
<em>Washing my eyes to see </em><br />
<em>Your majesty </em><br />
<em>To be still and know </em><br />
<em>That You're in this place </em><br />
<em>Please let me stay and rest </em><br />
<em>In Your holiness </em><br />
<em>Word of God speak </em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>I'm finding myself in the midst of You </em><br />
<em>Beyond the music, beyond the noise </em><br />
<em>All that I need is to be with You </em><br />
<em>And in the quiet hear Your voice </em><br />
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</em><br />
<em>Word of God speak </em><br />
<em>Would You pour down like rain </em><br />
<em>Washing my eyes to see </em><br />
<em>Your majesty </em><br />
<em>To be still and know </em><br />
<em>That You're in this place </em><br />
<em>Please let me stay and rest </em><br />
<em>In Your holiness </em><br />
<em>Word of God speak</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>I'm finding myself at a loss for words </em><br />
<em>And the funny thing is it's okay.</em><br />
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I hope you have had an encounter with our risen Lord and Savior. God does want your obedience. But more than that, He wants your love. I hope you’ve had a chance to show Him your love.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-43161647808072351802010-07-28T11:40:00.000-07:002010-07-28T11:40:39.064-07:00The Long & Winding RoadThe last time I was in Wilmore, Kentucky attending a class at Asbury, a good friend of mine and I took a walk. We were staying with a professor who rents out extra rooms in his house to Asbury students who come for a week long class. He lives outside of town down a country road. <br />
We started off on our walk and came to something very unusual - the road went underwater! Well, maybe the more accurate way to describe it is that a creek that is usually dry was full and the water running through it came up over the road. It wasn’t very deep. If we had decided to wade across it, the water might have come up to mid-calf level. But we decided to turn around and go the other way so we wouldn’t get our feet wet.<br />
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Sometimes our life is like this. We’re walking along with things going pretty smoothly and all of a sudden we come across a stream that we aren’t sure we want to cross. It might not even be a deep stream but we don’t want to get our feet wet. So we turn around and go a different direction. <br />
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The next day, my friend took another walk. (I had homework to do) She came to the stream and this time it was river. She decided to wade through it and the water came up to the middle of her thigh. She’s about my height so that gives you an idea of how deep the water was. She told me that before she went through, she prayed, “Lord, tell me what to do.” She heard the answer, “Go slowly and you’ll be just fine.” She ended up wading through the river twice – one time going and one time coming back.<br />
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Proverbs 3:5 says <em>Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. </em><br />
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Our paths often are not straight – even when we are trusting God. We are going to have twists and turns in our road. We’re going to encounter streams and rivers we must wade through. The road can be anything but a straight shot. That’s not what the verse necessarily means. What it means is that when we trust God we travel the road He wants us to be on – even with all the twists and turns.<br />
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So wear a good pair of walking shoes!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-7258683370715228232010-07-10T18:43:00.000-07:002010-07-10T18:43:38.715-07:00Big Brother REALLY is watching!I have to preface my post with three stories.<br />
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1. My maiden name was <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sifford</span>. My married name is <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seifert</span>. This will be important to remember for the next story.<br />
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2. When Todd and I were first married and heading to St. Cloud, Minnesota my dad co-signed a loan with us for a small Toyota pick up truck. We had discovered that it probably would be a good idea to have a reliable 4-wheel drive vehicle in an area that receives mounds upon mounds of snow each year. Upon arriving in Minnesota, the Minnesota Tax Commission required everyone listed on the loan to be on the title of the vehicle. The similarity of the names (see story #1) caused major issues. Ultimately, the title was issued like this:<br />
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Todd <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seifert</span><br />
Amy <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sifford</span><br />
David <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seifert</span> (my dad with my new married name)<br />
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3. My dad passed away in November 1999.<br />
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16 years after the messed up title was issued, two cross country moves later and almost 11 years after my dad's death, I receive mail addressed to David <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seifert</span>. This is something that has occurred regularly over the past 16 years. I have received offers for everything from mobility scooters to invitations to join social organizations to club membership offers. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">AARP</span> was so persistent in sending mail to David <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seifert</span> - even after I called and requested his name be removed from mailing lists - that I finally called and said that since they seemed intent on him receiving a membership that I would take it and make use of the discounts even though I was only 31 years old!! The membership invitations stopped.<br />
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The latest pamphlet came from a local Utah company telling dad how he can improve the quality of the insulation in MY house . Keep in mind that I moved to Utah after dad died so he most definitely did not co-sign the loan on this one. So how in the world does the state of Utah know that David <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seifert</span>, er uh, David <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sifford</span> even existed?!?!<br />
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Quite simply actually. Somewhere over the past 16 years the Minnesota Tax Commission sold their car title list. Now that really isn't so surprising. What is surprising is this. How in the world is his name associated with me 16 years and two states after it was added to the Minnesota state database and 11 years after his death? After all, this mail comes addressed to him at my current address in St. George, Utah! <br />
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Did you ever read Orwell's book "1984?" Remember how we all thought that this would never be possible? Maybe Orwell was a prophet because it seems like anyone can be tracked down anywhere at any time - even people who don't really exist!<br />
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I guess what is really funny about this is this fact: Since David <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seifert</span> never really existed, apparently he can't die either. So in the mean time I guess I will keep watch over the offers he receives at his new home in Utah and, if it's a really good deal, maybe I'll order it. Maybe since he doesn't really exist he won't have to pay for it either!<br />
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Blessings!<br />
AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-20162859173608029342010-07-02T13:57:00.001-07:002010-07-02T14:46:08.715-07:00It's all a matter of perspectiveMany years ago when I was a senior in college, I had to prepare for my senior recital. As a music education major, my senior recital was a requirement for graduation. There were many requirements that had to be met in my recital. It had to be a certain length of time with a certain number of songs. Some of the songs had to be memorized. Needless to say, it was a big deal and there was a lot riding on the successful completion of the recital - mainly, my graduation.<br /><br />I remember my piano teacher giving me this advice one time when she saw how anxious and stressed I was about my recital. She told me that the human body produces the same chemical - adrenaline - when we are nervous and when we are excited. How we choose to look at it is a matter of perspective. "You can choose to be nervous or you can choose to be excited. Which are you going to choose?"<br /><br />I think that advice applies to a lot of situations in life. How we choose to look at something determines whether or not it's going to be a pleasurable experience or a miserable one. Unfortunately, I think most people navigate toward the miserable experience. I wonder why we willingly choose to be negative rather than positive.<br /><br />It seems like I've been surrounded by a lot of change in my life lately. Mention the word change around some people and they immediately stick their fingers in the ears and start repeating, "I'm not listening! I'm not listening! I'm not listening!" Some people don't like change and they will do everything in their power to keep a situation the same - automatically choosing to view the change as negative rather than be excited for the possibilities it can bring.<br /><br />It's funny how, even when a change is for the best, people still rebel against it. Why are we so sure that a change is going to be a bad thing? Why is it hard for us to look at new possibilities? What if by doing something differently, we do it better? What if by embracing change we find something wonderful?<br /><br />Changes in life are going to occur no matter what we do to try and stop them. Why make them worse by fighting them so much? Try to find the exciting and new possibilities a change brings with it! You might discover hidden blessings!<br /><br />AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-81128369553855526922010-06-30T13:19:00.000-07:002010-06-30T13:36:39.243-07:00Let Them Eat PizzaMy husband and I try to have lunch together once a week - a time to get away from the office, (not that I ever want to get away!) be with each other without the kids and reconnect. A couple of weeks ago we went to the Pizza Hut lunch <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">buffet</span>.<br /><br />We went shortly after the restaurant opened but it was already almost full. There were tow waitresses there who were frantically trying to seat people <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">take</span><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">drink</span> orders and keep the pizza and pasta bar filled with food. We sat down near a table <span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">which </span>was occupied with two couples. After watching the behavior of these four people I immediately thought to myself that there were so many theological teaching moments that I wouldn't know where to begin! Let me explain.<br /><br />We had just sat down with a plate of salad when one of the two servers came out with our drinks. I didn't even have a chance to say, "Thank you" before one of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">the </span><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">men</span> of this group leaned way out of his seat to ensure the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">waitress</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">would</span> see him. He raised his almost <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">empty</span> glass and yelled, "I need more Diet Pepsi!" This happened several more times, the most obnoxious <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">occurring</span> when the waitress was all the way across the restaurant and the man had to scream, "DIET PEPSI!"<br /><br />It was very interesting - and a little sad - to watch this group when the waitresses did manage to bring out more food. This group was sitting very close to the buffet and every time more pizza arrived, they all jumped, up, grabbed a clean plate and proceeded to pile on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">the</span> pizza - not just a slice or two but four and five slices each. All of the food was taken by these folks before anyone else in the restaurant got a chance to pick up a piece of pepperoni that had fallen off a slice! This scenario happened several times as well. Wouldn't it be <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">nice</span> if people rushed up to the church like that to feast on the word of God? But that's another blog for another time<br /><br />Often times we fall into the trap of self-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">absorption</span>. All that matters is what I want - not what I need but what I WANT. It doesn't matter that there is a restaurant full of others who are hungry and desire pizza. I want all the pizza I want and I want it now! You can wait to get yours!<br /><br />As Christians, we are called to put the needs - and desires - of others above our own. When the disciples asked Christ what was the greatest commandment was he told them, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. And the second is like this: Love your neighbor as yourself." This means <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">that </span><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">you</span> wait to have pizza until everyone else has had some. This means <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">that </span><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">you</span> are willing to give up something <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">tha</span><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">t is</span> important <span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">to</span> you so that others can experience God's love.<br /><br />This means you are following Christ's example.<br /><br />When your hands are open to giving to others, they are also open to receive the blessings God has to offer you. Are your hands open?<br /><br />In His Love,<br />AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-11996824685231888482010-04-21T14:02:00.001-07:002010-04-21T14:14:54.672-07:00Random? Not a chance!!Last week I spent a few days in Salt Lake City on church business. I found myself with a day all to myself to do whatever I wanted! In a town like Salt Lake there are so many choices but we tend to navigate to what we like so I ended up at The Gateway - a huge outdoor shopping complex! <br /><br />The Gateway is home to the Clark Planetarium. I had see an advertisement on tv for the new IMAX movie showing there called Hubble 3D. The movie is about the space shuttle's launch last year to save the Hubble telescope. If this launch was not successful, there would be no more pictures received from Hubble.<br /><br />The movie was incredible - if you live close to Salt Lake, take the time to go see it. Immediately I was transported via Hubble to places in the galaxy I would never imagined! I found myself heading for Orion's belt. Just below these three stars is Orion's nebula. This nebula is 1500 light years away from Earth. It is in this nebula that stars are born. And each star has the potential to become a universe. I witnessed the death of a star that lived 10 billion light years away from earth. I was informed that there could possibly be 100 billion galaxies across the universe. <br /><br />As I was watching all of these incredible sights, the thought occured to me. How can anyone look at this, see how everything happens according to an unwritten plan and think that this just randomly happened? Think of the last time that you left something to chance and hoped that it worked out fine. I am the walking definition for Murphy's Law. Things in my life usually go off without a hitch when I follow a plan. If I leave things to chance, they usually don't go well. <br /><br />If we have to plan our lives to ensure things will work out the way they are supposed to, how can we think that the universe is a bunch of random occurances? There is a plan created by the ultimate Master Planner. And if He can create stars that exist 10 billion lights years away from me, He most certainly can help me take care of my life!<br /><br />Blessings!<br />AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-41087170769150496662010-04-06T09:58:00.000-07:002010-04-06T10:23:32.407-07:00Kill the Boy!!!My poor kids! They are very close to becoming full-fledged "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">PK's</span>" (preacher's kids.) Actually, they've already become <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">PK's</span> for the most part because quite often I use them or things that have happened to them as <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">examples</span> when I teach and preach. Emily can breathe a sigh of relief because this time, I'm using Josh.<br /><br />Josh recently earned his Arrow of Light and became a full-fledged Boy Scout. He's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">quite</span> proud of this achievement. He likes hanging out with the older boys in his troop. So when the troop planned their first <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">camp out</span> with the "new guys" he was very excited! He spent the week making plans for what he needed to take and thinking about what they would do over the course of the weekend. Of course, my heart broke a little bit having to send my baby away for two nights without me but this didn't seem to be of concern to Josh.<br /><br />I spent the first few hours of his <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">absence</span> missing him. That ended when I walked into his room. The floor was covered with clothes - dirty and clean alike. They were mixed in with toys, books and various other things that were unrecognizable to me. After fully taking in the scene, the first words out of my mouth were ,"I'm going to kill him!"<br /><br />Thus, the great room cleaning began. Laundry baskets were filled with clothes to be washed. Trash sacks were <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">filled</span> with all kinds of things to be discarded. Drawers were organized. Toys were put into piles for him to decide what would stay, what would be thrown away and what would come to the church rummage sale - all of this being accomplished with my thinking of ways to dispose of a body! (OK, not really but I think you get my point.)<br /><br />In one of his drawers I found a CD that wasn't labeled with anything. I turned on his boom box so I could put the CD in to find out what was on it. AS it came one, the radio started playing. I braced myself for some really loud, obnoxious music. But I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">didn't</span>' hear what I was expecting.<br /><br />Instead, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">KLOVE</span> started playing. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">KLOVE</span> is a Christian radio station that is broadcast nationally and plays contemporary Christian music - good music that shares the message about God's love. That is what I'm usually listening to in my car and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">because</span> my kids have heard the songs so many times there, they know them and sing along. But Josh had it on his own radio in his own room!<br /><br />Immediately, my heart softened. I forgot about how I wanted to kill him and became proud of him. He had chosen to listen to this station on his own. It was at that moment that I realized that he has been paying attention to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">everytyhing </span>he's been learning at church all his life.<br /><br />We never know how what we say or do will affect <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">someone's</span> life and the choices they make. We can affect them positively and help them come to love God or we can affect them negatively and never show them who God truly is. We're not always going to do the right thing. But we can strive to be good sowers of God's love and grace. And just maybe, years from now, you may be surprised at what you reap!<br /><br />In His Love,<br />AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-53635222669039989552010-03-16T12:30:00.000-07:002010-03-16T12:46:41.143-07:00Awww, poop!During my devotional time recently, I found myself in Luke 13 where Jesus told the story about the barren fig tree. The tree had remained fruitless for three years and the owner was ready to chop it down. The gardener who cared for the tree talked him into waiting for a year before getting rid of it. The gardener promised to put manure around the tree. We all know what the purpose of that was - to fertilize the tree and make it grow.<br /><br />I grew up in Kansas and would sometimes go with my dad to his brother's farm. One time while I was there, I wasn't looking where I stepped and - you guessed it - planted my foot in a recently placed deposit left by one of my uncle's cows. It was a mess! And the smell was horrible!<br /><br />Manure is nasty. It stinks. And when you consider where it comes from, it's no wonder that we don't want to have anything to do with it. And yet, it can help trees and plants to grow.<br /><br />I have been leading a book study with a group of ladies on Monday evenings. We recently discussed how God does not want or intend for us to remain stagnant. He wants us to grow - to develop into the people He desires us to be. In order to grow, we have to be fertilized.<br /><br />Sometimes it seems that we have bag after bag of manure dumped upon us. We have to deal with complicated relationships, financial struggles, health issues - the list can go on and on. We are being fertilized when this happens. It's not very pleasant <span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">to</span> have it dumped on us but the end result will be a bigger, stronger plant - or person, rather.<br /><br />You might have seen the bumper sticker that has been around for years. I won't quote it exactly but is says something to the effect that poop happens. And we all know it does. And it happens to all of us. Choose to view it as fertilizer rather than a disgusting substance. And know that God, the master gardener, is helping you to grow stronger!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-18935624312061040002010-02-24T09:05:00.000-08:002010-02-24T09:43:05.477-08:00The only thing that is constant is changeWe humans are such creatures of habit! I know I am. I have my routines and I keep them. There's my morning routine. Wake up, read my Bible, do my devotion, and have my prayer time. Then I shower, do my hair, brush my teeth, do my make-up, get the kids off to school, have my orange juice and go to the office. Even my weekend routine doesn't vary much. School is replaced with sporting events or church but other than that, it's pretty much the same.<br /><br />Then, there's my early morning office routine. I come in and turn on the computer. Check my email, return emails, update the church's Facebook page and start in on the list of daily tasks to accomplish.<br /><br />Routines are good. They ensure that we accomplish what we need to and that we do so correctly. And they provide comfort - a sense of knowing what we need to do and how we're going to do it.<br /><br />But with comfort sometimes comes complacency. We get so used to doing what we've always done that we don't stop to think that there may be another - a better - way of doing it. We're afraid to leave our comfortable place - and so we don't. Ever! And that's not a good thing.<br /><br />I had a conversation with a lady who is taking a class I teach at church. She was confused by a Bible verse she had read. It was Proverbs 25:2 which says, <em>"It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." </em>She wasn't sure what that meant.<br /><br />It means that we are not created to remain the same. We are to search, to explore, to grow. God does not intend for us to remain stagnant. He wants us to change because through that change, we come closer to being the creation He intends for us to be. <br /><br />I encourage you to be open to the changes God places before you. Don't be afraid to leave the comfort of the familiar. There is a saying that goes: <em>When you come to the edge of all the light you have known and are about to step out into the darkness, FAITH is knowing one of two things will happen . . . There will be something to stand on or you will be taught how to fly.</em> Trust that God will provide either way and you will be changed for the better. And be richly blessed!<br /><br />In Him,<br />AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4850135774181723185.post-78599777260770593882010-02-04T09:53:00.000-08:002010-02-04T12:06:30.641-08:00What goes around - comes around.I just finished reading the blog of one my husband's employees. She has an adorable 6 month old baby girl. I've seen her twice - at Walmart which tells you something about the extent of my social life. Both times I've been told how good of a baby she is. And how she sleeps through the night. Well, it seems as if those days are gone!<br /><br />Now that their daughter has figured out how to "break" her swaddle, she wakes herself up. And she's not happy when she does. Her mother's blog post is asking for advice to prevent this.<br /><br />So what do I do after reading her blog? Come up with different ideas for her to try? Give her suggestions based upon my experience? No. Instead I begin laughing hysterically, thinking mean things and saying, "Ha! Now you get yours!!!"<br /><br />Don't get me wrong - I don't have it out for this woman. In fact, I really, really like her! But I had to pay my dues and every other mother should have to pay hers, right?<br /><br />Perhaps I'm bitter because I DIDN'T have a first baby who slept through the night. My daughter didn't have a problem with sleep. She just had a problem with sleeping by herself. She wouldn't sleep unless she was held. If we put her down, she immediately woke up and started wailing. When we first brought her home from the hospital our sleeping schedule went like this. I would stay up until 1 am, letting her sleep on my chest or stomach, until my husband got home from his job at the newspaper. He would take over at that point and stay up with her until around 4:30 am when my mother, who stayed with us for two weeks, got up and started her shift.<br /><br />I wish I could say that things got better as she got older. I can't. This girl had to be rocked to sleep every night until she was 3 years old. Never mind the fact that I was hugely pregnant with her brother and she could barely fit on my lap. Each night we would rock until she fell asleep and then I would place her gently in her crib while muttering the prayer, "Please stay asleep! Please stay asleep!"<br /><br />Which brings me back to the question of how to respond to this mother's question? The mean, evil-spirited side of me says, "Suck it up, Lisa! Everyone else had to!" However, I guess my best advice is this: Do whatever you have to do to get her to sleep and patiently wait until she becomes a teenager and you won't be able to wake her up!<br /><br />Blessings!<br />AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483139765540074211noreply@blogger.com0