tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82553411812820994812023-11-16T03:07:36.436-08:00Chronicles of Rev SteveAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-27840755111857965442017-07-10T08:38:00.001-07:002017-07-10T08:38:29.296-07:00Discovering a beatitude filled life pt 6<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JDb24AOvvjY" width="459"></iframe><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-71385852863255321772015-11-22T07:52:00.002-08:002015-11-22T07:52:54.037-08:00Celebrating God!, by Steven R Mitchell based on Psalm 111, final sermon for Mountain View United, Aurora, CO
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Celebrating God! </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, CO 11/22/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Psalm 111<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The Psalmist tells us that we are to Praise the Lord,
to give thanks to God with our whole heart, in the company of the faith
community!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what we are going to
do this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are going to
celebrate God through worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worship
consists of a wide and varied spectrum, ranging from music, to readings, time
for reflection, opportunities for confession and re-assurance of God’s love,
space for prayer, for welcoming into the community new life through baptism, a
time for social affirmation of old and new friends as well as a time to say “goodbye”
to those we love. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worship is celebrating
God in our lives!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The psalmist gives us reasons as to “why” we should
come and celebrate God. We celebrate God because of the works that God has
done. We celebrate God because God is righteous, gracious, and merciful! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God provides for our basic needs and never
forgets the covenant made with all of creation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We celebrate God in the good times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We celebrate God in the sad times as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For we recognize that God is with
us, walking along side, sometimes in Spirit, other times physically through
friends and family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All we have to do is
look around us and we see the power of God’s work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I look upon you, I see the power of God’s
work!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This is my last Sunday to celebrate God with you as
your pastor. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may seem strange that I
chose to reflect about celebration on my last Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But celebrating God is about celebrating life.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life has an ebb and flow, there are beginnings
and there are endings; that is the cycle of all life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beginnings are generally welcomed because they
are filled with joy and excitement. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good-byes
are not so easy, generally filled with mixed emotions, especially when significant
bonds have developed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For almost four
year, we have prayed together, sung together, come to Christ’s table together.
You have sat week after week listening to my reflections on scripture. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a great privilege serving as your pastor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Since worship is to “celebrate God”, what are some of the
things we celebrate this morning? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
seen a number of you grow in your spiritual hunger and growth. We have had the
opportunities to discuss some very deep personal questions about life, of learning
how others see God, heaven, community, and spirituality, and how all of that
ties together with our own experience. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
a congregation, we have been working on bringing God and the outside world
together into this sacred space of worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We realize that when we enter the doors to this sanctuary, we do not
check our problems at the door, but bring them into the sanctuary and lift them
up to God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Thomas Parker, Theology
Emeritus of McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, Ill. says, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To live as if there were no God is to live
in a space too small for our souls to grow and flourish. It really is all about
cultivating a sense of the presence of God.</i>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is not just in this sanctuary, but is in
our living rooms, at our work, even at a Broncos game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The greatest joy that I celebrate this morning is the
sense that ministry is happening here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
should “celebrate God” for what has been accomplished during these three plus
years together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have seen an outreach
to the larger community through our Hot Cakes and Hot Topics; bringing awareness
on many social justice issues and becoming a teaching congregation for the larger
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is possible because we
formalized our passion for social justice by creating a staff position designed
to reach outside of the congregation and through Pastor Wayne Laws, be our
voice among a number of secular organizations that also work on social justice
issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are a part of the coalition
to end gun violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mountain View is
now working with a network of churches that minister to homeless women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some churches this would be enough, but
Mountain View is more than a church, you are a faith community and I am
confident that God will reveal to you more opportunities to present God’s love
to the Metro area. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because as ambassadors
of God, that’s what we do – share God’s love to the larger community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let
me close with why I “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">celebrate God</i>”
this morning. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I celebrate God for the
existence of Mountain View United, as a specific faith community. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have not just allowed me to serve you as
pastor, but you have allowed me into your lives, a space that is so very
sacred. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have let me stand beside you
at the hospital. I have buried you, married you, baptized you, and eaten at
God’s table with you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have shared
your hopes, your pains, your losses, your fears, and your joys with me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have prayed together, laughed together, and
cried together. Your pain has been my pain, your rejoicing has been my
rejoicing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My life has been deeply enriched
by serving you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I celebrate God because I have watched a group of faithful
believers grow in strength, in confidence, in hope, and in spiritual wisdom.
You invited me in and allowed me to show you my understanding of God’s love, of
God’s forgiveness, and of God’s inclusiveness. You have given me freedom to
develop worship experiences that pushed the envelope of traditional styles.
Some of it worked, some of it didn’t, but the important thing was, the
willingness to explore. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I celebrate God, for I see a congregation that is
living out Psalm 111, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The reverence and awe of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding</i></b>.”
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us all continue to develop in
reverence and awe of the Lord. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us
all “celebrate God” each day of our lives! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New ministries await both you and me; let us
celebrate the God that honors these diverging paths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-77166930952563724072015-11-17T08:12:00.001-08:002015-11-17T08:12:14.998-08:00Listen for God's Voice, by Rev Steven R Mitchell based on Jonah 3:1-5,10 & Mark 1:14-20
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Listen for God’s Voice<br />
</span><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">By Rev
Steven R Mitchell<br />
Mountain View United, Aurora 11/15, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Based on Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 &
Mark 1:14-20<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I have already started watching
Christmas movies, much to Paul’s dismay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I love these stories not just because they remind us about faith, hope,
and love, but they are also filled with what many would call sappy
sentimentality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One classic Christmas
story is Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In the Dickens story, a man named
Scrooge, who for various reasons turned away from helping humanity to that of
serving money, is confronted by three Spirits of Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the help of the Spirit of Christmas
Past, Scrooge is reminded of the love and nurture given to him in his younger
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the same way, Scrooge is confronted
with his hard-heartedness as the Spirit of Christmas Present shows how lonely
and bitter he has become compared to the warmth of love and community of those
his life intersects with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then comes a
profound revelation with the Spirit of Christmas Future when Scrooge asks, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spirit, these things that you show me, are
they the shadows of the things that will be, or of the things that may be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Men’s lives lead to certain ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if those lives be changed, will not the
end be changed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell me that is true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell me! (There is silence on the part of the
Spirit)</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why show me this if I am past all hope?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will change my way of living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
will live in the past, the Present, and the Future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shall never forget the lessons that they
teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell me that this will change my
future.</i>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There are many stories within
scripture that tell us of similar situations, where God is intervening in
someone’s life and that person has to make a decision as whether to listen and
follow or to ignore and go their own direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The story of Jonah is one of these great stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the cool aspects about Jonah is how it
shows us more of the human side of a prophet’s life, one that helps us realize
that even though one is called to be a prophet for God, one doesn’t always
willing follow orders. Jonah is told by God to go to Nineveh and tell them they
have only forty days before they are destroyed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jonah being the devoted prophet that he was immediately
turned and ran the other direction. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But just
like in our own life, the decisions that we make affect more than just
ourselves, Jonah put the lives of people on a boat in danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Realizing how badly he has messed
up his life, and has endangered the lives of others, Jonah asks God to take his
life, for he couldn’t possibly go back in time and change his decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then God answers by coming back to Jonah a
second time, and once again telling Jonah to go to Nineveh. So with much fear
in his heart, he travels into Nineveh and delivers the message that God told
him to deliver. To his surprise, the Ninevehites hear the word and repent and
their city is spared by God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In the first chapter of Mark we
again see God approaching and this time speaking to four fishermen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through Jesus’ invitation to join him in his
ministry, God’s voice was asking Simon and Andrew, James and John to leave the
lives that were familiar to them and become a part of something that was new. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no indication by Mark that these four
fishermen had any prior knowledge of Jesus or of his mission, only that when
Jesus asked them to drop what they were doing and in following him, they did this
believing that God had asked them to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the people of Nineveh, they were not told of
why their city was going to be destroyed or by whom, nor were they instructed
to repent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only that in forty days
Nineveh would parish. They just inherently knew that they needed to repent from
their actions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The main focus in today’s readings asks us to ponder
upon the suddenness to which we can change when God speaks to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barbara Brown Taylor, professor of religion
at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia writes: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Much has been written about the response of the disciples who dropped
everything to follow Jesus. Why did they do something so drastic, and how could
they up-end their lives so dramatically, and would that really be a good thing
for us to do, that is, if we could "manage" it? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Could we measure up to the standard of those disciples, and drop
everything, too? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We might wonder why and
how those first four disciples could do such a thing, without even a stirring
sermon from Jesus, or maybe a dramatic miracle, or better yet, the sky opening
up and a voice announcing that this was God's own beloved, and that they should
listen to him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such an incident would
have provided some clear explanation for their sudden abandonment of everything
to follow Jesus. What did they know, on that seashore that we don't know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We're missing the point if we linger on such questions. This is
a story about God, not the disciples or us. To focus on what the disciples gave
up (and whether we could do the same), is "to put the accent on the wrong
syllable." This "miracle story," is really about "the power
of God - to walk right up to a quartet of fishermen and work a miracle,
creating faith where there was no faith, creating disciples where there were
none just a moment before."</span></i><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">
Sermon Seeds, 1/22/2012 </span><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I realize that to many of you, my decision to end my
time as pastor here at Mountain View seems rather sudden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some ways it is, and in others it is
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I selected today’s scriptures
because it speaks to how God has been speaking to me over the last year or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Jonah, I was not willing to listen to
God saying, “I have something new in store for you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love Mountain View and see great promise
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also love my home and would
become ill at the thought of moving from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I ignored the voice from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But like the story of Jonah, God is very persistent and eventual I came
to terms with His beckoning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the
story in Mark, I am striking out on this new adventure not knowing where it is
going to lead me, but it is my faith in God that draws me to drop what I have
been doing here and to follow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Because of the changes in my
life, this means there will be major changes going on within this community of
faith. With my leaving, you are going to be called to listen more closely to
what God is trying to tell you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
this is where the statement from Ebenezer Scrooge becomes so helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Men’s
lives lead to certain ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if those
lives be changed, will not the end be changed?</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we
truly believe that God has the power to lead us, like the fishermen, will we be
willing to drop what we have been doing and change course in order to follow
God? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or will we act like Jonah, sizing
up the request as being too expensive, too risky, and fall back on the false
sense of "prudent paths of action" or worse “I like how comfortable
things are” and try to run away from doing what God is asking of Mountain View?
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We stand at the threshold of new
choices, you and I, of Listening for God’s voice. Will we run from the
challenges and continue to “do it our own way”, or will we like Scrooge begin
to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">live in the past, the Present, and
the Future”</i> by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>taking up the call of God and follow in faith,
trusting that God has many great things in store for us? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-77431723090520729832015-11-10T09:06:00.000-08:002015-11-10T09:06:12.594-08:00What Pleases God? by Rev Steven R Mitchell based on Hebrews 10:5-12, 14 and Mark 12:41-44
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What Pleases God?<br />
</span><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">By Rev Steven R. Mitchell<br />
Mountain View United, Aurora, CO 11/8/2015<br />
Hebrews 10:5-12, 14; Mark 12:41-44 <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Today I would like to speak a little about how we
serve God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of those ways is through
our money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are very quickly
approaching the time when we will be asked to present a pledge card indicating
the amount of financial support we are willing to commit this next year toward the
ministry that will take place here at Mountain View.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I often wonder what motivates us when we sit down at
the kitchen table and think about that magic figure that we put down on our
pledge cards (this is assuming that we give some thought to this process.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we sit with our spouse or partner and
discuss with one another what we are willing to give based on what our
household budget is; or do we direct our discussions through our heart and ask
questions like: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How has God blessed us? How
much have we been blessed by attending this church? Or, if I give this much
money to the church, what can I expect in return?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>If you listen closely to the way that I
have asked these questions, you will note they all stem toward, “self” or
“what’s in it for me”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think we
intentionally mean to think this</span><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"> way</span><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">, but it is a natural human
process of thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Once the stewardship committee receives our pledge
cards, they meet with the budget committee and work out a budget for the
upcoming year, based on the total pledges made and estimated income from other
sources that are normally received.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is the way it generally is done in most churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to be a very practical way to be
fiscally responsible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet I have to ask
myself, is this the way God wants us to be serving him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">From my Baptist roots, we talked about financial
commitment all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generally we
were asked to give what we felt we could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was a comfortable way to approach financial stewardship, as it
allowed us to approach giving to God our leftovers, not making us stretch too
much in our financial commitment toward our faith community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure we really thought too much about
our financial commitment as a part of how we serve God, but more of how we support
the institution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Hebrew
Testament, the understanding of honoring God was to give a Tithe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A tithe was the first 10% of your income and
giving it to the synagogue, leaving you with the other 90% to live on and do
with as you wished.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">When I think about ministry that is done through the
structured organization of a faith community, I wonder if we go about preparing
our budgets backward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recall while
serving my first church in Washington state, working through some potential
programming with the church council.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They would choose their projects by the cost of the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I challenged them to step back and
re-evaluate this approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suggested
that they look at each potential project based on its merits, choose the one
that most excited them no matter what the cost might be, and then figure out
how they were going to pay for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
they started approaching their budgeting differently, amazing things started to
happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Interest grew, participation grew, and achieving the goals grew</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This often meant having to think outside the box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an example for us: We have almost two
acres of vacant land – how can we turn that into incoming cash to finance our
ministries?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One suggestion could be, to
rent it out to a promoter who handles farmer markets or flea markets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This not only would bring in an income, but
give great exposure to the church, especially when coupled with some outdoor
activities on our part.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So I have to wonder if the reason some faith communities
stagnation comes because it bases its ministry on the cost instead of what they
want to achieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if more faith
communities would be more vibrant if they first sat down and worked on what
they wanted to achieve over the next year, or two, or three, then figure out
what the budget would be to achieve those goals, present those goals to the
congregation and let the congregation figure out how to fund their desired
ministries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Scripture says: </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">41 </span></sup></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus sat down
opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched… then a poor widow
came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">43 </span></sup></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Calling his disciples
to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the
treasury than all the others. Giving out of her poverty, she put in everything—all
she had to live on.”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Is Jesus telling us to give everything to
the point that there is nothing left to live on?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think that is the point of his
observation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I believe Jesus is
pointing out is not the amount that we give, but in “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how do we give</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are
thinking about how much to pledge do we think about what comforts we are or are
not willing to forgo to promote the mission of our faith community?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Am I looking out for myself first, or do I
give based on what God asks of me, that of giving my first fruits?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In our prayer of confession, there are
implications that, “While we do not willfully disobeyed God’s commandments, our
own short sightedness and impatience leads us to make choices based upon our
immediate needs over God’s desires, choosing desires and unnecessary wants over
potential ministries that as a collective could accomplish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some q</span><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">uestions
that come to mind around this implication are: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What are the long term goals for Mountain View</i>? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What is
our church to this neighborhood</i>? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why do people come to Mountain View or
better yet, why would they come to Mountain View</i>? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the ultimate question: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What is the potential that we can offer
them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Another
part of our confession is: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We know you
created this world with enough for everyone. Yet, in this land of plenty people
know deprivation.</i>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we think
about financial commitment to our faith community the truth is, it evokes
fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we guilty of letting these
fears overwhelm our faith and trust in God? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we use our money, not the money that we
give to the church, but that portion that we don’t give to the church; how do
we use it? The Apostle Paul wrote, “In Christ, we are no longer slaves to
fear.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Ministry
is what we call the thing that we do here at Mountain View. My challenge to you
this morning, is to honestly examine your heart and see how you envision the
minister of this church, and to what extent you are willing to support that
vision, and I don’t mean just financially. Ultimately – I hope the answers that
you start to come up with will be based through your relationship with Christ,
saying to God, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Here I am, I have come to do your will.</i></b>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For no ministry truly exists without the Love
of God at its heart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-35777949565124389602015-11-01T07:52:00.001-08:002015-11-01T07:52:53.296-08:00Giving Honor to Those Before Us, by Rev Steven R Mitchell based on Revelation 7:9-17 and 1 John 3:1-3
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Giving Honor To Those </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Before</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Us</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Rev Steven R Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mountain View United Church,
Aurora, CO 11/01/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Based on Revelation 7:9-17 and 1
John 3:1-3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
morning is All Saints Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
day we in the church take time to honor those who have preceded us in death.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> As a part of this day, we in this
congregation have brought pictures representative of those we love and light a
candle in their honor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a small
thing that we do, yet it is also a most powerful act on our part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The light from the candle represents the gift
of life, wisdom, and nurturing that they gave tous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
think it is safe to say, that most of us have some sort of believe or assurance
that life goes on after we leave this physical world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What this belief or understand maybe, varies
widely however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some cultures believe in
the soul recycling it’s self many times over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the Tibetan book of the dead, they even believe that as a spirit, you
chose which parents you plan to be born to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are people who believe that life continues as pure energy,
existing in the universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within the
Christian traditions, we believe that once we pass from this life, our next is
lived in accordance to how we behaved and what we believed in this life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book of Revelation speaks quite vividly
to how souls are either rewarded or condemned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
this morning’s scripture we are assured by the author that for those who are on
the side of God, they will live in the presence of the Creator, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>never again to by hungry; and never
again will they thirst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will not be
plagued</i></b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>by scorching heat due
to the sun beating down on them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the centuries of the church interpreting
scriptures such as these, we have come to believe that they are addressing what
life will be like in heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, a
large portion of the modern church has pretty much come to believe that the
book of Revelations deals solely with Heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Being
more of a traditionalist, I am not sure that I would agree with many
theologians about understanding the Book of Revelations as dealing with
heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And here is my reasoning
why:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a collection of writings, the
books found within what we call the New Testament need to be consistent with
the teachings of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you read
what Jesus talked about, you will find very little teaching about Heaven in the
way that most of us have been taught to think of Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Jesus generally talked about was how
life is to be lived here on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
tells us that the Kin-dom of God is present here on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Jesus, Heaven or God’s Kin-dom was a
place where people lived in peace, looking after one another, making sure that
everyone had enough to live each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was the accusing finger pointing to Cain when he responded with, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>Am I my brother’s keeper?</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Jesus’ understanding of Heaven the answer
is “Yes” we are our brother/and sisters keeper. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So if
we re-read this section of passage in light to how Jesus understands the
Kin-dom of God to be, we would start to recognize that, “the never being hungry
or thirsty again”, speaks to equal distribution of resources to everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of making sure that every person has equal
access to medical care, of housing, of food, access to education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When scripture speaks about, “not being
beaten down by scorching heat”, it is talking about equitable wages and working
conditions, where field laborers hold equal value to stockbrokers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a world that challenges the 1% type of
behavior and the living by scarcity thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last
year the former Secretary of Labor and presently a Professor of Economics at
Berkley, Robert Reich, was featured in a documentary titled “Inequality For
All.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film tries to explain the
impact of the widening gap of wealth in our country and what the effects are having
on our democracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I found most informative as a Christian
in this film was his sharing a personal story that he says changed his life
forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a boy growing up he was very
short and the bigger boys would pick on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then one day Robert realized that if he could make alliances with older
bigger boys to protect him, he wouldn’t get beat up so often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This worked very well for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then in the summer of his tenth year, one of
his older protectors had gone off to Mississippi to help sign up voters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This friend was one of three people who were kidnapped,
tortured and murdered in the summer of 1964.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Robert realized that at that point, he needed to dedicate his life at
trying to help protect those who had no voice from the bullies of our world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has in effect been ministering to this
country through his knowledge and understanding of economics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that story, my mind was immediately
recalling stories and actions of another man who fought against the bullies of
his world, Jesus of Nazareth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="top-05" style="margin: 1em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">We come to this table this morning
because of a man who fought against the bullies of his day, who went through
great tribulation, and was murdered because he spoke up about God’s
Kin-dom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus saw the inequality of his
day; of how the Roman state took resources from the Hebrews for their own use,
and of how the laws of God had become overly burdensome by misuse and
perversion by their own religious institution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For these reasons, Jesus began a ministry to those who suffered the
most, giving them assurances of God’s love, and calling into accountability
those who perpetuated a system that abused and denied justice to those without a
voice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="top-05" style="margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This morning we take time out to
remember not only Jesus through the bread and the wine and of his teachings and
his call to help build and reshape the kin-dom of God, but we are also
remembering those people who were very important in our life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remembering heroes really, who we not only
looked up to, but received those foundational instructions in which we have
built our lives upon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We call them
saints, not because they were perfect, but because of the profound influence
they have had upon our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We come to this table because we believe
in a man who spoke truths about what the kin-dom of God was like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We come to this table, because we believe in
the man who showed us how we are to live the kin-dom existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We come to this table because we believe in
the man who was so passionate about equality, about justice, and about mercy
for all people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We come to this table to
remember the Life and the teachings of Jesus and of his courage to stand up
against those who felt they stood as equals to God. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">It
is God’s desire that we live in a world where everyone has the basic needs of
life and that each person is not just black, or white, or brown, or yellow, gay
or straight, or transgendered, or Christian, or Muslim, or Hindi, or short,
tall, thin, fat, rich, or poor but that each person is related and connected in
a real relationship of care, concern, and love for one another; for we are all
the children of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As we remember those saints who have
helped shape part of who we understand ourselves to be, we also have the
assurance that we are still being shaped into who God wishes us to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His children!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen</span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-88148897073618105132015-10-27T07:09:00.001-07:002015-10-27T07:09:46.501-07:00Surviving Change, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on Jeremiah 291,4-7
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Surviving Change </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, CO 10/25/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Jeremiah
29:1, 4-7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How
many of you have cell phones?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many
of you see them as a blessing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many
of you see them as a curse? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How well do
you understand all the functions on your cell phone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many times have you upgraded your cell
phones over the past decade?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to
show you a few of the cell phones that I have owned over my life time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first phone that I ever had, I made
myself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(show two tin cans with string
attached)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the only thing I
could afford at age 5!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">At that time the
only type of phones we had were hardwired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then with the advent of the satellite we were able to talk wireless via
what we now call a “cell phone.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like
computers, cell phones have undergone many changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first mobile devices looked alot like
walkie-talkies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But over the years they
slimmed down to the size of the palm of your hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The oldest cell phone I have in my possession
today is what we call a “dumb” phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All I could do on it was talk and for an extra fee, I could send or
receive a text message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The phone that I
have had for the past 4 years is what we call an Android, or a smart phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant I could pay for unlimited calls,
texting, and it has a camera where I can take pictures and actually send them
to someone. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This week I
upgraded my phone to a Samsung Note 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
understand that people should respond with “awe”!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea what all it does, but I understand
that with the correct “app” it will actually wash dishes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you know that I don’t even have to send
pictures via text or e-mail if the recipient is standing next to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I have to do is hit a button on my phone,
they hit a button on my phone, we place the phones together, they vibrate and voila,
the picture has been exchanged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless
to say, there has been a lot of innovation since my tin can phone to my present
phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was tough enough to learn how
to operate my last phone, but for this one, the merchant is offering 3 levels
of classes (intro, intermediate, and advanced) to learn how to use it! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This new tech-knowledge is so overwhelming, I’m
wondering “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if I’ll ever understand all of
the capabilities of my new phone.</i>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This morning I want
to focus on surviving change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just
because we know that change is inevitable, it doesn’t necessarily make it easy
to adapt or accept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this morning’s
text we find Jeremiah speaking to a people who were carried off from their home
land, to a land far, far, a way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a
story of the Southern Kingdom, Israel, being carried off to the land of their
captures, the Babylonians; a land where a different language was spoken, a land
peculiar in behavior, a land with different ways of looking at life; a land
with unfamiliar gods. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">How does one
survive when life is totally disrupted? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm
137 asks, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How can we sing the songs of
Zion (of praise)</i>”, when change feels like being carried off into a foreign
land, where every aspect of life is so totally different than what one grows up
learning and understanding? Within this particular reading, Jeremiah tries to
address these questions as a way of giving comfort to those in the midst of
change, and also as a way of giving hope toward a better future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While living in
Rock Springs, Wyoming, I had the privilege of becoming friends with a Jewish
couple. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wife, Liesel came to this
country at the age of twelve as a refuge from Germany, because she was simply born
a Jewess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One evening at dinner Liesel
wanted to show off a quilt that had been made by a friend, from pillow slips
that Liesel’s mother had packed in Liesel’s suite case as she and her sister fled
to Holland months ahead of their parents leaving Germany. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These particular pillow cases had been a part
of her mother’s trousseau. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Liesel’s story of
her family coming to America is a story that closely reflects the writings in
Jeremiah. Their first home in America was in New York City, in Harlem. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only were they foreigners in a new land,
not understanding the language very well, they were one of the few white
families in the neighborhood and they were Jews, where even in America you were
not well received. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were very much
like their ancestors, finding themselves having to cope in a land that was
totally foreign to them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point,
Liesel’s mother made the comment to her husband, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and for this we left Germany</i>?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">How do we survive
dramatic changes in our life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeremiah
speaks to those who physically had been carried off to a foreign land, but
there are differing empires, those Babylon’s within our life’s that make
today’s lectionary reading personal to us. Empires with names like fear,
materialism, consumerism, violence in the home, mental illness, even loneliness
to name just a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are times in
our lives when changing circumstances dictate our having to leave what is
familiar to us and plunges us into a land that is unknown. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There are all sorts
of events in our lives that demand a change in what we are use to experiencing.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are changes in our lives that
sometimes we bring upon by our own actions, or times there are changes that are
brought through the actions of others. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
of you are aware that there are major changes occurring in my life with the
ending of my time as your pastor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
changes occur in a pastor’s life, those changes affect not just the life of the
pastor and family, but also the life of the faith community that is being
served.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uncertainly, confusion, anger, possibly
joy are but a few of the emotions that occur within the life of the
congregation during these changes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
we find ourselves in the midst of major change the question of, “how long will
we have to put up with uncertainty” is at the top of the list of concerns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As a faith
community, questions like: how long will it take to get our next pastor; do we
need to hire an interim or can we get by with pulpit supply as we search for our
next settled pastor; what are we going to look for in our next pastor; what
behavioral changes must we make as a faith community in order to move forward
in our ministry are but a few of the topics that will need to be discussed as a
congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change often seems painful
in the process, but when seen as an opportunity to examine the positives and
negatives, the end result will be a stronger and more productive community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When God was
telling the Israelites who had been carted off to Babylon to: <span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Build houses and settle down; plant gardens;
to marry and have sons and daughters; and pray to the </i></span><span class="small-caps"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></i></span><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> for peace, because if peace prospers, they too will prosper.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God was saying, do not just sit and complain
and moan about how bad things are, but get in and make the most of it; in other
words become the solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For
myself, I feel very much like the exiles from Jerusalem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am entering into a time of unknown
territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I leave Mountain View, I
do not know where I will be moving to next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I do know that by embracing change, coupled with the knowledge that
God is walking with me, I will survive this change and find myself in the
setting that God see’s for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So
as a faith community, look for opportunities that will help you prosper and
above all, pray to God and thank God for the unseen new opportunities, for it
is through God’s guidance that prosperity will occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change comes to us whether we want it to or
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the secret to successfully
surviving change is to trust that God is in the midst of all the confusion and
uncertainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change provides opportunity
for spiritual growth if we trust God enough to openly and honestly explore the
possibilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this way we can “sing the
songs of Zion.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen</span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-5115070329042453812015-10-20T07:47:00.001-07:002015-10-20T07:47:58.386-07:00Finding True Security, by Mark 10:17-25 by Rev Steven R Mitchell
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Finding True
Security</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, CO 10/18,2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Mark
10:17-25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
started our worship today in a prayer that stated our understanding that God has
created enough for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But do we
truly believe that God has created enough for everyone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also asked to remember that all we have
comes from God and to take Gods commandments to heart so we can do as Jesus
asks of us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But are we really willing to
dig deep into what Jesus is teaching in the Gospels in order to live out the
type of actions that Jesus says it takes to follow him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the questions that the story of the
rich young man is asking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Scripture
that deals with giving up our finances are some of the hardest teachings to
accept for the American consumer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
most interesting that much of the church in America has developed what we call
“prosperity” theology – meaning that you live right and ask God for what you
want and you shall receive it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When in
actuality, Jesus talks about giving away possessions, not asking to receive
things beyond what is needed for today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
a product of my generation, these questions are really tough questions to
answer if I wish to follow the examples and teachings of Jesus. I am what sociologist
lable a Baby Boomer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boomers have also
been referred to “The Silver Spooned” generation. It is descriptive of those born
in a time of unprecedented prosperity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My parents
generation is referred to as the “Depression Babies”, meaning that they were
born during the time of this nation’s Great Depression. They grew up in a time
when a new pair of shoes from the store, often hinged on the sale of a farm
animal at the beginning of the school year and those shoes were to last you a
whole year! It was a time when you rarely had “ready to wear” cloths from the
store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no such thing as eating
out at the restaurant two or three times a week, just because you didn’t feel
like cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My parent’s generation tended
to be children during the Second World War and experienced daily life with
ration booklets. There was no longer the lack of money to buy things that you
needed or wanted, there just wasn’t anything available to purchase, because all
the natural resources were going toward the war effort, leaving only limited
items that were necessary to survival. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">With the close of
the war, America emerged a world power. With the dawn of the 1950”, America was
entering into her zenith. A nation who had lived for several decades with very
little was now poised to give its children, my generation, all the things that
they were denied. Unprecedented housing development erupted; freeways were
built to expedite commerce and travel; families grew into a two car household; Boomer’s
were told to chose the job that made them happy, instead of working at one that
didn’t provide self-gratification. Consumerism became the new religion and the
phrase “conspicuous consumption” was coined to describe the mindset and
lifestyle of where we as a society have arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The story of the
Rich Young Ruler is often associated with Stewardship drives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are probably thinking right now, that this
is going to be a sermon on just how much money does the church want from you
this year, but you would be wrong. The story about the young man coming to
Jesus and asking what more must he do to be insured “eternal life” is about
stewardship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This story is not about the
“external” wealth of the young, but rather about the “internal” wealth of this
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a huge correlation to
this young man’s questions about internal happiness and the lack of
satisfaction by many people living in a country as wealthy as ours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">From time to time,
I get asked the question of, “How did I receive my call to ministry?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an honest question often asked by people
outside the church. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My story goes
something like this: “Even though I grew up as apart of the ‘Silver Spooned’
generation, my family was pretty poor. However, because of the general
affluence within our society, I was able to utilize many of the advantages that
were available with respect to educational opportunities. I had vowed to work
hard and accumulate the wealth that I didn’t experience as a child. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While in my
twenties, I worked hard, went to college, saved, invested in real estate
successfully, and by age 27 had accumulated a very handsome looking portfolio.
I was well on my way in achieving the American dream and my goal of financial
independence. Yet, I found myself suffering from insomnia. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At age 27 I had realized that I had
accomplished my entire short, medium and long-term goals, yet I was still
missing something in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
carrying for the accounting field, I found my way into management with a
convenience store chain. I also had become the chairperson of “the No-longer
Strangers Task Force” at church. This task force was responsible in working
with World Church Services and helping resettle Southeast Asian refugees who
were trying to immigrate into the United States. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found this work very fulfilling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">At the same time, I
became aware that many of my customers at the convenience store seemed to be
discussing unidentified yearnings for something greater in their lives;
something that would give them a deeper satisfaction and a sense of greater
self-worth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grew to understand these
to be “Spiritual” issues and I recognized that my own lack of goal setting came
from “Spiritual” longings that were inconsistent with my previous mindset of
finding “wholeness and security” through the amassing of wealth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Once I connected
all the dots and realized I should shift gears and go into parish ministry my
insomnia stopped immediately. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then
came the wrestling over personal wealth and the desire to accumulate more,
because we all know that being a minister is not the road one takes to get on
the list of the Fortune 500.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Today’s questioning
by the rich young man is really very similar to many of us. Here is a man who
has it all. He was secure financially and was by all rights a very moral man;
he followed and never strayed from the Ten Commandments, yet there was
something missing in his life. If he had been satisfied, he would have never
been asking Jesus the question, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what
must I do to get eternal life</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The answer of “sell
everything and give it to the poor” sent the rich young man off saddened
because he could not release his reliance of security that he found in his
wealth to a new security in following Jesus. This person, who knew that there
was something missing in his life, was unwilling to let go, so he might live
life more fully. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Christians have
historically struggled with the question of security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Francis of Assisi, challenged the church
of his day with the same issues as the rich young man had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St Francis was a man of great wealth in a
time when the church valued great wealth. When he gave all his wealth to the
poor and lived as a beggar, rebuilding a church and providing a meaningful
existence with very little, those in religious leadership couldn’t understand
Francis actions. We as Christians struggle today with placing too much reliance
on possessions, on money, and even on traditions while sensing that there is
more to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It isn’t the matter
of giving our wealth away and living like beggars that is the lesson here. The
lesson is stripping away the baggage that keeps us from reaching out to God in
the innocence of children, to live by God’s call for justice. The lesson for us
is not to rely on external possessions to make us happy, but rather to rely on
the inner peace that comes through our relationship with God. For it is in our
true poverty of self, that we gain our true wealth; that of the love of God and
our ability to share that love with others. It is in our poverty that we are
able to free ourselves from the sin of consumerism and greed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in our poverty that we can find true
security! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come, let’s follow God! Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-68157504602284928962015-10-06T09:43:00.003-07:002015-10-06T09:43:41.244-07:00Another Form of Community, based on Matthew 7:7-12 by Rev Steven R Mitchell,
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Another Form of
Community </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, CO 10/04/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Matthew
7:7-12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hear
once again the opening lines to our Call to Worship, “We were created in
relationship and for relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are created for community!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today is
World Communion Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an
intentional time of recognizing our relationship to the larger body of Christ,
helping remind us that as a faith community we are not alone, that even with
differing theological perspectives, all who call themselves Disciples of Christ
are in relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many congregations
celebrate their unity in this diversity with providing other types of breads
representing inclusion with other cultures as we meet at Christ’s table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In years past we have served a multiple
choice of breads, this year we will be serving just two types, our regular
American style loaf and Jeera (common to India), representing another
Hemisphere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
words in our Call To Worship started me asking the question “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what does it mean to be in community</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many forms of community: there is
family as community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Organizations,
whether social or professional are communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The boundaries of a city designate a community and within those
boundaries are subdivisions of community. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the capability of “internet” we have
expanded our understanding of community through sources like “facebook” and
“Linkin”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have read where NASA is
developing a program to send a group of people to Mars and create a settlement,
this then will expand our community in new ways with our sister planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
is pretty obvious that community then is based on relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we attend a play that Judy Rowe is
producing, we are in community not with just Judy but with all those attending
that production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we help send youth
such as Zoee to camp, we share in community, not just with Zoee but with all
those youth that she interacts with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Wayne attends various action groups that focus on social justice
concerns, and does it as a representative of Mountain View our circle of
relationship broadens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are in
relationship with the larger gardening community through our community garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All these require a willingness to be
involved relationally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
has always been and continues to be a tension in relationships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One aspect of this tension comes with
questions that deal with degrees of responsibility in relationships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Questions like “why should I be concerned
about the “others” – those who do not quite meet to my standards?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Why should I be concerned about how people
treat the earth?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>answers to these
questions of who gets in and who stays out, the have’s verses the have not’s,
when boiled down to a core question shows what our basic core values are that
govern our response and our ability to look beyond current limitations of our
boundaries. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One basic core value is: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do we view life through the eyes of “tribal”
relationship which is restrictive and exclusive by nature, or is our
understanding of community based on “egalitarian” value which recognizes
equality between others and is inclusive by nature</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
creation stories found in the first three chapters of Genesis, present a lot of
challenge for many of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
unfortunate that we so often look at scripture and start to proof text as a way
of supporting either our “tribal” or “egalitarian” nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet when
we read the progression of the two creation stories, what we find is a story
about relationship and community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God
creates the heavens and the earth, from the earth God creates life: life in the
sea’s, life in the air, life on the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ultimately God creates humanity also from the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The basic meaning of all three chapters tells
about relationship’s, about community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God has relationship with creation; creation has relationship within its
self because of its relationship with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Humanity has relationship with that which has been created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, relationship exists between
human to human, human to our planet, human to Creator, and Creator to all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
restates this relationship in the story about a traveler who is robbed and beat
to near death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two people come upon him;
one person representing the religious community and the other person
representing the political community, both not wishing to be bothered ignore
the beaten man and leave him on the side of the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A third person comes along of a differing
culture, sees the beaten man, tends to his wounds and takes him to a hotel
where he can re-cooperate and financially helps during the recovery time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through this story Jesus asks questions about responsibilities
of relationship and community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
find in both the Genesis story and the story that Jesus told a challenge to
think about how we view and respond in community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon coming back from vacation this week, I
learned that Meredith Ryan is a probable kidney donor. This willingness on
Meredith’s part to give, once again broadened my understanding of relationship
and community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Meredith embarks on
this journey toward being a donor, she is bringing a very personal commitment
of relationship to the one who needs a kidney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a member of our faith community, we too are a part of this broadening
of relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are all supportive
of Meredith and patting her on the shoulder about this opportunity to donate
one of her kidneys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what is our
responsibility in her actions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
response will come in our understanding of “relationship.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an instance where the story of the
Good Samaritan is being presented to our community of faith in a very real way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the Samaritan who gave not just of his
time, care, and concern, he also gave financially for the well being of this
man who had been beaten and left for dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is my hope that as a faith community we participate at a financial
level in living out our relationship as active support in Meredith’s
willingness to donate one of her kidneys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We are all interconnected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our prayer of confession we recognized our
connectedness through the words Adam spoke: bone of our bone, flesh of our
flesh, bodies, you God have created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
we come to Christ’s table this morning recognizing and celebrating our
relationship of our world community, I hope we come recognizing that
relationship goes beyond just words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
involves our time, our talents, and at times our finances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ relationship to us came by his giving
his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meredith is acting upon her
faith in humanity through the willingness to gift a kidney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The closing verse in this morning’s text is,
“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you.</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us join in community beyond words, beyond
gifting money, let us join in community in our willingness to expand our
boundaries of inclusiveness and recognize the vastness of sharing that comes
through relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-35818604558362918262015-09-08T09:30:00.002-07:002015-09-08T09:30:33.247-07:00Crossing the Line, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on Mark 7:24-30
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Crossing the Line</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United Church, Aurora, CO 9/6/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Mark
7:24-30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
we come before Christ’s table this morning, in light of this morning’s text as
well as the recent events focused around professing Christian Kim Davis, county
clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky and her refusal to issue wedding licenses to
same-sex couples based on her alleged Christian based values, I have to ask, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who is truly invited to this table</i>” and
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what does this table truly represent</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as Mrs. Davis’ actions disturb my
sensibilities, I must admit that she brings another voice to the conversation
of “inclusion”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question of: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">where does one draw the line between acting
within the law verses personal convictions?”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think with the Supreme Court’s latest
interpretation on the inalienable right to marry, our national conversation
around moral values has not been so intense since questions on “conscientious
objectors” during WWII and about abortion in the 1960’s;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>all based in religious conscienceness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Where
do we draw the line on behaviors and laws that seem to violate our moral
sensibilities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we define the acts
of crossing the line?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are acts of civil
disobedience actions that lead towards change for the better or are they simply
obstructions of the law based on prejudices?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I realize that in Mrs. Davis’ particular case, she is an elected
official who has sworn to uphold and abide by the laws of County, State and
Federal, which differs in rights from that of a private citizen, yet as an
individual, questions around moral values still exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I remember in my
first parish, there was one person whose understanding around how one does and
who doesn’t interpret scripture differed greatly from my understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
understand that when I read scripture I am reading it through the eyes of past
sermons, from the variety of theological concepts that I studied in seminary,
from my education in the public school system, from my family and local
community value systems, and from my personal life experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these and more influence how I understand
what I read in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The person
that I would discuss this with maintained that she never interpreted scripture;
she just read what was there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To her,
the words on the written page were not influenced by any of those areas of
discipline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The meaning of scripture
means what the words say, period!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
Genesis reads, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And God created the
heavens and the earth in seven days</i>”, she understood the word “day” to mean
24 hrs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She never understood that she
had interpreted “day” to mean a value of 24 hrs. We never came to a mutual
understanding on the issue that we all interpret scripture, just as we
interpret events that happen to us day in and day out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I believe Mrs.
Davis falls into the camp that I was just describing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She doesn’t comprehend that the way she
understands scripture is based on multiple aspects of what she has been taught
and has experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is through our
individual experiences in life that creates the need for conversation, which
can explain why conversation between two people can easily become over heated,
because it is personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">How one interprets,
is essential in how one answers my original questions of, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who is truly invited to this table</i>” and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what does this table truly represent</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I first want to address the question, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what does this table truly represent</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We say that this is Christ’s table, but what
is the deeper implication in that statement?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The best way to answer that question is to observe what Jesus did and
didn’t do during his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know
through this morning’s text that Jesus did not spend all of his time in Jewish
settlements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In today’s reading we see
that Jesus has gone to the city of Tyre, which is a predominately Gentile city,
where he encounters a Syrophoenician woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is one of the most offensive stories in the New Testament, both to
the first audiences who heard it as well as to modern-day ear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The encounter
between the </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Syrophoenician woman and Jesus comes<span style="color: #632035;"> on the heels of Jesus teaching and feeding the Five
thousand, the arrest and beheading of his mentor John the Baptizer,
encountering hostile Pharisees in his home town and his accusation of them, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i></b></span></span><span class="woj"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You
have stopped following the commands of God, and you follow only human
teachings.”<sup> </sup></span></i></b></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
then goes on to elaborate that it is what is in your heart that either makes
you clean or unclean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus uses the
dietary rituals as the example of restrictiveness and not of God’s doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all this, Jesus decides he needs to
find some alone time and journeys up to Tyre and Sidon, which is outside of
Herod’s jurisdiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It is in this
setting that we see a side of Jesus not seen previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now surrounded by Gentiles, Jesus is faced
with much of his teachings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of us
hearing this story would find ourselves offended by the way Jesus uses racist
language and the refusal to help this woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The language is racist because the word “dog” implies the lowest form of
existence in the Hebrew mind and he was telling this woman to leave him alone
because she was not worthy of his attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ultimately because of her persistence Jesus decides to heal her
daughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">To the first
audiences of this story, there are other levels of offenses going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First off, Jesus is staying in Gentile
territory, secondly, a woman dares to approach Jesus, thirdly, this woman
touches Jesus, all three of these bringing into question “purity” issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in this story that we see two people,
Jesus and a woman, crossing over the lines of cultural prejudices and moral
values, showing that the boundaries of God are larger than what society often
acknowledges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coming to the table of
Christ implies that there are no boarders, no boundaries, that God see’s this
table as the table of inclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
table represents the abundance of God’s love, it represents the existence of
what is, the physical world that we live in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So, who then is
invited to the table?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When reading scripture,
we see that Jesus is the first in the New Testament stories to use the dietary
laws as a way of explaining inclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By telling the Pharisees that it wasn’t what you put into your mouth
that makes you impure but rather it is what is in your heart, Jesus was expanding
the circle of inclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in the
story of Jesus and this woman of Tyre that challenges cultural bigotry by
showing that impurity doesn’t come from cultural differences but rather in the
prejudices and bigotry within your heart that makes one impure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in the book of Acts, Peter has a vision
of a sheet of all animals dropping down from heaven and God telling him to eat
anything from it that he wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
Peter argues about the dietary laws, God basically tells Peter, that all things
are acceptable, again showing it isn’t the stuff from the outside but the stuff
in the heart that makes one pure or impure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I think that when
we enter into discussions such as immigration, issues around poverty, or around
mental health<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, </i>we would do well to think
about the encounter that Jesus had with the Syrophoencian woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to note that it wasn’t her
faith that prompted Jesus to action, but rather her passion for her daughter,
for her need, that crossing over the line that got Jesus to act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It not only changed the lives of this woman
and her child but more importantly it changed the life of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is in this story that Jesus comes
to the full realization that the gift of God, even the crumbs<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are there for all to partake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This communion table represents the world of
God and this food is the gift from God to all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is my prayer that people such as Mrs Davis, and we are all Mrs. Davis
on some level, will learn the broader meanings of what Jesus was trying to tell
us. Moral purity comes from the heart, not from the outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-36868001182193901082015-08-30T08:15:00.002-07:002015-08-30T08:15:39.964-07:00Implants That Show, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on James 1:17-27
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Implants That Show<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View United, Aurora, CO 9/2/2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on James 1:17-27 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Words are marvelous invention that helps
us communicate what we are thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most words convey specific images and meanings, however a constant usage
of a word that varies from its root meaning eventually overrides the original
meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, when I was a
child there was a commercial on T.V. that I thought rather cleaver, for it
challenged a cultural <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stereo type of the
word “drink.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this commercial you see
this person walking up to his neighbor’s fence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The neighbor seeing his visitor gives a friendly gesture with his hands
that says, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Come on over</i>” and being a
good host invites the neighbor to have a drink with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The neighbor declines by responding, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thank you but no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t drink.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The host say’s, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I was referring to a glass of iced tea.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The generic understanding that most people
have of the word “drink” refers to some type of alcoholic beverage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet the basic meaning of the word “drink”
speaks to a necessary act of replenishing fluids to the body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
word that gives a similar type of response is the word “implants.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I hear this word, I immediately think of
another word, “silicone.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet there are
all sorts of implants: there are dental implants, cornea implants, tissue
implants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are implants for
contraception and there are implants for fertilization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you place a fence post into the ground,
that post has been implanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the word
“implant” can lead our minds in an emotional response ranging from cool, to warm,
or even hot and bothered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Yet
“implants” are not always visible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
this morning” Epistle, James tells us of the implant that God has for each of
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Welcome with meekness the
implanted word that has the power to save your soul.</i></b>”James 1:21b<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James says that this implant is, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the
word of truth</i></b>,” which “ …<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">give us birth</i></b>” or life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are told in the Hebrew Bible that we were wonderfully knitted together at God’s
own hand and the thread God used is God’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">word of truth</i></b>, it has been implanted
in each and every person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All we have to
do is recognize it and chose to develop it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For it is through this recognition, this welcoming the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">implanted word</i>” that gives us what we need
for growth and maturing into our relationship with God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
letter by James was written to those who were following Jesus’ teaching only 40
years after his death, yet his advice still holds true with Christians
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that the early church
has some behavioral issues that we still struggle with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of those focus around the ability to
communicate, for James says be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">slow to speak</i></b>, but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">quick
to listen</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the largest
issues in most church disputes centers around this principle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many a church dispute comes when people are
not being heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever the
conversation is about, we all need to make sure that we are truly listening to
each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In letting someone say what
is on their mind and heart is only the first step in communicating, but there
is no communication until the one listening actually opens their mind enough to
truly hear what is being said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too often
we are busy thinking of responses instead of stepping back and taking time to
hear what is being voiced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
issue the early faithful struggled with was how they experienced their faith through
their actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was James’
understanding that you cannot call yourself a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">true person of the light</i>, without it showing through your deeds and
in your speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although this relates to
what we classify under the umbrella of Social Justice awareness and activism,
as well as how we use our speech to either tear someone down or build them up,
I believe James is also speaking about how we exhibit God’s light in our
worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we follow a formula and just
hear the word of God through music, prayer, and the spoken word, or do we feel
the word of God?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Two
years ago I had the opportunity to attend the official acceptance of the Kenyan
Fellowship (that worships once a month in our sanctuary), when it became an
official chapter of the National Kenyan Christian Fellowship of America
organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What an amazing time of
worship I experienced there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the
songs were in English, others were in Swahili.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During those songs in Swahili, various people at my table would lean
over and tell me the English hymn it was taken from, which was helpful because many
times there were musical variations making it difficult for me to recognize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During that worship, much time was spent
praising God and Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were words
that could only be spoken from a heart that was “implanted” with God’s
spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through that “implanted word” I
was feeling apart of the gathering, not just a white man being tolerated, but
as a brother in Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">James
directs us to be dutiful to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">widow and orphans who are in need</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a mandate to care for those who are
less fortunate, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>those who are in need, and
those who do not have a voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we
take on Social Justice issues, are we doing it solely out of duty, or possibly out
of guilt, or do we take up these opportunities with the understanding and joy that
these actions represent the gift of God, hearts motivated through God’s word of
truth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For it is through this word of
truth that gives life and this life is experienced through the gift of hope!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">James
names two types of people of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is
the hearer only of God’s word, the other is the one who hears but also is a doer
of God’s word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who are hearer of
the word only are like those, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">who</i></b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">look at themselves in the mirror
and then after walking away, forget what they look like.</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, we can hear the word of God
on Sunday morning, leaving here feeling good, but come Monday have forgotten
what we had experienced on Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We
too often complain about the absence of the millennium generation, yet I think what
James is telling us resonates with the millennial. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The millennial generation is a generation of
people who are relational.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want to
be in community with others, they also want to be doers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this I mean they wish to go out and do
projects that will benefit others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
generation they seem to understand James when he says, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Every generous act of giving,… is
from above, coming down from the Father of lights…</i></b>”<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They understand that what they do comes from
what is in their heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There
is wondrousness in the implant that God gives to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our challenge is to “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">welcome this implanted word from
God,</i></b>” and to take action, not just listen, for it is through action
that we will bring life and salvation to a world that is stained in
forgetfulness, selfishness, and egocentric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From this day forth, let us proudly bear God’s implants that make a
difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-67727081051121368352015-08-25T10:18:00.001-07:002015-08-25T10:18:16.162-07:00The Extravagance in Gardening, based on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, by Rev Steven R Mitchell
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The Extravagance in
Gardening</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
By Rev Steven R Mitchell<br />
Mountain View United, Aurora, CO 8/23/2015<br />
Based on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A large portion of
my childhood memories relate to the business of growing plants. Since we were a
poor family, it was most important that we gave focus to the vegetable garden
and less to the things that I really enjoyed growing, which were ornamental
plants. It was my thought that it was equally important to feed the soul by
growing plants that bring beauty into the world, while my mother believed that
growing plants that produced food for the body was more important. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When it comes to
vegetable gardening, I have memories of huge gardens. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After moving from a small town out to a farm,
my dad decided that with forty acres and the free slave labor of three
children, he would create a family business of truck farming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He supplied the vision, the children supplied
the labor. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had no real farm
equipment, so most all the working of the soil was done with hand tools. There
was one <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">water</i> well which was near the
house and minimal outdoor water faucets that could be used for watering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It’s a marvelous
thing, farming. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You plow up the soil, chop
the clods up making the ground smooth ready for planting, then you plant the
seeds and the starter plants, water them, and watch them grow. What is
interesting is everything else that is in that soil will also grow. The
technical term for the “everything else” is called “weeds”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember long days of handling a hoe,
chopping at the weeds, which seemed to thrive better than the plants that I was
supposed to be tending. Then after hoeing out the weeds the next step was
bending over the plants and pulling out those weeds that were choking out the
plants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">To give you an idea
of the size of operation I am talking about: our green bean patch had 16 rows,
each a city block long, the potato patch, was a full five acres of seedlings,
and located more than a quarter mile away from the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next to the potatoes we planted 500 tomato
plants. You must understand that the closest water was a quarter mile away and
dad decided we children could carry water out to them instead of running pipe
out to this remote spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can image
how well those poor plants survived in the 100* + summer sun. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was impossible to work in those
temperatures, so the tomatoes eventually dried up and died because of the lack
of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The scripture
reading today resonates with my experiences on the farm and our efforts to
truck farm. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those plants that we were
able to properly nurture with water, de-weeding, and fertilizing produced in
abundance; where we planted seeds and plants that wewere not able to provide
any one of these needed tasks, those plants provided much less fruit, or were
choked out by the persistence of the weeds, or withered in the heat of the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I find this
particular story interesting with respect to where it is placed in Matthew. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of chapter 12, we read where Jesus
has been healing and preaching to a group of people and of course getting the
Pharisees very upset to the point of plotting his murder. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then his mother and brothers come wanting to
take Jesus back home with them, at which point Jesus asks, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">who
is my mother and who are my brothers</i></b>?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this response, Jesus is doing more than defining
his understanding of who family is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus is setting the foundation for the story he is about to share, new
referred to as “The Parable of the Sower”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The usual way of
reading this parable is to study the types of soil that the seeds are being
planted in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, in new church
development there would be a study of the community being considered for a new
church. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lengthy study of demographics,
city potential of continued growth, what type of nitch can the new church
provide that presently isn’t being met. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
church revitalization, there would be conversations that focus on growth by asking:
what type of pastor would best help us grow; what type of programs would work
best in revitalizing this ministry; what type of people do we want to minister
to; do we as a church really want to put in the effort that it takes, or are we
truly comfortable with our current situation? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both are examples of tiling the soil, of planting
seed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When discussing
today’s text with some friends, a part of the discussion focused around the
“wisdom” that we should have in where and who we share the “good news” of God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A reference being made that we were not being
good stewards of God’s word by spending our time with people who would never
respond to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The example of casting
seed on the hardened soil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a business
person, I might, agree with that insight. However as a person of faith, I have
to look at this parable in a slightly different manor. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I read this story, I see the story speaking
more about the person of faith and their receptiveness to God’s word and less
to the external location. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This directly relates then to speaking about a
congregation, a faith community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
community of faith, we have received the word of God, the seed planted. The
question that needs to be asked is, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
type of soil is this congregation made up of</i>?” Are we hard and rocky, who
gives only the birds nourishment because we are not receptive to God’s word? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we soil that is full of weeds, choking the
work of the Holy Spirit? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we soil
where the distractions of the world take away focus from the needs of being
nourished? Are we too busy to take time for Christian education or to commit to
a Discipleship class that runs more than 4 weeks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we the soil that receives God’s word and
allow it to be nurtured within our hearts, so we will be able to feed the needs
of those we come in contact with?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The focus is on
those who are in the family of God. I think the story is asking, “What type of
soil does the faithful possess?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
God who originally planted His word within us? How have we, the children of God
received it? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God did not contemplate his
love to be bestowed on some and not others. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is an invalid justification that comes out
of hardened or shallow soil. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God loves
beyond abundantly. God loves extravagantly, giving the gift of reconciliation
and healing to every broken heart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The question is
this: How have your received this seed from God? Is your spirit one of hard
packed soil? Is it one who received the love of God but because of life’s
circumstances has found this love withering? Or is your heart the type of soil
that has received the love of God and has allowed it to flourish growing into
the person that God wishes? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I wish to close these
words from Psalm 119. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a
light unto my path.” </i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
parable of the sower is a recognition to those who receive the seed from God
and a promise to the church, that as long as we have an open heart to receive
the extravagant love of God, the word of God will take hold and shall produce
in abundance within us and around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></i></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-2107307449553353912015-08-20T10:14:00.000-07:002015-08-20T10:14:17.103-07:00The Gift of Wisdom, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on 1Kings 3:5-14
<br />
<h3 align="center" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Gift of Wisdom<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 align="center" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">By Rev Steven R Mitchell<br />
<br />
Mountain View United Church, Aurora, CO 8/16/2015<br />
<br />
Based on I King 3:5-14 <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How
many of you can remember asking your parents’ permission to go do something
with your friends only to be told “no?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the course of giving logical rebuttals to the objections that your
parents are giving, you in one final ditch effort say, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Well all the other parents are letting their kids go</i>!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know how it went in your house, but the
minute I used that argument, my parents would give their final closing
arguments, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I don’t care what the other
parents are letting their kids do, you are not going</i>!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Followed by, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I suppose if your friends were all jumping off a 100 foot cliff, you
would follow them and jump off too.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Packed in that one sentence was the whole topic of ‘reasoning’, of
‘thinking through before you act’, of ‘weighing the consequences of your
actions.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that one sentence laid the difference
between the use of knowledge and common sense. <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
my first parish, one of the members of the congregation shared a hard lesson in
her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She says that for years she
use to pray for patience, then one day she received the answer to her prayer,
when her husband was involved in an motorcycle accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her husband had received severe head trauma,
and through rehab had to re-learn every aspect of life; how to talk, walk, eat,
process information, how to deal with his emotions, so on and so forth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said, “Pastor, I have learned to be
careful for what I pray for, because I just might get it.”<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This morning’s text speaks about
the young man who became king and yet felt that he wasn’t prepared for the job.
He might very well have not been raised to know how to act and speak like a
king, as he had an older brother who by tradition should have been the next
king. Yet the young man’s father, King David, on his death bed appointed not
the elder son, but the younger son to take his place as ruling Monarch. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, putting all sorts of family drama aside,
this tells me that David saw something in Solomon that he felt would make him
the better ruler. <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Yet Solomon states that he
doesn’t know how to come or go as a King, so in a dream, Solomon has a visit
with God. God asks Solomon what he would most like to have as a gift from God.
Solomon replies that what he most needs as king is “Wisdom” so that he might
serve the people to the best of his ability. <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Why wisdom? Why not riches, or
prestige, or revenge toward his enemies?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Possibly because as king, most of these things he now possessed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What seems to be missing is that
self-confidence that one needs when in a leadership position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The definition of Wisdom is: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The ability to discern or judge what is
true, right, or lasting; insight; Common sense; good judgment</i>. Most translations
use the word “mind” in connection to “wisdom”, but I think the word “heart”
better describes the essence of “wisdom.” Our minds can think critically, but
wisdom goes deeper than just critical thinking. It also involves “feeling” and
“intuitiveness”, and these specific attributes we tend to apply to the heart. <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Rev Thomas Blair, pastor of
Second Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, Maryland says: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the marks of true wisdom have to do with the acknowledgment of our
need, our want, and our emptiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is not an exercise in selfishness, seeking a quick fix for a newly found need,
but an open, honest, and long-term quest to be other serving and not self
serving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all goes back to our
“”alignment” with God – that is how our souls are aligned with what God wants
and intends for us.<o:p></o:p></i></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Rev Blair continues by saying:<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> People bring their own orienting systems
into each new situation they encounter, especially those that demand creative
responses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An orienting system is made
of our habits, beliefs, relationships, and previous experiences; some are
positive resources, while others can be burdens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We access them in different ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are like deposits in a bank waiting to
be withdrawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When key events arise in
our lives both the resources and burdens of our orienting systems may be called
into action.<o:p></o:p></i></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Orienting ourselves according to our burdens makes
responding to situations more difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Orienting ourselves according to our resources helps us take on
situations creatively and positively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, in order to bring out our best resources, we need to know both what
they are and how to appropriate them for use in any given situation. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Feasting on the Word, YR A, Vol 3 pg 268</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> When a healthy person goes into a deep depression
because of some overwhelming event in their life, this can be an example of a
person’s resources (their own wisdom resource, so to speak) being over shadowed
by their burden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Have you ever come across a
person who seems to be “limp”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where
there seems to be no life or fire in their eyes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find when I take the time to ask a lot of
questions about their earlier journeys in life, there is usually some experience
that ignites a “spark”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the
wisdom resource of that person’s life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the movie “Tales of the City”, Mrs Madrigal meets Edgar Housien who
was extremely depressed over the news of his incurable cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mrs Madrigal gets Mr Housien talking about
his early army days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can see as Mr
Housien is telling his story how his whole physical persona changes from flat
to vibrant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Housien asks Mrs
Madrigal, “Why did you let me go on like that?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She responses with, “You don’t seem very happy with who you are now, and
you needed to remember who you were then.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important for us to constantly stay in
touch with our wisdom resource, those bank deposits of earlier years.<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We are at the start of another
year of negativity as candidates for the Office of President of the United
States start their campaigning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In each
speech that these men and women give, they will be presenting all sorts of
idea’s and solutions to the nations troubles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There will be a lot of facts and figures thrown out as testimony to the
knowledge that each of these candidates possess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But knowledge does not equal wisdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what Solomon understood as he
embarked on a 40 year reign as King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
Solomon, he needed something more than just knowledge; he needed wisdom, the
ability to discern the truth, so that he could bring justice to his
kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What is it that you ask God for
in your daily life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it more money, so
you can meet the bills that lay on your desk?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is it for patience, so you will not fly off the handle so quickly, or be
so quick to judge?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you ask God for a
special person in whom you can share your life with?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you ask God just to be able to get
through this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had Solomon asked for
any other gift other than wisdom, that gift would have been a self-serving
request, but with the gift of wisdom Solomon was asking to be other - serving. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h3 style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of us have more knowledge than what we
need, but how do we gain that “wisdom” that Solomon was asking for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the key is in the last sentence of
this morning’s text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my
commandments …, I will lengthen your life.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key to wisdom is that
intimate relationship with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
sense yourself walking around, limp, glassy-eyed, over burdened, then maybe
it’s time to go back and remember a time that awakens your mind, body, and
spirit to the life it once knew; of what your wisdom resources are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it’s time to go back and remember a
time when your relationship with God was exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This particular story of Solomon, teaches us that
God is desirous for us to possess wisdom, to be in alignment with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All we need to do is ask for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-29767521232576979022015-08-11T08:51:00.000-07:002015-08-11T08:51:19.955-07:00Let Go of the Old Ways, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on Ephesians 4:25-5:2
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Let Go of the Old
Ways</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, CO 8/09/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Ephesians
4:25-5:2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
of the requirements that I needed to take prior to graduating from seminary was
a unit of CPE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Officially known as
Clinical Pastoral Education, this course was designed to help the pastor
provide counseling care in a way as not to inject their own personal issues
into the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of this course
included morning gatherings of all CPE students to do check-in and then a once
a week one-on-one session with the director of the program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Between
the clients at the institution and the personal work this class required, it
was a very demanding twelve week course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During that time, I and the other three CPE students had become very
well acquainted with each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
of the distance I had between home and the city that I was doing my CPE in, I
shared a space with one of the students, and once a week we would all gather
for a shared meal at the home of another fellow student whose wife would
prepare for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, we as
CPE students had become a community, a community come together through Christ
with the specific goal to learn how to best minister in loving support to one
another and others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
we neared the end of the course, the director suggested that there be communion
included in the closing gathering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was in this suggestion that I experienced how divisive denominational doctrine
can be in a group of gathered followers of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this community of four, there was
represented, American Baptist, Evangelical Covenant, Roman Catholic, and Missouri
Synod Lutheran.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The director was aware
that the Roman Catholic seminarian might have difficulty of a joint communion
service that was not being administered by a priest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Roman Catholic
seminarian was committed to the inclusion of communion to the point that he had
some in-depth discussions with his priest to gain permission to join in this
invitation to Christ’s table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
not a theological dilemma with either the Evangelical Covenant student or with
me with my American Baptist heritage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The one person who was without questioning the “do I or don’t I”
participate came from the Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor, the only one of us
four who was actually ordained and serving a congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was not going to participate, no questions
asked, no discussion needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
deeply hurt in his decision to not join us and it was through that experience
that I realized just how deeply important I saw coming to the table of Christ
was in my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When I asked him
what his reason was, the response was, “We don’t allow communion or participate
with people who are outside of our immediate church membership.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued to press on this discussion with
questions about excluding others who professed to having an active relationship
with Christ and their church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
basically said, “He could not in good conscience give communion to anyone
outside of his congregation because he might be giving it to a person who may not
be a true member of Christ’s family; meaning that there is only one true church
and it wasn’t the Roman Catholic or any other Protestant denomination .”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, his stance was, if he saw others
in heaven who had not been Missouri Synod Lutherans then he would consider
having communion at that time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This morning’s
text, although is directly addressing “new” Christians coming into a community
faith, my experience at the close of my CPE course shows that those of us who
have been in the fold for years have need to be reminded about how we conduct
ourselves both in the faith community and outside the faith community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">According to Paul’s
way of thinking, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">truth</b> is the most
essential element in the survival of community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For without truth at the core, the community will collapse into disunity
and eventually perish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the surface,
it sounds like Paul is telling us that when speaking to others we need to be
speaking the truth to that person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
like that, as it puts things out there, beyond me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can speak all day (possibly) sharing with
other folks all the wrong things that they are doing and be speaking “in
truth.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Paul starts his sentence off
with, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">putting away falsehood…</i></b>”, this is actually a statement directed
toward “self.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we can actually
speak “truth” to others, we ourselves have to be truthful with ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As Christians, we
so often talk about the need to live in God’s truth, but I really question how
honest we really are in that statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In my CPE story, the Roman Catholic seminarian in his discussions with
his priest, revealed a questioning of “truth” in Eucharistic doctrine that the
Roman Catholic holds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Missouri Synod
pastor already saw the answer of how God looks at Christ’s table and had no
need to question what he had grown up to believe and understand through scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I speak to people who say that much of
the evil and pain of our world most often comes from religious people, I cannot
deny that truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In reality, religion is
designed to help us examine ourselves and help us to move beyond ourselves, but
the reality is, most of us do not really want to take on the challenge of
self-examination and discover “our” true self (the past hurts that we hold on
to, the biases we clench onto) and through discovery, work on discarding those
things within our heart that are false and destructive to ourselves and to community
life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One of the things
that I was taught as a child was it was bad to become angry, because when you
are angry, you are capable of doing bad things, and truly nice people don’t get
angry!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, for years I felt guilty when
I would become angry about something that happened in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul acknowledges that “anger” is a natural
part of being human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a piece of
our “image” of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is unhealthy is
not dealing with that anger and most of us are guilty of holding onto anger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Dr Dianne Bergant,
professor of Old Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago,
says this about Paul’s list of sins:”<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bitterness
is that disposition that cherishes resentment…Fury is anger expressed in violent
outbursts of temper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anger is the
eruption of impulsive passion…Reviling denotes slanderous words spoken behind
another’s back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malice is less a vice
than a quality of evil.” All these are harmful to the Christian community, and
they grieve the Holy Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>The
truth is<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, within and beyond our own
walls, our own neighborhoods, so much of the world’s conflict is caused by
anger nurtured for years and generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There can be value in anger when it motivates us to action on behalf of
justice and healing</i>, but how we express that anger is the key to either
healing or more hurt. </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;">Sermon
Seeds, UCC, Aug 9<sup>th</sup>, 2015 by Kathryn Matthews (Huey) </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Last Fridays
announcement of a hung jury on the death penalty portion of James Holmes
conviction of murder now allows him life in prison instead of receiving the
death penalty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This new development
brings many mixed reactions with regard to the carrying out of justice to the
victims, the families directly affected by his actions, and the community of
Aurora.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be people who will
harbor deep anger toward that one juror who was not able to vote for the death
penalty and see once again “failure” of the judicial system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anger is inevitable because it is a part of
being human, but when we hold onto it, then we are not examining the truth
within ourselves (the causes of why I see that I’m being violated) and
eventually it will come out in very harmful ways: in bitterness, wrath,
wrangling and slander, back biting, being two faced, toward others or physical
illness within ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Paul says, living
in truth, creating that supportive environment for community has to come by
letting the Holy Spirit work within our lives, being imitators of God, living
in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are not a list of do’s and don’ts but
rather behavioral changes that are necessary to live in the spirit of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what happens through the baptism of
our heart, the letting go of the old ways and putting on the new. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For we
as the body of Christ are the living expression of Jesus to a world that is broken
hearted and in need of true love and a peace that passes all
understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-84434234039632437012015-08-04T08:10:00.001-07:002015-08-04T08:10:37.454-07:00What Must We Do...?, by Rev Steven Mitchell based on John 6:22-38
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">What Must We Do…?</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, CO<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>08/02/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on John
6:22-38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In nineteenth century China there was a name
for people who came to church because they were hungry for material food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would convert, be baptized, join the
church, and remained active members as long as their physical needs were met
through the generosity of the congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But once their prospects improved and they and their families no longer
needed rice, they drifted away from the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Missionaries called these people “rice Christians.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Similarly when the churches in East Germany and Romania
were manifesting courage, and pastors were speaking out against Communist
regimes just before the </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[fall of the Berlin Wall]<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> – people came to cheer the church on, and to join the congregations in
its opposition to the tyrannical state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But after the liberation from the hells of the Soviet boot and local
dictators, the crowds dispersed and the churches began to look as straggling
and abandoned as they had before the stirrings of political liberty took hold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;">Feasting
on the Word, Vol3, yr B pg 308, O Benjamin Sparks.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The same thing
happened in America after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For months our sanctuaries were filled with
people who were looking for comfort and answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then over the next few months, their need for
spiritual comfort waned until the church was once again filled with empty
seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have seen this familiar
behavior in families when a sudden tragedy strikes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surviving members will often attend worship
services as a part of their grieving process, looking to have that empty space
that comes with the loss of their loved one, filled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once that empty space has healed, they forget
where they found that healing solstice and stop coming to worship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We can see in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the crowds</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that followed Jesus to Capernaum to find him after he fed the five
thousand in the wilderness are like those who see faith and church membership
as something they can choose </i>[at will] <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for
themselves to use for their own needs…</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;">
Feasting on the Word, Vol3, yr B pg 308, O Benjamin Sparks.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a
mentality of “What can the church do for me?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As an example, last week eight churches (including Mountain View) came
together in a joint worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
in the neighborhood of around 230 people who gathered for that worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great time of gathering and it felt
like a lot of people were there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet,
not everyone from these eight churches came to that worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they had, the sanctuary would not have
been large enough to hold everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each
church had probably 2/3’s of its typical attendees choose to take that day off
from worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well there are many reasons I am sure, but
ultimately it comes to a truth that most American Christians use worship and
church membership as something they can choose to use for themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The late President
Kennedy once said in a speech to the youth of America, “Ask not what your
country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what is being discussed in this
morning’s text. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the crowd that
Jesus had feed the day before discovered that Jesus was not with them, they
assumed that he had gone with his disciples across the lake to Capernaum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just so happens that there are a number of
boats from Capernaum pulling into dock and they get into the boats and go
across the lake looking for Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
they find Jesus, He confronts the crowd about the reason why they are seeking
him out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t because of spiritual
nourishment but rather for more food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Their reason for
seeking out Jesus might sound shallow on the surface, but we are talking about
a people who were living in extreme poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Food was very scares and if you find someone who can make five loaves of
barely bread and two fish feed five thousand or more, why wouldn’t you go
looking for him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have the advantage
of “hindsight” as we read these Gospel stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And too often with this “hindsight” we forget to think about the
humanity that is in each of these stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Jesus is confronting these seekers, He sees the trials and
tribulations that is compelling them, but he also sees something that will
enrich their lives and tells them not to look for the perishable’s of life, but
rather seek out and work for the non-perishable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We read the same theme in the story of the
woman at the well, where Jesus is telling her that there is water, should she
chose to drink it, that will satisfy her thirst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She asks to drink it so she will not have to
come daily to that well and get water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was looking for a perishable solution and not seeing the
imperishable being offered by Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Do we not have that
same hunger, that same thirst in our lives, today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is always going to be the need for
food, there is always going to be physical hunger, but Jesus tells us that
worrying and striving to have enough of the physical is never going to
satisfying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For like the “rice
Christians”, or the Eastern Europe people who lived under communism, or those
who went flocking to our churches after 9/11, or families who attend church
after the death of a loved one, once their immediate needs have been met, leave
because they never truly integrated into their hearts how God was involved in
their receiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They saw only the
perishable, what can the church do for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This may sound harsh to our liberal ears, but doesn’t the habits in attendance
of the average Christian reflect the mentality the “what can I get from Church”
instead of the heart asking “What can I do for the church?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Jesus had to
correct the understanding of the crowds when they asked Jesus for a sign
saying, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that their ancestors had been feed Manna by Moses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Jesus, what can you give to us</i></b>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus pointed out to them that it was not
Moses who provided the Manna, but rather God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the same way, Jesus was explaining to them that the multiplication of
the five loaves and two fish, was not done by Jesus, but was an act of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In this story, we
see that the crowd doesn’t see God in their midst when they are asking Jesus to
“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">give
them a clue about who he is.”</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I wonder how many of us would truly
recognize Jesus if he were to step foot into this congregation this morning.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
wonder if in our wondering through life, how often do we recognize God in front
of us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Former Sociology Professor at
Eastern College and Professor of Theology at Eastern Seminary, Dr Tony Campolo
once posed the question of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how would we
treat each person we meet, if we saw the face of Jesus, in that person</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a profound question that we should be
asking ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I think the
question that Dr Campolo asked reflects the response that Jesus was giving to
the crowd in his answer, <span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The real significance of that Scripture is
not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now
offering you bread from heaven, the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">real</span>
bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the
world.” </i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus is saying that
God is presently giving bread and this bread is life giving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus then states, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am the Bread of life.”</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we hear the “I Am”, it is saying, “God
is present”, present among us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We
all are starving in one fashion or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It can be from physical hunger, or from physical needs, or from
emotional issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loneliness, low-self
image, mental illness, hunger, lack of shelter, an abusive home life, the list
is as long as there are the number of people living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to meet these needs with external
Band-Aids will never treat the real causes, for that is perishable food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we need to do is to take the nourishment
that God is offering us and feed our hearts – by recognizing, truly recognizing
that God is present in our lives and through his bread, is giving us life that
will not parish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the people finally
asked Jesus, “What can we do to get in on God’s work?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, coming this morning to Christ’s table,
should be not asking, “what can God do for me”, but rather “What can I do for
God!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this table this morning, let us
feast not just on the physical elements but on the spirit of God’s presence in
our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-72407228890972659972015-07-29T08:43:00.001-07:002015-07-29T08:43:31.200-07:00Discovering Spiritual Awareness (series pt 4), "Jesus Says, 'Love' Who?, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on Matthew 5:43-48
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Discovering
Spiritual Awareness </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(series
pt 4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Jesus Says ‘Love’
Who?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United Church, Aurora, CO 7/19/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Matthew
5:43-48<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I was entering into my sophomore year in high school, my
parents relocated to what seemed like the edge of the world, Western
Kansas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the new kid in school, it is
never easy making friends, especially when you are as introverted and shy as I
was in those years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I went about
trying to make friends, it was very apparent that I had attracted the attention
of one of the schools bullies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
never really ever encounter being the focus of a school bully before and was
unequipped to deal with this type of encounter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My attempts to avoid him, seemed less than successful as a final show
down occurred before class with a demand to meet him after school for a
fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I declined, he would have
proved me to be a coward and thus establishing my lowliness in the “pecking
order” of classmates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I accepted his
challenge, I would be going against my personal belief that all situations
could be negotiated to a satisfactory end by both disagreeing parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had adopted this standard due to a poor
choice to become involved in a fight in Fifth grade that landed me in bed for
over two months with a blood clot at the base of my brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately the teacher of that class had
come into the room over hearing the challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She had a zero tolerance for “bullying” and with no uncertain terms put
the bully in his place and ending future focus on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But life continually shows us that not all
bullies and enemies are so easily dealt with.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In this morning’s scripture, Jesus brings another
understanding of what it means to be living in the “Image” that we are
made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week we looked at the
importance of our “self-image” as we are commanded to “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love our neighbor as ourselves</i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what do you do when confronted with the
school bully?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The advise that my older
cousin gave me was stand up to the bully, which meant “fight the dude”
otherwise he would be bothering me throughout high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But practical experience had showed me that
fighting never ends well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you do
with bullies like Hitler?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you just step
down and allow them to destroy world peace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or how about the situation with Iran?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How do we handle their threats against Israel as they want to continue
their development of nuclear energy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">President
Teddy Roosevelt use to say, “Speak softly but carry a big stick.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that the advice that Jesus is telling us
in this morning’s text?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be brutally
honest most of us do not believe in what Jesus is saying in this passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We most generally brush this teaching off by
rationalizing it as a “nice goal” or “objective” to work toward, but see it as
not practical advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think back to how
we as a country reacted to the attack by terrorists on our shores on September
11, 2001; the majority of Evangelical Christians were crying to retaliate which
has lead us into 14 years of war with Iraq and Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see
the results of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">an eye for and eye</i>”
between the Israeli and Palestinian governments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see Russia, escalating its nuclear
armament once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The National
Defense budget makes up the largest percentage of our national budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sensible gun laws are often being challenged
as gun sales continue to be on the rise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The awareness of “enemies” is not just
worldwide but also on the rise within our neighborhoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely it is impractical to follow what Jesus
is saying in Matthew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would Jesus
know about violence; after all he was a bleeding liberal, preaching “love” not
“war”, totally out of touch with the reality of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You have heard it said, ‘An eye for an eye,
and a tooth for a tooth.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I say to
you, ‘Do not resist an evildoer.”</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What’s wrong with this man, what does he mean don’t retaliate, or not
seek the death penalty for retribution?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet Jesus lived what he said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When he was arrested, he insisted on nonviolence when Peter picked up
his sword.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the Pharisees he did
not return evil accusation with hate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
allowed himself to be flogged by Pilate and then went without resistance caring
his own cross to Golgotha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus could have immobilized a physical
rebellion but he chose to live by what he taught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even on the cross, he prayed for those who
had persecuted him saying, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Father
forgive them for they know not what they do.</b>” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">There
are five verses before this morning’s text where Jesus talked about various
acts of aggression toward an individual and how not to resist, but even give
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The general wisdom of Jesus’ day
was, when someone did you wrong, you sought retribution with the same act
toward the person who wronged you, this is where we understand the “eye for an
eye.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus realized that this type
of behavior never really cures the ailment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">This
past week, a 94 year old former Nazi SS member, who was an accountant<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at Auschwitz, was convicted as an “accessory”
to the criminal acts of murder of over 300,000 Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was sentenced to 4years for his
participation at the camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This now
opens up future trials for others who would be classified as “accessories” to
the deaths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a lot of mixed emotions
over this trial, struggling with questions of justice and mercy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recall what Auschwitz survivor Eva Moses
Kor shared in her presentation at this year’s Governors 34<sup>th</sup> Annual
Holocaust Remembrance service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eva said
that she was only a prisoner at Auschwitz for two years, but spent the next 45
years being a victim and prisoner of the Nazi’s because of the hate and fear
that she held onto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then one day she
realized that she no longer wished to live as a victim and freed herself of her
enemies by releasing that anger, fear, and hate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What she realized by holding onto all those
negatives, she was playing into the hands of those who were her enemies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I
don’t think Jesus is advocating to subjugate to our enemies and just roll over
and take it, so to speak, when he says, turn the other cheek, or not to resist
ones enemies, or by going the extra mile, or giving up your cloak when you are
being sued for your shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Jesus is
speaking to is a path of change by not playing into the acts of violation but
rather resistance by not resisting the opponent, but rather by resisting
opposition itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within Jesus’ words
of, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love
your enemies and pray for them</i></b>”, Jesus is giving us a clue as to how to
resist our enemies, without physical resistance which only continues future violence
toward ourselves and our adversaries. </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Professor of
Ministry Studies at Harvard Divinity School, Rev Dr Matthew Boulton sums it up this
way: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the face of the most extreme
opponents (enemies) and acts of opposition (persecution), Jesus advises
defiance – but not defiance directed against the enemies themselves, since this
simply perpetuates and intensifies the adversarial relationship, but rather a
deeper defiance directed against the vicious, endless cycle of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">enemy making</b>.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;">Pg 385, Feasting on the Word, Yr A, Vol 1 </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I think of it as
how to react to a Charlie-horse or leg cramps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have had to learn to not resist the cramping of the muscle, as that
only intensifies the restricting by the muscle, but rather to move into the
pain of the constricting muscle, which then allows the muscle to start relaxing
and the constricting leaves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very
painful and it goes against our nature, but it works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Jesus say the same thing
about how to react to the unjust actions of our enemies, by not resisting them,
but rather defuse the acts in ways that work toward resisting cycles that
create enemy making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “Prayer Walks”
that are occurring each Friday this month in the Park Hill neighborhood is one
way a number of Christians are working toward ending violence in that
neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By walking the streets and
stopping to pray at sites where people have been gunned downed and along the
way passing out fliers that speak about how to positively interact with a
person who is a member of a violent gang, they are resisting the cycle that
create enemy making. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When we recognize
that within each of us is the “Image of God”, we will find it more difficult to
cultivate the soil that creates enemy making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our spiritual journey is the work of cultivating this awareness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To love our enemies and to pray for them can
only happen when we see the “Image” in others, so that we might be able to resist
the cycles of enemy building and become neighbor builders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-75810443418249129762015-07-16T09:15:00.000-07:002015-07-29T08:45:42.770-07:00Discovering Spiritual Awareness (series pt 4), "The Soul of the Cosmos" based on Mark 12:28-34 & 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Discovering
Spiritual Awareness </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(series
pt 3)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“The Soul of the
Cosmos”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United Church, Aurora, CO 7/12/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Mark
12:28-34 & 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This past week, I received a call from a seminary buddy who lives
over in Westminster, telling me that a former class mate from seminary was
going to be in town that evening and wanted to know if we could all gather for
dinner and some catch up conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ultimately there were 5 of us from seminary gathering for this impromptu
dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had been 30 years since the
five of us had been in the same room.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The evening went too quickly, catching up on reader digest
versions of what had been going on in our lives these past 30 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point, our conversations touched
toward Spirituality, as one would expect in a gathering of theologians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">There
was a discussion of how things are changing in awareness of spirituality and of
how science is playing a major role in this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the earlier human experience, events such as a volcano exploding or
an earthquake, was understood as direct results in a society’s behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we grew in our understanding of science we
started seeing natural events not as a warning or punishment of God, but as
explainable events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then as humanity developed into what we call the industrial
era, science once again re-defined life in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order for industrialization to develop,
there was a need to start understanding how elements acted independently from
one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A visualization would be to
look at the alphabet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
development of industrialization we stopped looking at the alphabet as a whole,
but started to look at each letter individually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would see less correlation between A and
B, and started to see just what A was made of and what it could produce by
itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was necessary for the
growth of industrialization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">This
perspective of finding solutions to new challenges began to color the way that
we approached religious and spiritual questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Western world started to separate and
compartmentalize the understanding of relationship between creation, humanity,
and God; seeing each as independent of one another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Science
is once again influencing how we perceive relationships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through quantum physics, we are becoming
re-acquainted with the understanding of the interrelatedness between
elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quantum physics is at the cutting edge of Western science…. </i>Through
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">quantum physics original goal of seeking
out the elemental building blocks of the Universe (separate elementary
particles), science has discovered that the Universe appears to be an undivided
Whole. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Like Einstein's Theory of Relativity,
Quantum Physics reveals the Universe to be a single gigantic field of energy in
which matter is just a 'slowed down' form of energy. Further, Quantum Physics
has discovered that matter/energy does not exist with any certainty in definite
places, but rather shows 'tendencies' to exist. (i.e. the <b>'Uncertainty
Principle'</b>) Even more intriguing is the notion that the existence of an
observer is fundamental to the existence of the Universe - a concept known as <b>'The
Observer Effect'</b> - implying that the Universe is a product of
consciousness. (i.e. the Mind of God)<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="Anchor_1"></a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;">Quantum Physics, by Alex Paterson </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">It is in this new understanding of
the relationships between the elements that we are starting to redefine our
spiritual relationship with God and creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Growing up I was taught that we live in a 3 dimensional world and that
the 4<sup>th</sup> dimension was something beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Quantum Physics there is now a belief
that there are as many as 12 dimensions that are all operating in conjunction
with one another.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As we think about our journey in spiritual awareness, Jesus
when questioned by one of the scribes answered that the basic level of understanding
our spirituality is to know that God is at the heart of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quantum Physics understand that at the heart
of all matter is a “consciousness”, that the average person calls God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is out of this reality that Jesus says
that we are to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By doing this, we are conscious of the
relationship of our “image” in the Divine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But Jesus doesn’t leave it there, for this only requires an
inward journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus then says, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You
shall love your neighbor as yourself</i></b>.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now Jesus is telling us that we have to look
beyond ourselves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the first part
of Jesus’ answer is not too hard for most of us to buy into, as it seems pretty
cut and dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would seem pretty easy
to love God, since God is the creator of all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The idea of “agape” is implied as God through love, created all that
exists, so it is pretty easy to say, since God loved us first, we should love
God back, without conditions and something more pure than brotherly love, which
always requires something in return.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t even think
that the concept of loving our neighbor is too hard to understand, as it is in
how we relate to those around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet,
we see many evil things done to people in the name of God. Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a few decades ago, it was unlawful for a
black person and a white person to marry one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A hundred and fifty years or so ago, we
fought over ownership of human beings, both being justified by some through
religious beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can we has
children of God, being made in the “image” of God, justify such behavior and
believes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I
must confess that I have always been uncomfortable with Jesus’ response of
“love your neighbor as yourself.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
stumbling block on this second commandment is in the phrase “as yourself.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does “loving yourself” mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I love myself so much (narcissistic) then
there is no room for loving another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
what happens if I think so little of myself that I truly don’t love
myself?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This statement is based on an
assumption that I have the self love that Jesus understands to be “pure love.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality is that every person is damaged
to some degree, so how does this “agape” understanding come into fruition? What
is the yardstick that I can measure love by?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul gives us some examples of what true
love is like as a way to self-check our spiritual health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup>4 </sup>Love is patient
and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. <sup>5 </sup>Love
is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not
count up wrongs that have been done. <sup>6 </sup>Love takes no pleasure
in evil but rejoices over the truth. <sup>7 </sup>Love patiently accepts
all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. <sup>8 </sup>Love
never ends.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul is speaking
about this in the context of gifts, so I understand that “love” in this form is
actually a spiritual gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact Paul
speaks about three main gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love, but love is the
greatest gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I
see in Corinthians Paul describing “agape”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would guess that this too is what Jesus was saying with “love
yourself.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be able to love without
jealously, or to love non-selfishly, of not keeping wrongs, and not to rejoice
in others misfortunes all require our “giving up” or “letting go” of self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a fear in giving up stuff that we
hold onto internally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our most basic conflict
as humans is found in “racism”, which is rooted in fear of loss of identity and
power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It finds its roots in tribalism,
which is the most basic form of community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Ecumenicalism
is a thought that found its life in understanding the inter-dependence and
inter-relatedness of faith in God, as the one who creates all, as one who loves
all, as one who cares for all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all
works together, life, liberty, the right to pursue happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The love of God, the love of neighbor – it
all exits as an interacting force that comes from a consciousness that we in
faith communities label as God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
spiritual journey of awareness is not static and its energy comes from our
being made in the “image” of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To love yourself is to recognize and interact
with your God image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And the
greatest of these is love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>Amen</span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-82951683852183171172015-07-07T11:24:00.002-07:002015-07-07T11:24:23.896-07:00Discovering Spiritual Awareness, pt 2, "Wonder and Mystery", by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on John 1:1,4-5 and 1John 1:5-7
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #343434;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Discovering Spiritual Awareness (series, pt 2)</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">“Wonder and Mystery”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">By Rev Steven R Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">Mountain View United, Aurora, CO 7/5/2015</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;"></span></span> </div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">Based on John1:1,4-5 & 1John 1:5-7</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="color: #343434; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">The beginning of the second paragraph of
the Declaration of Independence states: </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.</span></i></b><span style="color: #343434;">--</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">For two hundred and
thirty-nine years, we as a people of these United States of America have been
in constant struggle to live up to these ideas.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Sometimes we don’t do a very good job of living those words and at other
times we seem to find our way into living that belief. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Since the Supreme Court rulings on the
Affordable Health Care Act and the Right to Marry two weeks ago, this 4</span><sup><span style="color: #343434;">th</span></sup><span style="color: #343434;">
of July holds significant meaning to a good many American’s.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">For some, it is a time of rejoicing with the
affirmation of being able to pursue happiness.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">For others it is a time of concern that their liberty is being
overshadowed by the courts and legislators.</span><span style="color: #343434;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">In
the past two weeks, we have seen Christians murdered while praying in their own
church, the renewed discussions as to the appropriateness of displaying a flag
that represented in its origins, a battle over liberty and the pursuit of
happiness, and terrorist acts toward our black brothers and sisters with the
arson of five black churches.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">As a
nation that calls itself a Christian Nation, it is evident that we do not have
a common understanding of what it means to </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">be
created equal</span></i><span style="color: #343434;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">Last
week we started a seven week series titled “Discovering Spiritual
Awareness.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">We explored the question
about being made in the image of God.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">This week I would like to explore a bit more about the image of God, by
thinking about what the gospel writer of the book of John might be saying when
he opens this story about Jesus with the words, “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God and the Word was God…In the Word was life; and the
life was the light of humanity.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">And the
light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">”</span></i><span style="color: #343434;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">What
does he mean when he says, “life was the Light?”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">What does he mean when he says, “in Darkness?”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Is there any connection between these and our
unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">The writer of John in the very first lines of
his story about Jesus declares his understanding, his experience that Jesus was
with God and was God from the beginning.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">He does this by summing up God and Jesus as being the “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">Word</span></i></b><span style="color: #343434;">.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Now “word” has several levels of
meaning.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">It means on the one hand: mind
or rationality, and on the other, it means: speech or communication.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">The reader’s digest version is this:</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Mind conveys understanding or thoughts;
Speech conveys action or realization.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Jesus as the incarnation of God is able to present to humanity the
thoughts of God, through the actions of Jesus.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">So when Jesus heals someone, he is showing us the compassion of God;
when Jesus forgives someone of their sins, he is showing us the mercy of God;
when Jesus went to the cross, he was showing us the love of God.</span><span style="color: #343434;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">In
1 John we learn more about what Light and Darkness mean.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">“</span><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">This is the message we have
heard from him (Jesus) and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no
darkness at all.</span></b></span></i></span><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">”</span></i></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434; font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434; font-size: medium;">Throughout the book of 1 John, we learn that
darkness consists of these actions: Hating our brothers and sisters; of loving
the world (which means valuing possessions over people); the denial of Jesus’
values as representing the mind of God; and of not loving one another.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">George W Stroup, professor of Theology at
Columbia Theological Seminary states it this way: </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">Truth, is not so much a doctrine as it is fellowship with the Father
and his Son by the power of the Holy Spirit.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">That fellowship is not based primarily on idea’s or philosophical
principles but on a person who could be seen, and heard, and touched (meaning
Jesus).</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">Pg
396, Feasting on the Word Vol. 2, Yr B</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">We
understand Jesus as the incarnation of God, because those early followers,
could see his works, hear his words, and physically touch Jesus.</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">One
of the joyful events for me this past week was the opportunity to have lunch
with a family from Rock Springs, Wyoming.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">They were in town to pick up their daughter at the airport, who was
returning from a high school music trip in parts of Europe.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Over lunch we discussed a little bit about
the decision by the Supreme Court on marriage, a decision that upholds the
life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness principle as presented in the
Declaration of Independence.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Yet there
was sadness for a gay friend who is a teacher in the Rock Springs School
District.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Even though this person now
has protection to marry under the law, the prejudices against homosexuality
within the school administration are so strong that this person, if they came
out would become a target for hate and injustice.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Even if this person were to go to the
Congregational church in Rock Springs, an ONA congregation and find support and
affirmation, he still couldn’t come out because of its ties throughout the
community and again this teacher would be putting himself in arms way.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">The sad reality is, that much of this hatred
is perpetuated by a number of churches in Rock Springs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">This
teachers story touches on many levels what I believe the author of 1 John speaks
about as living in darkness.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">As I
struggled with what to bring to you as an example of what the author means by
“living in light”, I came across a podcast made about a year ago by a Southern
Baptist Minister, speaking to his church in an after worship meeting as to why
he had changed his mind on homosexuality.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">I want to play you just about 4 minutes of this podcast, because I think
this minister has summed up so eloquently the idea about what it means to be
living in the light, of what it means when John says, “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">In the Word was life; and the
life was the light of humanity.</span></i></b><span style="color: #343434;">”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #343434;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;">(pod
cast is on You tube titled, “Why I Changed My Mind on Homosexuality”, 50:28 –
54:08 min)</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">I
believe, when we think about what it means to live in the light, we need to
realize that it isn’t found in reading books, it isn’t found in memorizing
scripture and learning what we call doctrinal truths, it isn’t even found in
coming to church on Sunday’s and worshiping, but as Rev Danny Cortez
discovered, living in the light is “</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">finding
the Kingdom of God in the things that people deem worthless; and in the people
that are the most broken</span></i><span style="color: #343434;">.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">The
fruit of the spirit is in mercy and love and in peace.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">As we rejoice in living in a country where we
can openly struggle with these values, let us remember that these values were
based on the recognition that God as creator gives us the opportunity to
practice both in word and action what gives life to humanity.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Amen<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-68429722851672487862015-06-30T09:22:00.002-07:002015-06-30T09:22:20.816-07:00Discovering Spiritual Aw9areness (series), Shadow and Substance, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on Genesis 1:27-28 and Psalm 13
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #343434;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Discovering Spiritual Awareness (series)</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">“Shadow and Substance”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">By Rev Steven R Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">Mountain View United Church, Aurora, CO
6/28/2015<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">Based on Genesis 1:27-28 and Psalm 139:1,
13-20, 23-24<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="color: #343434; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Have you ever felt like the odd-person
out in your family? </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">I was the religious
freak in my extended family and when inviting family members to attend church
with me, the battle cry in refusing my invitations was, “I don’t need church to
be spiritual”, and they were correct.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">You do not need church to recognize God and the reality that there is a
higher being that seems to have woven the universe and life together.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Today I hear the same from non-church going
folks, “I’m spiritual but not religious.”</span><span style="color: #343434;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">So
what does being Spiritual really mean?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">How do I recognize a spiritual journey?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">How do I measure the relevance of spirituality within my life?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Or, in a world of Donald Trump’s what value
is there to being “spiritual?”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">These are
questions that the modern church (religion) has not been very effective in
answering, sometimes not even asking the questions.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Over
the next few weeks I would like to focus on concepts around discovering
spiritual awareness.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">As we think about
our relationship with God, how does that affect my relationship with Jesus,
with a faith community, with other people, and how does my relationship with
God affect my relationship with myself?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">I believe it is in the recognition and the understanding of one’s
spirituality that lays the foundations in which we build and live our daily lives.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">For spirituality is the most foundational
piece of our humanity.</span><span style="color: #343434;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">This
past Friday there were two major events taking place, one at the national
scene, the other in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">On Friday morning, the Supreme Court once
again upheld the constitutional understanding that “all people are created
equal”, and based on the protection of the 14</span><sup><span style="color: #343434;">th</span></sup><span style="color: #343434;"> Amendment that: </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434;">all citizens of these United States shall
not be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434; font-size: medium;">nor deny to any person within its
jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws</span></i><span style="color: #343434; font-size: medium;">. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In the
battle of recognition of equality for all Americans to marry who they chose,
the court cited the Plaintiffs request saying, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law; t</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">he Constitution grants them that right</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new law
of the land now states: marriage is between two people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The other event took place Friday
evening as over two hundred people, Black, White, and Latino, took to the
streets of the Park Hill district in Denver, on a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prayer walk</i> asking God to help bring peace back to that
neighborhood and all of the Metro area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we walked, we would speak to neighbors about the request to God for
peace against gang violence, drive by shooting, and other crimes against those
living in that neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot
tell you the feelings of connection when we would stop at locations where
someone had been killed by gun violence and pray for forgiveness and
restoration for those who died and their families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So what does the Supreme Court
ruling on same-sex marriage and the walk for peace in Park Hill have in common
and more importantly to do with spirituality?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>More than what we might think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
part of our spirituality is becoming aware of who we are, of how we perceive
ourselves and how we relate to other human beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we solely single individuals or are we a
part of something that is larger than ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Some of the ministers who were
leading in this prayer walk are former gang members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These men who were once “gang” members were
always “spiritual”, but somewhere in their lives, their awareness of being
created in the image of God changed the whole direction of their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the very first book of the Hebrew
Scriptures, we read: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #343434;">So
God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.</span></span></i></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">As a human we exist as the image of God.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">I can look around the room and quickly see
that I do not look like anyone else, so I must also conclude that the image of
God doesn’t mean the color of one’s skin, the sex of one’s body, or any other
physical attribute that one exhibits.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;">
</span></span><span style="color: #343434;">The image of God must be something more intrinsic.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">I propose it is what we call a soul.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">That piece of us that we cannot physically
identify, but yet is revealed in all aspects of our lives.</span><span style="color: #343434;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Our soul is at the heart of our
“Image.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #343434;"> </span></span><span style="color: #343434;">Hear the words from the hymn,
Shadow and Substance: </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We are your image, formed in
community; sisters and brothers of Adam and Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You gave us color, custom and history; teach
us to honor what others receive.</span></i></b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">For
those who live in a society that demonizes homosexuality, there is a constant
struggle to maintain a healthy and positive self-image; For those who live in a
society that demeans people of color, there is a constant struggle to maintain
a healthy and positive self-image; People who immigrate to this country,
documented and non-documented alike, struggle with healthy self-image because
of societal prejudices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Low self-image is most often a
result of receiving negative reinforcement by outside sources. As an
example, many young girls are inadvertently given information that the ideal
woman should look like "Barbie". Young boys are taught that men
do not behave in certain ways, such as showing emotion that would be conceived
as weak, such as crying. Society tells each and every one of us, what is
appropriate and what is desirable. We call them norms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Norms are what helps a society function with
some order and hopefully providing less anxiety for individuals. But what
happens when these "norms" do not ring true with the
individual? What if society says "blue eyes" are better and you
happen to have "brown eyes?" <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Studies
have shown that those who possess what the general norm is, tend to be less
tolerant toward those who do not fit the accepted norm. This
intolerance provides the basis for negative reinforcement, which leads to lower
self-image for those who are not meeting the expectations of those they live
around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
Psalms 139, speaks about negative reinforcement as speaking against
God. The Psalmist says, <em><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">"<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">They
speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name</b></span></em>."
So how does one commit evil against God - by misuse God's name. How
does this happen? How does someone misuse God's name? It has been
my observation that many well meaning Christians and ministers often misuse
God's name. Pulpits all across this country Sunday after Sunday speak
evil of God by misusing God's name and do not even recognize it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We misuse God’s name whenever we speak against the
“image” of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Psalmist reminds us
of our relationship to God: <em><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">For
you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise
you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I
know that full well. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days
ordained for me were written i your book before one of them came to be.</span></b></em><em><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">
</span></em>From the creation stories we learn that what God created, God
pronounced "good." The Psalmist see's that each of us is made by
God, to God's specification, when we diminish a human being as "less
than", we are in truth telling God that God has done wrong. When we
see ourselves as less that who we truly are, we are tell God that his work is
not worthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not a good thing to
do according to the Psalmist. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For
who are we</i>, as Job was reminded, to question the works and wisdom of
God? When well meaning Christians start to beat people up in the name of
God, whether physically, socially, or verbally, then they are acting in evil
against God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We have much to learn in the Church about how we abuse
God. When we stand on traditions that have been handed down to us from
generation to generation, without examining how these traditions affect
humanity and the world in which we receive our daily bread, we might very well
be acting as evil agents against God. When our actions and words are used
to deniger another human being and we use those words and actions in God's
name, we are acting in evil toward humanity and toward God. It is through
these negative actions and words that we create and cultivate within any
brother or sister low self-image. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #632035; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">For God created each and every one of us, we are His
children; we are brother and sister to one another. Like the Psalmist we
need to be in constant prayer asking, "<em><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting</span></b></em><em><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">.</span></em>" Does our need to
demean another come from our own anxieties about who we are deep inside? Is
our self-image consistent with the image of God? By allowing the “image of God”
into our heart and mind, we will recognize the full beauty of each person that
God has placed in our lives. We will recognize the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spirit of unity, who guides us to mystical union.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Amen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-59387199968580841402015-06-18T10:02:00.001-07:002015-06-18T10:02:48.040-07:00Thoughts inspired by Psalm 139I would like to share a couple of thoughts or observations from the Psalm 139. We usually focus the most on the passage that speaks about, "<em>praising God because we are fearfully and wonderfully made."</em> Sometimes we read scripture for the sake of reading and looking to have something pop out at us with a new revelation of understanding. There are times when we read a set of passages with an agenda in mind. Not to proof text specifically, but rather recognizing the general message of a particular text and looking more deeply into it hoping and seeking further clarification of the agenda item. My reading and reflection of this particular Psalm on this particular day was focusing on "self-esteem". So, as I read through this Psalm, my mind is looking for phrases that might spur deeper contemplation of how the writer's relationship with God might help one deal with issues of low self-esteem. Specifically from the perspective of someone who identifies with the LGBTQ community and growing up in an environment that does not understand human sexuality as being a non-moral issue. <br />
<br />
For those of us who have grown up in a society that demonizes homosexuality, there is a constant struggle to maintain a healthy and positive self-esteem. Of course, many people struggle with issues of self-esteem where sexual orientation is not the issue. It is what we often write off as part of the "human condition" or some Christians would say, "a part of the fallen state of humanity." I feel uncomfortable when I hear this type of language for it can be a cop-out from taking responsibility at either a personal or societal level. Low self-esteem is most often a result of receiving negative reinforcement by outside sources. As an example, many young girls are inadvertently given information that the ideal woman should look like "Barbie". Young boys are taught that men do not behave in certain ways, such as showing emotion that would be concieved as weak, such as crying. Society tells each and every one of us, what is appropriate and what is desireable. We call them norms and that is what helps a society function with some order. But what happens when these "norms" do not ring true with the individual? What if society says "blue eyes" are better and you have "brown eyes?" Studies have shown that those with what the general belief is, tends to be less tolerant toward those who do not fit the accepted norm. This intolerance provides the basis for negative reinforcement, which leads to lower self-esteem for those who are not meeting the expectations of those they live around.<br />
<br />
Psalms 139, speaks to this situation in recognizing that there are people who speak against God. The Psalmist says, <em>"They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name</em>." So how do people commit evil against God - they misuse God's name. How does this happen? How does someone mis use God's name? I has been my observation that many well meaning Christians and ministers often misuse God's name. Pulpits all across this country, Sunday after Sunday speak evil of God by misusing God's name and do not even recognize it.<br />
<br />
The answer to this observation comes from the Psalmist understanding of his relationship with God, as a creation of God. Verse 13 states, "<em>For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written i your book before one of them came to be." </em>From the creation stories we learn that what God created, God pronounced "good." St Peter was chasticed about what was acceptable and unacceptable food from Jewish rituals in a vision of God presenting everything acceptable to be eaten. The Psalmist see's that each of us is made by God, to God's specification, when we denimish a human being as "less than", we are in truth telling God that God has done wrong. This is not a good thing to do according to the Psalmist. For who are we, as Job was reminded, to question the works and wisdom of God? When well meaning Christians start to beat people up in the name of God, whether physically, socially, or verbally, then they are acting in evil.<br />
<br />
We have much to learn in the Church about how we abuse God. When we stand on traditions that have been handed down to us from generation to generation, without examining how these traditions affect humanity and the world in which we receive our daily bread from, we might very well be acting as evil agents against the Creator of all. When our actions and words are used to deniger another human being and we use them in God's name, we are acting in evil toward humanity and toward God. It is through these negative actions and words that we create and cultivate within any brother or sister low self-esteem. <br />
<br />
For God created each and everyone of us, we are His children, we are brother and sister to one another. Like the Psalmist we need to be in constant prayer asking, "<em>Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.</em>" Is our need to demean another coming from our own anxieties about who we are deep inside? Let God in, so we might recognize the full beauty of each person that God has placed in our lives. AmenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-43595197568189595282015-06-10T09:39:00.002-07:002015-06-10T09:39:16.509-07:00The Caveat in Forgiveness, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on Mark 3:20-35
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The Caveat in
Forgiveness</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United Church, Aurora, CO 6/07/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Mark
3:20-35<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
past week I had the privilege of attending Dawn Skerritt’s graduation from
Iliff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seminarian graduations affect me
much like weddings do most married couples attending a wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although a wedding ceremony is a public
declaration of commitment between two people, it also serves to remind those
who are married of their continued commitment to one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While attending the graduation allowed me to
wonder down memory lane of my own graduation, it more importantly reminded me
of the immense responsibility that comes with professional ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reminded me once again of the privilege
that as a minister I hold within the church community and within the larger
community that I live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
many years I use to identify myself as more of a Moses type person, leading my
people around the wilderness of faith living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet, as a pastor of a congregation, one is more than a Moses, even
though we dare not voice it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pastor
in many ways carries on the position that we read Jesus holding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Jesus, pastors find themselves
surrounded with people in need, sometimes being so over whelmed with the needs
of others, the pastor can’t find time for himself/herself, or as this morning’s
text puts it, “unable to eat in peace.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pastors are always being criticized for the way they do things, from the
sermon to not doing enough; for bringing visions to the congregation that the
congregation does like to the way they dress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The list goes on and on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If
that isn’t enough, the pastor often is second guessing him/herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Am I a
good leader?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Am I teaching sound
doctrine?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I show enough empathy to
the person I just encountered?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or worse,
like in the movie, “Left Behind” will my congregation and I be those
“Christians” not taken up in the rapture, because I was teaching a wrong
doctrine</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An interesting side note
to the Billy Graham picture “The Prodigal”, the church used in that setting representing
the liberal, ungodly, soft gospel message, was First Baptist Church of Seattle,
where I was a member at one time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
maybe I do have rightful reasons to question what comes out of my mouth as to
sound doctrine or heretical and blasphemous teachings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
morning’s story once again shows how the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, were
accusing him of blaspheme and of being of the devil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So great were these accusations that Jesus’
own family came to take him away because they felt that he was putting himself
in danger and I suspect jeopardizing their own standing within the community as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus is obviously saying and
doing things that are upsetting a lot of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the most blasphemous teachings that
Jesus was teaching at that point in his ministry was that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all sins and blasphemies were forgiven</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven
for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter;…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>This was scandalous news, for
everyone knew that sins could only be forgiven by God and God was only found at
the Temple in Jerusalem, and that there was a formula that had to be followed
in order to receive this forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There had to be a sacrifice offered at the altar of God and words spoken
by the priest before you were forgiven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Who is this man who says, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People
will be forgiven their sins and even the blasphemies they speak</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
should be of great comfort for ministers, to know that what they speak of
wrongly shall be in the end, forgiven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But then comes the caveat to forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus continues to say, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but whoever blasphemes against
the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness…” </i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, now I’m back in deep water, aren’t
I?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the most often asked questions
of me as a minister comes from this one utterance from Jesus about what is the
“unforgivable sin.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When most people are
thinking about the “unforgivable sin”, they are not looking for a forgiveness
that will bring inner peace, but rather are thinking in terms of exclusion from
heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a logical thought
process if you think of Jesus’ teachings as a guide book to get into “heaven”,
and if you understand “heaven” solely as a place after death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But if you think of
Jesus’ teachings not as a guide book to getting into “heaven”, but rather as a
way of living life in the “now”, then what implications does this caveat to
forgiveness have?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The state of
un-forgiven does mean exclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
you are in a state of un-forgiven with your spouse, ie: being in the dog house,
you are out of relationship in some degree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is only by being forgiven that you are back in relationship and out
of the dog house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an example, when I
am in the state of being “un-forgiven” with a member of this faith community,
there is nothing I can do to alter that state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The forgiveness has to come from the one who is withholding forgiveness
before I can be back into full relationship with that person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So, what does it
mean to “blaspheme the Holy Spirit?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had people tell me that when they
swear in God’s name, that they have blaspheme the Holy Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others say, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit when you deny the divinity of
Jesus.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think to help shed some
light or confusion, depending on how you hear what I am about to say, I think
we first need to understand how we “image” God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Language is the
best way we have to express our thoughts, but there are images and concepts
that have no clear definition, so we use words as ways of creating images of
those concepts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we try to describe
the essence of God, we have developed what we call a “Trinitarian” language
describing God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We say God is “three
persons in one”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have divided God up
to be 1) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Creator,</i> 2) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">savior through the person of Jesus</i>, and
3) the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">constant companion to the faithful</i>,
as the person of Holy Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Out of this
language to help us image God, we have inadvertently created images of separate
beings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would happen if we thought
less of God in a traditional Trinitarian language and thought of all three of
these as being different characteristics of God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if God is not three separate beings, but
that God’s nature is creating, is salvation (forgiving), and is a constant
presence among and within us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Marcus Borg
suggests: the Hebrew word for ‘spirit’ (Ruach) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">means wind and breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both are
invisible yet manifestly real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cannot
see the wind, though its presence and effects are felt; it moves without being
seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it blows, it is all around
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breath is like wind inside the
body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the ancient Hebrews (as for
us), it was associated with life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Metaphorically, God as Spirit is both wind and breath, a nonmaterial
reality outside of us and within us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
breath is God breathing in us, and God is as near to us as our own breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking of God as Spirit, as both wind and
breath, evokes both transcendence and nearness.</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;"> The
God We Never Knew, Marcus Borg, pg 72 </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I understand Jesus
to mean, when he says: non-forgiveness exists when one blasphemes the Holy
Spirit, as denying the existence of God in our world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means denying God’s vision for God’s
creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is this denying of God’s
vision?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus spent his ministry
battling the evil of scarcity that exists in the form of domination systems
that humanity almost always operates under, and spoke of the possibilities of
distributive justice on earth, where there is abundance for all creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blaspheme of the Holy Spirit comes with
the perception that God is not in humanity or exists in nature, but that both
are commodities to be exploited; as opposed to experiencing God in both nature
and humanity and to be valued equally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit is acted out in our attitudes toward how we
use our mother earth; it is acted out in how we dishonor diversity of cultures;
it is acted out through the aggression of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit is being out of relationship with God, of
denying the possibilities that God has for his creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That possibility is called distributive
justice and mercy, of living into the possibilities of wholeness (salvation) of
heaven on earth in this life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Our image of God is
import as it forms our theology and philosophies of how we approach life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we image God as something distant and
separate from creation and humanity, then we see ourselves as needing to live
by rules to ensure “entrance” into that far off kingdom of God’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we see God as something that breaths
within us and within creation, then we will not see rules for entrance, but
rather precepts that help in living the here and now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the image of God as being the breathe we
breath, there existence the reality that all sins, and foolish thoughts and
actions are forgiven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blaspheme of the
Holy Spirit isn’t in using God’s name in vain or denying Jesus as Lord, but in
the denial of God’s breath within and among us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-68743114690697394182015-05-31T07:52:00.002-07:002015-05-31T07:52:37.006-07:00Letting God In, by Rev Steven R Mitchell based on John 3:17
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Letting God In</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, Co 5/31/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on John
3:1-17</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A few months ago, someone left a book on my
desk titled, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ecumania</i>, and I thought
I would like to start this morning’s reflection by citing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>couple of stories from its pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">At an ecumenical
conference, several ministers were talking informally during the morning coffee
break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During a brief lull in the
conversation, one of the ministers introduced the hypothetical question: “If
Jesus were to visit our town next Sunday, whose church would he attend?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A Catholic priest said: “Obviously, he would attend our
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its unbroken apostolic
succession makes it his authentic church-therefore, the only one he would
attend.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A Pentecostal minister said, “You’re mistaken, my
friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would attend our church
because its spontaneous, enthusiastic expression of Christian faith would
genuinely appeal to his warm heart and sincere spirit.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A Baptist pastor concluded the interchange with the
observation: “Of course, he would attend our church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all these years, why should he change?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">During WWII, a Catholic
priest and a protestant minister were asked to call on a wounded protestant soldier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Catholic priest was a rotund, jolly
cleric, who was well liked by all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
they visited the boy, he turned to the priest and said, “Father, I appreciate
your visit, but I’m a Protestant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope
you won’t try to change my faith.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
priest smiled at the boy and said, “Son, I don’t want you to change your
faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want your faith to change you.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This last story is
very poignant to today’s text of the Pharisee Nicodemus and Jesus’ incounter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicodemus is like many of us who have been
raised in the church, in that we have been taught how to look at scripture from
a particular way, and yet find that those teachings somehow fall short in
fulfilling a deep hunger within our souls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nicodemus, knew his bible, he knew all the verses that told him what he
needed to do to be “saved”, yet he finds himself coming to Jesus in the night,
looking for answers that might fill the hunger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Nicodemus is a
great role model for those of us who do not experience what the Evangelical
church calls, “instantaneous conversions” or being “born again.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many a follower of Jesus has been raised in
the arms of the church and have never had an experience that would qualify for
the classification of “being born again”; like that hand popping on the side of
the head commercial that says, “Gee, I could have had a V-8” type revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of us who were born of church-going
parents, many of us experienced infant baptism, then as young adults went
through confirmation, and a life time of church schooling and of attending
worship, listening to the pastor clarify the mysteries of the scriptures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intellectually we are God’s children, but we
have not experienced the “emotional” side of being “in” Jesus or what the
Pentecostal side of Christianity would say as “Being born of the Spirit.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Yet in the Gospel
of John we read about Nicodemus in three separate instances, each time showing
Nicodemus in a deepening commitment to Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first time was his visit to Jesus by night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Gospel of John, this is significant,
as darkness to John, symbolizes lack of truth [people walked in darkness; the
darkness hid from the light].<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicodemus,
even as a religious leader in his community, seemed to not comprehend the truth
that Jesus was trying to share with him [how can a grown man go back into his
mother’s womb]. Then a second time, we see how Nicodemus’ belief in Jesus had
changed so much that he was one of the few who stood by Jesus at the end;
defending Jesus during the trial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally, we are told in John 19:39 that Nicodemus helped Joseph of
Arimathea with the burial of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would suggest that most of us tend to grow in our faith in the same way
Nicodemus grew in his, over time, without fan fare or dramatic epiphanies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Nicodemus, as a
Pharisee, had a very developed understanding of the concept of God as defined
by the Hebrew religious community, as well as how the coming Messiah would act.
Most of us have a specific image of what God looks like when asked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Confirmands are often asked as they enter
their confirmation studies, “What is God to you?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason for doing this is to get them to
start thinking about God in differing ways as an ongoing practice in their
Spiritual journeys. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When Jesus told
Nicodemus that, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom</i></b>”,
Jesus was trying to get Nicodemus out of his comfort zone, of his learned
understanding about God, so he could become open enough to “who” Jesus truly
was. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us have grown up learning
doctrine which tells us what is the right way and wrong way to believe, the
right way and the wrong way to live. As we grow older, we start trusting in our
old experiences and close the doors to new opportunities; opportunities that have
the potential to make us feel alive again; sometimes out of fear of the
unknown, sometimes because it just takes too much energy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This morning’s
lection reading has one of the most memorized and most grossly mis-understood
and mis-used verses found in scripture, John 3:16-17, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">God so loved the world that he
gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have
eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but
that the world might be saved through him.</i></b>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One reason for the mis-use comes from a mis-understanding
of the concepts of “eternal life” and what it means to be “saved” in the Jewish
mindset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week I shared that
Salvation in most Christian circles has come to mean, Eternal life. Yet the
root word of salvation is, salvus: meaning “whole,” “sound”, “healed,” “safe,”
“well,” or “unharmed”. Modern Christianity has thus intermingled the
understanding of Salvation with eternal life as meaning life after this present
physical existence, sometimes identified as “heaven.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love Wins</i>, Rev Rob Bell points out, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When Jesus used the word ‘heaven’; he was simply referring to God,
using the word as a substitute for the name of God. Sometimes when Jesus talked
about heaven, he was talking about our present eternal, intense, real
experiences of joy, peace, and love in this life, this side of death and the
age to come. Eternal life, as used in scripture, is less about a kind of time
that starts when we die, and more about a quality and vitality of life lived
now in connection to God.</i> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;">Pg 58 Love Wins, by Rob Bell <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bell continues to say: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When the
gospel is understood primarily in terms of entrance rather than joyous
participation, it can actually serve to cut people off from the explosive,
liberating experience of the God who is an endless giving circle of joy and
creativity. Life has never been about just “getting in.” It’s about thriving in
God’s good world.</i> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;">Pg 179, Love Wins,
by Rob Bell</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If we have grown to
understand and to experience Jesus through what we were taught as children and
are not having any new experiences, then we like Nicodemus need to be asking
the question, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How can I be born anew</i>?”
as a way of opening the door and letting God in, so we too can live in the promise
of what Christ gives to us; the promise of eternal life, of being sound,
healed, whole within Gods Kin-dom – here and now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For God so loved the world, that through
Jesus, none should exist as the living dead, like zombies, but have eternal
life!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>Life filled with liberating
experiences of the God who is an endless giving circle of joy, peace, and love.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-24927284256867637462015-05-21T09:02:00.003-07:002015-05-21T09:02:33.996-07:00The Final Question, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on John 21:15-17
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The Final Question</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, CO 5/17/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on John
21:15-17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
is a story that the secretary from my first pastorate use to like to compare me
to time to time, usually when I would start asking a lot of “why”
questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would say, Pastor Steven,
you are like a man who is walking along the street, totally broke , knowing
that all he had to do was pray and God would supply him with something to eat,
and when a hamburger would appeared in his hand, instead of first thanking God
of this miracle and then eating the sandwich, he would first start asking “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how did that happen</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As anyone who has ever spent time
volunteering in the church office knows, I quite often am bouncing off
questions about a piece of scripture that I am meditating on that particular
week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I am doing this, my asking
isn’t to find a definitive answer, but rather, I am seeking other points of
understanding so I can dream up more questions to struggle with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
did this quite often as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
traditional Jewish form, when asked a question, Jesus generally answered with a
question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he saw teachable moments,
he would often employ questions as a way of teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his parables, he often used a question as
a way to end the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During Lent, I
preach from a book written by Rev Martin Copenhaver, titled <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jesus
is the Question: The 307 questions Jesus Asked and The 3 He Answered</i></b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the help of this book, we explored some
of those questions like: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What are you
looking for?”, “Do you see this woman?”, “Where is your faith?”, “Who is your
neighbor</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This past week Ascension
of Jesus into Heaven occurred, and next Sunday we celebrate Pentecost (so be
sure to come with your brightest red clothing), so I decided I wanted to close
out our last Easter Sunday with the last time Jesus ate with some of his
disciples before ascending into heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
find ourselves at the end of the Gospel of John, with some of the disciples
fishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are told that Peter and some
of the other disciples didn’t really know what to do after Jesus’ death, so
they decided to do what they do best, fishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They weren’t really having much luck, until a voice from shore suggested
that they put their nets on the other side of the boat, which when they did,
they harvested a bumper catch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they
came to shore, they realized that the voice was that of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus had a fire going and cooked them breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then after breakfast Jesus took Peter to the
side and asked him, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peter, do you love me</i></b>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What an interesting question for Jesus to ask
the man He himself had appointed to build his church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
have been with you here at Mountain View now for three years; the same amount
of time Jesus spent with his disciples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How would you respond if I asked you, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do you love me</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would you
respond by saying, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes pastor, I love
you.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More importantly, what do you
mean in that response?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a recent
theological discussion with someone who grew up within the church and has a
pretty good grasp of the bible, we explored the reality of how hard it is to
understand scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now on the surface,
understanding what is written is usually pretty simple to comprehend, but are
the words that we are reading, accurately translated to the correct words for
our language and culture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not
saying that God’s word is secretive, but rather the difficulty comes because
the original manuscripts that we have used to translate into our language were
written in a particular time and culture that is not our time or culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Specific
to this morning’s scripture the word that is difficult to understand is found
in the question that Jesus is asking Peter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peter, do you love me?</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The word “love” is the word that does not easily translate from the
original text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The writings of the books
in the New Testament were written originally in Greek, and if that isn’t
difficult enough, the original Hebrew texts were translated from Hebrew into
Greek as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This shouldn’t be a
problem for us as the two primary languages that English is based on is Latin
and Greek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, a cultural difference in
language use is problematic with the word “love.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we say this word, what do we mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the meaning of “love” the same when I say,
“I love ice cream” as when I say, “I love my child”; or when I say, “I love my
spouse” mean the same as when I say, “I love my parent”; or when I say, “boy, I
would love to hook-up with that gal or guy” what am I saying?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When we use the
word “love”, we have to look at the context to which it is being used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek language took out the guessing of
what “love” meant by creating three words for our one word “love.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Greek, there are three directions of love:
Agape, which is an unconditional love, the love that does not ask for anything
in return, self-giving love, or sacrificial love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the kind of love associated with Jesus
or God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phileo, is a brotherly or
sisterly love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the kind of love
associated with friendship – warm and generous but not completely
unconditional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the level of love
that we as humans most commonly operate on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The third type of love is called Eros, which is at the basic instinct
level, that which is sexually charged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So why did Jesus
ask Peter three times, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peter, do you love me</i></b>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially when Peter’s first answer was, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes
Lord, I love you</i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we just
read this story through the eyes of our usage of the word “Love”, it would make
little sense for Jesus to repeat the question three times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One explanation some theologians have come up
with to justify our use and understanding of the word “love” is that Jesus
asked this question three times as a way of absolving Peter’s three denials of
Christ, in order for Peter to be able to become the rock in which Jesus was to
build his church upon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The translation
that we heard this morning differs from the standard translations in that each
question asked by Jesus and each answer given by Peter uses the original Greek
translation instead of our generic English use of the word “love.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the original Greek, we see Jesus asking
Peter, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peter do you Agape me; Peter do you unconditionally love me?</i></b>”
Peter responds, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes Lord, I phileo you; I love you Lord like a brother?</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter does not answer Jesus’ question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Jesus asks again, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peter do you unconditionally love
me?</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter again responds, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes
Lord like a brother.</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again,
Peter is unable to answer Jesus’ question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So on the third time Jesus asks a different question, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peter,
do you phileo, me? Do you love me like a brother?</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An exasperated Peter protesting responds
with, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lord you know I love you like a brother, why do you keep asking me?” </i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally Peter responds to Jesus’ question,
phileo to phileo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What I glean when I
read this story with this definition of “love”, is this: Jesus, finally
realizes that Peter is incapable of following Jesus at the level that Jesus was
asking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much so, that Peter didn’t
really hear (this is conjecture on my part) what Jesus was asking which is why
he became so upset with being asked three times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think also, it shows the reality that most
of us, when we say we love Jesus, and God, and work toward ministering in
Jesus’ name, can only do this at the level of Phileo, at the level or
commitment of brotherly/sisterly love; a love of compassion and giving, but not
without some sort of conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The second piece
that I gain from this scripture is that we are being asked by Jesus to follow
him at whatever level we are at in our understanding of Jesus’ request to love
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No matter who you are, or where you are at
in life’s journey, you are welcomed</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is a story of our ability to inter into relationship with God at
where we are in life, of who we are in the present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God isn’t demanding us to be anyone other
than who we are in order to be in relationship with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our goal as children of God is to strive for
the “agape” in our lives, but the true reality is, most of the time we will not
be conducting our lives at that level, and I see through this passage, that God
understands this and still “agapes” us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The final question
before Jesus ascends into heaven is “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do you love me</i></b>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For us to be in an active relationship with
God, Jesus is asking us to make that commitment, no matter where we are at in
our life’s circumstance, God in his unconditional love is able to welcome
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rev Copenhaver suggests: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that
if you want to grasp what a Christian life entails, repeat these three
questions that Jesus most often asked, 1) What are you looking for?, 2) What do
you want me to do for you?, and 3) Do you love me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For the question, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do
you love me?</b>” is the question asked by someone who wants to be in
relationship with you</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;">
Pg 128, Jesus is the question, Martin Copenhaver</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>It is the final question Jesus is asking of us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-69198101636406311862015-05-21T08:41:00.001-07:002015-05-21T08:41:09.785-07:00In His Steps, by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on John 15:9-17
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">In His Steps</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, CO 05/10/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on John
15:9-17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“As the Father has
loved me, so have I loved you. </span></i></b></span><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Abide in my love</span></i></b></span><span class="woj"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love each other as I have loved you. You did
not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear
fruit—fruit that will last. This is my command: Love each other.”</span></i></b></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I pulled these specific sentences from
this morning’s text because they highlight three major points that Jesus is
making in his farewell speech to his disciples, as he is nearing the time of
his arrest and crucifixion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These three
points are: 1) Love begins with God, 2) The importance of “Abiding” in God’s
love, and 3) we are chosen by God to bear fruit that lasts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As the majority of you know, I have just
come back from a couple of weeks of holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During this time I was able to spend a few days with six of my twenty
grandchildren.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This particular group of
grandchildren range in ages of nearly two years old to 17.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a marvelous time of doing guy things
with the two older boys, chatting some with my granddaughter as most of her
time was scheduled with friends, getting to watch the 1<sup>st</sup> grader
play soccer and spending time with him in batting practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I
had the opportunity with the two youngest on a refresher course of how to
change poopy diapers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This opportunity
came about with the volunteering to babysit so that my daughter and son-in-law
could take advantage of having an evening out with other adults their age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What these activities represented is what it
means to “Abide in”, to abide in the family setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me; you know when you’re abiding when
you are changing a two year olds diaper!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We as Christians, recognize Jesus as
embodying the essence of God; this is what we are saying when we say “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">God incarnate</i>,” or “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">God with us</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in order for
Jesus to have been able to show us the essence of God, Jesus had to abide in
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I would like us to
focus on this morning, the importance, no the necessity of “abiding in” God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
does it mean to “abide in?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does this
“abiding” require something of me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can I
“abide in” partially or does “abide in” Jesus’ teachings mean total by in?</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In this week’s View, I sent an amendment
suggesting a couple of videos that could prepare you for this morning’s
worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the videos was about the
life of a priest in El Salvador back in the 1980’s, Archbishop Romero who along
with other priests were martyred for their stand on equal opportunities for the
poor of their country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those events are
a part of what helped spark what we call “Liberation Theology.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second video was based on a novel written
in 1896 by Charles Shelton, a Congregational minister titled <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In
His Steps</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fictional story
about a minister who challenged his congregation to live just one year
consistently asking themselves this one simple question, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What would Jesus do</i>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In my very early twenties, my then,
mother-in-law presented me with a copy of the novel <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In His Steps</i></b>, which over
its 119 years in print has sold over 30 million copies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
to confess that reading this book has been one of those life changing events in
my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In its pages, I too was
challenged to look at my life, evaluate what I wanted out of life, and what did
it mean for me to be a follower of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the safety of its pages, I was able to visualize the joys of “abiding
in” the life of Jesus as well as the hurt and sometimes harm that comes along
with that “abiding”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For you see, the
world in general is afraid of the power of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so afraid of it that it tries to kill
the type of love that Jesus is speaking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It killed Jesus, it killed Archbishop Romero, and it subtly tries to
kill it in those who work at following God’s dream for his creation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We live in a world that is so calloused through
hurt, pain, and lose that it cannot envision a world that could exist by the
principle of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love one another</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We read in the book of Acts on how through
the power of love, the Jewish-Christian community grew in leaps and
bounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The power of “abiding in” Jesus
was so strong in the early church that it drew thousands of people throughout
the Mediterranean to live a style of life that has grown, has spread throughout
the world, and has lasted for over two thousand years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it then, that in American churches we
are wringing our hands and complaining about shrinking numbers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer I believe is found in the pages of
a novel written by Rev Charles Shelton; the church has lost the belief in the power
of “abiding in” Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, we give it
lip service, but when given the opportunity to live out the teachings of
Christ; of turning the other cheek, of offering our tunic when our coat has
been taken from us, of sharing what we possess with those who lack, how well do
we fare?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the question and
challenge in Rev Shelton’s novel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of Shelton’s characters explains the
change in her life after taking on this challenge of asking “What would Jesus
do” in this way: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I used to think that to
be a Christian, I had to live my life by keeping Jesus’ commands, but now I
just let Jesus live in my heart.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
character was able to do this because she started to “abide in” Jesus instead
of living what she thought Jesus would wish her to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me personalize it in this way: When Steve
Mitchell stopped living his life the way he thought others expected him to live
and started living the life that was true to who he was, he started becoming a
whole person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The transformation within
my perspective of life was tremendous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was no longer fearful of being ‘discovered’, I was no longer intimidated by
other men’s masculinity, because I discovered what being masculine was for me,
but most precious of all, I found a peace that I had never known before, and
that peace came through the internal sense that God loves me for who I am, not
for who I ought to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus says, no greater gift is there
than the gift of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Archbishop
Romero discovered in his ministry was that love was not just a passive word,
but is a verb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love meant giving up the power
that comes through oppression, love meant standing side by side with those who
were most in need, love meant providing basic necessities of food, shelter, and
companionship to those who are powerless to provide for themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, as a church how are we fairing with
what it means to “abide in” Jesus? Do we fall short in this walk?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course we do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we have all the answers to how we
accomplish our mission of sharing God’s love in our community?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course not!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I can say that as a congregation we do
take up the challenge of trying to understand what it does mean to “abide in” God’s
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our latest opportunity in learning
about “abiding in” God’s dream comes through a man named Ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ed is job and home challenged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few weeks ago, during the monthly council
meeting, a number of you joined in the conversation of how can we as a
congregation best minister to Ed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although the meeting felt awkward much of the time, I believe it was
done in a spirit of “abiding in” Jesus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all of us came away agreeing with some of
the proposed steps that we were willing to take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you know what, that is fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is normal, for no one of us has a crystal
ball that we can look into and know the answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That meeting was a sacred conversation, and
those kinds of conversations can only happen when God is involved. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As I came away from that meeting, I
began to realize that our “abiding in” needed some horizon expanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found that we were approaching Ed from a
perspective that comes from our own experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I discussed this with Pastor Wayne, we
realized that we needed to seek advice of those who work more closely with
people in Ed’s situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of that
several of you joined Wayne in a conversation with Ann Klienkoft of Denver
Parish Ministries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are acts of
“abiding in” God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David Cunningham,
Professor of Religion at Hope College, Holland, Michigan writes: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The love that structures the inner life of
God gives us a sense of the proper pattern for Christian love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far from a mere feeling of euphoria, it is a
disciplined habit of care and concern that, like all the virtues, can be
perfected only over a lifetime.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As a congregation, we will never fully
“abide in” God because it is a life time process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As individuals who say we follow Christ and
his teachings, we will never completely achieve a fullness of “abiding in” God,
because it is what our journey is about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if we start asking ourselves “I wonder what Jesus would do in this
instance”, and if the answer has the action of love in it, then we will not go
very wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For no greater love does one
have for their friends than to lay down their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are powerful words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus went to the cross for his friends, for
us, for the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us do the same by
walking in his steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-79461010585383912332015-05-07T10:38:00.002-07:002015-05-07T10:38:20.420-07:00Preparing for Sunday's Worship<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1431019497903_4618">If you are interested in preparing for this Sunday's sermon, two movies that speak to this weeks Scripture lesson John 15:9-17, can be found on "Youtube". On is the life story of Archbishop Romero, who was a Priest in El Salvador who was martyred for his role in speaking out against the injustices of the poor. The movie is called "Romero" . The second movie is called "In His Steps", which is based on a book of the same name, dealing with the challenge of living a Christ filled life. The scripture this week focuses on what does it mean to "Abide" in God?</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8255341181282099481.post-90357262723078855312015-04-19T07:54:00.002-07:002015-04-19T07:54:45.985-07:00The Same Ol', Same Ol', Is not the Same Ol', by Rev Steven R Mitchell, based on Luke 24:36-48, for Mountain View United, Aurora, CO
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt;">The Same OL’, Same
OL’; Is not the Same OL’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Rev Steven R
Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mountain View
United, Aurora, CO 4/19/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Based on Luke
24:36-48<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
this morning’s gospel lesson, we read another authors account of Jesus meeting
with the disciples that first evening of discovering an empty tomb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In John’s account (which we read last week)
we see Jesus speaking with the disciples, who were behind locked doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In both stories the disciples are fearful
because they assume Jesus’ ghost is appearing before them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In both stories, Jesus’ first words are, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peace be with you</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where the similarities stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In this story, Luke
shares how the disciples understanding of a ghost was challenged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I were to take a survey of this room,
asking, “Have you ever had an encounter with what you believe to be a ghost?” I
would get some “Yes’” and some “No’s.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But almost all of us could describe the characteristics of what a
typical ghost would have. (ask audience for their understanding of what a
‘ghost’ is.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke tells us that after
Jesus had proved to the disciples that he was who he said he was, He then does
a very un-ghostly thing – He tells them that he is hungry and asks them if they
had anything to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I have always been
a lover of the cartoon series “Casper the Friendly Ghost).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a child I would watch this series
religiously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was totally delighted
when some years ago, a movie version was made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The movie showed the same ol’, same Ol’ things that a ghost would
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It showed how ghosts were
mischievous, loved to scare people, and enjoyed haunting empty houses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also showed how when a ghost would eat,
the food would just fall start through them, splattering onto the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this movie did something different, it
provided a moment where Casper was able to materialize into a fully human
body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of a sudden, the same ol’,
same ol’, was no longer the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When Luke is
describing the events of that room, with Jesus walking through locked doors,
suddenly appearing and disappearing, and of showing human needs such as hunger,
Luke is telling us that things were not the same ol’, same ol’, but that
something new has happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
although dead, although a ghost, was not dead, was not a ghost, but still fully
human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This story is a
very hard concept for some of us to wrap our minds around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of us who have experienced what we
would call a ghost, it might be easier to toss around the idea of disciples
talking to Jesus, as a ghost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet Luke
is telling us that Jesus is more than a ghost, that even though Jesus was no
longer the same prior to his crucifixion, he was still the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like to explore this story of Luke’s
by sharing with you an event that I attended this past Thursday at the Temple
Emmanuel in Denver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I had the privilege
of attending The Governor’s 34<sup>th</sup> Annual Holocaust Remembrance
Program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The topic of this program was,
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Survival and Forgiveness: The True Story
of Eva Mozes Kor, Mengele Twin.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
guest speaker was Eva Mozes Kor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eva and
her sister were twins, from Portz, Romania. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the age of 10 years old, they were taken to
Auschwitz concentration camp, where they underwent genetic experiments
conducted by the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both Eva and her sister Miriam, survived Auschwitz; with Miriam
eventually living in Israel, and Eva moving to the States, becoming a U.S.
citizen 1965.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Author of two books, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Angel of Death… </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Echoes From Auschwitz</i>, Eva shares her stories across the country
talking about survival and (what I believe to be even more important)
forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In this gathering
of over 1,600 people, you could not help but be filled with tears as at least
35 people stood up who are survivors of those concentration camps, with another
couple of hundred family members also standing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This year marks the 70<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the end of WWII and
the release of those who were still living in Nazi concentration camps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was listening to Eva’s story, I was
struck by how she was able to forgive the Nazi’s for the murders of her family
members and of the cruelty that she and her sister Miriam endured at the hand
of Dr. Mengele.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A part of her
healing came through the establishing of the organization: CANDLES: Children of
Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other step in her healing came through
going back to Germany, meeting one of the Dr’s who worked under Mengele, and both
of them visiting the facility where these experiments occurred and his signing
a letter acknowledging his participation in those experiments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The second part of
Eva’s sharing was some of the life lessons that she has learned in her
journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eva then, that up to the point of
having that letter signed, she had spent almost 45 years hating the
Nazi’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What she realized was, through
that hatred and non-forgiveness, she was still a victim, she was still a
prisoner of the war, of the Nazi’s, and of Dr. Mengele.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the signed letter by a Nazi Dr.
describing all of the brutality and abuse that she and scores of other twins
endured at Auschwitz, Eva said she was able to forgive the Nazi’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When challenged by a Jewish Rabbi that through
Jewish history, it was the perpetrator who needed to confess and ask for
forgiveness before forgiveness could be granted by the victim, Eva said, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if these guys are dead and unable to ask,
where does that leave me?</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It is I who has the power to forgive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is I who needs to be released from the
fear and anger that are the seeds of future violence</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There is something
very important and often over looked, that needs to be brought out in Luke and
John’s story about what went on behind those locked doors between Jesus and the
disciples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus was the first to speak
in these stories, and the very first thing he says is, “Peace be with
you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In saying this, Jesus is giving
forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This we understand, but
what I think we fail to understand is that by tradition, it should have been
the disciples asking Jesus for forgiveness, not Jesus offering it first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, there are no accounts of the disciples
ever asking to be forgiven. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without
forgiveness, I do not think that the disciples would have had the courage and
assurance needed to move forward in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also think it was important for Jesus to give “forgiveness” first, not
just as an example of what a ‘good person’ should do, but because I don’t think
Jesus would have been able to ascend to God without doing this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Jesus truly is God in human form, then he
would still have human feelings; if Jesus still needed to eat solid food, then
I think Jesus still had human emotions that also needed to be attended to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Emotions such as
anger, fear, low self-esteem are all emotions that paralyze and cripple us as
human beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Eva responded, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How do I benefit myself by hanging on to
that anger?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why should I deny myself the
joy in life by living with grudges? How do I better myself by harboring seeds
that lead to conflict?</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eugene
Peterson paraphrases on one of Jesus’ responses to forgiveness this way: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If you don’t forgive sins, what are you
going to do with them?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As I sat listening
to Eva, I also realized that she was talking about ghosts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ghosts come in many forms, but they all
represent the past in some form or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the disciples first saw Jesus, they saw a ghost, but once they had
“peace”, they then saw Jesus their teacher and friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eva was saying that as long as she lived with
non-forgiveness of those who hurt her, she was always going to be haunted,
imprisoned really by the ghosts of her past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Forgiveness is the
essential message to be understood through these post resurrection stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The power of the resurrection story is found
through the truth of “forgiveness.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is in the death of Jesus that we understand the power that comes through
forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the cross, Jesus utter,
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Father forgive them for they know not
what they do.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behind the locked
doors, Jesus gives forgiveness to the disciples, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peace be with you</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later by
the sea of Galilee when Peter is still unable to forgive himself for his betrayal,
Jesus again speaks forgiveness language to Peter in saying, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">go feed my sheep</i>”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Events like the
Holocaust program are designed to continue to remind us of the horrors that
humanity does to itself, hopefully so we will learn lessons that will help us
prevent future atrocities, but it also reminds us of the importance of what
“forgiveness” plays in the ability to move forward in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we talk about living as a resurrection
people, we have to live “forgiveness”, for that is where life, new life is
found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748609573386199514noreply@blogger.com0