December 16, 2007 - "Trial and Tribulation"
Scripture:
(James 5:7 NIV) Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.
(James 5:8 NIV) You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
(James 5:9 NIV) Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
(James 5:10 NIV) Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
(James 5:11 NIV) As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Up, In and Out
Let’s play a game of “Guess Who?” Hold your answer to the end. When he was 7 years old, his family was forced out of their home on a legal technicality, and he had to work to help support them. At 9, his mother died. At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk. He wanted to go to Law School, but his education wasn’t good enough. At 23, he went into debt to become a partner in a small store. At 26, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took years to repay. At 28, after dating a girl for 4 years, he asked her to marry him and she said “No.” At 37, on his third try, he was elected to Congress, but 2 years later he failed to get re-elected. At 41, his 4 year-old son died. At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. At 51, he was elected President of the United States. Who was he? Abraham Lincoln, a man that many consider the greatest leader our country has ever had.
Perhaps President Lincoln was so great because God grew him by trial and tribulation. You are probably aware that Abraham Lincoln was a deeply religious man.
Many of us are old enough to know that sooner or later, we will have our fair share of trial and tribulations. Turn to someone and nod “yes;” we will all sooner or later have our fair share of trial and tribulation - maybe even an ocean full [like Abe Lincoln]. Sometimes, you might wish that you were all alone on a deserted island. Don’t give up, because,
Number 1, the Lord is near (verses 7 and 8)!
James is dealing specifically with trial and tribulation caused by others. The rich unbelievers were taking advantage of the poor believers – to the point that the rich unbelievers were with-holding wages from the poor unbelievers. The rich unbelievers were falsely accusing the poor believers, taking them to court, and even causing their deaths. James uses a particular Greek word for the verb “be patient.” It caries the idea of self-restraint that does not get even for a wrong that has been done. He was encouraging the poor believers to hang in there and not return evil for evil. He was inspiring them to go the extra mile – even in the face of mistreatment.
How could they endure? James was letting them know that Jesus is near. Jesus himself said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He walks with us everywhere we go – no matter what we go through.
Think back to when you first realized that you believed in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and as your Savior (some of you may just have always known as a product of growing up in the church). We are today, closer than we have ever been, as far as it comes to meeting Jesus. We don’t know when we will leave this world, but indeed, we are closer to that time now than when we first believed. We will meet Jesus when we pass, if we have Christ in our hearts.
I think that we have lost the idea of Christ’s soon return. Perhaps it is because that there have been centuries and centuries since these words were written. Some say, “Oh, we go on, just like we always have, with no 2nd coming in sight.” Many Bible scholar’s believe that we are in the final chapter of the end times. This may indeed be the time when these scripture passages are fully understood and fully fulfilled!
There is an element of waiting involved. It gives us a chance to exercise self-restrain and thus grow. Dr. Randy Carlson, an expert in marriage and family counseling, says that children who learn to wait have less problems being impulsive when they get older. The same is true for adults. Our waiting is our heavenly parent’s way of teaching us not to be impulsive – too quick to try other ways instead of His ways.
Not only should we not give up, we should also not give in to grumbling. James instructs the believers to be patient toward both outsiders who oppress them and insiders who irritate them. Did you get that? Be patient with outsiders who oppress and insiders who irritate!
Grumbling here is an under your breath sign or groan. It is a murmur that grows and becomes more commonplace. It is complaining without end. Instead of remaining resentful, we are to practice the biblical steps of confrontation. What are they? Number one: go to the person in love. If that is unsuccessful, then number two: take a fellow believer with you and go in love. If that is unsuccessful, then, number three: take the concern to a mature accountability group to support you and to pray for you. And if that fails, then number four: treat the person like a sinner. What is that? You love them and pray for them all the more – even if they choose to carry the grudge or have nothing to do with you. If you choose to talk about them behind their backs, or choose to hold a grudge, or choose to get even, then God will use the same standards that we judge when it comes to our judgment. In other words, if we practice leniency, God will be lenient. If we are unforgiving and hard-nosed, God will take the same approach with us on judgment day.
Have you ever thought what God will ask you on judgment day? Here is something that I came across several years ago: Ten things God will not ask you on judgment day!
1. God won’t ask what kind of car you drove; He’ll ask you how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.
2. God won’t ask the square footage of your house; He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3. God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet; He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.
4. God won’t ask what your highest salary was; He’ll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
5. God won’t ask what your job title was; He’ll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
6. God won’t ask how many friends you had; He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7. God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived; He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.
8. God won’t ask about the color of your skin; He’ll ask about the content of your character.
9. God won’t ask how many Bible passages you memorized: He’ll ask if you applied the Bible to your living.
10. God won’t ask why it took you so long to seek salvation; He will lovingly take you to your mansion if heaven.
Let’s not forget what really matters – for eternity’s sake!
Don’t give up. Don’t give in. And last, don’t give out. Why? Because it could always be worse, and even those who have had it worse have made it. Consider Job. James did. Job lost his employees, then he lost his business, then he lost his kids, and then he lost his health. In the end, Job received back twice as much as he lost. It may not be that we will see such a return in numbers in this life, but we will receive a spiritual abundance and more than we can imagine in the life to come!
Helen Keller, having gone blind and deaf, said, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Don’t give out. God will make all things right. God will even the score. In the meantime, God is with us! That is what Immanuel means. Take notice of that and let God fill all of your moments with himself.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
December 9, 2007 -- "Hospitality"
Scripture: Romans 15:4-13
15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
15:5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus,
15:6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
15:8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
15:9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name";
15:10 and again he says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people"; 15:11 and again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him";
15:12 and again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope."
15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
One Voice
First Service Introduction:
[Mr. Goldblatt," announced little Joey, "there's somethin' I can't figger out." "What's that Joey?" asked Goldblatt.
"Well accordin' to the Bible, the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, right?"
"Right."
"An' the Children of Israel beat up the Phillistines, right?"
"Er--right."
"An' the Children of Israel built the Temple, right?"
"Again you're right."
"An' the Children of Israel fought the 'gyptians, an' the Children of Israel fought the Romans, an' the Children of Israel wuz always doin' somethin' important, right?"
"All that is right, too," agreed Goldblatt. "So what's your question?"
"What I wanna know is this," demanded Joey. "What wuz all the grown-ups doin?"
In this closing section of his letter to the Roman Church, Paul turned his attention to the children of Israel and the Old Testament.]
Second Service Introduction:
[A collector of rare books ran into an acquaintance who told him he had just thrown away an old Bible that he found in a dusty, old box. He happened to mention that Guten-somebody-or-other had printed it.
"Not Gutenberg?" gasped the collector.
"Yes, that was it!"
"Are you crazy? You've thrown away one of the first books ever printed. A copy recently sold at auction for half a million dollars!"
"Oh, I don't think this book would have been worth anything close to that much," replied the man. "It was scribbled all over in the margins by some guy named Martin Luther."
The Bible is valuable for more than the translation or the person who wrote in it. The Bible is the very word of God, and here, in this closing section of his letter to the church in Rome, Paul points to the Bible of his day - the Old Testament.]
Paul quotes 3 passages from the Old Testament right here in chapter 15 of Romans. One of the strongest proofs for the truth about Christianity is that there are over 300 references to the person of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, all of which are fulfilled and recorded in the New Testament. Prophecies that were made no less than 400 years before their fulfillment! That is absolutely incredible. We don’t have to wonder or doubt the legitimacy of Christianity. Right here we have concrete proof about our faith.
Let me also say that we need to appreciate both Old and New Testament. Again, the Bible of Paul’s day was the Old Testament. The New Testament writers, inspired by God, connected the two testaments. They validated the Old Testament by their constant referral to it. And they gave us the rest of the salvation story as God wished it to be written. I will say that the total Bible, both Old and New Testaments, will help to make us total Christians!
The great evangelist Charles Haddison Spurgeion said, “I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much.
John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress, testified, "Read the Bible, and read it again, and do not despair of help to understand something of the will and mind of God, though you think they are fast locked up from you. Neither trouble yourself, though you may not have commentaries and expositions; pray and read, and read and pray; for a little from God is better than a great deal from man." (Daily Bread, August 12, 1992.)
Next, Paul points to the Savior. He encourages the Romans and us to live in harmony with one another under the headship – the leadership – of Christ. Let us not forget that our primary act in worship is to glorify God. People do that in different ways. I am so pleased that we have two services here. Some folks prefer to glorify the God with a band and upbeat music. Some prefer to glorify God more quietly and traditionally. Both are valid. Both are important. Any church that wishes to grow must provide both opportunities. And we are going to provide a third opportunity in the fairly near future. We will be exploring a third service in the evening.
The goal of worship, whether it is first service, or second service or a third service is to glorify God. When we can lay aside our differences (whether personality or doctrine or practice or even hurt) and worship out of love for God, we create one voice and bring a tremendous glory to God. Visitors will see it. We will see it. And we will be blessed for it.
I first noticed the great American landscape photographer Ansel Adams in a doctor’s office in Parkersburg. In his early years, Ansel studied piano and showed some talent. At one party, however, as Adams played Chopin's F Major Nocturne he recalled that "In some strange way my right had started off in F-sharp major while my left had behaved well in F-major. I could not bring them together. I went through the entire nocturne with the hands separated by a half-step."
The next day a fellow guest gave Adams a no-nonsense review of his performance: "You never missed a wrong note!" (Daily Walk, May 14, 1992.)
We never miss a wrong note when we fail to dwell in the harmony of the spirit of Christ.
Last, Paul points to the Church. We welcome one another as a sign of our one voice – our spiritual harmony. We also welcome because Christ has welcomed us. His very death was an invitation to eternal life. We must RSVP! When we do, he welcomes us into eternal life with the universes biggest choir – a countless chorus of angels.
Because Christ welcomes us so lavishly, we must welcome others into our fold here. This hospitality that Christ shows must be showed among us. This is why hospitality ministry is so important. We must express hospitality in such a way that no one else receives guests better. The church should be the best welcoming agent on the planet. I have been welcomed better at funeral homes than I have at some churches! We are getting on the ball here. We are endeavoring to roll out the red carpet: greeting, beverages, smiling faces; these are all just a beginning. We want to create an atmosphere of welcome. We want folks to know how important they are to us. I know, some of you, like me, were not raised with the freedom to have a cup of coffee in the sanctuary. Guess what? New and growing churches have whole coffee shops with everything from tea to coffee to cappuccinos in their churches!
My first church experience as pastor was a good one, but not without struggle. I got a call one day from the D.S. asking me why we did not want kids at church. He told me that he received a phone call from a visitor who was confronted at the door and asked why she had come. She had her two children with her. Evidently, my parishioner told her that we didn’t have many kids here and that she would be happier somewhere else. I never did discover who at the church did the deed. The message was sent loud and clear: “You are not welcome.”
Arnold Glasow once said, “Some folks make you feel at home. Others make you wish you were.” Let’s never send a message that we wish someone didn’t come. Sometimes that means that you and I need to break out of our groups and never let a stranger or a regular leave unnoticed. WalMart, in its early days, used to practice the 10 foot rule. If you come within 10 feet of me, I will ask you if you need anything. Let’s go one step better than WalMart. Let’s cut it to 5 feet!
At the end of this passage, Paul makes up a bit for getting on the Jews in the congregation. Remember last week I mentioned how he can down pretty hard on the Jews because they were enforcing their customs upon their non-Jewish brothers and sisters in the church. Paul let them have it. Here, he gives them their due. Paul affirms the place of the Jews in salvation history. He tells the church that it was God who chose to use the Jews as a vehicle for his salvation plan. Paul makes it clear that Jesus became part of the circumcised – the Jewish community – in order to fulfill the promises of the patriarchs – the Jewish ancestors – so that even the gentiles could be included amongst those who believe. It was all part of the plan. You know, the next time that we thing negatively of a Jew or the Jewish people, let us remember that it was God’s pleasure to choose them in order to choose us!!!
Let’s put an end to all prejudism, because all races are God’s doing. At the foot of the cross, we are all equal!
Scripture: Romans 15:4-13
15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
15:5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus,
15:6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
15:8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
15:9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name";
15:10 and again he says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people"; 15:11 and again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him";
15:12 and again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope."
15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
One Voice
First Service Introduction:
[Mr. Goldblatt," announced little Joey, "there's somethin' I can't figger out." "What's that Joey?" asked Goldblatt.
"Well accordin' to the Bible, the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, right?"
"Right."
"An' the Children of Israel beat up the Phillistines, right?"
"Er--right."
"An' the Children of Israel built the Temple, right?"
"Again you're right."
"An' the Children of Israel fought the 'gyptians, an' the Children of Israel fought the Romans, an' the Children of Israel wuz always doin' somethin' important, right?"
"All that is right, too," agreed Goldblatt. "So what's your question?"
"What I wanna know is this," demanded Joey. "What wuz all the grown-ups doin?"
In this closing section of his letter to the Roman Church, Paul turned his attention to the children of Israel and the Old Testament.]
Second Service Introduction:
[A collector of rare books ran into an acquaintance who told him he had just thrown away an old Bible that he found in a dusty, old box. He happened to mention that Guten-somebody-or-other had printed it.
"Not Gutenberg?" gasped the collector.
"Yes, that was it!"
"Are you crazy? You've thrown away one of the first books ever printed. A copy recently sold at auction for half a million dollars!"
"Oh, I don't think this book would have been worth anything close to that much," replied the man. "It was scribbled all over in the margins by some guy named Martin Luther."
The Bible is valuable for more than the translation or the person who wrote in it. The Bible is the very word of God, and here, in this closing section of his letter to the church in Rome, Paul points to the Bible of his day - the Old Testament.]
Paul quotes 3 passages from the Old Testament right here in chapter 15 of Romans. One of the strongest proofs for the truth about Christianity is that there are over 300 references to the person of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, all of which are fulfilled and recorded in the New Testament. Prophecies that were made no less than 400 years before their fulfillment! That is absolutely incredible. We don’t have to wonder or doubt the legitimacy of Christianity. Right here we have concrete proof about our faith.
Let me also say that we need to appreciate both Old and New Testament. Again, the Bible of Paul’s day was the Old Testament. The New Testament writers, inspired by God, connected the two testaments. They validated the Old Testament by their constant referral to it. And they gave us the rest of the salvation story as God wished it to be written. I will say that the total Bible, both Old and New Testaments, will help to make us total Christians!
The great evangelist Charles Haddison Spurgeion said, “I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much.
John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress, testified, "Read the Bible, and read it again, and do not despair of help to understand something of the will and mind of God, though you think they are fast locked up from you. Neither trouble yourself, though you may not have commentaries and expositions; pray and read, and read and pray; for a little from God is better than a great deal from man." (Daily Bread, August 12, 1992.)
Next, Paul points to the Savior. He encourages the Romans and us to live in harmony with one another under the headship – the leadership – of Christ. Let us not forget that our primary act in worship is to glorify God. People do that in different ways. I am so pleased that we have two services here. Some folks prefer to glorify the God with a band and upbeat music. Some prefer to glorify God more quietly and traditionally. Both are valid. Both are important. Any church that wishes to grow must provide both opportunities. And we are going to provide a third opportunity in the fairly near future. We will be exploring a third service in the evening.
The goal of worship, whether it is first service, or second service or a third service is to glorify God. When we can lay aside our differences (whether personality or doctrine or practice or even hurt) and worship out of love for God, we create one voice and bring a tremendous glory to God. Visitors will see it. We will see it. And we will be blessed for it.
I first noticed the great American landscape photographer Ansel Adams in a doctor’s office in Parkersburg. In his early years, Ansel studied piano and showed some talent. At one party, however, as Adams played Chopin's F Major Nocturne he recalled that "In some strange way my right had started off in F-sharp major while my left had behaved well in F-major. I could not bring them together. I went through the entire nocturne with the hands separated by a half-step."
The next day a fellow guest gave Adams a no-nonsense review of his performance: "You never missed a wrong note!" (Daily Walk, May 14, 1992.)
We never miss a wrong note when we fail to dwell in the harmony of the spirit of Christ.
Last, Paul points to the Church. We welcome one another as a sign of our one voice – our spiritual harmony. We also welcome because Christ has welcomed us. His very death was an invitation to eternal life. We must RSVP! When we do, he welcomes us into eternal life with the universes biggest choir – a countless chorus of angels.
Because Christ welcomes us so lavishly, we must welcome others into our fold here. This hospitality that Christ shows must be showed among us. This is why hospitality ministry is so important. We must express hospitality in such a way that no one else receives guests better. The church should be the best welcoming agent on the planet. I have been welcomed better at funeral homes than I have at some churches! We are getting on the ball here. We are endeavoring to roll out the red carpet: greeting, beverages, smiling faces; these are all just a beginning. We want to create an atmosphere of welcome. We want folks to know how important they are to us. I know, some of you, like me, were not raised with the freedom to have a cup of coffee in the sanctuary. Guess what? New and growing churches have whole coffee shops with everything from tea to coffee to cappuccinos in their churches!
My first church experience as pastor was a good one, but not without struggle. I got a call one day from the D.S. asking me why we did not want kids at church. He told me that he received a phone call from a visitor who was confronted at the door and asked why she had come. She had her two children with her. Evidently, my parishioner told her that we didn’t have many kids here and that she would be happier somewhere else. I never did discover who at the church did the deed. The message was sent loud and clear: “You are not welcome.”
Arnold Glasow once said, “Some folks make you feel at home. Others make you wish you were.” Let’s never send a message that we wish someone didn’t come. Sometimes that means that you and I need to break out of our groups and never let a stranger or a regular leave unnoticed. WalMart, in its early days, used to practice the 10 foot rule. If you come within 10 feet of me, I will ask you if you need anything. Let’s go one step better than WalMart. Let’s cut it to 5 feet!
At the end of this passage, Paul makes up a bit for getting on the Jews in the congregation. Remember last week I mentioned how he can down pretty hard on the Jews because they were enforcing their customs upon their non-Jewish brothers and sisters in the church. Paul let them have it. Here, he gives them their due. Paul affirms the place of the Jews in salvation history. He tells the church that it was God who chose to use the Jews as a vehicle for his salvation plan. Paul makes it clear that Jesus became part of the circumcised – the Jewish community – in order to fulfill the promises of the patriarchs – the Jewish ancestors – so that even the gentiles could be included amongst those who believe. It was all part of the plan. You know, the next time that we thing negatively of a Jew or the Jewish people, let us remember that it was God’s pleasure to choose them in order to choose us!!!
Let’s put an end to all prejudism, because all races are God’s doing. At the foot of the cross, we are all equal!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
December 2, 2007
"Are You In The Red?"
Theme: The only debt we should owe anyone is the debt of love; love fulfills all of God’s requirements; love your neighbor as yourself; don’t forget that we are closer than ever to meeting Jesus!
Scripture:
(Rom 13:8 NRSV) Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
(Rom 13:9 NRSV) The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
(Rom 13:10 NRSV) Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
(Rom 13:11 NRSV) Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;
(Rom 13:12 NRSV) the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;
(Rom 13:13 NRSV) let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.
(Rom 13:14 NRSV) Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
First service introduction:
(We had a lovely wedding yesterday. Megan Donnellan married Jeffrey Nuzzalow. They lit a unity candle in the service, as many couples do now days. They asked whether or not they should extinguish the two candles that they used to light the unity candle. Most couples inquire about this. I explain that they can either extinguish them or leave them lit to represent their own unique personalities. It is always interesting to see if couples leave them lit or extinguish them. I heard about a wedding where the bride and groom put their individual candles back into the candleholders with their flames still burning. Then the bride, with a gleam in her eye, bent over and blew out his candle. The congregation burst into laughter.
The church in Rome that Paul wrote to was a wedding of sorts – the wedding of two very different cultures – Jewish and Gentile (non-jewish) people. It was indeed an inter-racial group. The Jews were imposing their will upon their non-jewish brothers and sisters. They insisted that the 613 rules of the Jewish faith should still be kept even after they were saved by Christ! It was a marriage on the rocks.]
Second service introduction:
[We had a lovely wedding yesterday. Megan Donnellan married Jeffrey Nuzzalow. It was a nice celebration of young love. There is something special about weddings: two becoming one, commitment, sacred vows. Sometimes the holiness of it really overwhelms me. Somehow, by God’s power, I regain my composure.
There is a funny little story called the seven stages of the married cold –the husband’s reaction to his wife’s colds during seven years of marriage. It goes like this:
First year: “Sugar dumpling, I’m really worried about my baby girl. You’ve got a bad sniffle and there’s no telling about these things with all the strep going around. I’m putting you in the hospital this afternoon for a general checkup and good rest. I know the food’s lousy, but I’ll be bringing your meals from the expensive restaurant downtown. I’ve already got it all arranged with the head nurse.
Second year: “Listen, darling, I don’t like the sound of that cough and I’ve called Doc. Miller to rush over here. Now you go to bed like a good girl, just for Poppa.”
Third year: “Maybe you better lie down honey. Nothing like a little rest when you feel lousy. I’ll bring you something. Have we got any canned soup?”
Fourth year: “Now look, dear, be sensible. After you’ve fed the kids and got the dishes done and the floor finished, you better lie down.”
Fifth year: “Why don’t you take a couple of aspirin?”
Sixth year: “I wish you’d just gargle or something instead of sitting around barking like a seal all evening.”
Seventh year: “For Pete’s sake, stop sneezing! Are you trying to give me pneumonia?” (Hewett)
There is a lot of truth to this little story. We start off in wedded bliss, but something happens along the way. Sometimes, we take way too much for granted, don’t we? We must learn to honor one another even after the honeymoon is over.
We have lost the concept of honor in our culture, and it shows! The Orientals have a great way to honor one another – they bow. We could take a clue from that, stop, and just say to our beloved or to our kids, “Wow, I can’t believe that you’re my spouse (or my child)! Gee, I am so glad that you are here!” Try that sometime, and after they get over the shock, it will be appreciated – if you are genuine. Honor one another.
The church in Rome that Paul wrote to was a wedding of sorts – the wedding of two very different cultures – Jewish and Gentile (non-jewish) people. It was indeed an inter-racial group. The Jews were imposing their will upon their non-jewish brothers and sisters. They insisted that the 613 rules of the Jewish faith should still be kept even after they were saved by Christ! It was a marriage on the rocks.]
Paul wrote to tell his friends that the only debt that should be owed is the debt of love. When it comes to loving, we should always be in the red. Besides, he made it clear that the debt of the Jewish law was impossible was a burden too great. That was one reason that Christ came, to fulfill the law in himself and to become the way to everlasting life. To go back into the sacrificial system would be a huge step backwards. It would trample on the grace of God. It would demean the cross! Paul’s claim is that salvation is by grace through faith – not of works! The only law to be followed is the law of love!
Ted Stallard undoubtedly qualifies as the one of "the least." Turned off by school. Very sloppy in appearance. Expressionless. Unattractive. Even his teacher, Miss Thompson, enjoyed bearing down her red pen -- as she placed Xs beside his many wrong answers. If only she had studied his records more carefully. They read:
1st grade: Ted shows promise with his work and attitude, but (has) poor home situation.
2nd grade: Ted could do better. Mother seriously ill. Receives little help from home.
3rd grade: Ted is good boy but too serious. He is a slow learner. His mother died this year.
4th grade: Ted is very slow, but well-behaved. His father shows no interest whatsoever.
Christmas arrived. The children piled elaborately wrapped gifts on their teacher's desk. Ted brought one too. It was wrapped in brown paper and held together with Scotch Tape. Miss Thompson opened each gift, as the children crowded around to watch. Out of Ted's package fell a gaudy rhinestone bracelet, with half of the stones missing, and a bottle of cheap perfume. The children began to snicker. But she silenced them by splashing some of the perfume on her wrist, and letting them smell it. She put the bracelet on too.
At day's end, after the other children had left, Ted came by the teacher's desk and said, "Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother. And the bracelet looks real pretty on you. I'm glad you like my presents." He left. Miss Thompson got down on her knees and asked God to forgive her and to change her attitude.
The next day, the children were greeted by a reformed teacher -- one committed to loving each of them. Especially the slow ones. Especially Ted. Surprisingly -- or maybe, not surprisingly, Ted began to show great improvement. He actually caught up with most of the students and even passed a few.
Time came and went. Miss Thompson heard nothing from Ted for a long time. Then, one day, she received this note:
Dear Miss Thompson:
I wanted you to be the first to know. I will be graduating second in my class.
Love, Ted
Four years later, another note arrived:
Dear Miss Thompson:
They just told me I will be graduating first in my class. I wanted you to be first to know. The university has not been easy, but I liked it.
Love, Ted
And four years later:
Dear Miss Thompson:
As of today, I am Theodore Stallard, M.D. How about that? I wanted you to be the first to know. I am getting married next month, the 27th to be exact. I want you to come and sit where my mother would sit if she were alive. You are the only family I have now; Dad died last year.
Miss Thompson attended that wedding, and sat where Ted's mother would have sat. The compassion she had shown that young man entitled her to that privilege.
Let's have some real courage, and start giving to "one of the least." Sometimes I get the impression that we are a bit divided here – we have an “us” versus “them” mentality. We must remember that at the foot of the cross, we are all on level ground. Now, don’t get me wrong; we are doing great things, but we still have some work to do!
Our efforts to reach the least, the last, and the lost may produce a Ted Stallard. Even if that doesn't happen, we will have been faithful to the One who has always treated us -- as unworthy as we are -- like very special people. (Jon Johnston, Courage - You Can Stand Strong in the Face of Fear, 1990, SP Publications, pp. 111-113.)
One last thing, remember that love is not a feeling. It is a choice. God chose to love us when he sent his Son that first Advent. God continues to love us, even when we don’t deserve it. Let us keep that in mind as we relate to others. Now, let us prepare for Holy Communion; in communion we meet the lover of our souls!
"Are You In The Red?"
Theme: The only debt we should owe anyone is the debt of love; love fulfills all of God’s requirements; love your neighbor as yourself; don’t forget that we are closer than ever to meeting Jesus!
Scripture:
(Rom 13:8 NRSV) Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
(Rom 13:9 NRSV) The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
(Rom 13:10 NRSV) Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
(Rom 13:11 NRSV) Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;
(Rom 13:12 NRSV) the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;
(Rom 13:13 NRSV) let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.
(Rom 13:14 NRSV) Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
First service introduction:
(We had a lovely wedding yesterday. Megan Donnellan married Jeffrey Nuzzalow. They lit a unity candle in the service, as many couples do now days. They asked whether or not they should extinguish the two candles that they used to light the unity candle. Most couples inquire about this. I explain that they can either extinguish them or leave them lit to represent their own unique personalities. It is always interesting to see if couples leave them lit or extinguish them. I heard about a wedding where the bride and groom put their individual candles back into the candleholders with their flames still burning. Then the bride, with a gleam in her eye, bent over and blew out his candle. The congregation burst into laughter.
The church in Rome that Paul wrote to was a wedding of sorts – the wedding of two very different cultures – Jewish and Gentile (non-jewish) people. It was indeed an inter-racial group. The Jews were imposing their will upon their non-jewish brothers and sisters. They insisted that the 613 rules of the Jewish faith should still be kept even after they were saved by Christ! It was a marriage on the rocks.]
Second service introduction:
[We had a lovely wedding yesterday. Megan Donnellan married Jeffrey Nuzzalow. It was a nice celebration of young love. There is something special about weddings: two becoming one, commitment, sacred vows. Sometimes the holiness of it really overwhelms me. Somehow, by God’s power, I regain my composure.
There is a funny little story called the seven stages of the married cold –the husband’s reaction to his wife’s colds during seven years of marriage. It goes like this:
First year: “Sugar dumpling, I’m really worried about my baby girl. You’ve got a bad sniffle and there’s no telling about these things with all the strep going around. I’m putting you in the hospital this afternoon for a general checkup and good rest. I know the food’s lousy, but I’ll be bringing your meals from the expensive restaurant downtown. I’ve already got it all arranged with the head nurse.
Second year: “Listen, darling, I don’t like the sound of that cough and I’ve called Doc. Miller to rush over here. Now you go to bed like a good girl, just for Poppa.”
Third year: “Maybe you better lie down honey. Nothing like a little rest when you feel lousy. I’ll bring you something. Have we got any canned soup?”
Fourth year: “Now look, dear, be sensible. After you’ve fed the kids and got the dishes done and the floor finished, you better lie down.”
Fifth year: “Why don’t you take a couple of aspirin?”
Sixth year: “I wish you’d just gargle or something instead of sitting around barking like a seal all evening.”
Seventh year: “For Pete’s sake, stop sneezing! Are you trying to give me pneumonia?” (Hewett)
There is a lot of truth to this little story. We start off in wedded bliss, but something happens along the way. Sometimes, we take way too much for granted, don’t we? We must learn to honor one another even after the honeymoon is over.
We have lost the concept of honor in our culture, and it shows! The Orientals have a great way to honor one another – they bow. We could take a clue from that, stop, and just say to our beloved or to our kids, “Wow, I can’t believe that you’re my spouse (or my child)! Gee, I am so glad that you are here!” Try that sometime, and after they get over the shock, it will be appreciated – if you are genuine. Honor one another.
The church in Rome that Paul wrote to was a wedding of sorts – the wedding of two very different cultures – Jewish and Gentile (non-jewish) people. It was indeed an inter-racial group. The Jews were imposing their will upon their non-jewish brothers and sisters. They insisted that the 613 rules of the Jewish faith should still be kept even after they were saved by Christ! It was a marriage on the rocks.]
Paul wrote to tell his friends that the only debt that should be owed is the debt of love. When it comes to loving, we should always be in the red. Besides, he made it clear that the debt of the Jewish law was impossible was a burden too great. That was one reason that Christ came, to fulfill the law in himself and to become the way to everlasting life. To go back into the sacrificial system would be a huge step backwards. It would trample on the grace of God. It would demean the cross! Paul’s claim is that salvation is by grace through faith – not of works! The only law to be followed is the law of love!
Ted Stallard undoubtedly qualifies as the one of "the least." Turned off by school. Very sloppy in appearance. Expressionless. Unattractive. Even his teacher, Miss Thompson, enjoyed bearing down her red pen -- as she placed Xs beside his many wrong answers. If only she had studied his records more carefully. They read:
1st grade: Ted shows promise with his work and attitude, but (has) poor home situation.
2nd grade: Ted could do better. Mother seriously ill. Receives little help from home.
3rd grade: Ted is good boy but too serious. He is a slow learner. His mother died this year.
4th grade: Ted is very slow, but well-behaved. His father shows no interest whatsoever.
Christmas arrived. The children piled elaborately wrapped gifts on their teacher's desk. Ted brought one too. It was wrapped in brown paper and held together with Scotch Tape. Miss Thompson opened each gift, as the children crowded around to watch. Out of Ted's package fell a gaudy rhinestone bracelet, with half of the stones missing, and a bottle of cheap perfume. The children began to snicker. But she silenced them by splashing some of the perfume on her wrist, and letting them smell it. She put the bracelet on too.
At day's end, after the other children had left, Ted came by the teacher's desk and said, "Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother. And the bracelet looks real pretty on you. I'm glad you like my presents." He left. Miss Thompson got down on her knees and asked God to forgive her and to change her attitude.
The next day, the children were greeted by a reformed teacher -- one committed to loving each of them. Especially the slow ones. Especially Ted. Surprisingly -- or maybe, not surprisingly, Ted began to show great improvement. He actually caught up with most of the students and even passed a few.
Time came and went. Miss Thompson heard nothing from Ted for a long time. Then, one day, she received this note:
Dear Miss Thompson:
I wanted you to be the first to know. I will be graduating second in my class.
Love, Ted
Four years later, another note arrived:
Dear Miss Thompson:
They just told me I will be graduating first in my class. I wanted you to be first to know. The university has not been easy, but I liked it.
Love, Ted
And four years later:
Dear Miss Thompson:
As of today, I am Theodore Stallard, M.D. How about that? I wanted you to be the first to know. I am getting married next month, the 27th to be exact. I want you to come and sit where my mother would sit if she were alive. You are the only family I have now; Dad died last year.
Miss Thompson attended that wedding, and sat where Ted's mother would have sat. The compassion she had shown that young man entitled her to that privilege.
Let's have some real courage, and start giving to "one of the least." Sometimes I get the impression that we are a bit divided here – we have an “us” versus “them” mentality. We must remember that at the foot of the cross, we are all on level ground. Now, don’t get me wrong; we are doing great things, but we still have some work to do!
Our efforts to reach the least, the last, and the lost may produce a Ted Stallard. Even if that doesn't happen, we will have been faithful to the One who has always treated us -- as unworthy as we are -- like very special people. (Jon Johnston, Courage - You Can Stand Strong in the Face of Fear, 1990, SP Publications, pp. 111-113.)
One last thing, remember that love is not a feeling. It is a choice. God chose to love us when he sent his Son that first Advent. God continues to love us, even when we don’t deserve it. Let us keep that in mind as we relate to others. Now, let us prepare for Holy Communion; in communion we meet the lover of our souls!
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