I have one last workshop to talk about from Baby Pastor School. The last workshop I went to was Preaching Hope in an Anxious World. This workshop was probably the most useful but also the most dangerous.
The presenter was Chuck (sorry I don't have his last name) who is a retired pastor from Upstate New York. Chuck apparently is quite a preacher and a little crazy in his preaching style. While giving very helpful information like a list of "Ten Holy Habits toward more effective preaching" and some breakdowns of where he sees hope in the text for this Lenten season, he also put great thoughts in my mind about how to create lasting images for people when preaching. According to Chuck, he has never preached about Zacchaeus except from atop a ladder. He has also thrown seed packets at people when preaching on the parable of the seeds, among other things.
Some of these ideas seem crazy but to me they also seem freeing. I don't preach from the pulpit. Some of the best sermons I have every heard may not have been the ones I remember, but I remember the ones that had an image that was shown either with great verbal imagery or through props. In many ways I would rather have someone remember a sermon that was mediocre then forget a really good sermon.
So will I start preaching on ladders or throwing seed packets? I don't know yet but I do feel like it is a possibility. Let's see what everyone's response is to that.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
It Doesn't Always Make Sense to Trust
The test this past Sunday were: Isaiah 6:1-13, Psalm 138, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and Luke 5:1-11. These sermon was mainly based on the text from Luke. I also did something fun and used more storytelling techniques while reading the Gospel. Didn't really get any feedback on it though since I stood at a different door in order to catch someone when they left.
Oh and on another fun note, yesterday afternoon I went to the ordination of three women: Judy Converse, Sandy Demmler-D'Amico and Peggy Yingst. It was the first ordination that I went to since my own ordination back in September. Congratulations ladies! You are and will be wonderful pastors.
But now on to the sermon:
I would love to know exactly what was going through Simon Peter’s mind when Jesus told him to go out into the deep waters in order to catch some fish. Was Simon sarcastic? “Oh sure we will go out fishing some more. It is not like us professional fishermen have not been out all night and haven’t caught anything. But of course by all means, if a carpenter says that there is fish, well then there has to be fish.” Or maybe he was eager to please the man who had jut healed his mother-in-law. “Yes master, we haven’t caught anything but you must know where the fish are for I have seen you heal many people” Maybe he thought it was worth a chance “Sure master, I mean we haven’t caught anything but as long as we are out here, what harm is it to put out the nets one more time?” Or maybe he was just plain tired and wanted to go home after a long night of unsuccessful fishing and thought if he just did as Jesus told him, then he could go home and take a nap. “Oh Lord, I’m so tired, we haven’t caught any all night, but if it makes you happy I will cast down my nets, but then can I go home and sleep?”
But regardless of his mood, regardless if he wanted to prove Jesus wrong, or just get home to sleep, there was a level of trust Simon had in Jesus. He didn’t rebuke him entirely, telling Jesus that he must be crazy, nor did he refuse to cast out his nets. Instead, whether with complete conviction or just half heartedly, Simon trusts in Jesus.
And sometimes it makes no sense to trust Jesus. Simon was a professional fisherman, Jesus was a carpenter from a land locked town. Why would Jesus know where the fish are to be found when Simon spent all night without a catch? Jesus was a man who lived two thousand years ago in a Jewish culture and we are living here today, in the year 2010, in America, with economic uncertainty, constant influences from media, in a county with one of the largest income per capita. Jesus knew nothing about modern-day living. About current pressures on our time, our finances, our families. Trusting Jesus doesn’t make a whole lot of sense if you look at it from a critical perspective. In fact it makes about as much sense as Simon trusting that Jesus knew where the fish were. Maybe that is why so many people do not attend church: because it doesn’t make sense to trust in Jesus.
But Simon does trust Jesus, maybe not willingly, maybe not with all of his heart, soul and mind. He was probably thinking about other things, he was probably thinking it was a waste of time or wouldn’t lead to anything. But Simon Peter did trust Jesus. He cast out his nets.
And boy was that a fruitful cast. The nets were so full of fish that they were beginning to break. The nets were so full that he had to call to his partners James and John in the other boat to help him. The nets were so full that both boats almost sank under the weight of all the fish. Simon then trusted Jesus and left everything to follow him. Simon trusted Jesus and became Peter. Simon Peter trusted Jesus and became one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples. Simon Peter trusted Jesus and saw Moses and Elijah on the mountain top. Simon Peter trusted Jesus and became the rock on which the Jesus’ church has been built. Simon Peter trusted Jesus and he was never again the same.
This trust was not easy. Simon was still human. Multiple times in the gospels Simon questions Jesus. Simon wants to stay on the mountain and build dwelling places for Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Simon Peter questioned about the direction of the early church, after Jesus was no longer there to guide him, he worried about decisions over early converts, eating unclean foods, or how to appropriate worship. Simon trusted Jesus but he also did not blindly follow. He may have left everything he owned behind to follow Jesus, but he did not leave behind the human need and desire to question, to think about, to second guess who was leading him.
And what about us? Many of us say that we trust God, even if it seems ridiculous at times. We second guess God. We run away from what God is calling us to do, whether it is a career, a relationship, a volunteer activity or a social event. We try to over-analyze what is in our best interest or what we can afford and try to go with what others are doing. We do these things instead of listing to our heart, to what God is calling us to do.
Is God calling you to give a few bucks to the Haiti relief efforts because that is what other people are doing and what you can afford, or is God calling you to organize a group of people to go down there and help people in need rebuild their homes. Is God calling you to work in your current field because it is economically secure and you don’t mind the work that much or is God calling you to a different field that might be less pay but allows you to do a greater good in the world? Is God calling you to enjoy the Sunday School program and choir or is God calling you to use your teaching skills or voice in order to be a more active participate in the life of Bethlehem? Is God calling you to tell others about how you trust in Jesus, even when it doesn’t make a lot of sense? Is God calling you to invite a friend or neighbor to church? What is God calling you to do?
Jesus called Simon to trust him, and Simon followed. Jesus is calling us to trust him. And it may not make a lot of sense. But when we trust in Jesus, when we follow where Jesus is calling us, when we ignore what is rational and instead do what God wants us to do the rewards are great. When we trust in Jesus our nets are so full that they are breaking. When we following where Christ is calling us our nets are so full that we have to call on others for help. When we do what is on our hearts and minds our nets are so full that our boats are almost sinking under the weight. When we follow Christ we will never again be the same.
Oh and on another fun note, yesterday afternoon I went to the ordination of three women: Judy Converse, Sandy Demmler-D'Amico and Peggy Yingst. It was the first ordination that I went to since my own ordination back in September. Congratulations ladies! You are and will be wonderful pastors.
But now on to the sermon:
I would love to know exactly what was going through Simon Peter’s mind when Jesus told him to go out into the deep waters in order to catch some fish. Was Simon sarcastic? “Oh sure we will go out fishing some more. It is not like us professional fishermen have not been out all night and haven’t caught anything. But of course by all means, if a carpenter says that there is fish, well then there has to be fish.” Or maybe he was eager to please the man who had jut healed his mother-in-law. “Yes master, we haven’t caught anything but you must know where the fish are for I have seen you heal many people” Maybe he thought it was worth a chance “Sure master, I mean we haven’t caught anything but as long as we are out here, what harm is it to put out the nets one more time?” Or maybe he was just plain tired and wanted to go home after a long night of unsuccessful fishing and thought if he just did as Jesus told him, then he could go home and take a nap. “Oh Lord, I’m so tired, we haven’t caught any all night, but if it makes you happy I will cast down my nets, but then can I go home and sleep?”
But regardless of his mood, regardless if he wanted to prove Jesus wrong, or just get home to sleep, there was a level of trust Simon had in Jesus. He didn’t rebuke him entirely, telling Jesus that he must be crazy, nor did he refuse to cast out his nets. Instead, whether with complete conviction or just half heartedly, Simon trusts in Jesus.
And sometimes it makes no sense to trust Jesus. Simon was a professional fisherman, Jesus was a carpenter from a land locked town. Why would Jesus know where the fish are to be found when Simon spent all night without a catch? Jesus was a man who lived two thousand years ago in a Jewish culture and we are living here today, in the year 2010, in America, with economic uncertainty, constant influences from media, in a county with one of the largest income per capita. Jesus knew nothing about modern-day living. About current pressures on our time, our finances, our families. Trusting Jesus doesn’t make a whole lot of sense if you look at it from a critical perspective. In fact it makes about as much sense as Simon trusting that Jesus knew where the fish were. Maybe that is why so many people do not attend church: because it doesn’t make sense to trust in Jesus.
But Simon does trust Jesus, maybe not willingly, maybe not with all of his heart, soul and mind. He was probably thinking about other things, he was probably thinking it was a waste of time or wouldn’t lead to anything. But Simon Peter did trust Jesus. He cast out his nets.
And boy was that a fruitful cast. The nets were so full of fish that they were beginning to break. The nets were so full that he had to call to his partners James and John in the other boat to help him. The nets were so full that both boats almost sank under the weight of all the fish. Simon then trusted Jesus and left everything to follow him. Simon trusted Jesus and became Peter. Simon Peter trusted Jesus and became one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples. Simon Peter trusted Jesus and saw Moses and Elijah on the mountain top. Simon Peter trusted Jesus and became the rock on which the Jesus’ church has been built. Simon Peter trusted Jesus and he was never again the same.
This trust was not easy. Simon was still human. Multiple times in the gospels Simon questions Jesus. Simon wants to stay on the mountain and build dwelling places for Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Simon Peter questioned about the direction of the early church, after Jesus was no longer there to guide him, he worried about decisions over early converts, eating unclean foods, or how to appropriate worship. Simon trusted Jesus but he also did not blindly follow. He may have left everything he owned behind to follow Jesus, but he did not leave behind the human need and desire to question, to think about, to second guess who was leading him.
And what about us? Many of us say that we trust God, even if it seems ridiculous at times. We second guess God. We run away from what God is calling us to do, whether it is a career, a relationship, a volunteer activity or a social event. We try to over-analyze what is in our best interest or what we can afford and try to go with what others are doing. We do these things instead of listing to our heart, to what God is calling us to do.
Is God calling you to give a few bucks to the Haiti relief efforts because that is what other people are doing and what you can afford, or is God calling you to organize a group of people to go down there and help people in need rebuild their homes. Is God calling you to work in your current field because it is economically secure and you don’t mind the work that much or is God calling you to a different field that might be less pay but allows you to do a greater good in the world? Is God calling you to enjoy the Sunday School program and choir or is God calling you to use your teaching skills or voice in order to be a more active participate in the life of Bethlehem? Is God calling you to tell others about how you trust in Jesus, even when it doesn’t make a lot of sense? Is God calling you to invite a friend or neighbor to church? What is God calling you to do?
Jesus called Simon to trust him, and Simon followed. Jesus is calling us to trust him. And it may not make a lot of sense. But when we trust in Jesus, when we follow where Jesus is calling us, when we ignore what is rational and instead do what God wants us to do the rewards are great. When we trust in Jesus our nets are so full that they are breaking. When we following where Christ is calling us our nets are so full that we have to call on others for help. When we do what is on our hearts and minds our nets are so full that our boats are almost sinking under the weight. When we follow Christ we will never again be the same.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Bringing Stories of Justice into the Pulpit.
The second workshop I attended at Baby Pastor School was entitled "Brining Stories of Justice into the Pulpit. This was one of those workshops that talked about two different topics that could have each been their own workshop: biblical storytelling and preaching on social justice issues.
I was really struck by the biblical storytelling ideas. When the Bible is just read straight word for word, often it can come off as boring and things are missed. I think most people have heard a reading done, whether a bible reading or a class lecture, when the text is read word for word with no emotion or emphasis and all pausing is evenly paced. When this is done it is hard to absorb what is important or the emotions that were present. We don't tell stories this way.
As a child, my family would go to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri about once a year. Sliver Dollar City is a theme park where you step back in time 100 years (now I think it is permanently set in the 1890's). The park hires blacksmiths, leather workers, candle makers and other tradespeople who specialize in creating goods in a historic fashion, but one of my favorite trades people were the storytellers. I would sit and listen to their stories multiple times throughout our long weekend visits to the park. And each year I could hear the same story over and over again and then my siblings and I would try and retell the story to each other in that same fashion. The stories were spell binding - you could never leave during the middle of one. The stories were fascinating - you wanted to hear what happened, even if you already knew the ending. These professional story tellers were telling stories in a tradition that had been practiced for thousands of years, by captivating and truly engaging the audience.
Unfortunately this craft has been deteriorating first as more people were literate and therefore able to read the words themselves instead of having to hear stories retold, and more recently due to competition from movies, television, internet and video games.
But this spellbinding story telling is what biblical story telling tries to capture. No one wants to hear words read to them in a monotone fashion. The bible was originally stories that were told orally over and over again. And the storytellers used the tone of their voice, pausing, actions and possibly props to tell these stories.
I normally do try to add some emphasis and pausing while reading the gospel lesson for the week in order to convey more meaning. But now this is something that I want to experiment with, by rehearsing different ways of telling the story and not being so worry about having to stick to the NRSV translation word for word. Who knows, maybe I'll got to Festival Gathering for the Network of Biblical Storytellers for a future continuing education experience.
I was really struck by the biblical storytelling ideas. When the Bible is just read straight word for word, often it can come off as boring and things are missed. I think most people have heard a reading done, whether a bible reading or a class lecture, when the text is read word for word with no emotion or emphasis and all pausing is evenly paced. When this is done it is hard to absorb what is important or the emotions that were present. We don't tell stories this way.
As a child, my family would go to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri about once a year. Sliver Dollar City is a theme park where you step back in time 100 years (now I think it is permanently set in the 1890's). The park hires blacksmiths, leather workers, candle makers and other tradespeople who specialize in creating goods in a historic fashion, but one of my favorite trades people were the storytellers. I would sit and listen to their stories multiple times throughout our long weekend visits to the park. And each year I could hear the same story over and over again and then my siblings and I would try and retell the story to each other in that same fashion. The stories were spell binding - you could never leave during the middle of one. The stories were fascinating - you wanted to hear what happened, even if you already knew the ending. These professional story tellers were telling stories in a tradition that had been practiced for thousands of years, by captivating and truly engaging the audience.
Unfortunately this craft has been deteriorating first as more people were literate and therefore able to read the words themselves instead of having to hear stories retold, and more recently due to competition from movies, television, internet and video games.
But this spellbinding story telling is what biblical story telling tries to capture. No one wants to hear words read to them in a monotone fashion. The bible was originally stories that were told orally over and over again. And the storytellers used the tone of their voice, pausing, actions and possibly props to tell these stories.
I normally do try to add some emphasis and pausing while reading the gospel lesson for the week in order to convey more meaning. But now this is something that I want to experiment with, by rehearsing different ways of telling the story and not being so worry about having to stick to the NRSV translation word for word. Who knows, maybe I'll got to Festival Gathering for the Network of Biblical Storytellers for a future continuing education experience.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Living Abundantly in Times of Sacristy
My first workshop at Baby Pastor School was entitled Living Abundantly in Times of Sacristy. The workshop presenter was Scott Schantzenbach who is the stewardship specialist for the New Jersey Synod.
This was one of those workshops that had so much information that we didn't even get to a quarter of it. Scott suggested many different stewardship practices that work in both periods of financial booms and busts. But first what is stewardship?
Stewardship is giving to God what belongs to God. But everything belongs to God. So in a more hands one approach it is more about giving to God (offering, tithe, whatever you want to call it) out of everything that we have and not out of what is left in our checking account at the end of the month after we have paid all of our other bills.
Scott offered twelve practical ideas. I'm not going to list all twelve but instead touch on a few.
* Remain Missional and Enjoy the Moment. It is very easy for the church to become business like and either dwell on the past or have future outlooks, but when we do so we miss the point that the business of the church is to make disciples and preach the gospel. If the church get hung up about the decor, or a social statement that doesn't greatly effect us or an annual event that only a few people attend, then we are not doing the mission of the church and therefor are not being good stewards.
* Conduct Financial Stewardship Programs Three Times This Year Many people aren't sure if they are going to have a job in year, but 4 months is a little more manageable. So instead of pledging a dollar amount for the entire year, pledge what you are going to give within the next four months, then do it again for the next four.
* Asset Mapping Asset Mapping is a process when you look at what you have and the needs of the congregation and community and then you map and match those assets with the needs. Not all needs have assets and not all assets are needed. But by doing so you see how each person's gifts can be used for mission. What needs do you see in the community? How do you have the gifts and skills to address those needs?
* 10-10-80 Ideally each person/family should share 10% of their income with the church and charity, save 10% and live off of the remaining 80%. Don't think you can do it? For a month save every single receipt and put them in three buckets, one for spending, one for saving and one for sharing. The twist? We have a hard time deciding between what we need in order to provide for ourselves and our family and what we want as consumers. At the end of the month dig through that spending bucket. Put things like the mortgage, car payments and basic groceries in the provide category and things like eating out, entertainment, and the daily coffee in the consume category. Then work on spending down your consuming in order to share and save more.
So how do you see stewardship? Do you regularly give to God? If so, do you give from all that you have or from the leftovers? How would you change the talk of stewardship at Bethlehem or at your own church?
I ended up skipping my second workshop because well, let's just say the food wasn't vegetarian friendly and a girl has to eat so the workshop time right after dinner was used for a better good. Tomorrow "Bringing Stories of Justice into the Pulpit."
This was one of those workshops that had so much information that we didn't even get to a quarter of it. Scott suggested many different stewardship practices that work in both periods of financial booms and busts. But first what is stewardship?
Stewardship is giving to God what belongs to God. But everything belongs to God. So in a more hands one approach it is more about giving to God (offering, tithe, whatever you want to call it) out of everything that we have and not out of what is left in our checking account at the end of the month after we have paid all of our other bills.
Scott offered twelve practical ideas. I'm not going to list all twelve but instead touch on a few.
* Remain Missional and Enjoy the Moment. It is very easy for the church to become business like and either dwell on the past or have future outlooks, but when we do so we miss the point that the business of the church is to make disciples and preach the gospel. If the church get hung up about the decor, or a social statement that doesn't greatly effect us or an annual event that only a few people attend, then we are not doing the mission of the church and therefor are not being good stewards.
* Conduct Financial Stewardship Programs Three Times This Year Many people aren't sure if they are going to have a job in year, but 4 months is a little more manageable. So instead of pledging a dollar amount for the entire year, pledge what you are going to give within the next four months, then do it again for the next four.
* Asset Mapping Asset Mapping is a process when you look at what you have and the needs of the congregation and community and then you map and match those assets with the needs. Not all needs have assets and not all assets are needed. But by doing so you see how each person's gifts can be used for mission. What needs do you see in the community? How do you have the gifts and skills to address those needs?
* 10-10-80 Ideally each person/family should share 10% of their income with the church and charity, save 10% and live off of the remaining 80%. Don't think you can do it? For a month save every single receipt and put them in three buckets, one for spending, one for saving and one for sharing. The twist? We have a hard time deciding between what we need in order to provide for ourselves and our family and what we want as consumers. At the end of the month dig through that spending bucket. Put things like the mortgage, car payments and basic groceries in the provide category and things like eating out, entertainment, and the daily coffee in the consume category. Then work on spending down your consuming in order to share and save more.
So how do you see stewardship? Do you regularly give to God? If so, do you give from all that you have or from the leftovers? How would you change the talk of stewardship at Bethlehem or at your own church?
I ended up skipping my second workshop because well, let's just say the food wasn't vegetarian friendly and a girl has to eat so the workshop time right after dinner was used for a better good. Tomorrow "Bringing Stories of Justice into the Pulpit."
Monday, February 1, 2010
Baby Pastor School
This past week I was at the Institute for Congregational Ministry (aka Baby Pastor School). ICM is nicked named Baby Pastor School because it is a required continuing education conference for all pastors, associates in ministries and diaconal ministers in the Northeast in their first three years of ministry post ordination/commissioning/consecration. Yeah it is kinda confusing wording hence the name Baby Pastor School. But shhhh I'm not suppose to call it that.
The conference is and interesting experience because all the hundred or so participates gathered have in common is that they are new to their jobs. There are people from thriving suburban churches who are the second or even third pastor, people in rural communities dividing their time between two or three churches, people in struggling inner-city churches and some who are unique calls developing programs with a specific community. So it is really hard to make workshops and even keynote speakers be relevant to all those gathered.
This year the theme of the conference was "Embodying Hope for an Anxious World." In the midst of economic turmoil, earthquakes, foreclosed homes, high unemployment, sky high health care cost, etc, people are anxious but we as a church are a people of hope. So how in the midst of so much anxiety do we preach, distill, and embody hope?
The keynote speaker, Terry Leib, has many years of experiences as a social worker and counselor. Terry talked quite a bit about the idea of a God image. Basically everyone has an image of God, even non-believers. God could be a loving, grace-filled being; a hateful wrathful God who will turn on you in an instant for doing something wrong; a being who is far, far away and has no relationship with us on earth; or a caring parent-like being who you have a personal relationship with. These are just a few of the many, many God images that people have.
The idea is that we cannot impose our God image onto someone else. If their God image is one of hatefulness and we come with a God image of love, since one God image is so different from the other the new one will be rejected. Instead we must first ask what someone's God image is and get to know that image and work with that image. Often if a person's God image is a negative one, that effects many other aspects of their life. If their God image is one that is never able to be pleased, then they often work to constantly please others or have given up pleasing anyone because there is no use.
So what is your God image? How do you see God? What have been your experiences when someone with an different God image has tried to force their view of God onto you?
I also attended a few workshops at Baby Pastor School that I will talk about in the coming days, so be prepared. And in case you are looking for it, I do not have a sermon from yesterday, since I was gone all week I asked Jack Saarela the pastor of Lutheran Campus Ministries at Yale to preach. This worked out well considering I ended up being extremely sick on Saturday and Sunday morning
Yes I know the Vikings lost the NFC championship. Really the Saints did not win as much as the Vikings lost (5 turnovers!) and yet the Saints didn't win until the stupid NFL sudden death overtime.
The conference is and interesting experience because all the hundred or so participates gathered have in common is that they are new to their jobs. There are people from thriving suburban churches who are the second or even third pastor, people in rural communities dividing their time between two or three churches, people in struggling inner-city churches and some who are unique calls developing programs with a specific community. So it is really hard to make workshops and even keynote speakers be relevant to all those gathered.
This year the theme of the conference was "Embodying Hope for an Anxious World." In the midst of economic turmoil, earthquakes, foreclosed homes, high unemployment, sky high health care cost, etc, people are anxious but we as a church are a people of hope. So how in the midst of so much anxiety do we preach, distill, and embody hope?
The keynote speaker, Terry Leib, has many years of experiences as a social worker and counselor. Terry talked quite a bit about the idea of a God image. Basically everyone has an image of God, even non-believers. God could be a loving, grace-filled being; a hateful wrathful God who will turn on you in an instant for doing something wrong; a being who is far, far away and has no relationship with us on earth; or a caring parent-like being who you have a personal relationship with. These are just a few of the many, many God images that people have.
The idea is that we cannot impose our God image onto someone else. If their God image is one of hatefulness and we come with a God image of love, since one God image is so different from the other the new one will be rejected. Instead we must first ask what someone's God image is and get to know that image and work with that image. Often if a person's God image is a negative one, that effects many other aspects of their life. If their God image is one that is never able to be pleased, then they often work to constantly please others or have given up pleasing anyone because there is no use.
So what is your God image? How do you see God? What have been your experiences when someone with an different God image has tried to force their view of God onto you?
I also attended a few workshops at Baby Pastor School that I will talk about in the coming days, so be prepared. And in case you are looking for it, I do not have a sermon from yesterday, since I was gone all week I asked Jack Saarela the pastor of Lutheran Campus Ministries at Yale to preach. This worked out well considering I ended up being extremely sick on Saturday and Sunday morning
Yes I know the Vikings lost the NFC championship. Really the Saints did not win as much as the Vikings lost (5 turnovers!) and yet the Saints didn't win until the stupid NFL sudden death overtime.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Worship is for God's sake
Just a quick sermon post as I rest up after a hospital run and before watching the Vikings game this evening. I'll be at a conference all week and I don't know about internet access so I wanted to make sure I posted this today.
The readings for this week were Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a and Luke 4:14-21
All the texts have themes of worship and community which is where I went with my sermon, or at least tried to. Enjoy!
Jesus was in the synagogue teaching. Jesus went to church! This may seem like an amazing thing for some people – why would Jesus need to win brownie points with God, and why did he need to come to a place of worship in order to pray or hear God? But Jesus being in worship is not an abnormal thing, in verse 15 of our gospel: “He began to teach in their synagogues.” Synagogues – plural, and in verse 16: “he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom.”
As was his custom – that is kind of a funny phrase. Every translation I have of the Bible, except one, uses the phrase “as was his custom” or “according to his custom.” So what makes something a custom? Because you have done it once before? Because you have always done it that way?
So I ask you: Why did you come to church today? Why didn’t you sleep in, go grocery shopping, get some stuff done around the house or the other laundry list of other things you could be doing right now? So seriously why did you come to worship today?
It is important to know why we worship. We worship at times because we want to thank God for what we have been given. We worship at times because we want to pray for someone who is ill or dying. …. And sometimes we worship because someone made us, or because we always come and the week just isn’t the same when we don’t go to worship on Sunday. Sometimes we go because it is our custom.
We worship and don’t worship for a variety of reasons. We find a church because it has the programs we want, or our friends go there, or we like the people. We stop going because we are frustrated with what is going on in and outside of worship, we don’t like the music, we don’t like the new pastor, we don’t agree with what others at the church or within the denomination have to say about some political/social statement. The reasons why we worship or don’t worship change throughout our lives, sometimes those reasons even change week to week.
And sometimes you may just force yourself to be here physically even if you are not here mentally, spiritually or emotionally. But I want you to think about this. Have you ever been in worship and out of the corner of your eye you see someone who obviously does not want to be there? They are standing in a bored defensive posture, checking their watch every few minutes, never opening up the hymnal, never responding in the liturgy, (which by the way means the work of the people). How does that make you feel? Does it distract you? Does it keep you from truly praising God? From singing as loudly as you may otherwise?
Or have you been in a worship service with quiet a few people but you can’t hear anybody singing? What does that do to your singing? To your voice as you praise God?
When you worship with others who are there to worship, there to praise God, there to sing and pray and commune with those around them, something magical, awe-inspiring, dare I even say spiritual happens. When you worship with people who are not checking the time or worried about everything they have to get done that day and instead are able to truly turn their hearts and minds to God whether they are full of praise or lament, joy or grief. When we all are able to give up whatever we have on our hearts and minds to God you can feel the Spirit moving. You can feel Christ here with us, you can feel God in your heart, you can feel the Holy Spirit moving your body, mind and soul and you can feel the presence of God in others who are there worshiping with you.
Because worship is not about us! Worship is about God. Worship is what happens to us, by God, when we think we are praising God with songs, prayers and scripture. Worship is what happens to us when we are given new insights about what God is calling us to do, or about where the Holy Spirit is leading us, or what a parable Jesus told two thousand years ago has to do with us today.
Worship is for God’s sake. In worship we sing hymns together as a community. In worship, we pray as a community and for the community, both individuals members and the whole body of Christ. Worship is a communal event, it builds community, it brings us together in a way nothing else in society does. We pray together, sing together, read scripture together, eat at the Lord’s Table together, and then go out into the greater community knowing that we will be supported by these people who worship with us and that we are supporting them.
Through worship, we are individuals but we make up something so much greater than anyone of us alone. Through worship, we commune with Christians of every time and every place. When we receive that body and blood of Christ we are communing, eating, sharing time, with both Christ and the others physically in this room around us, but also we are communing with people throughout the world and throughout time. Right now there are people in Haiti, people who have been devastated by two earthquakes, have had family and friends died during those quakes but who are right now, right this instance worshiping. Through Christ, the people of Haiti are here worshiping with us and we are there worshiping with them. And we are worshiping, communing with people on the other side of the world who may actually be in bed right now, people in China and Australia. And we are worshiping with people throughout time, with our parents, grandparents, and other ancestors and even the twelve disciples who were at Jesus’ Last Supper.
Through worship we become the body of Christ, we become Christ’s hand who do Christ work in the world; we become Christ’s feet walking in the way of Christ and leading others to him; we become Christ’s ears, listening to those in need and hearing the gospel; we become Christ’s eye, seeing the good in those around us; we become Christ’s lips, praising others and speaking the good news; we become Christ’s shoulders, bearing the burden of others; and through worship we become Christ’s heart, loving all people.
In worship, through worship, God comes to us and we become part of a community, part of the body of Christ. And that is why we worship.
The readings for this week were Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a and Luke 4:14-21
All the texts have themes of worship and community which is where I went with my sermon, or at least tried to. Enjoy!
Jesus was in the synagogue teaching. Jesus went to church! This may seem like an amazing thing for some people – why would Jesus need to win brownie points with God, and why did he need to come to a place of worship in order to pray or hear God? But Jesus being in worship is not an abnormal thing, in verse 15 of our gospel: “He began to teach in their synagogues.” Synagogues – plural, and in verse 16: “he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom.”
As was his custom – that is kind of a funny phrase. Every translation I have of the Bible, except one, uses the phrase “as was his custom” or “according to his custom.” So what makes something a custom? Because you have done it once before? Because you have always done it that way?
So I ask you: Why did you come to church today? Why didn’t you sleep in, go grocery shopping, get some stuff done around the house or the other laundry list of other things you could be doing right now? So seriously why did you come to worship today?
It is important to know why we worship. We worship at times because we want to thank God for what we have been given. We worship at times because we want to pray for someone who is ill or dying. …. And sometimes we worship because someone made us, or because we always come and the week just isn’t the same when we don’t go to worship on Sunday. Sometimes we go because it is our custom.
We worship and don’t worship for a variety of reasons. We find a church because it has the programs we want, or our friends go there, or we like the people. We stop going because we are frustrated with what is going on in and outside of worship, we don’t like the music, we don’t like the new pastor, we don’t agree with what others at the church or within the denomination have to say about some political/social statement. The reasons why we worship or don’t worship change throughout our lives, sometimes those reasons even change week to week.
And sometimes you may just force yourself to be here physically even if you are not here mentally, spiritually or emotionally. But I want you to think about this. Have you ever been in worship and out of the corner of your eye you see someone who obviously does not want to be there? They are standing in a bored defensive posture, checking their watch every few minutes, never opening up the hymnal, never responding in the liturgy, (which by the way means the work of the people). How does that make you feel? Does it distract you? Does it keep you from truly praising God? From singing as loudly as you may otherwise?
Or have you been in a worship service with quiet a few people but you can’t hear anybody singing? What does that do to your singing? To your voice as you praise God?
When you worship with others who are there to worship, there to praise God, there to sing and pray and commune with those around them, something magical, awe-inspiring, dare I even say spiritual happens. When you worship with people who are not checking the time or worried about everything they have to get done that day and instead are able to truly turn their hearts and minds to God whether they are full of praise or lament, joy or grief. When we all are able to give up whatever we have on our hearts and minds to God you can feel the Spirit moving. You can feel Christ here with us, you can feel God in your heart, you can feel the Holy Spirit moving your body, mind and soul and you can feel the presence of God in others who are there worshiping with you.
Because worship is not about us! Worship is about God. Worship is what happens to us, by God, when we think we are praising God with songs, prayers and scripture. Worship is what happens to us when we are given new insights about what God is calling us to do, or about where the Holy Spirit is leading us, or what a parable Jesus told two thousand years ago has to do with us today.
Worship is for God’s sake. In worship we sing hymns together as a community. In worship, we pray as a community and for the community, both individuals members and the whole body of Christ. Worship is a communal event, it builds community, it brings us together in a way nothing else in society does. We pray together, sing together, read scripture together, eat at the Lord’s Table together, and then go out into the greater community knowing that we will be supported by these people who worship with us and that we are supporting them.
Through worship, we are individuals but we make up something so much greater than anyone of us alone. Through worship, we commune with Christians of every time and every place. When we receive that body and blood of Christ we are communing, eating, sharing time, with both Christ and the others physically in this room around us, but also we are communing with people throughout the world and throughout time. Right now there are people in Haiti, people who have been devastated by two earthquakes, have had family and friends died during those quakes but who are right now, right this instance worshiping. Through Christ, the people of Haiti are here worshiping with us and we are there worshiping with them. And we are worshiping, communing with people on the other side of the world who may actually be in bed right now, people in China and Australia. And we are worshiping with people throughout time, with our parents, grandparents, and other ancestors and even the twelve disciples who were at Jesus’ Last Supper.
Through worship we become the body of Christ, we become Christ’s hand who do Christ work in the world; we become Christ’s feet walking in the way of Christ and leading others to him; we become Christ’s ears, listening to those in need and hearing the gospel; we become Christ’s eye, seeing the good in those around us; we become Christ’s lips, praising others and speaking the good news; we become Christ’s shoulders, bearing the burden of others; and through worship we become Christ’s heart, loving all people.
In worship, through worship, God comes to us and we become part of a community, part of the body of Christ. And that is why we worship.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Gift of Life
On Tuesday I did something that I haven't done in at least 5 years - I gave blood. I made an appointment at the local donation center and got tapped.
Between the pre-questions, the blood draw and the sitting in the canteen for a few minutes afterward eating hard pretzels and drinking cranberry juice it took less than an hour.
So check out the Red Cross's website and make an appointment to give the gift of life.
And as an added bonus during January if you give a pint of blood you get a coupon for a free pound of Dunkin Doughnuts coffee (granted I don't drink coffee but I'm sure Bob will enjoy it).
Between the pre-questions, the blood draw and the sitting in the canteen for a few minutes afterward eating hard pretzels and drinking cranberry juice it took less than an hour.
So check out the Red Cross's website and make an appointment to give the gift of life.
And as an added bonus during January if you give a pint of blood you get a coupon for a free pound of Dunkin Doughnuts coffee (granted I don't drink coffee but I'm sure Bob will enjoy it).
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