I knew that I was reliant on the internet, and I would even admit to times being addicted to the internet, but I did not realize just how much the internet effected a large majority of my life until earlier this week.
On Sunday mornings, I get up and head over to the church by 8:30, (I normally try for earlier but 8:30 is about the earliest I tend to make it). Bob meanwhile takes his time and comes over at 9am for bible study. After worship and coffee hour, I normally have a meeting have some office work to do, or stick around and chat with people. Bob normally sticks around for coffee hour and heads home and studies or works until I get back to the house.
This past Sunday Bob bible study was sort of canceled since we were the only two that showed up and I didn't have much time to prepare due to the pasta dinner this past Saturday. So Bob went back to the house to study. (It is very convenient that we live only 50 yards from the church). When he came back for worship, a little earlier than normal he said something about the internet not working (not entirely a new thing for us) and played with the modem which in my office.
After worship and coffee hour he went home and came back a little while later again saying that the internet wasn't working. He looked up AT&T's phone number in church's file but when he tried the church's phone there wasn't a dial tone. So he got on his cell phone and 20 minutes later proclaimed that the autobot told him that the internet will be fixed by Tuesday! What 3 days without the internet!
A few phone calls later to talk be able to talk a real person, we were told that there was a major malfunction and crews were working on it but it would be out till Tuesday.
Okay I can live without the internet for a few days, it is no big deal.
But Saturday I made a mint cheesecake for Luther House at Yale were I was bringing dinner to that evening. I still needed to make the topping but the recipe is on the internet. So I called my parents and after a failed Google search for the recipe, I was able to give my dad the web address for the recipe and make sure I had the right amount of ingredients (good thing I had made the the cheesecake a few times before).
After making the cheesecake and taking a nap, I really just wanted to take an hour or so and veg watching while watching tv before going to Luther House and then theology pub. But we don't have cable and we do not get any reception here in the hills of Connecticut so we watch all of our tv online, mainly on Hulu. Okay so no tv watching for me.
I decided to read instead, but I have a hard time reading in silence and often have pandora.com on while I read or I listen to npr.org while typing. Because like the tv reception we get about 3 radio stations fairly spotty in our house. And this is how little traditional radio we listen to, I had to go find a radio and plug it in.
After Theology Pub, I checked my email on my phone (YAY phone technology) and also checked my calendar for the upcoming week since it too is on the internet. Luckily there was nothing that I forgot about.
Bob works from home on Monday, normally writing and coordinating volunteers for later in the week, via email. I spend a good part of my Monday sending emails about upcoming events or coordinating with people, getting and reading commentaries on the upcoming Sunday's lectionary text via the internet, sending out my Monday Morning Church email, posting it on this blog, etc.
So we decided to work from the library on Monday (gratefully they do not use AT&T and therefore had internet). But we didn't know the library hours since normally we would look that up on the internet or their phone number (again needing the internet) so we ended up showing up an half hour before they officially opened an hung out in the lobby until the rest of the building opened.
We ended up renting movies from the library for our evening entertainment, and luckily by the time we were done watching them the internet was back up so I didn't have to figure out what else to do with myself.
Ohh internet, how you have seeped into just about every aspect of our lives. Please do not leave me again soon.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
MMC: Questions on Faith
So normally I try not to do two post in one day, but our internet is out was I was not able to post my sermon yesterday. Every Monday I send out an email to members and friends of the congregation with some announcements about upcoming events and questions on the text for the coming Sunday. Here is today's email:
Have a blessed week!
Good Morning!
First off: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! To everyone who baked, cooked, set up, cleaned up and attended the pasta dinner on Saturday evening. The final totals are not yet in, but we raised over $700 for the basement remodeling fund which is a great start towards our goal.
Next a quick note about contacts: AT&T had a “major failure” and therefore the church’s (and parsonage’s) internet and land line phone, will be out until possibly Wednesday. Therefore my email and the church’s phone will be spotty for the next few days. (I’m emailing this from the library) My cell phone however is working so if you need anything please call me there. I can also check email from my phone but I will not be doing that too regularly.
Announcements about upcoming events:
· Next week is our African Worship as we celebrate World Communion Sunday. All of our music will be traditional African music or written by African composers (many of which we already know). A special collection will be taken for Healing Hope Mission International in Malawi
· Blessing of the Animals is coming! Mark your calendars for October 17 at 2pm , rain or shine! All leashed or caged pets are welcome. A collection will be taken for ROAR.
· Senior lunch is now on Wednesdays! We will be meeting at Old Blue Bird Inn on Black Rock Turnpike in Easton on Wednesday October 6th at noon. All are welcome (you don't have to be a senior to attend)
Now onto the text:
The first lesson is Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4. Habakkuk is lamenting over all the injustice and violence, crying out “How long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you 'Violence!' and you will not save?" And yet Habakkuk feels like among all the injustice God is silent. Have you ever felt like your prayers go unanswered? Starting in 2:2 God answers saying that the wicked will die and the righteous will live by their faith. When has God answered your prayers, especially later than expected or in a different way than expected? Did the outcome turn out to be what was best or do you wish that God would have acted differently? How has that experience effected your faith life?
The second lesson is 2 Timothy 1:1-14. Paul writes to Timothy and give thanks for his mother and grandmother who lived lives of faith. Paul also reminds Timothy that faith is a gift from God. Who taught you faith? How has faith been a gift to you?
The gospel is Luke 17:5-10. Jesus tells the apostles that if they have faith the size of a mustard seed even trees will move for them. How big is your faith? Jesus also tells his followers to be like servants who do work as part of their duty and not in seeking a reward. Do you behave more like a servant or a master? Do you do good things in order to gain a reward or do you do them so because it is what God has asked you to do?
As always I love to hear your thoughts and ideas on these texts. You can answer these questions or discuss other thoughts you may have via email or ladies come to the Wednesday evening bible study at 7:30 at the parsonage.
In God We Trust
It is a season of difficult text. After last week's text and sermon on the dishonest manager, this week we have the parable of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16:19-31. I talk about the difficulty at the beginning of the sermon.
One thing that is not mentioned in this written text is that I gave everyone a dollar, to prove that "In God We Trust" is written on it. They were able to keep it as a momento, save it, put it in the collection plate, give it away, spend it. The mood at Bethlehem was pretty lively yesterday, so I had some peanut gallery comments and I didn't quite explain the dollar as much as I would have liked, so most people put it in the collection plate. Now onto the sermon.
Enjoy (and sorry no dollar for you)
Often when people first read this parable, they are quick to point out that it must mean that if you are rich today on earth then you will end up in hell and if you are poor on earth than you will end up in heaven. But I wonder if that is really what this parable is telling us.
If the rich are going to end up in hell, then why are we here in church right now? How many of you can say that you have more than you need? How many of you can say that you do not need to beg for crumbs to fall from someone else’s table in order to eat? How many of you have adequate enough healthcare that you do not have open sores on your body? How many of you are only ever licked by dogs when you want them to or at least by dogs that are pets and not wild animals? How many of you have more than one set of clothes? How many of you feast on a regular basis and that you are more likely to go hungry because you are dieting than because you are not able to afford food?
We are the rich and if we want to take this parable at face value, that the rich will end up in hell and the poor will end up in heaven, then why bother with faith. Why trust in God if we are just going to go to hell anyway?
But this parable is saying more than that.
Look at verses 23 and 24 again. “In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” What strikes you about those verses?
Do you notice that this rich man does not talk to Lazarus directly? Do you notice that the rich man is not asking Lazarus to help him? Instead he is asking Abraham to send Lazarus to him like a servant. Even is death, the rich man is not treating Lazarus like a fellow human. He is treating Lazarus like a slave.
Lazarus laid at the rich man’s gate, covered in sores, begging for food and meanwhile inside his home the rich man had ample food and clothing to spare. I have to wonder if the rich man ever gave Lazarus any of his extra food or clothing or if he just stepped over him as he walked in and out of his home.
Maybe the parable isn’t telling us that the poor are going straight to heaven and the rich are going to straight to hell but that wealth can insulate us from the needs of those around us. When we are wealthy it can sometimes be easier to tune out the commercials to give money to orphans in Africa. Or ignore pleas to send relief to Haiti. Or advert our eyes from the panhandler on the street or the poor man with sores who lays at our front gate.
Money often gets in the way of us seeing and relating to people as fellow children of God. How often have you come out of a store and lied to the person who asking for donations saying that you either already gave or that you don’t have cash on you. How often have you adverted your eyes from homeless person on the street?
It is my money, I earned it, why should they ask for it? If they want money they should get a job! Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Work hard and you will get ahead. America is the land of opportunity, go make yourself an opportunity! God helps those who help themselves.
Those are all phrases that we have heard or said when it comes to giving to the poor. But they don’t treat the other as children of God. Those phrases treat others as commodities, as workers, but not as children, beloved children of God. Those phrases put our trust in money, that money will get you ahead, and not in God’s love, grace and will which is give abundantly to us. Money gets in the way of us seeing others for who they truly are. And money gets in the way of how we relate to many things. We often treat those with money better than those without. Congregations, including Bethlehem, often worry about finances more than they worry about doing ministry. Money is one of the biggest arguments among married couples and is often cited as a reason for a divorce, more than affairs, health difficulties, communication issues, and changes in priority due to career or children. Money changes the way we related to things and to people.
But there is another phrase, one that is often not heard of when it comes to giving to the poor. A phrase that we often do not even think about when it comes to money, yet it is printed on every coin and bill of U.S. currency. In God We Trust. Four words that if we truly think about, can change the way we relate to money and therefore the way money makes us relate to others.
Those four words can make us change how we relate to money. Those four words can make us relate to others around. “In God we trust” has become politicize in our culture, a cry for people to put God back in politics. But I’m not asking that you think of that phrase like that. Reclaim “In God we trust.” Allow it to wash over you, absorb you. Allow yourself to think about how your spending is trusting in God every time you take out your wallet, every time you swipe your credit card or get cash out of the ATM. Allow yourself to think about how you trust in God every time you acquire money, every time you deposit a paycheck, put in a time card, sell an item or apply for a job. Allow yourself to think about how your giving is trusting in God, every time you donate money to charity, every time you donate an item to the food bank, every time you touch the offering plate. Allow yourself to think about how you trust in God.
In God we trust. In God, we trust our selves, our lives, our salvation. In God, we trust our families, our friends, our very beings.
In God, we trust that we will not end up being Lazarus begging for food.
In God, we trust that we are not going straight to hell.
In God, we trust that we will use our money wisely.
In God, we trust that we will have compassion for those in need.
In God, we trust that we will be vulnerable to those around us.
In God, we trust that we will see God’s faces in those in our midst.
In God, we trust that we will be able to remember that everyone is a child of God, even the poor, the weak, the disenfranchised.
In God, we trust that we are saved by God’s grace through our faith.
In God, we trust that our hardships will be temporary.
In God, we trust that our love will be unending.
In God, we trust that our faith will be growing.
In God, we trust that our lives will be filled with God’s mercy.
In God, we trust.
One thing that is not mentioned in this written text is that I gave everyone a dollar, to prove that "In God We Trust" is written on it. They were able to keep it as a momento, save it, put it in the collection plate, give it away, spend it. The mood at Bethlehem was pretty lively yesterday, so I had some peanut gallery comments and I didn't quite explain the dollar as much as I would have liked, so most people put it in the collection plate. Now onto the sermon.
Enjoy (and sorry no dollar for you)
Often when people first read this parable, they are quick to point out that it must mean that if you are rich today on earth then you will end up in hell and if you are poor on earth than you will end up in heaven. But I wonder if that is really what this parable is telling us.
If the rich are going to end up in hell, then why are we here in church right now? How many of you can say that you have more than you need? How many of you can say that you do not need to beg for crumbs to fall from someone else’s table in order to eat? How many of you have adequate enough healthcare that you do not have open sores on your body? How many of you are only ever licked by dogs when you want them to or at least by dogs that are pets and not wild animals? How many of you have more than one set of clothes? How many of you feast on a regular basis and that you are more likely to go hungry because you are dieting than because you are not able to afford food?
We are the rich and if we want to take this parable at face value, that the rich will end up in hell and the poor will end up in heaven, then why bother with faith. Why trust in God if we are just going to go to hell anyway?
But this parable is saying more than that.
Look at verses 23 and 24 again. “In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” What strikes you about those verses?
Do you notice that this rich man does not talk to Lazarus directly? Do you notice that the rich man is not asking Lazarus to help him? Instead he is asking Abraham to send Lazarus to him like a servant. Even is death, the rich man is not treating Lazarus like a fellow human. He is treating Lazarus like a slave.
Lazarus laid at the rich man’s gate, covered in sores, begging for food and meanwhile inside his home the rich man had ample food and clothing to spare. I have to wonder if the rich man ever gave Lazarus any of his extra food or clothing or if he just stepped over him as he walked in and out of his home.
Maybe the parable isn’t telling us that the poor are going straight to heaven and the rich are going to straight to hell but that wealth can insulate us from the needs of those around us. When we are wealthy it can sometimes be easier to tune out the commercials to give money to orphans in Africa. Or ignore pleas to send relief to Haiti. Or advert our eyes from the panhandler on the street or the poor man with sores who lays at our front gate.
Money often gets in the way of us seeing and relating to people as fellow children of God. How often have you come out of a store and lied to the person who asking for donations saying that you either already gave or that you don’t have cash on you. How often have you adverted your eyes from homeless person on the street?
It is my money, I earned it, why should they ask for it? If they want money they should get a job! Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Work hard and you will get ahead. America is the land of opportunity, go make yourself an opportunity! God helps those who help themselves.
Those are all phrases that we have heard or said when it comes to giving to the poor. But they don’t treat the other as children of God. Those phrases treat others as commodities, as workers, but not as children, beloved children of God. Those phrases put our trust in money, that money will get you ahead, and not in God’s love, grace and will which is give abundantly to us. Money gets in the way of us seeing others for who they truly are. And money gets in the way of how we relate to many things. We often treat those with money better than those without. Congregations, including Bethlehem, often worry about finances more than they worry about doing ministry. Money is one of the biggest arguments among married couples and is often cited as a reason for a divorce, more than affairs, health difficulties, communication issues, and changes in priority due to career or children. Money changes the way we related to things and to people.
But there is another phrase, one that is often not heard of when it comes to giving to the poor. A phrase that we often do not even think about when it comes to money, yet it is printed on every coin and bill of U.S. currency. In God We Trust. Four words that if we truly think about, can change the way we relate to money and therefore the way money makes us relate to others.
Those four words can make us change how we relate to money. Those four words can make us relate to others around. “In God we trust” has become politicize in our culture, a cry for people to put God back in politics. But I’m not asking that you think of that phrase like that. Reclaim “In God we trust.” Allow it to wash over you, absorb you. Allow yourself to think about how your spending is trusting in God every time you take out your wallet, every time you swipe your credit card or get cash out of the ATM. Allow yourself to think about how you trust in God every time you acquire money, every time you deposit a paycheck, put in a time card, sell an item or apply for a job. Allow yourself to think about how your giving is trusting in God, every time you donate money to charity, every time you donate an item to the food bank, every time you touch the offering plate. Allow yourself to think about how you trust in God.
In God we trust. In God, we trust our selves, our lives, our salvation. In God, we trust our families, our friends, our very beings.
In God, we trust that we will not end up being Lazarus begging for food.
In God, we trust that we are not going straight to hell.
In God, we trust that we will use our money wisely.
In God, we trust that we will have compassion for those in need.
In God, we trust that we will be vulnerable to those around us.
In God, we trust that we will see God’s faces in those in our midst.
In God, we trust that we will be able to remember that everyone is a child of God, even the poor, the weak, the disenfranchised.
In God, we trust that we are saved by God’s grace through our faith.
In God, we trust that our hardships will be temporary.
In God, we trust that our love will be unending.
In God, we trust that our faith will be growing.
In God, we trust that our lives will be filled with God’s mercy.
In God, we trust.
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