Scrambled sermon Notes

Hey all,
Thanks for keeping me honest with trying to keep up with the demand for more of my blog posts.
This is yesterday's sermon notes, and in this case I stress notes. My sermons rarely follow the scripts I write (when I write them) and yesterday it just got jumbled all the more.

Peace,
DC

Sermon title: “Finding the Pony”

Notes: Remember the story of the child who was perpetually happy, and so his parents wanted to see how he would respond when given a pile of manure for his birthday. At which point the child came looking around everywhere for the pony since it had to come with a pony if there was that much manure. The opportunity exists for us to forget where the manure comes from, the nature of people’s response and to see that God is doing a new thing. The former things have passed away.

Repeated blonde moments allow me the luxury of living the message of Isaiah. “Do not remember the former things. For I am doing a new thing,” says the Lord.

What does this have to do with us.

For some time we have remembered the former things, the things that went wrong, the great people who brought us to this place in time, the people who made the banners and the pulpits and the tables in the social hall. Isaiah tells us that these things are not what is important. The important thing is what is before us right now. We have people right now with gifts to offer, ways to serve and the Holy Spirit working within them.

What’s more is that God is calling us to a new vision. If we simply look back on the old vision we assume that it still holds. There is something greater still that God has in store for us. What does the need of the current community demand? Who are God’s chosen leaders for today (talk a little more about Spiritual Gifts and what we are going to do with them once they are filled out).

The world is ever changing and to look back causes us to assume that the principles that were the same then are the same now and that if we do it the way it was done then, or if that person were around today they would do it the same way they did it then.

You are the new chosen people. Those leaders were there because God raised them up to meet the needs of the church at that time, and those who will be here now will be raised up by God to do the work now needed. This is done by listening and responding to the will of God. One of the ways we can do this is through discovery of our spiritual gifts.

Don’t remember when the memory ties us down. God has called us to keep moving. Praise God.

Joy of the new thing is realized in the knowing of Christ.

Mary does a new thing to prepare for death – Giving to the poor was the old way to dispose of the money. Now caring for the poor (Jesus) is the new way. It used to be that we could give to myriad programs and throw our dollars at the Salvation Army, Goodwill, Catholic Charities and UMCOR and that would be enough. Now we are called to help those in need directly. To prepare them for what is next, whether that is education, change of life, staying with them that they might have someone to share their experience or even preparing for death.

Love is more important than skill or materials.