Worship Thoughts

Pastor’s Corner June 2011

A brief review of our worship service will be our topic this month. I want to take a moment to explain some of the theology that goes into our service as it is, and some of the personal choices I have made in how to transact those theological moments.

830AM Service Welcome Announcements Songs of Praise Children’s Moment Offertory Opening Prayer Scripture Reading Sermon The Lord’s Supper Benediction

1020AM Service Order of Worship GATHERING PRELUDE OPENING HYMN PRAISE and PRAYERS CALL TO WORSHIP INFORMAL MOMENTS GREETING ONE ANOTHER CHILDREN’S TIME PRAYER HYMN CONCERNS FOR PRAYER SILENT PRAYER PASTORAL PRAYER CHORAL ANTHEM PROCLAMATION PRAYER OF GRACE AND ILLUMINATION THE SCRIPTURE GLORIA PATRI SERMON RESPONSE INVITATION CONFESSION AND PARDON RESPONSE HYMN OFFERTORY DOXOLOGY PRAYER OF DEDICATION HOLY COMMUNION THE GREAT THANKSGIVING THE LORD’S PRAYER (in unison) TAKING BREAD AND CUP SENDING FORTH CLOSING HYMN BENEDICTION POSTLUDE

EXPLANATION The preparatory time for worship in both services is a little varied. During first service, we begin with the announcements, clearly placing these outside of worship. This is more confused in the 1020 service with announcements, which are not worship, and the time of greeting one another firmly placed in the allocation for praise and prayers. The Call to Worship is effected through the responsive reading in the 1020 service, and the music of praise and worship in the 830 service. In the traditional order of service for a church service the greeting would come at the end of the service, as an addition to the benediction, with those who have gathered unsure of where they might be next, as they may have been interlopers present for a psingle service, or under some scrutiny for their faith, and thus subject to persecution which would prevent them from participating during the next service. This time obviously breaks the flow of a worship service, and can make it difficult to bring the people back together, which we know to be the case in both of our services, using music and the children’s message to drag people back to their seats to continue to participate. This brings me to the question of a children’s message. What I find interesting about this time, is that it is used in churches to do a variety of things. Some churches use it as a “dumbed down” version of the sermon, because the “kids” won’t understand what the pastor has to say. In some churches, like ours, it is used as a prelude to dismissal, where we tell the children that they are to be different and separated from the rest of the church body. The children’s message is a new advent in the church, implemented during the 1900s. Prior to that children were in the entire service with the entire congregation, to learn how to be Christians, to be a reminder to the entire congregation that we are all children in the eyes of God, and as a social trainer to help children learn how to act in the rest of society. The old adage from Africa, “it takes a village to raise a child” was the premise of the children in service. Kids were cared for by the entire congregation during the service. The other alternative, which was what some churches turned to was that the children were not in church at all, set apart for Sunday School during the worship service, or just allowed to be elsewhere to play games or be with other kids. The location of the offering is always a question. As ultimately, the offering is to God, with the church as the means by which it gets conveyed. In true worship, our offering is given not in response to what the church is or is not doing according to our desires, but given to God as a means of sharing our adoration and praise for the God who has already given us everything, and freely so, including our salvation with the gift of His only Son Jesus Christ. The placement before the sermon signifies this more clearly, and after the sermon it is seen as a means of responding, in action, to the very message of the Gospel communicated in the Sermon. The Scriptures we use for worship are also a little contrived, as we have not been following the Lectionary of late. The Lectionary is designed to help tell the story in thematic ways, with an Old Testament lesson, a Psalm, an Epistle (letter) and a Gospel Lesson (from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John), and intended to help teach the scriptures, though it does leave many passages out, and rarely deals with the troublesome or difficult passages of scripture. Our current method of selecting scriptures for worship comes from the scriptures you asked to hear more about, either because you felt you knew them well, and wanted a chance to share that wonder of Scripture with the rest of the congregation, or because it was a passage or segment of scripture that was pretty fuzzy and unclear to you, and you wanted to learn more. I have also thrown in a few other pieces to help stay with the Seasons of the church (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost) and affirm the traditions of the church by these means, as well as a few passages that have been “Pastor’s Discretion” with the idea that for the good of the congregational life of St. Andrew UMC we might need to review or learn more about a particular topic or passage of scripture. In the Order of Service I have chosen to explain our service and the meanings thereof, I also picked a service that has Communion. Insomuch as the Sermon is designed to communicate God’s message in words of the Gospel, and the good news of Jesus Christ, Communion is a “Tangible Sign of an Inward and Spiritual Grace” which was freely offered in Jesus Christ. John Wesley called this a “Converting Ordinance”. If the purpose of a sermon is to encourage change in the life of the congregation member, through the hearing of the message, then Communion effects real change in the Spirit of the individual. The “Converting Ordinance” then is to say that if someone is being pulled to come to Communion and participate God has already effected a change in the person, and in the moment of participating in Communion, the individual affects the mantle of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and is made a Christian, and begins to live the life God has called us to live out the Great Commandment, “To love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind; and to love your neighbor as yourself”. We follow the effected and affected changes of the worship, transmitted through the Call to Worship, Prayers, Sermon and Communion, with the Benediction to send us out in ministry to the world. At this point, our worship must really begin - with purpose and practice, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, in thought, word and action, according to the grace given us by the Holy Spirit, in the name of God.

I realize that I may sound overly harsh in my assessment of the way in which we do worship. The reality is that this is the form of worship we have learned and decided to participate. I want to acknowledge that I am very open to doing worship in the way of St. Andrew UMC, and many other forms as well. I have a hard time with High Church worship, with stalwart traditions, as most of us are, because it is not a particularly participatory worship, nor was it intended to be. Worship in the traditional forms, especially under the traditional Latin Mass, was for the priest to direct the attentions of the people to God, and the understanding of the language used was not as important as the fact that God was being worshiped properly.
It is from some of this background that I dissected the worship styles we use at St. Andrew. We tend toward the “Isaiah model” of worship which concludes with the sermon, and the idea that the sermon should be driving people out to action, and is the culmination of the work of the Spirit in the acts of worship preceding it.
I realize that there are a variety of theological and practical understandings for the way in which we do ministry, and practice worship. God is faithful in all of them. The various forms we use are tools for helping direct us, and are derived from the initial forms of worship established in Jewish Synagogues and the Temple many years ago, sustained through the ages since by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, as well as the various denominations we have formed since. It is in the amalgam of people we have worshiping with us, that the things that are familiar are utilized and developed to create our current Order of Service here at St. Andrew.
I also want to acknowledge that I do not know it all. If you have insights or knowledge to share with me about the forms we use in our worship, please do so. I will do my best to learn and understand even more deeply from the richness of backgrounds we bring to this time together as we offer ourselves back to God for the many wonderful things God has already given to us.

Sermon Notes 9/27

I spoke yesterday on the passage in Mark 9:38-50. In many ways it is the most challenging passage in scripture for me. The great millstone to be hung around my neck should I lead any of the "little ones" astray. I spoke about how when I took things literally, it was very obvious just to give folks a cup of water. I told them by giving them water I had assured my reward in heaven (or been additionally blessed depending on your reading) - cause that's what it says. I then got to talking about how people really weren't taking the whole scripture literally, they were merely taking it literally as they chose. The evidence was a plain as the hand before my face. No one I knew was walking around maimed from having cut off hand, arm or eye or some other body part because it caused them to sin. I reminded them that the scriptures also tell us something deeper. The surface may be easy, but it does get harder. In that way I spoke about the passage where Jesus tells the Disciples it isn't what goes into the mouth that causes us to be unclean, but what comes out for it comes from the heart. And so it is with all sin, that it comes from our hearts and our minds. Our body parts don't cause us to sin. But, if I carry the logic out then I must cut my heart and mind out. Paul even tells us to have our hearts circumcised. We are given several commandments - the Great Commandment, and the others: to baptize, to teach them to obey, to cast out demons, to heal the sick, to care for those in prison. Water was a sign of hospitality, as are the commandments, they bring us back to community. We are not to run off those that do not do things our way, even if they are sinners to us (and yes I included adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, liars and the like by name, as well as running a denominational list before them), because Christ has called them to do things in his name as well. As long as they are doing so, they are not against us, but for us. So, if you want to take things literally, begin by giving some water.

Literally

I was once one of those who took the Bible literally. Pretty quickly I realized that I could not do so with any amount of integrity. I found passages that contradicted each other, and so I could justify those that directly override another passage, but then I get left with those that just plain contradict each other. (oh, gee, really, some of you want examples - sure now you throw that at me [sarcasm] I may have to come up with those for you)

But at the end of the day it was the passage from Mark 9 that talks about if your hand causes you to sin, or your leg, or your eye, then you need to remove it. Quite simply, "THAT SUCKS!" I would be a totally blind, crippled, eviscerated person by now - well, I would be quite dead by any measure.

I had to think more seriously about taking things literally. I still learn and think there is something to the surface presented, but that the power of Scripture (The Bible) is in fact that it comes together as an entire document, and find depth in each passage.

Happy reading!

Sermon Notes May 24, 2009

John 15:9-17

When I began I was reminded of sacrificial love stories

-Russian Mother who fed her infant from her finger she cut to draw blood as they lay trapped beneath a pile of rubble.

-Pelican

I want to affirm where we have managed to love without giving so severely of ourselves.

Love One Another: Where Ojai UMC has succeeded.

-Hospitality

-Generosity

-Care/Helps

And in doing so we have come to display the Spiritual Fruit of Joy. A true gift from the God who reminds us by Jesus we are to love, "So that my Joy may be in you; and your joy may be complete"

We have been called to be no longer servants but friends. Friends do things in the open, because we care. The choir is not here each week because they are here to serve us. They offer their friendship displayed through the music they sing. Others give of time and money to make things more presentable, that we may take a deeper pride in our place of worship. See the Memorial Garden benches, the garden area behind the altar, and even the new cement work in the preschool as examples of this.

We are appointed to go and bear fruit -fruit that will last: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Our care for one another, through living the 4 Rs of our Vision statement, through the Congregational Care Circles.

Good fruit bears more fruit, as well as being used by the existing community for sustenance. Thank you for the fruit you have shared here to keep us sustained. Go out, drop your seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the world, that all might be sustained by Him.

Peace,

Sermon Notes Mothers Day 2009

The text for Mother's Day was 1 John 4:7-21

I am reminded of the power of love in this passage because of two particular references I grew up with regarding this passage.

First the song, 1 John 4:7&8 (click on the preview all) and the second was a cross-stitch I had in my room with 1 John 4:19 "We love because he first loved us."

We also have some outstanding lyrics from our anthem this morning. "Go Into the World" arr. Walt Harrah. Go into the world, show God's love to the world.

Then I was caught by the power of the story of Anna Jarvis. She wanted to be sure we showed love to our Mothers, not just by pretty things, but in our own words, and our own actions.

We must learn to love more clearly.

The Good Sheep

This is a re-run. A little trite I know. But the sermon notes for May 3, 2009 are from the following:

The Good Sheep

The Good Sheep Part II

Sermon Notes April 26, 2009

2 Timothy 1:3-14

 ³I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. ⁴Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. ⁶For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

 ⁸So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, ⁹who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. ¹¹And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. ¹²That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

 ¹³What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

I want to take this morning to talk to Nick. I will inivte you to listen in. I will offer a few asides as I share, and do my best to help you hear this letter as the community of faith did so long ago. You Paul was a traveling pastor, he was an apostle, a herald and a teacher, much as I think of myself. Timothy was just a young man whom Paul had seen for leadership in that early faith community of Christians.  

(turning to Nick) I know Timothy had his Grandmother and mother top guide his faith development, you even have your great-grandmother, and I know that you have learned from their faith, and grown in your faith because of their teaching.

I want to affirm the call you have heard from God into ministry. You are a young man of good character, faith, love for God, and devotion to the Word. You model your life after Jesus of Nazareth, and bring it to life for today, being wholly yourself as well. 

I want to tell you that this job as a pastor is not easy work. It is for this reason that Paul tells Timothy, and I tell you, that God did not give us a spirit of fear, cowardice or timidity, but a power in the spirit, bringing love, hope and resurrection. You will need to have self-discipline and you will have the power of the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Do not be ashamed of the gospel, of this church, these people, or of me. I have been here but a short time, but I have tried to teach with sound teaching, faithful witness, and love of Jesus Christ. This same love is the love with which I have loved you and the people of this congregation. 

(Turning back to the congregation) I now entrust to you the great gift that has been entrusted to me. I ask you to love and nurture Nick in the faith, encouraging his ministry, and developing your own ministries.  Guard this treasure with the help of the Holy Spirit.

...and now as I have shared some of Paul's testimony to Timothy, and Timothy then was to share with the congregation in his presence, I invite Nick to share some of his testimony with you about how he has heard the call to ministry.

[I would likewise invite you to ask the "Nick" in your congregations to share their testimony]

A Visioning Call to Worship

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: By God’s grace we are called to live the church in the world.
People: We have heard your call and we claim this vision:
All: Ojai United Methodist Church is to be showing God’s love to the community of the Ojai Valley by the four “R’s”:
Reconciliation, Renewal, Revitalization, Restoration.
Leader: We are to be reconciling.
People: We will be reconciling one to another and the world to Jesus Christ.
Leader: We are to be renewing.
People: We will be renewing our baptismal and membership vows to be the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, and service.
Leader: We are to be involved in revitalization.
People: We will be revitalizing the mission of the Ojai United Methodist Church:
“To make Disciples of Jesus Christ - in Faith, Fellowship, Tolerance and Spiritual Growth”
Leader: We will be living out restoration.
People: We will be restoring our spirit of hope, restoring our community with vibrance, and restoring our lives in joy.
All: We the people of the Ojai United Methodist Church are showing God’s love to the community of the Ojai Valley by the four “R’s”:
Reconciliation, Renewal, Revitalization, Restoration.

He Descended Into Hell

ht: Mad Priest

A New Sermon Series

I have been contemplating the next sermon series I will do. This year I have revolved everything around Vision, and Visioning.

The next series I want to do is going to deal with what the congregation knows or wants to know about the scriptures. I had been contemplating this when A Different Voice posted a great Bible Study, based on the same concept. 

Moments like that I assume to be about serendipity and following God's nudges.

So here is the article. The Huh?/Yeah! series to come from the congregation.

Sermon Notes March 29, 2009

Drawing from the text in Jeremiah 31:31-34

"Starting Anew"

Jeremiah reminds us that God does make covenants, and start over, with the former things held intact. There is something new being done in each generation. We are upon that new generation. We have come through some great Visions here at Ojai UMC. "To be a Methodist Church in the Ojai Valley"; "To be a church that rebuilds"; "To be expanding the preschool". God is still acting, and still using the people he has called to Ojai UMC at this time. 

I am greatly appreciative of the learning I had in seminary about Covenants. But, I have to admit I needed to bring my "cheater notes" with me this morning. I tend to feel that knowing someones name needs to hold a more prominent place in my mind than the various types of covenant found in the bible and their meaning.

The Biblical Covenants 

To understand the Word of God accurately one must become familiar with the eight BIBLICAL covenants. They fall into two classes:

(A) CONDITIONAL

A covenant which guarantees that God will do His part when the human requirements stipulated in that covenant are met.

(B) UNCONDITIONAL

Distinguished from a conditional covenant by the fact that its ultimate fulfillment is promised by God and depends upon God's power and sovereignty for its fulfillment.

Here is a cursory outline of them:

---

1. The EDENIC covenant (conditional), Gen. 1:26-31;2:16-17

Made with Adam in which life and blessing or death and cursing depended on the faithfulness of Adam. Adam and Eve failed, died spiritually and physically and their sin plunged the whole human race into its pattern of sin and death.

2. The ADAMIC covenant (unconditional), Gen. 3:16-19

Here God declares to man, after the fall, what his lot in life will be because of his sin. It includes the promise of the Redeemer.

3. The NOAHIC covenant (unconditional), Gen 9:1-18

Made with Noah and his sons after the flood, introducing human government to curb sin, the normal order of nature reaffirmed (Gen. 8:22; 9:2) and the permission for man to eat the flesh of animals. Also His promise never to destroy all flesh again by water.

4. The ABRAHAMIC covenant (unconditional), Gen. 12:1-4;13:14-17; 15:1-7; 17:1-8

This covenant is one of the great revelations of God concerning future history. Abraham would have numerous posterity, personal blessing, his name would be great, and he, personally, would be a blessing. Through Abraham would come a great nation (Israel) and through him (via that nation) all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Messiah). Through Abraham's descendents (the Jews) came the prophets of God, the writers of God's written Word (the Bible) and Christ/Messiah according to the flesh.

5. The MOSAIC covenant (conditional), Ex. 20:1 - 31:18

It is contained in Exodus but amplified in many other portions of Scripture. It was given through Moses as its mediator for the purpose of governing Israel's (national) relationship with God. It was mainly made up of (a) the commandments, the express will of God, (b) the judgments, the social and civic life of Israel, (c) and the ordinances. It was temporary and would terminate at the cross of Christ. Though it had gracious elements it was basically a covenant of works. It could not impart life to the sinner in Adam (Gal. 3:21) but it served as a tutor which would lead those who were under its jurisdiction to the only One who could impart LIFE (Christ Jesus, Gal. 3:24).

6. The LAND covenant (unconditional), Deut. 30:1-10

It is erroneously called by theologians the "Palestinian Covenant." However, the Bible does not recognize the land by that name. It is the land of Israel because it was divinely covenanted to Abraham's descendents through Jacob (Israel). It is an unconditional promise regarding Israel's final possession of their ancient land.

7. The DAVIDIC covenant (unconditional), 2Sam. 7:4-16; 1Chron. 17:3-15

God promised David an unending, royal lineage, throne, and kingdom. Though God reserved the right to interrupt the actual reign of David's sons for chastisement, the perpetuity of the covenant cannot be broken. The Abrahamic covenant guaranteed the nation and the land. The Davidic covenant guarantees an everlastingThrone, King and Kingdom connected to that people (the Jews) and the land. Jesus Christ, the Son of David, is the rightful heir of this promised Throne (Matt. 2:2; Lk. 1:32-33) and on it He will reign over this literal, promised, earthly, future Messianic Kingdom from Jerusalem at His second advent.

8. The NEW COVENANT (unconditional), Jer. 31:31-40

It is a new covenant with Israel in contrast with the old (Mosaic, "which they broke," Jer. 31:32). Christ Jesus is the Mediator (in His blood) of this new covenant which was inaugurated at the cross and is described in Scripture as, "enacted on better promises" (Heb. 8:6). The Mediator of this covenant has become, for all mankind, "the source of eternal salvation" (Heb. 5:9) to all who obey Him; as well as the cornerstone and Head of the Church (Eph. 2:20-22; Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:23) which is being built during this dispensation; individuals called out from both Jews and Gentiles alike. Ultimately and literally, this new covenant with its unconditional and eternal blessings will be established with NATIONAL Israel at Christ's second advent to earth.

Written by: Gary Nystrom

The story is as old as time. If not for God renewing a covenant with each generation we would not even be here as Methodists today. Consider the covenants God has made with others in history

The Heart of Servants

A graduating student at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, had

just received his appointment from the bishop. He was grousing and grumbling

because the appointment didn't fit what he felt he deserved. Another

student, in a loving but unsympathetic way patted him on the back and said,

"You know the world is a better place because Michelangelo didn't say,

'I don't do ceilings.'"

He lifted up Jesus for his friend to see because he understood that To Serve Is To Follow.

And if you stop to think about it, that's the spirit of servanthood. The

world is a better place because a German monk named Martin Luther didn't say, "I don't do doors."

The world is a better place, because an Oxford don named John Wesley didn't say, "I don't do fields."

Go from the beginning of the Bible to the end, and you will see over and

over again the story of men and women who had servant hearts, minds and

spirits. And the world is a better place, because:

Moses didn't say, "I don't do rivers."

Noah didn't say, "I don't do arks."

Jeremiah didn't say, "I don't do weeping."

Amos didn't say, "I don't do speeches."

Rahab didn't say, "I don't do carpets."

Ruth didn't say, "I don't do mothers-in-law."

David didn't say, "I don't do giants."

Mary didn't say, "I don't do virgin births."

Mary Magdalene didn't say, "I don't do feet."

John didn't say, "I don't do deserts."

Peter didn't say, "I don't do Gentiles."

Paul didn't say, "I don't do letters."

Jesus didn't say, "I don't do crosses."

(footnote: By the way I find it humorous that I am in a Lectionary study group, and for all the shared information in that group, this is the first instance of pulling the exact same piece out for illustration, even if we did use it differently. Thanks for making me laugh Steve.)

 

The goal then for us today is the same as the goal was for God as conveyed by Jeremiah.

       "I will put my law in their minds 
       and write it on their hearts. 
       I will be their God, 
       and they will be my people.

 34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, 
       or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' 
       because they will all know me, 
       from the least of them to the greatest," 

So then the goal is that we would make God known. We will not have to teach our neighbor, because God will be known in our actions. We remember the old camp song "They will know we are Christians by our love". The question we have to answer is how we are going to love the WHOLE community of Ojai, with the gifts and graces we already bring to the table. 

I had hoped that the Vision would be clear by this Sunday; that the hopes and dreams you have shared with me and each other in our Visioning groups would lead us to a whole Vision. I am aware at the reading of this text, that we are exactly where we should be. Jeremiah says that God is making a new covenant with Israel. As God's people today, we are in the same place. God is making a new covenant. Our part of the contract is our Vision statement. In the making of our Vision God's will becomes clear for the actions we are to take going forward.

So, I am committing to you that we will review what we have gotten, with a group of people from within the church, and we will confirm a Vision for the church. The goal is to have that laid our before us for Easter. It is at Easter that we affirm the resurrection. We will also affirm the resurrection of Ojai UMC at that time, with a clear and concise Vision statement.

Sermon Notes March 22, 2009

Using the text from Numbers 21:4-9 we looked at stumbling blocks to Vision, and what this model teaches us about facing those stumbling blocks.

I look at this through the lens of having a Vision before the community. God's Vision for the Israelites was to get them out of Egypt into the promised land. 

Our goal at Ojai UMC is to leave the declining church behind, and enter into God's promised Kingdom. Our Egypt is rather loosely defined, and as yet the promised land is without words to define the final Vision. Seems a little more work is in order next week.

When the people left Egypt they thought they would get a chance to run right into the promised land, safe from Pharaoh. Instead, they went wandering in the desert. They ate quail and manna that God provideed, but after a time they began to grumble about that. Gamey, they said. Dry and pastey they said. 

You know Moses had had enough of them, and he didn't know what to do. They even got angry with him, and gossipped and poormouthed Moses. "Why can't he figure out where we are going?";  "Does he even have a license to lead?"; "Someone said he talks to God, are they certain?"

I find it interesting that the way the scriptures read, God sent snakes into their midst. Okay, blame it on God. But what I found more interesting was that God didn't order the snakes to bite the people of Israel. I think the snakes came up with that idea on their own, using their freewill.

This was right after Moses had tried to get through Edom, and been refused by the king. So they now had to go around Edom, the long way, to get to the promised land. No wonder the people were cranky and upset. We are going to have to do some of the long-way-around work too in effecting our future Vision. I am sure many of you know the old adage that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line; and its corrollary - the longest distance between two points is a committee.

The challenge came as the people came once again to Moses to do something about the snakes. Moses saw that this was not going to work if he had to deal with all the little snake bites and scares in the Israelite community of almost 400,000. He needed to get them to do the work directly. 

Just so you know, as we move forward with the Vision, we are going to work on connecting people directly with the mission areas they are to serve, and the people that they relate to in order to convey the message of the Gospel.

The real lesson in our text this morning is that Moses made the people deal directly with their problems. As a church, we are going to have to face our sins individually, raising complaints against one another directly. If we have a corporate problem, we are not going to be able to run from them, as we might have before, but instead we will have to face the challenge head on.

I tell these stories as a precursor to naming a Vision because I want you to know that stumbling blocks will occur on the road to achievement. That God is greater, and that the best way through is to confront those issues head on, and work through them to keep moving.

Peace,

Sermon Notes 3/15/09

From the text 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The text reminds us of the foolishness we need to have as Christians in a viable and active church.

The proclamation of the Gospel was foolishness to Greeks and to Jews. The idea of a Crucified God made no sense to either. 

-To the Jews, it was that God had been cursed. If God were actually God then God could not be cursed.

-To the Greeks, it was foolishness that God could or would die. If Jesus had truly been God, then he could have pulled himself from the situation and not been crucified. To have died meant that this was not actually God.

Our message of the Gospel today is also foolishness, especially as we seek to live out a Vision here at Ojai UMC.

-First of all we proclaim Christ crucified, not because of what I can gain, but because of what someone else can gain, and what I have lost. I have lost my slavery to sin and death. Someone else can gain life and that abundantly. They can gain hope. They can gain eternal life.

-Secondly, our message is foolish because of who they are and how we claim them for Christ.

THEY are young people ages 18-35 in the Ojai Valley who have no church. (after all we are not in this to be stealing sheep).

THEY are older people 60+ who cannot get to church.

(I then asked if they agreed that these were two unreached, unchurched populations in the Ojai Valley, and if they were willing to reach out to them in action)

It is foolishness for us to reach these people for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because to the world, we look like fools when we are choosing to reach young people 18-35. They claim people the age of this congregation, in this worship style, do not have anything to offer to young people in that demographic. We will find the ways to reach them, and we will use the gifts God has given us to do so. (I then asked if they agreed, and would act accordingly)

It is foolishness to reach those who cannot come to church, because the world tells us that IT IS ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS. If people are not coming to church, then we don't have the numbers to reflect that we are reaching them. We will be fools, and we will reach them.

We are also going to care for one another. (Are we agreed that we need to care for one another along the way too?)

We are going to be implementing an outreach that heads us in each of these directions.

-First we are going to make cluster groups of about 4-5 active members of the church. We are going to ask you to call on each other - by phone, email, snail mail, personal visit, or some other method I have not named - every two weeks. (Can you do that?Will you commit to doing that?)

-Second, we are going to ask you to bring in names of people you know who are not coming to church, in either of the focus areas we have named - 18-35 year olds, and 60+. We are going to assign those throughout the membership no more that 2-3 per person. (Do you think you could call on 2-3 other people every two weeks?)

That gives us no more than 6-7 people to reach out to every two weeks, and begin to be in ministry.

This is not door-to-door evangelism. We aren't going to hand them and pamphlet telling them about our programs. We are going to build relationships. When Jesus taught the Great Commandment, he said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus did not say, "Invite your neighbor to the next program we have, or tell them about the great music we share". It begins with relationship. 

Our Vision will have to encompass these areas:

1) Reaching Young People 18-35

2) Reaching Older People 60+

3) Caring for one another

If we do not do those things, we are not being true to who we are. We are not being true to who God is calling us to be. As we frame the Vision in the next few weeks, the ways in which we can do this effectively with the gifts we have, and the needs of the community will come together very clearly.

Sermon Notes Marc

Drawing from the text Romans 4:13-25 we encounter Abraham this week.

I was particularly struck by the fact that we find him here in the middle of our Lectionary at the time when we are exploring Visioning.

Abraham is a great example of seeing an over-arching Vision: "To be a great nation"

God then inserts little Visions along the way for Abram/Abraham to step out in faith, for which Paul says, "it was credited to him as righteousness".

-Abram had to step out in faith to leave Ur. Everything that was comfortable and known and "the way it had always been done before" was left behind.

-Abram had to step out in faith to go where God would leave, and even more so when Abram arrived in the place that God had showed him would be his country for all generations, only to be sent on further.

-Abram had to step out in faith to take his concubine to his bad and have a child. He tried to take his own will and impose it upon God. He then had to take a bigger step of faith when God confirmed that this was not the way God intended for Abram's nations to be made.

-Abraham had to step out in faith when Sarah was told in her 90s that she and he would have a child. This was unheard of.

-Abraham took another step of faith when he was asked to take Isaac to the mountain top and sacrifice him, knowing Abraham was almost 110 years old, and wouldn't be able have another child unless God provided. Still he trusted and was willing to accept God's covenant.

-Abraham took each of these steps along the way to achieve little Visions. This is the nature of a Vision, it is achievable. Sometimes the Vision changes as the situation changes, and the needs of the community change, as well as the gifts that we bring.

Ojai UMC has had a common Vision since the beginning. We are "To be God's Children, in the Beloved Community"

-Along the way we have had some little Visions.
1) To be a United Methodist Church in the Ojai Valley
2) To be a church that rebuilds, our church, community, and individuals
3) To be expanding the preschool.

They have been accepted by part or whole of the church, and effected by the force of those who have worked hard.

It is time for us to have a new Vision. This will mean that we will leave a lot of things behind, but we will still always be striving to achieve the ultimate Vision. "To be God's Children, in the Beloved Community."

Sermon Notes Feb 22, 2009

With the start of Lent coming quickly the sermon in some sense took a back seat to the morning announcements.

I took some time this week to share some of what Lent, and Ash Wednesday are about. I also shared with the congregation some of the history of Fat Tuesday, and provided some King Cake for Fellowship time. (The King and Queen were Fern and Michael).

The Sermon itself was a conclusion to the series on Spiritual Gifts. The congregation was offered several opportunities during the month to do a Spiritual Gifts Inventory. I likened it to knowing what the buildings on a church campus are, without knowing anything about what goes on inside, or how they are decorated. We had a response of about 1/3 of the congregation.

Anyway, on with the sermon notes:

-We began with the reading of Isaiah 43:18-25

-We are called to let go of the former things.

-See God is doing a new thing.

-What's more is that God has offered unconditional blotting out of sins and transgressions. We only need to accept it.

-If this is true, then who we are going to be is not the same as who we have been. We cannot let our old failures stop us, nor can we allow our former successes to weigh us down with expectation, or frustration at our inability to do them now.

-The only constant is change. Even the animals are subject to change. Look at the birds eating from the feeders, and the rabbits living in our bushes. They weren't made that way. The bushes are native, and the feeders weren't always there.

-As change occurs the best chance we have to succeed is to be ourselves to the fullest. This means we need to know our Spiritual Gifts and work with those gifts. God gave them to us for this time that we might be his community in this place for this people of the Ojai Valley.

-Our strength is our ability to let go of the former things, not let them drag behind us, but to open ourselves to what God is doing right now. To accept that he has blotted out all of our transgressions, and allows us to come afresh to worship, and to relationship with one another - here in church and in the Ojai Valley.