Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, October 28, 2007.
The gospel reading for today is a story that Jesus told. And although we like to think that we want to hear the words of Jesus, it is not an easy story for us to swallow. Jesus tells the people about a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee lived a good life, he fasted, prayed, tithed, followed all ten commandments to the letter, he was a good man. But the tax collector, that was another story. Everybody knew tax collectors were the scum of the earth. They cheated everybody—the way it worked was that the tax collector contracted with the government to raise X amount of money, say 10 shekels per person. The tax collector would then try to get as much money as he could from the people. Anything he collected over the amount owed the government went into his pocket. So the tax collector would collect as much as he possibly could—perhaps 20 from the poor fisherman, but 500 or more from the carpenter that did well.
You can understand why no one liked tax collectors—they made their living by trying to cheat you from as much money as they could! And you can understand why everyone thought the Pharisee was a holy person. But that is not the end of the story, rather, it is just the beginning.
Both men went to the temple and began to pray. The Pharisee looked up to heaven and said, “God, thank you for not making me like one of those sinners.” In contrast, the tax collector prayed, “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus goes on to tell us that the one who was justified that day was the tax collector. That must have really rubbed the Pharisees in the crowd the wrong way.
But how do we apply this passage to today's context? It makes us a bit uncomfortable to even begin. Why? Because we like to think we live a pretty straight life. I mean, you go to church regularly, study the Bible, give generously to the church, even give generously to other charities. Maybe it's easier to list the bad things you don't do! Kind of like that old saying, “I don't drink, smoke or chew or go with girls that do.” You are a good person! And here comes the tax collector in his limo, complete with fully stocked bar, and an expensive call girl on each arm. We want to think that we are a bit closer to heaven than he is, don't we?
But wait! That sense of knowing we are closer to heaven puts us in the shoes of the Pharisee, doesn't it? And we know how Jesus felt about Pharisees! Now maybe you are thinking that you can stand beside the tax collector because you are far from perfect. You said some choice words when that player from Texas ran for an 86 yard touchdown yesterday, you cheated on last years taxes, and kicked the dog last week. But at least you're not a murderer, or cheating on your spouse—wait, there it is! You are the Pharisee again!
Why do we struggle with this idea? Because we want to know that grace is not cheap. We want to know that God is fair, that he punishes those who are evil, and rewards those who are good. So this story Jesus tells rubs us the wrong way.
It seems that no matter our sin, we want to justify ourselves by saying, “At least I don't...” We drive a little over the speed limit, but we justify ourselves by saying that if we hadn't we would've been late, like so and so... or at least we didn't have an accident on the way. I speak to my spouse like they are dirt, but at least I don't cheat on them. No matter what it is, there is always something worse and it seems we can justify our sin. There is the problem. We can't justify ourselves, and no matter the sin, it is still sin.
The truth of the matter is that there is nothing you can do to earn God's love—it is a gift. You can't earn it, you just have to accept it. That's what this story is about—not humility, or thankfulness, or even judging others—it's about the gift of grace, period.
Place yourself there with the tax collector, repentant and humble. Receive the gift of God's love, accepting it as it is—there is freedom in forgiveness.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Wrestling with God
Wrestling with God
Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, October 21, 2007.
When you think of wrestling, what comes to mind? Is it pro wrestling--complete with Bret "the Hitman" Hart, or Steve Austin, or Hulk Hogan, or even Gorgeous George? Oversized musclebound guys in tight costumes jumping from the top rope to smash their opponent to the ground? Running back and forth across the ring to bounce off the ropes and throw a clothesline, followed by a piledriver, and finally a submission hold? A place where the show in more important than the victory?
Or is it more a collegiate style--high school, college, or olympic--with far more athletic young men in singlets, wrestling for points and for honor? With takedowns, reversals, and escapes?
Or is it what you do with your kids or grandkids--rolling around on the floor, letting them pin you down in an expression of relationship?
Maybe it is what you do with the budget at the end of the month before the paycheck comes? Maybe it is what you do with your conscience or your past--decisions you have made, or decisions you are in the midst of dealing with.
Whatever you think of when you hear the word "wrestling," it always denotes a struggle--whether in a good or bad. This struggling goes on for the entirety of our lives. You might even say that our lives are filled with moments of wrestling and moments of rest.
Jacob was no stranger to wrestling--from the very beginning, even at his birth. The Bible tells us that his brother Esau was born first, but Jacob came out holding on to his brother's heel. From that moment on, you can see the struggle that was Jacob, always trying to get ahead, always trying to get ahead. Some translators even see Jacob's name as meaning "cheater, treacherous, striving."
We see this in Jacob's struggles through his life. He catches Esau at a time when he is tired and hungry and swindles away Esau's birthright (a double portion of the inheritance--received as a right of being the first-born) for a bowl of stew. Later, as their father Isaac lay on his deathbed, nearly blind and feeble, Jacob knows that Esau is about to receive his father's blessing. Jacob comes up with a plan to steal away this blessing: he will dress up as Esau and tell Isaac that he is ready to receive the blessing.
Now Esau was a hairy guy. Jacob had to put goat skins over his hands and neck in order to pass the "touch test." Sure enough, Isaac felt the goat hides, and although it was still Jacob's voice, this person coming to him felt hairy (like Esau), and smelled like a goat (like Esau), so Isaac gave his blessing (Genesis 27:27-29).
Jacob knew that Esau had a reason to hate him now, even to kill him, so Isaac told him to leave the country to stay with his uncle Laban. He did, and fell in love with Laban's daughter Rachel--Racy Rachel. But Laban said, "You can't marry my daughter until you work seven years for me." For a gal like Rachel, Jacob thought this was a deal. Seven years later, it was time for a wedding. At the wedding feast, there was a lot of drinking and when Jacob woke up...he was not married to Racy Rachel, he was married to her sister, Lumpy Leah! So he worked another seven years to marry Rachel, and another seven after that.
Another example of how Jacob struggle through his life is in the deal he made with his father-in-law to build up his herds. He would take the goats and sheep that were speckled and spotted, and leave the rest for Laban. Pretty soon, all the good livestock in the herd belonged to Jacob. Needless to say, Laban wasn't happy, and Jacob decided to take his flocks and his wives and make a run for it. He ended making a deal with Laban that they would never cross paths again.
This brings us to our scripture reading for this morning. Jacob was going back home, and sent word to his brother Esau that he was coming. Esau sent word back that he would meet him--with 400 men! Remembering that Esau hated him, Jacob got a little nervous, and sent his flocks ahead of him, and finally, on the banks of the Jabbok River, he sent his wives and servants ahead.
There he was--alone. I can imagine that as he camped there that night, he thought about all the times when he had strived to get ahead; times when it had worked, and times when it had not. He was at a turning point in his life. Should he save his neck and run? or should he finally, after all these years, face the music? Either way, he could lose everything.
That night scripture tells us that he wrestled with a man until daybreak. Who was it he wrestled with? Some would say that he struggled with the bodily form of God, others believe that it was the pre-incarnated Jesus, others the Angel of God.
All his life, Jacob had longed to be blessed. As he struggled with God, he said, "I will not let you go until you bless me." In response, God asked him his name. Jacob had to reply--remember his name meant "cheat, treacherous, struggler"--he had to have this moment of self-realization. In response, God blessed him by changing his name from cheater to "Striver with God"--Israel.
God could have easily defeated Jacob, but we all know that is not how God works. He wanted Jacob to realize who he was for himself. God's touch caused him pain--he would walk the rest of his life with a limp. But he was made new--he was changed--a new name, a new attitude--Jacob would be the father of a great nation, blessed by God.
How often are you crafty, self-seeking, self-willed, self-centered, in every day striving to get ahead? How often do you seek to do it all in your own power? Friends, just as Jacob was changed by his struggle with God, your moment of self-realization and confession can lead to your life being changed. After all, this passage, this portrait of the changed Jacob, is what we are called to be--a people who can confidently go forward to face life's crises "hold[ing] fast to love and justice, and wait[ing] continually for God" (Hosea 12:6).
This realization of who you are can be painful, just ask Jacob--he would limp for the rest of his life as a remembrance of that moment. But the pain is overshadowed by the mercy and grace of God in providing us with victory. With the grace of God, the strength of the victory of Christ over all struggles, you shall be blessed in that moment--and changed forever.
Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, October 21, 2007.
When you think of wrestling, what comes to mind? Is it pro wrestling--complete with Bret "the Hitman" Hart, or Steve Austin, or Hulk Hogan, or even Gorgeous George? Oversized musclebound guys in tight costumes jumping from the top rope to smash their opponent to the ground? Running back and forth across the ring to bounce off the ropes and throw a clothesline, followed by a piledriver, and finally a submission hold? A place where the show in more important than the victory?
Or is it more a collegiate style--high school, college, or olympic--with far more athletic young men in singlets, wrestling for points and for honor? With takedowns, reversals, and escapes?
Or is it what you do with your kids or grandkids--rolling around on the floor, letting them pin you down in an expression of relationship?
Maybe it is what you do with the budget at the end of the month before the paycheck comes? Maybe it is what you do with your conscience or your past--decisions you have made, or decisions you are in the midst of dealing with.
Whatever you think of when you hear the word "wrestling," it always denotes a struggle--whether in a good or bad. This struggling goes on for the entirety of our lives. You might even say that our lives are filled with moments of wrestling and moments of rest.
Jacob was no stranger to wrestling--from the very beginning, even at his birth. The Bible tells us that his brother Esau was born first, but Jacob came out holding on to his brother's heel. From that moment on, you can see the struggle that was Jacob, always trying to get ahead, always trying to get ahead. Some translators even see Jacob's name as meaning "cheater, treacherous, striving."
We see this in Jacob's struggles through his life. He catches Esau at a time when he is tired and hungry and swindles away Esau's birthright (a double portion of the inheritance--received as a right of being the first-born) for a bowl of stew. Later, as their father Isaac lay on his deathbed, nearly blind and feeble, Jacob knows that Esau is about to receive his father's blessing. Jacob comes up with a plan to steal away this blessing: he will dress up as Esau and tell Isaac that he is ready to receive the blessing.
Now Esau was a hairy guy. Jacob had to put goat skins over his hands and neck in order to pass the "touch test." Sure enough, Isaac felt the goat hides, and although it was still Jacob's voice, this person coming to him felt hairy (like Esau), and smelled like a goat (like Esau), so Isaac gave his blessing (Genesis 27:27-29).
Jacob knew that Esau had a reason to hate him now, even to kill him, so Isaac told him to leave the country to stay with his uncle Laban. He did, and fell in love with Laban's daughter Rachel--Racy Rachel. But Laban said, "You can't marry my daughter until you work seven years for me." For a gal like Rachel, Jacob thought this was a deal. Seven years later, it was time for a wedding. At the wedding feast, there was a lot of drinking and when Jacob woke up...he was not married to Racy Rachel, he was married to her sister, Lumpy Leah! So he worked another seven years to marry Rachel, and another seven after that.
Another example of how Jacob struggle through his life is in the deal he made with his father-in-law to build up his herds. He would take the goats and sheep that were speckled and spotted, and leave the rest for Laban. Pretty soon, all the good livestock in the herd belonged to Jacob. Needless to say, Laban wasn't happy, and Jacob decided to take his flocks and his wives and make a run for it. He ended making a deal with Laban that they would never cross paths again.
This brings us to our scripture reading for this morning. Jacob was going back home, and sent word to his brother Esau that he was coming. Esau sent word back that he would meet him--with 400 men! Remembering that Esau hated him, Jacob got a little nervous, and sent his flocks ahead of him, and finally, on the banks of the Jabbok River, he sent his wives and servants ahead.
There he was--alone. I can imagine that as he camped there that night, he thought about all the times when he had strived to get ahead; times when it had worked, and times when it had not. He was at a turning point in his life. Should he save his neck and run? or should he finally, after all these years, face the music? Either way, he could lose everything.
That night scripture tells us that he wrestled with a man until daybreak. Who was it he wrestled with? Some would say that he struggled with the bodily form of God, others believe that it was the pre-incarnated Jesus, others the Angel of God.
All his life, Jacob had longed to be blessed. As he struggled with God, he said, "I will not let you go until you bless me." In response, God asked him his name. Jacob had to reply--remember his name meant "cheat, treacherous, struggler"--he had to have this moment of self-realization. In response, God blessed him by changing his name from cheater to "Striver with God"--Israel.
God could have easily defeated Jacob, but we all know that is not how God works. He wanted Jacob to realize who he was for himself. God's touch caused him pain--he would walk the rest of his life with a limp. But he was made new--he was changed--a new name, a new attitude--Jacob would be the father of a great nation, blessed by God.
How often are you crafty, self-seeking, self-willed, self-centered, in every day striving to get ahead? How often do you seek to do it all in your own power? Friends, just as Jacob was changed by his struggle with God, your moment of self-realization and confession can lead to your life being changed. After all, this passage, this portrait of the changed Jacob, is what we are called to be--a people who can confidently go forward to face life's crises "hold[ing] fast to love and justice, and wait[ing] continually for God" (Hosea 12:6).
This realization of who you are can be painful, just ask Jacob--he would limp for the rest of his life as a remembrance of that moment. But the pain is overshadowed by the mercy and grace of God in providing us with victory. With the grace of God, the strength of the victory of Christ over all struggles, you shall be blessed in that moment--and changed forever.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Thanks for Honking!
Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, October 14, 2007.
I'm no expert on geese. I don't hunt geese, raise geese, or even eat geese, so I know little about these birds that will begin flying south over our heads soon. I cannot dispute any of the information Gene Getz gives in his book, Elders and Leaders: God's Plan for Leading the Church.
Getz writes “Consider the following rather startling facts about a flock flying in formation:
As each goose flaps its wings, it creates and “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
When the lead bird tires, it rotates back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
When a bird gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
“Look at the birds of the air,” Jesus said while teaching a group of disciples on a hillside in Galilee (Matthew 6:26). When we look at the geese that fly in formation, we can learn much about leadership [and the church]. This marvelous metaphor from nature offers several obvious lessons about teamwork and leadership—lessons that hardly need to be explained.”
I share these insights with you because over the last two years I have been talking to you about callings. I have encouraged you again and again to respond to the callings of God on your life, and in many cases, you have responded to those calls. I want to encourage you to continue to respond to those callings, because like the geese, it doesn't matter so much who is up front, as long as the whole formation is flying together. There are times when the lead goose tires and has to move aside, and times when a new direction is called for.
I took that new direction when I began in pastoral ministry. I sensed God's call—waking me from much needed sleep to ponder God's Word, seeing over and over God's message to preach Grace to the world. Finally, I gave up and told God that I would go wherever He wanted me to go, do whatever He wanted me to do, and be whatever He wanted me to be. I remember going to my pastor and telling him what God was doing, sharing with my District Superintendent, and hearing that the two year process of entering the full-time ministry was about to begin (Nine months later I stood in the pulpit at Cody, Nebraska).
Every step in my faith life thus far has been devoted to the idea that my greatest desire was to follow hard after God. I didn't choose the seminary I would attend, God did. I didn't choose the churches I have served, God did. I have to tell you friends, nothing has changed. My first priority is still to follow hard after God.
As I worked my way through seminary, I pictured in my mind this light at the end of the tunnel...graduation. I knew that if I kept at it, I would eventually graduate, and honestly, I didn't know what there was after that. So I put in my paperwork to be a probationary member of the UMC in Nebraska, went through the interviews and was commissioned, even though at that point I knew the winds of change were blowing (though I didn't know where).
A few months ago (maybe you remember) I stood in this spot during a sermon and told you that I sensed that God was working in my life in a new way, but I didn't know what it was. Well, in June, I began to get an idea of what God was doing in my life. I began to think that perhaps God was calling me back into the Army as a Chaplain. I began to pursue this idea, but was a bit discouraged that in order to be active duty as a United Methodist I would have to wait another 5-6 years—after ordination and endorsement—to get into the Army. By that time I would be very close to being too old to rejoin.
I began to explore other avenues, and after much thought and prayer and direction from God, I began to talk with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nebraska. To make a long story shorter, if all goes well, I will be ordained by the end of the year, and will enter Chaplain Training School in Ft. Jackson, SC in January.
What happens next? What will happen over the next 2-3 months here in the church? The same thing that has been happening for the last few months—I will be encouraging you to respond to God's calling, participating in the leadership of your church. Remember, the church is the Body of Christ, and all are called to participate and serve in the mission of Christ in the world. We will continue to worship, thanking and praising God for the gifts poured out in our lives, and the gift of His Son.
The Pastor-Parish Relations Committee will be meeting tomorrow night, and in consultation with the District Superintendent, will be searching for an interim pastor to fill the pulpit until the regular appointment year at the first of July. If you are a part of that committee, I would highly encourage you to be a part of that meeting and participate fully.
As we go through the next few months together, I want to thank you for the grace you have shown me in the past, and the love with which you have welcomed me and my family. To go back to the geese, I want to thank you for your honks of encouragement along the way, and the opportunities to fall out of formation for periods of rest. I pray that you would celebrate God's call on my life and this new direction.
I'm no expert on geese. I don't hunt geese, raise geese, or even eat geese, so I know little about these birds that will begin flying south over our heads soon. I cannot dispute any of the information Gene Getz gives in his book, Elders and Leaders: God's Plan for Leading the Church.
Getz writes “Consider the following rather startling facts about a flock flying in formation:
As each goose flaps its wings, it creates and “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
When the lead bird tires, it rotates back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
When a bird gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
“Look at the birds of the air,” Jesus said while teaching a group of disciples on a hillside in Galilee (Matthew 6:26). When we look at the geese that fly in formation, we can learn much about leadership [and the church]. This marvelous metaphor from nature offers several obvious lessons about teamwork and leadership—lessons that hardly need to be explained.”
I share these insights with you because over the last two years I have been talking to you about callings. I have encouraged you again and again to respond to the callings of God on your life, and in many cases, you have responded to those calls. I want to encourage you to continue to respond to those callings, because like the geese, it doesn't matter so much who is up front, as long as the whole formation is flying together. There are times when the lead goose tires and has to move aside, and times when a new direction is called for.
I took that new direction when I began in pastoral ministry. I sensed God's call—waking me from much needed sleep to ponder God's Word, seeing over and over God's message to preach Grace to the world. Finally, I gave up and told God that I would go wherever He wanted me to go, do whatever He wanted me to do, and be whatever He wanted me to be. I remember going to my pastor and telling him what God was doing, sharing with my District Superintendent, and hearing that the two year process of entering the full-time ministry was about to begin (Nine months later I stood in the pulpit at Cody, Nebraska).
Every step in my faith life thus far has been devoted to the idea that my greatest desire was to follow hard after God. I didn't choose the seminary I would attend, God did. I didn't choose the churches I have served, God did. I have to tell you friends, nothing has changed. My first priority is still to follow hard after God.
As I worked my way through seminary, I pictured in my mind this light at the end of the tunnel...graduation. I knew that if I kept at it, I would eventually graduate, and honestly, I didn't know what there was after that. So I put in my paperwork to be a probationary member of the UMC in Nebraska, went through the interviews and was commissioned, even though at that point I knew the winds of change were blowing (though I didn't know where).
A few months ago (maybe you remember) I stood in this spot during a sermon and told you that I sensed that God was working in my life in a new way, but I didn't know what it was. Well, in June, I began to get an idea of what God was doing in my life. I began to think that perhaps God was calling me back into the Army as a Chaplain. I began to pursue this idea, but was a bit discouraged that in order to be active duty as a United Methodist I would have to wait another 5-6 years—after ordination and endorsement—to get into the Army. By that time I would be very close to being too old to rejoin.
I began to explore other avenues, and after much thought and prayer and direction from God, I began to talk with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nebraska. To make a long story shorter, if all goes well, I will be ordained by the end of the year, and will enter Chaplain Training School in Ft. Jackson, SC in January.
What happens next? What will happen over the next 2-3 months here in the church? The same thing that has been happening for the last few months—I will be encouraging you to respond to God's calling, participating in the leadership of your church. Remember, the church is the Body of Christ, and all are called to participate and serve in the mission of Christ in the world. We will continue to worship, thanking and praising God for the gifts poured out in our lives, and the gift of His Son.
The Pastor-Parish Relations Committee will be meeting tomorrow night, and in consultation with the District Superintendent, will be searching for an interim pastor to fill the pulpit until the regular appointment year at the first of July. If you are a part of that committee, I would highly encourage you to be a part of that meeting and participate fully.
As we go through the next few months together, I want to thank you for the grace you have shown me in the past, and the love with which you have welcomed me and my family. To go back to the geese, I want to thank you for your honks of encouragement along the way, and the opportunities to fall out of formation for periods of rest. I pray that you would celebrate God's call on my life and this new direction.
A Life in Balance - Material Possessions
Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, October 7, 2007.
In the church, we talk about stewardship primarily in taking care of our financial resources. When we talk about a stewardship drive, generally you can count on someone asking you to give more to the church. Often, when I mention the word stewardship, I can actually see peoples' eyes glaze over! The problem is that this definition of stewardship is woefully inadequate. Even worse, to someone who is not familiar with the term, it means even less—it is just more church-speak (a dialect of TBN-ese). Stewardship is a far more global term, it encompasses every aspect of our lives.
Stewardship is about a life of balance—utilizing the gifts that God has given us in healthy ways, whether those gifts are relationships, opportunities, time, or even material possessions. For the last three weeks, I have shared with you some thoughts on the first three of these:
relationships—balancing time and effort spent on others with time spent on ourselves
opportunities—balancing preparedness with opportunity
time—balancing our schedule with God's schedule
and finally today, I would like to share with you some thoughts on the last portion, what many incorrectly believe sums up the entire definition—money.
In his book, “Being in Balance,” Dr. Wayne W. Dyer writes that if you were to search for light, you would obviously not look for light in dark places. You would know that you couldn't spend your time analyzing dark places and wallowing around blindly in the dark—you would never discover light by continuing to search for it in the dark. Now substitute the words “abundance” and “scarcity” in that statement. You can't find abundance by wallowing in a scarcity mind-set. What do I mean by that? A scarcity mindset is focused on what little we have rather than the abundance God offers.
I read recently of a man in Saudi Arabia who was extremely wealthy and lived in an unbelievable palace. He had airplanes, and helicopters, and cars, and yachts—he was rich beyond anything we could imagine. Yet every few months, he would bring in hundreds of poor people from his country and meet with them individually. In most cases, whatever their need, he would give it to them. If they needed a car, he would give them a car. If they needed a house, he would give them a house. Money for an operation?--they had it. He literally gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars, and millions in property and materials. Now this man was likely not a Christian, but he relied upon the principle that if he gave unselfishly, it would be given back.
Now you might be thinking that if you as much as the Saudi prince, you would do the same thing. But that is missing the point! God calls us to be faithful and rely on God's abundance regardless of where we are financially. You might not have a lot of extra money, but can you share your dinner once in a while? The whole idea of a fellowship dinner is that we each give a bit of our own abundance, and we are blessed with more than enough. And I have never seen a fellowship dinner where they ran out of food or anyone left hungry!
That is the concept the believers in Acts 4 relied upon.
32 The whole group of believers lived in harmony. No one called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything. With great power the apostles continued to testify that the Lord Jesus had come back to life. [God's] abundant good will was with all of them. None of them needed anything. From time to time, people sold land or houses and brought the money to the apostles. Then the money was distributed to anyone who needed it.
Everyone had more than enough when they shared from their abundance. But Ananias and Sapphira held back with an attitude of scarcity. They wanted to be seen as super-Christians, and lied about the gift they gave to the church. Now scripture says they died on the spot, and I have been asked if that kind of thing would happen today. Friends, I believe that it DOES happen today. Whenever we live in that attitude of scarcity, we are bound by fear and a part of us dies. There is something about living in God's abundance that is freeing and invigorating. Why is Christmas so wonderful—because we GET gifts, or because we get to give?
What opportunities surround you to give? I already mentioned one—sharing a meal with someone. Today you have another opportunity, as it is World Communion Sunday, one of the special days that United Methodists ask for a special offering for a special cause. Today's special offering will go to provide scholarships for ethnic and international students to go to college, improving their lives, and perhaps in return, their contributions to society will improve your life. Either way, you are blessed by giving.
You have a second opportunity today... to support this church—without your support this church would cease to exist. Very soon, we will be formulating a budget for the year to come. This budget is based on what YOU give, and the ministry and effectiveness of the church is directly affected.
Friends, I invite you to live in abundance rather than in scarcity. Balance your desire for abundance with your habits of scarcity—don't dwell on what little you have, rejoice in what God has given, and make a habit of giving as God has given. Give freely and often.
In the church, we talk about stewardship primarily in taking care of our financial resources. When we talk about a stewardship drive, generally you can count on someone asking you to give more to the church. Often, when I mention the word stewardship, I can actually see peoples' eyes glaze over! The problem is that this definition of stewardship is woefully inadequate. Even worse, to someone who is not familiar with the term, it means even less—it is just more church-speak (a dialect of TBN-ese). Stewardship is a far more global term, it encompasses every aspect of our lives.
Stewardship is about a life of balance—utilizing the gifts that God has given us in healthy ways, whether those gifts are relationships, opportunities, time, or even material possessions. For the last three weeks, I have shared with you some thoughts on the first three of these:
relationships—balancing time and effort spent on others with time spent on ourselves
opportunities—balancing preparedness with opportunity
time—balancing our schedule with God's schedule
and finally today, I would like to share with you some thoughts on the last portion, what many incorrectly believe sums up the entire definition—money.
In his book, “Being in Balance,” Dr. Wayne W. Dyer writes that if you were to search for light, you would obviously not look for light in dark places. You would know that you couldn't spend your time analyzing dark places and wallowing around blindly in the dark—you would never discover light by continuing to search for it in the dark. Now substitute the words “abundance” and “scarcity” in that statement. You can't find abundance by wallowing in a scarcity mind-set. What do I mean by that? A scarcity mindset is focused on what little we have rather than the abundance God offers.
I read recently of a man in Saudi Arabia who was extremely wealthy and lived in an unbelievable palace. He had airplanes, and helicopters, and cars, and yachts—he was rich beyond anything we could imagine. Yet every few months, he would bring in hundreds of poor people from his country and meet with them individually. In most cases, whatever their need, he would give it to them. If they needed a car, he would give them a car. If they needed a house, he would give them a house. Money for an operation?--they had it. He literally gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars, and millions in property and materials. Now this man was likely not a Christian, but he relied upon the principle that if he gave unselfishly, it would be given back.
Now you might be thinking that if you as much as the Saudi prince, you would do the same thing. But that is missing the point! God calls us to be faithful and rely on God's abundance regardless of where we are financially. You might not have a lot of extra money, but can you share your dinner once in a while? The whole idea of a fellowship dinner is that we each give a bit of our own abundance, and we are blessed with more than enough. And I have never seen a fellowship dinner where they ran out of food or anyone left hungry!
That is the concept the believers in Acts 4 relied upon.
32 The whole group of believers lived in harmony. No one called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything. With great power the apostles continued to testify that the Lord Jesus had come back to life. [God's] abundant good will was with all of them. None of them needed anything. From time to time, people sold land or houses and brought the money to the apostles. Then the money was distributed to anyone who needed it.
Everyone had more than enough when they shared from their abundance. But Ananias and Sapphira held back with an attitude of scarcity. They wanted to be seen as super-Christians, and lied about the gift they gave to the church. Now scripture says they died on the spot, and I have been asked if that kind of thing would happen today. Friends, I believe that it DOES happen today. Whenever we live in that attitude of scarcity, we are bound by fear and a part of us dies. There is something about living in God's abundance that is freeing and invigorating. Why is Christmas so wonderful—because we GET gifts, or because we get to give?
What opportunities surround you to give? I already mentioned one—sharing a meal with someone. Today you have another opportunity, as it is World Communion Sunday, one of the special days that United Methodists ask for a special offering for a special cause. Today's special offering will go to provide scholarships for ethnic and international students to go to college, improving their lives, and perhaps in return, their contributions to society will improve your life. Either way, you are blessed by giving.
You have a second opportunity today... to support this church—without your support this church would cease to exist. Very soon, we will be formulating a budget for the year to come. This budget is based on what YOU give, and the ministry and effectiveness of the church is directly affected.
Friends, I invite you to live in abundance rather than in scarcity. Balance your desire for abundance with your habits of scarcity—don't dwell on what little you have, rejoice in what God has given, and make a habit of giving as God has given. Give freely and often.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
A Life in Balance - Time
Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs September 23, 2007.
Session 3 – Time – 9/30 – acts 28
Time seems to be the one thing we never have enough of isn't it?—yet all we have is time. We can take time, make time, save time, I even know some people who are “doing time!” I think that it is appropriate that TIME is one of the topics that we think about as we look for balance in our lives.
Finding balance in our lives is really looking at stewardship—taking care of the things entrusted to us by God—caretakers, so to speak. Some of the things that we have been entrusted with include relationships and opportunities. Today I 'd like to share with you a bit about taking care of time—seeking balance in our lives regarding time.
The first aspect of balancing time is:
I. balancing patience and a “right now” mentality
We are such impatient creatures...think about it, for one of life's simple pleasures—popcorn--we used to get a pot, some oil, and heat it up, add the corn and wait. During that wait, we might melt some butter, or get some other topping ready. But when the popping started there was more waiting—at least until the popping slowed down. But the end result was worth the wait—and the work. Today we throw a bag in the microwave and tap our foot while it pops some styrofoam-like thing marketed to us as popcorn.
We want everything as quick as we can get it—even if it not as good as if we had waited. At the same time, there are things that will never happen if we don't get started.
Paul called together the leaders of the church in Rome within 3 days of his arrival in Rome. He wanted to get things rolling. He wanted the “right now.” However, there was little fruit—so he stayed in Rome for 2 years, “speaking with all boldness and freedom.” It is during this time that Paul wrote his letters to the churches at Corinth,Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and to Philemon, Titus, and Timothy. Seems that God had something in mind for him—perhaps even more than what he had originally thought. He went there to evangelize, and wound up not only doing that, but also having the time set aside for him to write a good portion of the New Testament!
Ghandi once said that “there is more to life than making it go faster.” Balancing our patience and impatience is a tricky task—we want to make things happen in our lives and in our businesses, in our families and in our church, yet we have to take the next step in our balancing act in order to put it into the proper perspective:
II. balancing God's timing with our desire
Habukkuk 2:1 I will stand at my guard post. I will station myself on the wall. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what answer I will get to my complaint. 2 Then the LORD answered me, "Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly. 3 The vision will still happen at the appointed time. It hurries toward its goal. It won't be a lie. If it's delayed, wait for it. It will certainly happen. It won't be late.
Notice that Habukkuk tells us that God's plan for our lives will happen at the “appointed time?” That means that God is in control—of our business, our relationships, even our spiritual growth. Now that doesn't mean that we can sit back and simply wait for things to happen, but it does imply that we can push too hard. When things are in God's timing, it simply seems to fall into place. Life does not have to be a constant struggle. Life is too short to spend outside of God's will and purpose in our lives. And what is God's purpose for our lives?--to be in relationship with God and to seek his will and guidance for everything else!
The third and final aspect of balancing time is:
III. balancing desire to enjoy life with need to achieve
Friends, I have to tell you that stress is an inside job. There is nothing in the physical world outside of our psyche that you can point to and say “there it is—that's stress!” So...there is really no such thing as stress—just people reacting in stressful ways! These negative ways in which we react to events include fatigue, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, nervousness, excessive eating, loss of appetite, rashes, nail biting, anxiety, irritability, panic, moodiness, lack of concentration, sleeplessness, ulcers, compulsive behavior—the list goes on and on and on...
The key to getting rid of stress is, quite simply, realignment. II Corinthians 6:6 [People can see] our purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit's presence [in our lives], our sincere love,
Galatians 5:22 But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
All of these balancing acts--
I. balancing patience vs. “right now” mentality
II. balancing God's timing with our desire
III. balancing desire to enjoy life with need to achieve
are about this refocus and realignment.
If our focus is on God and his timing, we can accept God's timing, freeing us to enjoy life.That may sound simplistic, but many of the things in our lives that we worry about we cannot change anyway!
Today, take a step toward reliance and trust in God's good timing. Go for a walk, force yourself to sit quietly for twenty minutes, simply listen to yourself breathe and know that God has a plan for your life. Then place your trust in God and give it voice—tell God that you will trust and ask for him to come into your life and give you peace. There is something powerful in saying the words—don't put it off. In fact, let's pray right now...
Session 3 – Time – 9/30 – acts 28
Time seems to be the one thing we never have enough of isn't it?—yet all we have is time. We can take time, make time, save time, I even know some people who are “doing time!” I think that it is appropriate that TIME is one of the topics that we think about as we look for balance in our lives.
Finding balance in our lives is really looking at stewardship—taking care of the things entrusted to us by God—caretakers, so to speak. Some of the things that we have been entrusted with include relationships and opportunities. Today I 'd like to share with you a bit about taking care of time—seeking balance in our lives regarding time.
The first aspect of balancing time is:
I. balancing patience and a “right now” mentality
We are such impatient creatures...think about it, for one of life's simple pleasures—popcorn--we used to get a pot, some oil, and heat it up, add the corn and wait. During that wait, we might melt some butter, or get some other topping ready. But when the popping started there was more waiting—at least until the popping slowed down. But the end result was worth the wait—and the work. Today we throw a bag in the microwave and tap our foot while it pops some styrofoam-like thing marketed to us as popcorn.
We want everything as quick as we can get it—even if it not as good as if we had waited. At the same time, there are things that will never happen if we don't get started.
Paul called together the leaders of the church in Rome within 3 days of his arrival in Rome. He wanted to get things rolling. He wanted the “right now.” However, there was little fruit—so he stayed in Rome for 2 years, “speaking with all boldness and freedom.” It is during this time that Paul wrote his letters to the churches at Corinth,Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and to Philemon, Titus, and Timothy. Seems that God had something in mind for him—perhaps even more than what he had originally thought. He went there to evangelize, and wound up not only doing that, but also having the time set aside for him to write a good portion of the New Testament!
Ghandi once said that “there is more to life than making it go faster.” Balancing our patience and impatience is a tricky task—we want to make things happen in our lives and in our businesses, in our families and in our church, yet we have to take the next step in our balancing act in order to put it into the proper perspective:
II. balancing God's timing with our desire
Habukkuk 2:1 I will stand at my guard post. I will station myself on the wall. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what answer I will get to my complaint. 2 Then the LORD answered me, "Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly. 3 The vision will still happen at the appointed time. It hurries toward its goal. It won't be a lie. If it's delayed, wait for it. It will certainly happen. It won't be late.
Notice that Habukkuk tells us that God's plan for our lives will happen at the “appointed time?” That means that God is in control—of our business, our relationships, even our spiritual growth. Now that doesn't mean that we can sit back and simply wait for things to happen, but it does imply that we can push too hard. When things are in God's timing, it simply seems to fall into place. Life does not have to be a constant struggle. Life is too short to spend outside of God's will and purpose in our lives. And what is God's purpose for our lives?--to be in relationship with God and to seek his will and guidance for everything else!
The third and final aspect of balancing time is:
III. balancing desire to enjoy life with need to achieve
Friends, I have to tell you that stress is an inside job. There is nothing in the physical world outside of our psyche that you can point to and say “there it is—that's stress!” So...there is really no such thing as stress—just people reacting in stressful ways! These negative ways in which we react to events include fatigue, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, nervousness, excessive eating, loss of appetite, rashes, nail biting, anxiety, irritability, panic, moodiness, lack of concentration, sleeplessness, ulcers, compulsive behavior—the list goes on and on and on...
The key to getting rid of stress is, quite simply, realignment. II Corinthians 6:6 [People can see] our purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit's presence [in our lives], our sincere love,
Galatians 5:22 But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
All of these balancing acts--
I. balancing patience vs. “right now” mentality
II. balancing God's timing with our desire
III. balancing desire to enjoy life with need to achieve
are about this refocus and realignment.
If our focus is on God and his timing, we can accept God's timing, freeing us to enjoy life.That may sound simplistic, but many of the things in our lives that we worry about we cannot change anyway!
Today, take a step toward reliance and trust in God's good timing. Go for a walk, force yourself to sit quietly for twenty minutes, simply listen to yourself breathe and know that God has a plan for your life. Then place your trust in God and give it voice—tell God that you will trust and ask for him to come into your life and give you peace. There is something powerful in saying the words—don't put it off. In fact, let's pray right now...
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