Week Two: The Story of the Sermon on the Mountain

This weekend we get to learn from Jesus’ most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. As you prepare for the weekend I encourage you to read all of chapters 5 through 7 in Matthew and then come back and focus on the first 10 verses of Chapter five (printed below). There is so much good stuff here in Jesus’ sermon and this Sunday I hope to take it a step further as we consider the implications of this message to the ministry of Jesus. 

Also, as you prepare for Sunday I invite you to continue to let your creativity flow as you think of potential names for our new congregation. We will have cards to fill out with your potential names on Sunday!

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-10

One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, ² and he began to teach them.

³ “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. ⁴ God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵ God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. ⁶ God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. ⁷ God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ⁸ God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. ⁹ God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. ¹⁰ God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think Jesus begins this sermon by listing these eight Beatitudes (blessings) from God?
2. Of the eight, which is your favorite Beatitude?
3. Its been said that as Christians we are always living into one of the Beatitudes at every stage of our lives. What Beatitude are you living into at this point in your life? And, how is God using this to grow you in your faith?

Week One: The Story of the Baptism

I find myself entering into Lent with an eager anticipation this year, as so much is happening within our church, our community, our nation and the world around us. Often, I talk with people who find themselves living at some level of stress over the situation of our changing world. There is an old quote that I heard years ago that can be taken as either a blessing or as a curse, “May you live in interesting times.” I have come to believe that for the Christian this should be our desire––to live in interesting times. Jesus lived in one of the most interesting times in all of history. Literally, a cosmic shift was taking place through his life and ministry that would change the very foundations of the universe. Over these next six weeks of Lent I hope that we can explore his life, see Him as both our Lord and Savior, but also see Him as the preeminent example of how to live in interesting times.  

As we prepare for this weekend, I invite you to watch the video, read our scripture for Sunday and spend some time in reflection on the questions below. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 3:13-17

“Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”

But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So, John agreed to baptize him.

After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.””

Questions for Reflection:

Why do you think Jesus insisted on being baptized by John?

Baptism is one of the two sacraments observed by the United Methodist Church. Why do you think baptism is important today?

FAITHFUL: Plugged In

I write this EBlast today from Jerusalem. We have had one of the most amazing weeks of my life. Today we spent most of the day in and around Old Jerusalem; following the Via Dolorosa, Touring the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and ending the day taking communion at the Garden Tomb.  That was just today!  We can’t wait to share about our trip next Wednesday at our Grow Night Dinner, but this weekend you will already get a taste of our trip as we continue to look at what it means to be FAITHFUL in our call to community.  Please take time to watch the video read the scripture and reflect on the questions below as we prepare for worship this Sunday.

Scripture: Acts 2:43-47

And everyone was filled with awe; the apostles worked many signs and miracles. And all who shared the faith owned everything in common; they sold their goods and possessions and distributed the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed.

Each day, with one heart, they regularly went to the Temple but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.

Reflection Questions:

What sticks out to you within the passage as it relates to the beginning of the Church?

What would this kind of community look like today?

How could we produce this kind of community today?

An extra video from Israel...

FAITHFUL

I have always loved a Groucho Marx quote I heard when I was a college student, “I refuse to join any organization that would have me as a member.” There’s something to what Groucho said. Most of us probably realize that we don’t have “the right stuff” to be part of any organization that would have us, yet it is us messed up, imperfect, struggling people  who are called to be part of the church. 

No matter who we are, what we look like, what we’ve done, or even how messed up our lives, Jesus calls us to join his Body, typically through joining a local church. Even though all are accepted, there is expectation for us once we’ve joined. When we welcome new members into the United Methodist Church we give five expectations: prayer, service, gifts, presence, and witness. We are not called to do these five things perfectly, but we are invited to be Faithful. 

This Sunday, as we celebrate our sixth birthday and as we welcome in new members we will also begin a new sermon series on living faithfully as members of Christ’s church. I can’t wait to be with you on Sunday as we celebrate faithful family living.

PRAY!

Recently, while doing some research online, I learned about two seemingly contradictory trends happening in the prayer lives of American Christians. It seems that over the past decade most of us have begun to pray more often and for longer durations than we have been doing for several decades but at the same time more of us than ever feel defeated and that our prayer lives are not as good as they should be. After learning about these prayer trends I found myself contemplating what would cause so many of us to be praying more while also feeling inadequate and defeated in our acts of prayer. At first I wondered if it was pastoral guilt that we clergy have been pushing on our good willed congregants. But as I read a couple articles about this trend I decided this was not the case and also found that most pastors are struggling through the same fate. The conclusion that I ultimately reached was that...   Oh, wait, that’s my Sunday sermon! I can’t give the answer away too soon, so I guess we will just have to come together this Sunday as we dive deeper into our prayer lives.  

As you prepare for worship this Sunday I invite you to spend some time watching the video, reading the scripture and contemplating the reflection questions below. And, as always this is a great Sunday to invite a friend to church.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Scripture Reading
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18, NLT

Reflection Questions

1. Spend a few minutes thinking about your own prayer life. Do you find that your frequently and duration of prayer is growing or is it in decline? Why do you think this is happening
2. Do you feel satisfied with your prayer life? Think about your answer and contemplate why you answered the way you did.

Vision 2020, Part Two

It’s hard to believe we are already almost two weeks into the new year! I am constantly reminded of my favorite Ferris Bueller quote, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” My goal for these first two Sundays of 2020 is to stop and look around, so that we can get a clear vision of how to move ahead into this new decade. This Sunday we will be completing my “life verses” and learn how we can live out our vocational call to be disciples and make disciples in a way that is doable for the average person and can also be fun in the journey.  

As you prepare for this weekend I invite you to watch the video, read the two scripture passages and then spend a few minutes of reflection working through the questions below.  I look forward to seeing you this Sunday!  

Scripture Reading:

The Servant Attitude:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 

Philippians 2:5–8

The Great Divide

 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Matthew 25:31–40

Reflection Questions:

1. After reading the Philippians 2 passage above, what do you think it looks like to have the same attitude of Christ in the 21st century?
2. How could you begin to live out that attitude today?
3. What are some opportunities you see around you today to feed, give something to drink, show hospitality, give clothing or visit someone in need? 

A Vision for 2020

It’s hard to believe that another year is here! How quickly 2019 has gone by––in fact, for that matter, isn’t it amazing how quickly the entire decade of the 2010’s has slipped into our memories? 

Every year between Christmas and New Years I spend some time reflecting on where I have been and looking forward to where God is calling me and our community. I am not big on making New Years Resolutions, but I do believe the new year gives us a unique opportunity to reflect and re-evaluate where we are on our journey of faith and make the necessary adjustments so that we can continue to find growth and depth in our walk with Jesus.

This Sunday I am going to share some of what I have felt God revealing to me over the past days of reflection and within my reflection I hope we will begin to get a vision for where God is calling our community in our continued walk with Christ in our journey of faith. As you prepare for this Sunday I invite you to watch the short video, read the Scripture passage and ponder the reflection questions. 

The new year is a great time to invite a friend to join with you in worship!

See you Sunday!!

Scripture Reading:

“But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Reflection Questions:

1. Joshua in calling the people to make a decision on whom they will serve and within this call he makes a bold declaration that he and his household will serve the Lord. As we launch into a new year how is this passage relevant to your life and journey?

2. How can you apply both Joshua’s questions and his declaration to your own life today?

3. What do it mean for you if you would, like Joshua, declare to serving only God with you life?