We Don't Have to Beg for God's Blessing

It’s great to be together on this Tuesday!  I’m glad to be with you in the Pastor’s Workshop. 

As noted yesterday, this Sunday we’ll be celebrating Father’s Day.  As part of our worship we’ll give God thanks for those significant men in our lives, our fathers, grandfathers, uncles, teachers, coaches, mentors, and friends who helped shape us by living and witnessing the love of our Heavenly Father to us. 

The Scripture we’ll be using is Genesis 27:1-10, 30-38.  The focus verse is 27:38, “Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, father? Bless me, me also, father!”  At issue is our need for a “blessing”.

On Tuesdays we look at the structure of the Scripture.  What’s the plot of the story? What’s at stake in the story?  How does this story narrate the struggle over “the blessing”?

One of the amazing things about the Old Testament, as it documents the lives of our ancestors in the faith it doesn’t hide any flaws.  Our forefathers and foremothers are pictured as far from perfect. 

Isaac is feeble and blind.  His lack of sight is not only physical affliction, it’s a relationship impairment.   He’s oblivious to what’s happening in his family. He has his favorite son, the eldest, Esau.  He plans to follow tradition and give him the blessing. 

And then there’s his wife, Rebekah.  She snoops on conversations and connives to get her own way.  She also has a favorite son, the second son, Jacob. She plots so Jacob will receive the blessing. 

There’s Esau.  He’s pictured as an outdoors kind of guy, who’s rugged and loves to hunt and fish. He’s also portrayed as not the “brightest bulb in the box”.  He traded off his birthright for a bowl of porridge.  Now he’s about to be duped out of his blessing.

Finally, there’s Jacob.  He’s pictured as a “momma’s boy”.  Jacob in Hebrew means “grabby”. He conspires with his mom to deceive his father and steal the blessing.  Even as a “con” he manages to come out on top. 

It’s a quite the cast of characters! Modern day melodramas have nothing on the Bible. 

What’s also incredible as you think through this story --- God is at work in this family.  They are the purveyors of God’s covenant.  God’s love “functions” even in the midst of our human dysfunction.  That’s an incredible blessing right there!

And another great thought from this text, we don’t have to snoop and connive, scheme and plot how we are going to “get the blessing”.  God as our Heavenly Father is not blind to our need nor limited in the bounty of blessings.  We don’t need to “beg” for a blessing. As Jesus says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him”.  Matthew 7:11

As part of your devotion today I invite you to read and re-read Genesis 27:1-40.  This will give you the “bigger picture”.  Put yourself in the different character’s shoes.  Is there one you identify with more than the others?  Is there one who irritates you more than the others?  Make note of your reactions to the characters.  Your inner feelings tell you about them and about yourself.  As your making your notes and thinking on this particular story, what does this story tell you about the “greater story” of God’s grace?  Jot down your thoughts. 

As we read through this story, it’s amazing (amazing grace) how God brings forward God’s blessings to Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob, and to you and me.  Trusting in that amazing grace, I look forward to our continued time in God’s word in the Pastor’s Workshop. 

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for this story from the Scriptures which tells us the story of our lives with You.  Let this Scripture remind us that despite our human flaws Your grace is sufficient. Help us to know that in Your goodness as our Heavenly Father, You “pour out” blessings of love and mercy.  Let us know by Your Spirit that our mission is to pass on these blessings in Christ’s name.  We praise you for this privilege of participating in Your blessing of our loved ones and our world through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

A Father's Blessing

A good Monday morning to you!  I’m glad we’re starting the week off together in the Pastor’s Workshop.

This coming Sunday is Father’s Day.  It’s a special day to celebrate our fathers, grandfathers and other special men in our lives who have blessed us.  Through their example they have given witness to a Heavenly Father whose love is always “with us” and “for our best”.

There are a lot of Scriptures that highlight “fathers” and the role of “fathers”.  The one we’ll choose for this Sunday comes from Genesis.  In Genesis 27 we find a famous father-son “triangle” highlighted with Isaac, Esau and Jacob. 

Much of this chapter revolves around a “father’s blessing”.  As we read through this text it’s apparent that the blessing was a one time, formal bestowal of favor (Genesis 27:27-29) usually reserved for the first born. The blessing was not given for the sake of the receiver.  It was provided because the receiver was also to inherit the responsibility of watching over and providing for the extended family.  Through the one who was blessed the whole family was to be blessed. 

As you prepare for Sunday I’d invite you to read and re-read Genesis 27:1-40.  Put yourself in the position of the different characters in the story.  Isaac, the father, who was to give the blessing according to tradition, to the eldest son, Esau.   Rebekah, the mother who had her favorite child, Jacob, and wanted him to have the blessing. Esau, the one who expected to receive the blessing, only to have it stolen by his brother.  Jacob, the one who colluded with his mother, deceived his father and robbed the blessing from his brother. It’s quite the dysfunctional family!

In the midst of it all, and at the center of our focus on Sunday, is the cry of Esau is in verse 38, “Have you only one blessing, father?  Bless me, me also father!”  As we’ll explore on Sunday this a cry we all have.  “Blessing” is also a gift we all can give. 

I look forward to working through this Bible story together.  As we do that we’ll always find, at its roots, the Biblical story is also our story.  The Biblical story is a human story.  In this case it is our need for a blessing. The Biblical story is also a holy story.  In every case it is how God provides that blessing through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

In that faith, I invite you to get started and we’ll see you tomorrow in the Pastor’s Workshop!

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for a new week.  Thank you for being a God who is “with” and “for” us.  Thank for being our Heavenly Father.  And in your grace, thank you for inviting us to bring a blessing to others.  By your Spirit strengthen us for this service of blessing, in Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen 

Praying for our Graduating Seniors

So good to be with you on this Saturday!  I’m glad we can be together in the Pastor’s Workshop.

As you know, Saturday is when we “prepare with prayer”.  That’s a good mantra for Sunday’s sermon and for so much else in life!

Prayer is “God with us” and “us with God”. Prayer centers us In God’s grace.  It gets our hearts and minds ready. It adjusts our attitude and aligns us with what God wants to do in and through us in the day before us. 

So what do we pray for as we celebrate our graduating seniors on this Senior Sunday?

A large part of my prayer is gratitude.  I’m so thankful for our seniors.  They are wonderful young adults.  I’m grateful for who they are and for what they’ve accomplished and achieved.  And I’m thankful for all who have supported, encouraged, instructed, provided and prayed for them along the way.  There is so much to be grateful for on this Sunday.

Part of my prayer is for continued protection and provision as they move forward. I ask God keep them safe and secure.  I pray God open doors of opportunity and give our graduates the wisdom and courage to step through them. 

Part of my prayer is for hope.  I’m hopeful for how our graduates will continue to grow, for who they will become, for the difference they will make in the world.  I ask God to continue to work in them so they will be their best and become the blessings God has purposed them to be.

Part of my prayer is for myself.  Even as I pray our graduates would be living into God’s grace and “working out their own salvation”, I pray the same for me.  There are opportunities of love before me today I need to see and seize.  There are chances to share and serve I need to embrace.  I need to “work out my salvation” too!

What are your prayers for our graduates this morning?  As with all we do, I encourage you to write down your prayers.  I recommend you use a notebook.  It’s amazing how when you put “pen to paper”, prayers (and everything else) take on a different and more permanent perspective.

It’s been a blessing to be with you this week.  It’s great to consider how God’s grace has blessed and grown our graduates.  It’s a blessing to be called into that continued working of God as we work out our own salvation. 

In that growing grace I look forward to being in worship with you tomorrow at Spring Valley!

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for our seniors and this Senior Sunday.  Thank you for all you have done, are doing and will continue to do in and through them.  Thank you for your word that calls them and us into a mindset of cooperation.  Thank you that even as you are working, we can be working too!  Strengthen us by your Holy Spirit that we might use this day and everyday to “work out our own salvation” through Jesus Christ our Lord.  In his name we pray. Amen

Praying God's Best for Our Seniors

Greetings!  I’m glad to be with you today, on this Thursday, in the Pastor’s Workshop.

As you are well aware, Sunday is Senior Sunday at Spring Valley.   We’re proud of our seniors and all they’ve accomplished.  We’re grateful to be able to share in this special time of worship with them. 

Our Scripture is from Philippians 1:2-6, 2:12-13.  The deep affection of the Apostle for the church of Philippi witnesses to the same heart we have for our graduates.

Thursday is the day “bring it all together” in the workshop.  We review and reflect upon our thoughts, notes, and reflections from the week. We pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We ask God to help us see and “give voice” to the message “emerging” from the intersection of our “life focus” (commencement) and the Holy Scripture (Philippians).

Here’s what’s coming forward for me for this Sunday:

We are so proud of our Seniors on this occasion of their graduation.  It’s a major milestone that speaks of hard work and effort, accomplishment and achievement. Congratulations!

At the same time, we’re hopeful for our Seniors about what’s ahead.  Whatever path their lives will be taking we pray God’s best for them. 

And we’re thankful for all who have stood with them and supported our Seniors.  Family and friends, teachers, coaches, directors, mentors, youth pastors and pastors and a host of others have been a “great cloud of witnesses”.  We share their joy!

In the midst of all this blessing, if there were one other desire I would have for our Seniors, it would be they would have a “better world” to enter.  As they commence into this next step of their lives they would inherit a less troubled and more “whole” world.

Just in the last three months there have been seismic societal events that have rocked our country. The COVID pandemic, massive unemployment, and the social unrest following the killing of George Floyd have all been major social upheavals.  And as you look at the “growing up” time of our graduates they have come through climate change, school shootings, and the political and social acrimony of “culture wars”.  It’s been hard!

If wish I could “change that world” for them.  But I can’t.  We can’t.  But what we can do is choose how we live in this world.  What they can do is choose how they live in this world!

We can choose to live reactively.  When we “Live Reactively” we have our outlook and attitudes about life shaped by these circumstances.

Or we can choose to “Live Proactively”.  In the words of the Scripture, we can live each day in a way that we are “working out our own salvation”.

The Scripture from Philippians outlines “how” to live “working out our salvation”.

It begins with a foundation of “Grace and Peace” (verse 2).  Grace is God being “forever for us”.  Grace is God’s heart of love always turned towards us in Jesus Christ and with us by the Holy Spirit. Peace is the calm assurance grace brings to our lives as we stand on this “rock” of grace. 

Then the Apostle writes, “I thank God whenever I think of you…”.  Surely that is our “mind” towards our graduates as we think of them.  We remember lots of fun and special times spent together. Those memories bring us joy.

At the same time we hope that these fun times were also faith times and that the special times were also sacred times.  We pray that in the midst of our life shared together, our graduates also got a sense of sharing life with Jesus Christ.   Ours has been a “partnership in the Gospel”.

In that partnership, we pray that our graduates will not only stand on the rock of “Grace and Peace” but will Rise Up on that rock and live out lives of love.

God’s grace not only “comforts”, it also “calls” us and our graduates.  God “challenges” us to be the best we can be, so we can bring the blessings God would have us to bring to our world each day.  Whatever path life takes the challenge is always the same. Love the world with Jesus’ love.  Change the world through love.  Love the world into change. Live a life that really matters and makes a difference.  Live out, “work out”, “your own salvation”.

Do it with “fear” and “trembling”, awe and wonder.  As you seek to love the world, you are joining Jesus in his work.  As you join him in his work, he “joins you” with strength and support for the task at hand.  But more, God’s grace will grow and mature you as a person of grace.  As you seek to make a difference through love, God will make a difference in you.  The Apostle says, “God is at work in you”.

 Life is qualitatively different if you take this proactive path to living, if you live “working out your salvation”.  Some people think of faith as the “great escape” from life.  I think of it as the “great embrace of life”, life at its highest, best, deepest, and most abundant.  

As I think about our graduates, my prayer for them is that as they reflect back on their time at Spring Valley they would do so with fondness.  I also pray they would say, “Spring Valley provided a foundation and paved a future for my life of faith with Jesus Christ”.  I pray they would live out “their own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God is at work in them, enabling them both to will and to work God’s good pleasure”.

That’s a pretty complete outline of my message to the graduates and us for Sunday.  What are your thoughts?  What is the message that has come forward for you from Philippians 1 and 2?  Again (and always) pay attention and take the time to write down your “message”.  This is how God is speaking to your heart.  

Make sure you “tune in” to worship on Sunday.  You will want to see our Senior video and experience our Senior leadership. It will be a blessing that puts a smile on your face and brings a joy to your heart. 

In that promise, I look forward to joining you for prayer on Saturday and in praise on Sunday as we “work out our salvation” together at Spring Valley!

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for the blessing of our Seniors.  Thank you for this opportunity to celebrate them and Your grace in their lives.  Thank you for the opportunity not only to reflect on your word, but also to be called by Your truth to live out Your love in our lives.  Strengthen us as we would seek to “work out our salvation” today by blessing our world with your love.  Guide us in that faith in ways that are to Your glory.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen

Work Out Your Salvation with Fear and Trembling

Welcome to Wednesday in the Pastor’s Workshop!  It’s great to be together today.

This week we’re celebrating our graduating high school seniors with Senior Sunday.  Our focus verse is Philippians 2:12b-13, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing God is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for God’s good pleasure.”

On Wednesdays we look at the world into which the Word spoke. Knowing the context of the text draws out highlights in the Scripture we might not otherwise see. 

Philippi was a Roman military outpost in northern Greece.  As a Roman colony it was extended particular privileges.  Being part of the Greco-Roman world, Philippi was awash with a variety of cultural influences.  How do you encourage believers to live out their faith in the midst of such diversity of values and life-styles? 

It was easy to get “caught up” in these influences and to live reactively. To live into the Gospel and to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” was a proactive choice of faith. To do so made a difference in the lives of those believers.  We celebrate this difference 2,000 years later as we read this letter. 

In our society we face a variety of cultural influences.  America is no longer monolithic in its values and beliefs (if it ever was!).  Our high school seniors will be living into a culture where Christianity will be a deliberate choice, not a default assumption. It is easy to get caught up by all the choices and live reactively. Our seniors will need to be proactive in how they decide to “work out their own salvation in fear and trembling”.

This is the truth not only for our high school seniors, but also for ourselves. With the opening blessing of “Grace and Peace”, this text invites us to find a foundation for our lives in the ever-present love of God in Christ. It is this “Rock” we can count on, trust, run to, and rely in.  God’s Grace is our Peace. Peace is the calm assurance that whatever is happening, it will all be OK because God is ultimately in control.

The text goes on, encouraging us to build on the Rock. “Work out your own salvation”.  See what difference the love of Christ can make in and through you. Seek to be your best so you can bless the rest, making the lives of others better and our world better through Christ’s love.  That call and challenge comes to all Christians.

As we respond in faith we can celebrate that “God is at work in us”, strengthening and encouraging us by the Spirit.    It all brings a smile to God’s face and to ours, for living out Christ’s love is of God’s “good pleasure”.

As you look at the context you see that even though societal circumstances may change over the centuries, the basic human challenges to live out the faith remain the same.  Even as the challenges remain the same, our God remains the same.  In Christ God is always drawing us deeper into divine love and always calling and strengthening us to live out that love as a witness to our world.

This morning as you think about this text I’d invite you to consider the challenges you face in “Working out your own salvation”. Pray about these.  Know that even as you seek to live into the truth of this text, living into the love of your salvation, God is right there with you every step of the way!

In that “walk” and “work” I’ll see you tomorrow in the Workshop. 

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for how your Word speaks into our lives and calls us into your World.  Help us to know that faith is our proactive choice.  Strengthen us to live out your love in your world.  Let us be our best in you. Let us be the blessing you would have us to be, bringing out the best in the lives of others.  In that faith guide us forward as we seek to “work out our own salvation” through Christ our Lord.  In his name we pray.  Amen

New Normal: Our Sentiments for our Seniors

Good morning! God’s blessings be with you for a beautiful day!

This week in worship we’ll be celebrating our Seniors.  We’re grateful for the eight great young adults who are graduating in our congregation. I’m thankful we can share in this special time together. 

Our Scripture for Sunday is Philippians 1:2-6, 2:12-13. 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ…12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

It’s a beautiful text witnessing to a deep and abiding love in Christ the Apostle shared with the believers in Philippi.  It’s also a text that reflects our sentiments for our seniors. 

On Tuesdays in the pastor’s workshop we look at the structure of the Scripture.  What is the logic of love we see here?  Where does the Apostle start and where does he end?   How does the message “emerge”?

Verse 2 begins with a common salutation of Paul’s – “Grace and Peace”. These words reflect the heart of God.  “Grace” is the heart of God that is ever “for” all people.  It is a heart witnessed to by John when he said, “God so loved the world…”.  And “Peace” is the calm assurance found in knowing God is “for” you and “with” you always. 

Verses 3-4 reflects the heart of Paul as he is “thinking of” (“remembering”), “thanking always”, and “constantly praying with joy”.  Paul’s heart for the Philippians is a witness to the heart of God for the Philippians. 

Verse 5 rejoices in the special relationship Paul and the Philippians share.  Paul talks about “sharing in the gospel”.  The Gospel (the “Good News”) is the saving love of God for all people in Jesus Christ. Paul rejoices that he and the Philippians have learned about and lived that love of God in Christ together. They have experienced how that love is a foundation for life that is abundant and full.  They have discovered how to grow in that gospel of grace each and every day in each and every relationship. They have lived out the Gospel in ministry and mission together. 

Verse 6 resounds with a confidence that this growing in grace, living into the love of Jesus Christ, is doing something beautiful in the lives of the faithful.  He believes that living into this love is working a “maturity of love” in the lives of the followers.  In this belief he imagines what’s ahead. He says Jesus Christ will bring this working of love “to completion in the day of Christ Jesus”.  As he projects into the future he believes the love of God in Christ will continue to grow and fully mature in the hearts of the believers. They will become more and more like Christ in their abilities to love, serve, sacrifice, and fully live.  The end result will be they are “perfected” in love – whole and complete in the love of God in Christ.  This Scripture is the basis of John Wesley’s doctrine of “perfection”.

Verse 12 takes the next step.  Since this foundation of the Gospel has been provided in Christ and the way of growth has been opened by him, now comes the call. “Work out your own salvation in fear and trembling”.  The Apostle summons the believers to not only “believe” but also “behave” the Gospel.  Take what you believe about the love of God in Christ and see how it works in your life. Do it with “fear and trembling”, awe and wonder because as you live out the love of God in Christ you are sharing in something sacred, awesome and wonderful. 

Verse 13 closes by sharing what that “awesome and wonderful” reality is.  As we live by faith, live seeking to express and extend the love of God in Christ to others, the Apostle says that in our effort God is present and working.  His phrase is “God is at work in you, enabling you both to will and work his good pleasure”.

It is a beautiful Scripture moving from a foundation of “Grace and Peace” to a future where we are working with God, living the love of Christ in the world.  This reality is the heart of our witness, ministry and mission.  All of these are expressions of the God’s good gospel of grace!

That’s the logic I experience.  As you look at the text what do you see?  What message is coming forward and how does it advance?  Make sure you always jot down your thoughts and ideas.  

Time for you to go to work!  As you do, know that “God is at work in you, both to will and work for God’s good pleasure!”

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for the blessing of this day.  Thank you for how these blessings come to us as opportunities to love our families, friends, neighbors, community and world.  By Your Holy Spirit help us to see and seize these moments so others will be blessed and we will grow in your grace.   This is your Gospel in Jesus Christ.  For that wonderful working of Your love, that is Your salvation working in and through us we give you thanks today in Jesus’ name.  Amen

New Normal: Celebrating our Seniors

Good morning.  Welcome to Monday and a grace-filled week ahead!

As you have seen on the news or know “first hand” from neighbors, friends or your own family, we are in the midst of high school graduation.  It’s been a crazy spring for our seniors.  I’m glad they’re getting to celebrate.  I’m impressed by the creativity of the commencements.  There have been many different venues with various plans of graduate presentation.  But the “bottom line” has always been the same, “Congratulations”, “We’re Proud of You”, “Our Hearts and Love are with You”. 

At Spring Valley we’ll echo those same sentiments as we celebrate our seniors this week.  We have eight great graduates. We’ve watched them grow up, several from nursery all the way through high school. Now we host a special Sunday to give thanks for them and to congratulate them on this “big step” in their lives. 

On this Senior Sunday our seniors will assist in leading worship.  We’ll hear from several of our seniors about how life has been, where their path goes from here, and how Spring Valley has been part of their journey. 

Unlike other Senior Sundays of past years this one will be “virtual”. We’re grateful to those Seniors who will leading In worship via screen technology. As the first generation to grow up fully immersed in this “new world” maybe it’s witness to how their lives and our faith continue forward creatively through new venues. 

Our Scripture for Sunday is Philippians 1:2-6, 2:12-13.  It seems an appropriate choice for the occasion.  In this text the Apostle tells the Philippians how dear they are to him.  He gives thanks for how they shared the life of Christ together.  He prays that as they continue ahead they will live out their own salvation “with fear and trembling”, knowing that God is at work in them both to will and to do God’s good pleasure.  All the Apostle says to the Philippians we could say (and will say) to our graduates. 

This Scripture is rich with a heart of love and a prayer for the best ahead.  As we do on every Monday I encourage you to “immerse yourself” in that desire of the Apostle for the believers.  Read and re-read the Scripture, silently and aloud.  Write and re-write the text from several translations.  Paraphrase in your own words. Let the voice of the Scripture speak through you!

After all the difficulty we’ve experienced these past several months it’s a “gift of grace” to rejoice with the seniors and their families in our church.  I look forward to doing that with you as we spend time in this text.  

Even as we pray the best for our graduates, we too can live in ways we “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling knowing that God is at work in us both to will and to do his good pleasure.”  I’m glad we can reflect on and claim that grace together!

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for our seniors.  They are a blessing to their families and our church family.  We are grateful to celebrate this wonderful milestone in their lives with them. Even as we do, open our minds, eyes, and hearts to how Your grace has been present in the life we’ve shared together. Lead us into the deep promise of Your love in Christ that is ahead.  For that provision and your grace that guides us, we give You our thanks and praise in Jesus’ name.  Amen

New Normal: Let's Pray.

Grace and Peace on this Saturday morning!  How good it is to be together in that blessing of God. 

It’s been a difficult week.  Even as our country has been going through tumult and trouble, we’ve felt it our hearts and spirits.  In our distress we’ve turned to seek a Word from the Lord. 

Our guiding Scripture has been Isaiah 58:6-12.  In those prophetic words we’ve been challenged to justice and also called into hope by God’s grace. 

And today we ready ourselves for worship.  On Saturday we pray.  We ask God to open our minds, soften our hearts, and heighten our sensitivity to God’s will and our neighbors’ cries. We pray that through God’s Spirit we would grow in grace as Christ’s faithful followers.  We trust that even in these difficult days God is not only with us, but also leading us forward.   “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done” during this season of unrest in our nation. 

As we come into prayer part of what I ask God for is protection and peace.  I pray for God’s protection and peace for the families immediately involved and affected (both the Floyd family and also the officers and their families), for the peaceful protesters, the police, the business owners and employees, the neighborhoods and everyday citizens impacted, our leaders, even the rioters and looters.  I’m sure I’ve left someone out that you can think of, but the point is, there’s lots of folks to “say grace over”.

I pray for justice for all. Part of this involves fair and due process in all the proceedings forthcoming.  Part of justice is a “larger picture”.  The protests witness to deeper realities of racism that need to be addressed.  I pray God give us the courage to continue in that conversation and in making positive change. 

I pray for our leaders.  On every level this situation is incredibly challenging.  To be able to: resolve the immediate crisis; restore peace; and then lead us into the “growth potential” of this crisis, where we can listen, learn, and become more united and a better country – that is a daunting task and test.  As the hymn goes, “God grant them wisdom, grant them courage, for the facing of this hour.”

I pray for our church.  I ask that as we move through this time together we may also grow in God’s will and ways.   To be the Church is to know there is a witness to be lived out, even in these difficult times.  And also to know that God provides the Holy Spirit to be our strength to do it. 

And I pray for myself.  I ask that God would be at work in my heart continually creating, always shaping me to follow Christ more fully and faithfully.  Tough times can be times where God works most profoundly. 

As I said above, there’s lots to “say grace over”.  What are your prayers today?  How would you be asking God to work?  How would you be getting ready for tomorrow and for worship?

Enjoy your Saturday.  And I pray that you’ll be blessed by your time with the Lord in prayer!  

See you tomorrow in worship!

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank You for the privilege of prayer.  Thank You for how You invite us to come to You in times of trouble and caste all our cares on You.  Thank You for how you hear our prayers in your mercy and answer our prayers in Your love.   Thank You for how You would grow us in Your grace, even in the most difficult of days.  Thank You that you are always at work so that our lives might witness to Your glory.  This we pray in the name of the One who is our Peace, even Jesus Christ, our Crucified and Risen Lord.  Amen 

New Normal: Removing the Yoke

Good morning!  It’s great to be with you in God’s grace today. 

If you’ve been in the Pastor’s Workshop a while you know how we work – Thursday is when it all “comes together”.   Today we collect all our thoughts, notes, and reflections from our study and prayer.  We seek to discern a “message” speaking to our minds and hearts.  We also hope and pray this message will speak to the minds and hearts of others as we worship on Sunday.

This week our attention has been focused on the death of George Floyd and the unfolding aftermath of unrest that has swept across our nation and around our world.  We have asked, “Where can we hear a word from the Lord?”  Our chosen Scripture is from Isaiah 58:6-12.  We pray it will open us to God’s truth for these troubled times. 

As we read, study, think and pray on this Scripture, the message we each receive will be unique to each of us.  The Spirit will speak to your heart helping you to hear what you need to grow in God’s grace. 

This is what I’ve heard in this text this week.  It is the outline for my sermon on Sunday. 

Two weeks ago I thought everything was beginning to “look up”.  With Memorial Day, the coming of summer, the opening of the country, and the upcoming launch of the Falcon spacecraft everything was looking good. 

Then the killing of George Floyd occurred.  It was a spark that ignited societal unrest. 

We’ve experienced that unrest in many forms.  That unrest witnesses to deeper forces of Racism and Injustice that have been present for generations. 

This upheaval compounds with everything else (the Covid virus and Economic downturn) we’ve gone through this Spring.  We ask, “Where is some solid footing?”  “Where can I find a word from the Lord?”

For me Isaiah 58:6-12 is a word that speaks into our circumstances. 

This word is prophetic word.  It is a word of Justice and Compassion.  It is a word that challenges before it comforts. 

This prophetic word speaks to a people who have enjoyed many privileges in their culture.  It calls them to be not only a “privileged people” but also a “faithful people”.  It outlines what that means as it begins with God saying, “Is this not the fast that I choose?”

The text brings forward “four words”.  These words are: Justice, Compassion, Acceptance and Hope. This Scripture calls faithful people to live into these words by helping others who are not experiencing these realities to know these blessings.  

The prophet says in verse 6 and verse 9 that the way we do that is by “Removing the Yoke”.  The yoke he is talking about is: the Yoke of Injustice (verse 6), the Yoke of Insecurity (verse 6), and the Yoke of Intolerance (verse 9b-10). 

As we do that we begin to “raise up the foundations of many generations” (verse 12).  It is through the pursuit of Justice (which is sharing in the struggles of others for dignity and equity) and Compassion (which is sharing in the suffering of others for basic human needs) that we will participate in how God “Repairs the Breach” and “Restores Streets to Dwell In” (verse 12).

This brief overview outlines my message.  Of course by Sunday it will be “expanded and enriched”.

As you have read Isaiah and meditated on his words what message came to you?  As always, put it on paper.  Give “voice” to the Word you have heard.  The spiritual truth God has shown you will be a light to your path and grow you in God’s grace.   

It’s been great to be with you today.  I look forward to prayer with you on Saturday and worship on Sunday. In those blessings, I’ll “see you soon”!

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for the blessing of this day.  Thank you for the gift of your Word.  Thank you for how your truth challenges us and calls us to grow in your grace and share your love. Use the word of the prophet Isaiah to speak to our hearts. Let it work within us your Holy Heart by your Holy Spirit.  Let us live more fully as your witnesses, even in these difficult days.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. 

New Normal: Injustice, Insecurity, and Intolerance.

Welcome to Wednesday.  We’re halfway through our work and headed towards Sunday!

As you know this week’s message will be focused on current events in our country.  In the killing of George Floyd and the aftermath that has unfolded we seek a word from the Lord. 

Our choice of Scripture is Isaiah 58:6-12.  It is a prophetic word.  As with all prophetic words it brings challenge before it brings comfort.  It speaks into privilege and calls into faith.  It provides guidance, help and hope that grow us in God’s grace.

On Wednesday we look into the context for the text.  What was happening in the original world into which this word was spoken?  What is happening in our world today that makes this word relevant for us?

Isaiah assumed his prophetic role in 742 BCE.  He continued until 686 BCE.  During his time Israel, in the north, and Judah, in the south, were separate kingdoms.  Isaiah prophesied in Judah.  

As you read through his prophecy you see that his voice was one of ‘truth to power’.  Particularly in this Scripture, the societal backdrop was one of Injustice (verse 6), Insecurity (verse 7), and Intolerance (verses 9b-10).  In the midst of these realities he called for Justice (“To loose the bonds of wickedness”), Compassion (“share your bread”), and Tolerance (“take away… the pointing finger”).  He calls the people to reclaim and raise up foundations of grace and truth.  This is how the “Breach” shall be “Repaired” and the “Streets” shall be “Restored”.

As we look at our times, our context into which this word speaks, we see that in many ways it is the same.  There are societal disparities and inequities. There are societal forces of Injustice, Insecurity/Poverty, and Intolerance that exist.  As people of faith we are called to Justice and to Compassion.  We know this is not done by condoning rioting, violence, looting and mayhem, which we know must be stopped.  At the same time is it done by supporting peaceful protest, due process, and empowered participation with voice and vote.   It is in claiming and advancing our common humanity, dignity, equity and liberty – which we all share- that “our light shall break forth like the morning, and our healing spring forth speedily” (verse 8).

These are difficult days.  And this is a powerful word! It will guide us as a people of faith into how we can respond to our world around us and our hearts within us. 

In the faith which knows that ,”You shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and God will say, ‘Here I am’” (verse 9), I look forward to continue hearing what this prophetic word would speak to us today. 

Prayer:  Gracious God, we are grateful that you are always faithful to all your children.  And in your faithfulness, you call us to be faithful to you and to be just and compassionate with our brothers and sisters of every race, status, and creed.  Strengthen us in that grace and lead us forward in the light of your prophetic word, through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his name we pray.  Amen

New Normal: Justice and Compassion

Greetings on this Tuesday.  It’s so good to be together in these tumultuous times.

As noted yesterday, this week we’ll be focusing in on the killing of George Floyd and the events of the aftermath.  As we do that, we seek to hear a word from the Lord.   The Scripture we’ve chosen is Isaiah 58:6-12.  They are great prophetic words of Justice and Compassion. 

On Tuesday we “walk through” the structure of the Scripture.  We look for a “logic” in how the text brings forward the writer’s message.  The translation I’ll be using for the message this week comes from the New King James version.  

Here are my thoughts on how the verses advance the prophet’s call:

Verse 6 opens with seeking a word from God. “Is this not the fast that I have chosen…”

Fasting is a spiritual discipline traditionally employed when people are seeking a holy word. In this verse God speaks to those who are seeking and says that He has a particular idea on how to seek His will. 

 Verse 6 then continues with a “triplet of Justice” on what the “fast” of those seeking God would look like: “To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the [a]heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke.” We live in a day with “bonds of injustice”, the “heavy burdens” of poverty, and  the “oppression” of racism --- these are “yokes” that need to be “broken”.

Verse 7 then calls for a “triplet of Compassion”.  The prophet speaks to common “insecurities” of those trapped in poverty: hunger, housing, clothing.  He says with the hungry, “share your bread”, with the homeless, provide housing for “ the poor who are [b]cast out”,  and for “the naked, … cover him, And (do) not hide yourself from your own flesh?”

Verses 8 and 9a are a word of encouragement for those who seek God in this way.  “Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’  When we do these “things of God” we will shine light in the darkness and offer healing for the hurting. 

Verses 9b through 11 invite us to think about how we view, think and talk about others in these days.  “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The [c]pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry, And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your [d]darkness shall be as the noonday.”  Blaming others, speaking ill of those with whom we disagree will not move us forward.  Instead of blaming, if we “extend our soul”, seek to listen, learn and respond to their hungers for justice, security, and respect (“satisfy the afflicted soul”) then God’s light will be shining through our witness.

Verse 12 is a powerful conclusion.  We are to be God’s people among the general populace, “Those from among you”.  We are to “build the old waste places”, reclaiming the seemingly forgotten foundations of our country. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (the opening of the Declaration of Independence).”  We know these truths are the societal foundations of Justice for all.   They are a blessing for all.  As we live into them now, we  shall raise up the foundations of many generations”.  The coming generations will profit from our standing on these principles.  With Justice (sharing in the struggles of those who are marginalized) and Compassion (sharing in the suffering of those who are hurting) we shall “be called the Repairer of the Breach,  The Restorer of [e]Streets to Dwell In.”

As you can see there is a lot to think about and pray over.  I invite you to be in the prophetic word and see how the logic of God’s love is advanced through the concern for human justice. 

Blessings on your study today and I’ll look forward to being with you tomorrow in the Pastor’s Workshop. 

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for your heart for all your children.  In these tumultuous days always remind us that everyone we see, particularly those we don’t agree with, are your children.  Help us to know that you have a desire for Justice and Peace for us all.  Remind us how we see that heart in Jesus and are called to live into those truths through faith in him.   In his holy name we pray. Amen

New Normal: Loose the Bonds of Injustice

Good morning on this first day of June! I'm glad to begin this new month with you in the Pastor's Workshop.

Usually in the workshop we are working on a series of messages that advance a particular "growth in grace." But then there comes along events such as happened last week with the killing of George Floyd and all the aftermath. They cause us to interrupt our "regularly scheduled writing" and call us to think more deeply about not only the events, but also our response as followers of Jesus Christ.

To guide us in our reflections for this week I've chosen a text from Isaiah 58:6-12.

"6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. 12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in."

In this Scripture the prophet calls us to be part of solution - not part of the problem. In verses 6 and 7 he summons us to concerns of compassion and justice. In the closing verses he states that "The Lord will guide you continually." As we follow God's leading we will be "repairers of the breach, restorers of streets to live in."

By now you know "the drill." On Mondays we read and re-read, write and re-write, listen and paraphrase the chosen text. Use several translations if you have time.

Biblegateway.com is a great online resource for easy access to multiple renderings of a particular Scripture.

I look forward to exploring these words of Isaiah with you. I know there is a message they will speak to us as God's Holy Word. It is a Word we need to hear in these tumultuous days.

In the faith that God is at work in the midst of all things, I invite us to go to work and I'll meet you again tomorrow in the workshop.

Prayer:  Gracious God, you would shine your light of truth and bring your healing into all moments of our lives. As we live in these difficult days we ask you guide us by your Word and Holy Spirit. Let us be the witnesses you would have us to be. Help us to be those who "repair the breach and restore the streets," who would seek after your ways of justice, righteousness and peace. This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

In Christ,

Paul

New Normal: Prayer for Pentecost Sunday

Grace and peace on this Saturday!  It’s good to be with you in prayer as we prepare for worship tomorrow.

This Sunday is Pentecost.  We’ll celebrate God fulfilling God’s promise and pouring out the Holy Spirit.

Whenever we pray, we pray in light of that promise and its fulfillment.  Prayer relies on the reality that God is present and at work in our world. 

Our Scripture for Sunday is Acts 1:1-9.  As the first followers found In this Scripture, when we say God is present and at work in our world - that happens in and through us. That ‘s what it means to be a “witness”.  The Risen Christ says to his disciples (and us), “you shall be my witnesses”.

How does that impact your prayer?  To know that even as you pray part of the way God answers your prayer is to empower you to be God’s answer.  Part of what happens is that God would pour out the Holy Spirit of love so you could live out God’s love In the moment in the way it is needed.  

The message on Sunday highlights how every day holds multiple opportunities to love those around us.  The Spirit would awaken, call and strengthen us to engage life at that level.  We are “witnesses”.

My prayer this Saturday is that not only would we hear and know the message of Pentecost.  My prayer is that we would live the message of Pentecost.  It is by the presence and power of the Spirit that the “Word becomes flesh” in and through us.  In Jesus that miracle happens in all fulness and glory.  In God’s grace it happens in us so we might have “life in Christ”.

That ‘s my prayer this Saturday.  What’s yours?  What are you praying when it comes to Pentecost?  Know that you pray in light of God’s promise.  Know that God hears and answers in love.

In that faith I’ll see you tomorrow in worship!

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for your love for us.  Thank you how you sent your love to save us in your Son, Jesus Christ.  Thank you for how you send your love to fill us In your Holy Spirit so that we can be part of how your saving work continues in your world.  In that blessing we lift our praise and our prayers this Pentecost in Jesus’ name. Amen

New Normal: Waiting

Greetings on this Thursday!  It’s good to be with you in the Word and the Pastor’s Workshop today!

As you know today is when we draft Sunday’s message.  We look at all our thoughts, notes, reflections and prayers from Monday through Wednesday, and ask “How do they all come together?”  What is the “greater whole” emerging? Today we seek to “put it on paper” (or computer screen) and give that message a “voice”.

Sunday is Pentecost Sunday.  It is the celebration of God pouring the Holy Spirit on the followers of Jesus in ways they are empowered for witness.  In fulfilling that promise the Church is “born” and our mission is begun.  The Book of Acts narrates this new beginning.

We have selected Acts 1:1-9 as our Scriptural guide into this promise of Pentecost. It’s the prologue for Acts and provides a segue from the Gospel of Luke, which tells the story of what Jesus did in his ministry, to Acts, the story of what Jesus’ followers do in their ministry.

The focus verse I’ve selected for my message on Sunday is verse 4.  This verse holds one of Jesus’ final instructions to his followers.  Before they launch out into their mission, he tells them to “Wait”.  They are to “Wait” until they receive the promise of the Father, the outpouring of the Spirit.  Sunday’s message reflects on the role of “waiting” in being a witness for Jesus Christ.

Here’s how my message unfolds:

I’m not a great fan of “waiting”.  It’s hard to wait.  In fact there is a part of me that “hates to wait”.  It seems like a waste of time.

And yet “Wait” is Jesus’ word to his first disciples and to me as a disciple today.

“Why Wait?”  This Scripture and this sermon seek to answer that question.

I imagine the first disciples may have also had that same question.  After all the “build up” in Jesus’ teaching about the coming Kingdom, they may have wondered, “Why Wait?”  Was it because God was about to bring in the Kingdom in full glory?  In one massive miracle God was about to inaugurate God’s new creation?

Jesus tells them such knowledge is “above their paygrade”.  Instead of focusing on God’s massive miracle they are to turn their attention to God’s “mini- miracles”, to God’s daily workings, to how the Kingdom is coming right now.  They are to be “witnesses”.

“Witnesses” know:

·       In our days the Kingdom comes as life comes, in “bite size bits”, daily doses, choice by choice, decision by decision, word by word, work by work.  God’s Kingdom emerges incrementally.

·       This means everyday holds multiple opportunities to live God’s love in Christ with others, to leverage the minutes of life into moments for God.

·       God wants to do something “great in grace”.  That’s who God is and what God does.  What God does may seem “large” or “small”, but as an act of grace it’s always great.  God is always “creating in love” in Jesus Christ. A witness does not want to miss any of God’s working.  In fact a witness wants to make the most of that working, to be a part of that working.

·       It is our privilege and our purpose as witnesses to share in what God is doing in a personal way.  In the relationships, situations, and circumstances of our lives we are God’s agents, ambassadors, representatives, vessels, and vehicles.  God chooses to work through us in those moments.  We are “there and then” for a reason.  We serve Christ in living out His love now.

·       Just as God doesn’t work on God’s own – God includes us, we don’t do this on our own.  It takes God’s Holy Spirit with our human spirits to make “witness” happen.  The Holy Spirit provides the continual “Kingdom Outlook” and the optimizing encouragement and empowerment we require to be the witnesses God would have us to be.

·       Witnesses know we need to “Wait” on that outpouring and infilling of the Spirit.  Waiting is never a “waste of time”.  Waiting is when God is working in us and through us.

I can think of times in my life when if I had waited I would have been a better witness for Christ.  Maybe you can too.

I can think of times if I had prayed, “Lord, I need your Holy Spirit to calm my heart, clear my mind, center me In your purpose, clarify my path and give me your courage” – I could have been a better witness. Maybe you can too.

I know God answers that prayer.  This prayer leans into Jesus instruction, “Wait” and you will receive the Promise from the Father.  You will receive the Holy Spirit.

That’s “Why We Wait”.  The Holy Spirit is the key for us to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ and live into how God’s Kingdom is coming in grace today.

Those are the “talking points” of Sunday’s message.  Of course I’ll add a few illustrations to enrich and expand our thinking.

Now you know my thoughts. What are yours?  What message would God be bringing to you through Acts 1:1-9.  “Waiting” may not be your focus at all. Perhaps God has given you another “guiding light” that would speak powerfully for you.  As always I encourage you to “listen for” and “give voice to” what God is speaking to your mind and heart through the Scripture.

Thanks for being with me in this week and in this word.  I look forward to joining with you in prayer on Saturday and worship on Sunday.  In that blessing I’ll see you then!

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for always for your Word.  We are grateful for the ways You “speak” to us through your Scripture and by our faith.   We are thankful for your Voice of Truth that guides us into your grace for life.   In that blessing we ask you would pour out your Spirit that we might be strong witnesses for you today and always, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Virtual Summer Camp at SVUMC

We have exciting news! Since we can't get together for WAC - we will be offering a virtual Vacation Bible School Monday, June 22nd-Friday, June 26th! We have an amazing program called "Where in the World is God?" that is user-friendly and will remind your kiddos that God is ACTIVE in our world!

Each session is a 45-minute experience Monday-Friday via Zoom and includes some of our favorite Bible stories! You do NOT want to miss this awesome camp experience!

***REGISTER BY Monday, JUNE 1st to guarantee your child a t-shirt AND be entered to win a Summer Fun Basket provided by the Children's Ministry Department. VBS Virtual camp is FREE but for $15 you'll get a keepsake camp t-shirt and kit with supplies!

REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/3dazGNY

We are together on this journey and are excited to offer this innovative way to connect and grow our young disciples! This camp is a generous gift of the North Texas Conference UMC Center for Leadership Development - please support by spreading the word!

New Normal: Called to Be Witnesses

After all the rain on Monday, welcome to a “well-washed” Wednesday!  It’s a blessing to be together.

As we noted yesterday, this Sunday is Pentecost.  It’s the day we celebrate how God poured (as continues to pour) the Holy Spirit on and into the life of the Church.  The Holy Spirit brings us to life in Christ’s love and leads us into the mission of Christ’s service.  The Book of Acts narrates how that happened with the first disciples.  On Pentecost, we rejoice how it happens with us as well.

Our Scripture for this Sunday is Acts 1:1-9.  It’s a prologue. It recaps what has previously occurred and sets us up for what’s ahead. Today we look at this text to see how it readies us as readers to be “witnesses”. So make sure you have your Bible open and let’s review it together.

In verses 1 and 2 we see that Acts is a sequel. There was a “first book”, the Gospel of Luke. This is the follow-up – the “what happens next”.  It’s addressed to “Theophilus”, who could be an individual or any interested reader, for the name translates “friend of God”.  And as with all four Gospels, Luke narrated “all that Jesus did” in his life, death, and resurrection.

In verse 3 we begin to focus on the period between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven.  During that time the text says that Jesus showed the disciples that he was alive, without a doubt.  And he taught them about the Kingdom of God – what was to come.

Verses 4 and 5 get more specific.  Jesus instructs them not to leave Jerusalem, but to “wait”.  What are they waiting for?  The Father is about to fulfill the Promise of pouring out the Holy Spirit.

Verse 6 shows there was obviously some confusion about what was to take place.  Was the outpouring of the Spirit to be a rousing finale to the life of “this world” and an ushering in of the “world to come”?  Even as Jesus had spent this time teaching about the “Kingdom of God” was God about to make it happen?

In verses 7 and 8 Jesus brings forward a very different idea than what the disciples asked.  They didn’t need to worry about when God was going to usher in the End and New Creation.  They needed to redirect their attention to what God was going to do in them and through them now.   God was about to pour out the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit was God’s presence in their lives.  The Holy Spirit was God’s power for their lives.  The Holy Spirit was God’s call to love and to serve.  God was about to give power and purpose that was greater than themselves.  Focus there!

The disciples were to be “witnesses”.  Witnesses live out God’s love in the world.  Witnesses are living demonstrations of what great and gracious things Jesus Christ does in and through our lives. Witnesses share Jesus’ love in ways others are drawn into his saving grace.

Verse 8 concludes that the disciples are to live out that plan everywhere – “to the ends of the earth”.

And then in verse 9 Jesus leaves!  Those instructions to be his witnesses by the Holy Spirit are his last words to his followers, then and now.

In just 9 short verses Luke has set up not only what is about to unfold in this Book, but he also has outlined our purpose as Christians and as Christ’s Church.  To be witnesses to Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is the “main thing”.  To live Christ’s love in the world by the power of the Holy Spirit in ways that the grace of God touches the hearts and lives of others and draws them to their Savior is the “main thing”.  To live by the power of the Holy Spirit in ways that this world sees signs of the “breaking in” of the Kingdom of God through justice, mercy, and peace in Jesus Christ is “the main thing”.   Jesus says that by the power of the Holy Spirit we are to be witnesses.

Today I invite you to go through the text again and see how that main message unfolds for you.  How do you find that Luke calls you into the purpose of being a witness for Jesus?  What exactly might that look like for you today?  Who is God giving you to love today into the Kingdom?

When it comes to being a “living witness” there are lots of great questions.  So I’ll let you get to work with the Scripture.

And as we all work with the Scripture my prayer is that it will go to work on us as well!

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for giving us your power and your purpose. Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit and your call to be witnesses.  Even as you give, we pray that we receive in ways that we would live out Christ’s love to your Kingdom glory in the everyday moments of our lives.  In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

New Normal: Pentecost

Good morning! Greetings on Tuesday.   I hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day.   I also hope you had time to remember and honor those who served and sacrificed so that we can have the liberties we possess and meet together in the pastor’s workshop!

This coming Sunday Is Pentecost.  On Pentecost we celebrate God’s outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the power God gives to do the work of Jesus Christ in the world. Pentecost marks the "birth” of the Church, as God “breathes” life into the lives of those who come together in the name of Jesus.   Pentecost is a “Big Day” in Christendom!

The Scripture for this Sunday will be Acts 1:1-9.  These are the opening verses of a book that narrates the story of the followers of Jesus taking the good news of Jesus (the Gospel) into a world that needs to hear that story and receive the Savior.  Their story is our same story.  We continue with the same mission, to take the good news of Jesus Christ to a world that so needs to hear good news and receive a Savior.

As those first followers lived into the mission and as we live into the mission, there is one “essential element”.  We require the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the empowerment of God to engage the world with Jesus’ love.  The Risen Christ underlines the necessity for us to have the Spirit as he, “ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father.” (verse 4). As the old commercial said, “Don’t leave home without it!”

So today I invite you to immerse yourself in the Scripture.  As always read and re-read, write and re-write, paraphrase, and take notes.  God has promised the Spirit in this process.   Take a moment. Pray a prayer.  Ask the Spirit to “show” you a word or phrase you hadn’t really noticed before.   Let the Holy Spirit lead you into a deeper light of truth on what we need to fulfill our mission and to be witnesses for Jesus.

I look forward to spending this week with you reflecting on God’s Holy Spirit.  I pray it will be productive.  I hope it will open our minds and hearts to the ways God moves and works in each of us (Yes, that’s God’s plan!)

In that prayer and blessing I’ll let you get to work.  And we’ll see each other tomorrow in the workshop!

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for giving us what we need to be your people and to participate in your purposes.  Thank you for pouring out your Holy Spirit on us.  Through this Scripture open our minds more deeply to this truth.  Fill our hearts with your love in Jesus Christ that we might have the power to love You provide and be the witnesses to Your grace that others need.   This we pray in Jesus’ holy name.  Amen.

New Normal: Eternity

Greetings on a good Saturday!  I’m glad to be with you as we close out the week in the Workshop.

This week we’ve prepared our Memorial Day message.  Our theme is “Eternity”.  Our Scripture comes from II Corinthians 5:1-9.  Our focus verse is 5:1, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

As you know, on Saturday we “prepare with prayer”.  Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who labor build it in vain.”  Unless God is in the midst of our writing, our proclaiming, the listener’s hearing, and how we live the word in the world we are just going through the motions.  Prayer centers us on how the Spirit would be working in and through all we have done to advance Christ’s Kingdom.

So what are we praying for this Saturday?

My hope is that this message would be used by God to bring hope to hearts.  “Eternity” reminds us that those we memorialize this weekend, our own dear and departed ones and we ourselves have a “home in the heart of God”.  Our earthly body is temporary (an “earthly tent”) but our spiritual body is our permanent residence (a “building from God”). In heaven there is a “perfection” (a “house is not made with hands”).  There is a wholeness, freedom, a completion, a beauty that we don’t know on earth because of our limitations, afflictions, and conditions. This is a majesty and glory God gives.

I also pray that we take this hope to heart in ways that it would guide our daily living.  “Eternity” is not simply then, it is now.  The transcendent love of God would be transforming our life on earth in the present. God would be bringing a “little bit of heaven” through how we choose to serve and sacrifice in our days. We “walk by faith” today and follow our risen Christ!  Prayer opens and aligns us to this leading of God.

For our church family and friends I am praying that all would have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.  I hope that even in the midst of the “new normal” there would be some opportunity to connect with those you love.

This weekend I also am praying for folks in Michigan where the dams burst and in India and Bangladesh where the super cyclone hit.  They have experienced a “double dose”, with the virus and natural disaster.  May God strengthen them as they seek to rebuild their lives.

These are some of the prayers on my heart this Saturday.  What are yours?  The Bible invites us to “Cast your cares upon the Lord, for God cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7).   We are invited to trust that Scripture as we lift up our lives and our world in faith.

Have a blessed time of prayer today.  And I look forward to worshipping with you tomorrow.  I know as we gather via the web we are together in Christ.  I am grateful for that grace!

See you then!

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for the privilege of prayer.  We are grateful that in your love You open your Heart to our hearts.  In that gift in Christ we can open our lives to Your eternal life.  For that blessing and the hope it brings to our daily living we praise You, through Jesus Christ our Lord.   

New Normal: Remembering Our Heroes

Greetings on Thursday!  It’s good to be with you as we come to a highlight in our week and our work – “seeing how it all comes together”.

A quick recap – this Sunday marks Memorial Day.  Our New Normal focus is on “Eternity”.  Our Scripture text is II Corinthians 5:1-9.  Our guiding question: “What healthy choice/s can I make about “Eternity” and my life?”

On Thursday we compile all our notes: our “immersion observations” from Monday; our “structure study” from Tuesday; and, our “context and contrast” reflections from Wednesday.  As we put them all together we look for the “big picture”.  What “message” is emerging?

Here’s what I’m “seeing”:

In some ways this Memorial Day is very traditional.  And as part of our celebration we take time for solemn commemoration.  We remember and honor our military men and women who have served and sacrificed for our nation and our freedoms.

In some ways this Memorial Day is very different.  In this age of Corona Virus and “New Normal” there are new heroes.  These were highlighted on the front page of the Dallas Morning News last Sunday.  All our frontline health care workers and medical professionals are also stepping forward in sacrificial ways. As they fight an “invisible enemy” in the virus they are exposing themselves to danger and risking their own health for the health and well-being of others.  Some have given their own lives for the lives of those they serve.  This Memorial Day we also want to remember and honor them.

As we remember all our heroes there is a somberness and gravity to the commemoration. The Scripture speaks of a “groaning”.  We experience that in the grief and sorrow of family and friends of the deceased.  As we stand with them and salute their loved ones we are touched by the weight of their loss.  We are also deeply moved by the inner awareness that these young men and women who gave their lives did so on our behalf, for our benefit. 

One healthy choice in relation to “Eternity” is to never forget their service and sacrifice.  We would always remember and honor them.

As we remember we would recall the hope of the Scriptures.  Even as they gave their lives in service of a higher cause and calling, they now have received life with a Savior in a Higher Kingdom.  They rest in the eternal presence and peace of God.  As the Scripture says, they have been “swallowed up by life.”

The Apostle Paul, great evangelist and also tentmaker, describes the mystery like this --- our bodies are a “tent”.  Tents are temporary shelter. When our travels are done we pack up our tent and take up our permanent residence in a “building” that is sturdy and strong.  This is our true and eternal home.

This home is not only permanent, it is also “perfect”.  It is a “house not made with hands”, eternal and heavenly. 

All this is planned, purposed and “prepared” by God. Even though we can only imagine what it will be like, we know it will be glorious.  It’s all of God’s doing. We can live with confidence in this vision of hope!

Finally, the Apostle not only presents a compelling vision of the future, he also sharpens and focuses it to a call to action in the present.  Because we trust in eternity with God, in this world we walk by faith, not by sight.  We live in ways that the transcendent beauty and majesty of God would transform our lives now.  We seek to bring a bit of heaven into each day.

We do that by sharing in the “groaning” of our world.  We come alongside others to help them shoulder their burdens. In this service we sacrifice of our time, energy, finances, even personal purposes for the greater cause and higher good.

As we do that we profit from the witness of all whom we honor on Memorial Day. They served and sacrificed in ultimate ways.  We serve and sacrifice every day for the blessing of others and the glory of God.  As Hebrews says, “we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses … so we run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”

This is a brief outline of how the message is “shaping up” for me.  By Sunday it will be expanded and enhanced. So I encourage you to tune in to our website worship available anytime on Sunday to experience the “final product”.

What is coming forward for you?  What message is the Spirit speaking to you? It won’t be the same as what I hear because God imparts truth to each in ways that are unique.  Listening, reflecting, and writing your “own message” can be a powerful “faith builder”.  I’d encourage you to invest time and energy in “your message”.

Now it’s time to let the message “percolate”.  On Friday the message continues to speak and emerge.  It takes on a fullness that the Spirit working over time provides.  Then Saturday is “prayer to prepare”.  And of course, Sunday comes!

I look forward to what God will continue to do as we head into the weekend and am excited to join with you for worship on Sunday morning!  Until then, Blessings!

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for the messages You would speak to our hearts and minds by your Spirit.  Even as they are your truth for us, let us listen closely, think carefully, and write clearly.  We pray that not only would we receive the message You bring through your Word, but we would live the message. Help us to be the blessing you would have us to be through Jesus Christ, our eternal Lord.  In his name we pray.  Amen.

New Normal: What Will Be

Welcome to Wednesday! It's a blessing to be together. I'm excited to explore God's word with you.

As we noted yesterday, this weekend is Memorial Day. As part of our service we will remember and honor those who have served and sacrificed for our freedoms. In our New Normal series we will focus on "Eternity."

Our text is II Corinthians 5:1-9. In midweek we consider the world into which this word was proclaimed. What was the setting for the Scripture? What was the darkness into which the Apostle sought to shine a light of Hope?

Paul wrote to a church where the reality of Resurrection was in debate. I Corinthians 15:12 questions, "How do some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?"

He spoke into this controversy with confidence. Our text this week reflects his conviction.

The Scripture is full of contrasts. He speaks of our present body as a "tent," a temporary shelter. He witnesses to our eternal home as a "building," a permanent residence. Our current "housing" is "made with hands." We know frailties and afflictions. Our future home will be perfect and complete, eternal and heavenly. In the transition time, where we find ourselves today, we know the tension between what is and what will be. In this awareness there is a "groaning." And yet In the midst of the groaning, there is a growing grace. There is a confidence. In this confidence we walk by faith, not by sight. We live today in the light of what will be tomorrow. We live Eternity Now.

In our day we know how easy it is to loose sight of Eternity. The demands of the moment can easily eclipse our vision. When that happens our days can be filled with moaning and groaning. Skepticism can rob us of our confidence of an eternal home. When that happens the future grows dim.

Into that darkness the Scripture witnesses this light of truth. God has purposed and planned a great and gracious gift of life. Eternal life with God is God's intention in Christ. His resurrection is the breakthrough and his Spirit is the guarantee. As he says in verse 4, when we leave this world our lives are "swallowed up by life.". In God's love our lives are always with the Lord, so whether in this world or in heaven we are always with the Lord.

On this Memorial Day weekend as we remember and honor those who have served and sacrificed and as recall the lives of our own dear and departed ones we do so in light of this hope in Christ. In him their reality is Resurrection. In that conviction we find our peace. In that confidence we discover our purpose to live Christ's transcendent love in ways that would transform our world today.

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for your Holy Spirit, always reminding us that even as your love is forever, our life in you is eternal. Strengthen us in that grace that we may walk by faith and witness in service. This we pray through the one who is the eternal Way, Truth and Life, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Christ,

Paul