Bishop Willimon, in one of His Weekly Messages, wrote about Paul’s focus on the cross. He began his reflection on Paul’s preaching this way:
Imagine being asked to stand before a grand gathering of the good and the wise and being asked to make a speech about goodness, beauty, the meaning of life, the point of history, the nature of Almighty God or some such high subject and having no material at your disposal but an account of a humiliating, bloody, execution at a garbage dump outside a rebellious city in the Middle East. It is your task to argue that this story is the key to everything in life and to all that we know about God. This was precisely the position of Paul in Corinth. Before the populace of this cosmopolitan, sophisticated city of the Empire, Paul had to proclaim that this whipped, bloody, scorned and derided Jew from Nazareth who was “God with Us.”
In that setting Paul said he focused on the cross: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2; NRSV) Paul knew that such preaching “about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18; NRSV)
This may explain why this week, which we call Holy Week, no longer receives the emphasis it once did. The cross has become “foolishness” to some. Even in segments of the institutional church the cross is seen as foolishness. It was not long ago that a Bishop said that she did not need someone hanging on a cross to save her. Like the Greeks of Paul’s day, the cross is foolishness to her.
Here is how Paul addressed such foolishness:
“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where it the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and the Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:20-24; NRSV)
Later in his message, Bishop Willimon wrote:
A crucified Messiah? It is an oxymoron, a violation of Israel’s high expectations for a messianic liberator. In order to bring such a scandal to speech, Paul eschewed “lofty words or wisdom,” the stock-in-trade of the classical orator. Rather than avoiding the scandal of the cross or attempting to sugar coat its absurdity in order to make it more palatable, he limited his subject matter so that he knew, “nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” His manner of presentation, his delivery was “weakness,” “fear and trembling,” a rather peculiar demeanor for a public speaker. Why? So that nothing might move his hearers, nothing might convince them but “the power of God.”
For God the Father to allow God the Son to be crucified, dead and buried is for God to be pushed out beyond the limits of human expectation or human help. The cross is the ultimate dead end of any attempt at human self-fulfillment, human betterment or progress. Hanging from the cross, in humiliation and utter defeat, there is nothing to be done to vindicate the work of Jesus or to make the story come out right except “the power of God.”
That power of God is what we celebrate on Easter. It is the power of the resurrection that turned the cross into a cherished sign of victory. God took what seemed foolish to the world and through the touch of His Power, made it the Key Event in human history. Everything changed because of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The next two nights we have special opportunities of Worship to help us celebrate the “foolishness” of the cross. During our Maundy Thursday Service (6:30 PM) we will celebrate the meal that Christ gave to us as a means of remembering the cross. My message that evening, “Give Thanks – Christ Died!” will look at how Holy Communion is a regular reminder of the tremendous love of Christ in going to the cross.
Our Good Friday Service (6:30 PM) will also focus on the cross. Through scripture and song will we remember the depth of the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. This is sometimes called a Service of Darkness, for we leave in darkness remembering the utter despair that was felt when Jesus was placed in the tomb. It seemed that the powers of darkness had won.
But we know the tomb is not the end of the story of Jesus. The power of God transformed the cross by raising Jesus from the dead. We will have four opportunities to celebrate the resurrection this weekend: Saturday night Easter Celebration at 6:30 PM and Sunday morning Easter Celebrations at 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00.
I appreciate the commitment of the Crossfire band to give leadership to the Saturday night Celebration as well as the 9:45 service on Sunday. The “Pairs and Spares” Sunday school class is coming to the Saturday service and then many of them will be back on Sunday morning serving as Parking Ushers. Others are coming to worship on Saturday night and coming back to serve as Ushers, Greeters and Nursery Servants. And others have found guests were receptive to an invitation to come worship with them on Saturday night.
I was talking to a person this week, inviting him to worship this weekend. He had seen the announcement about the Saturday night service and said that he was thinking about coming on Saturday night. Who have you invited to worship with you this weekend?
There has been a change of time for the Community Sunrise Service. We received word this week it will be at 6:30 AM, not 6:00 AM. This is a wonderful way to begin Easter Day, joining other believers at Oakwood Memorial Gardens to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
We Can't Sneak Anything Past God
It is amazing how God uses different sources to confirm a message He wants us to get. Yesterday, (Tuesday, March 16) the scripture for The Upper Room devotional came from Psalm 139. The Psalm begins, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.” (Psalm 139:1-2; NRSV) In other words, God not only knows all our actions, God knows what we are thinking.
After reading The Upper Room devotional, I opened the Purpose Driven devotional. The title was “We can’t sneak anything past God.” It too was based on a Psalm; “My sins, O God, are not hidden from you; you know how foolish I have been.” (Psalm 69:5; Good News) In the devotional Rick Warren makes the statement: “Everything you think, everything you see, everything you do, everything you feel -- God knows all about it. He already knows all you've done wrong and He still loves you!”
There are probably some things in our lives that we wish God did not see. There are times when we’d just as soon God was not with us. But the truth is, our God is so big that he sees everything. “We can’t sneak anything past God.”
It’s because we cannot sneak anything past God that Jesus went to the cross. God does not simply overlook our sin. God does not close His eyes and pretend our sin is not there. God loves us so much that He died on the cross to deliver us from our sin. On the cross, Jesus did for us what we could have never done for ourselves. He died for our sins. That is how much God loves you and me. Knowing everything about us, God still loves us so much that He provided the way of salvation through Jesus Christ.
The worship experiences of Holy Week help us celebrate this great love of God that knows all about us and still loves us. The scriptures tell us that before Jesus entered Jerusalem in what we call the Palm Sunday Parade, He wept over the city. He loved the people so much and He knew that most of them did not return His love. He entered to the shouts of “Hosanna” knowing that the cross was before Him. Jesus must have known the mixture of heart that the crowd had. They wanted to believe He was the Messiah. But they were not ready to stake their life on Him. Still, Jesus entered Jerusalem in order to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Palm Sunday is March 28. In addition to our three morning worship services, we will join with the Church Revived to offer a Community Easter Egg Hunt and Worship Without Walls. Help spread the word about these special opportunities that will be held at the Gardendale Civic Center Amphitheater.
Before Jesus went to the cross on what we call Good Friday, Jesus gathered to celebrate the Jewish Passover. It was during the celebration of the Passover Seder Meal that Jesus broke with some of the Jewish traditions to establish what we call Holy Communion. The Passover celebrated the deliverance God brought His people through the Passover Lambs. How appropriate for the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world who take some of the symbols of that first Passover, the bread and the wine, and refocus them on Him.
We have the unique opportunity this year to have a Messianic Jewish Rabbi come to teach us about the Passover Seder. This will take the place of our Wednesday meal and classes on March 31. You will need to purchase a ticket for this experience, for the meal is part of the worship experience that night. NOTE the time for the Seder Meal on March 31st is 6:00 PM.
On Saturday of Holy Week we will have a Saturday evening Easter Celebration. Last year, we filled the gym for the 9:45 Easter Service. To make more room for guests on Easter morning, we are offering this additional Easter Celebration on Saturday, April 3, 6:30 PM. We hope some of our 8:30 Sunday School classes will decide to come to worship on Saturday night to make room both in the 9:45 service and the parking lot for guests on Easter morning. We do need some to come back on Sunday morning to serve as Parking Ushers, Greeters and Nursery Servants. Isn’t this a great situation to have?
This Sunday, we conclude our message series, “START Becoming the Good Samaritan.” We’ll look at the parable one more time to learn about how Jesus intends for us to live when he said, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37b; NRSV) The real question is; are you more aware of the needs of those around you and are you acting with compassion?
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
After reading The Upper Room devotional, I opened the Purpose Driven devotional. The title was “We can’t sneak anything past God.” It too was based on a Psalm; “My sins, O God, are not hidden from you; you know how foolish I have been.” (Psalm 69:5; Good News) In the devotional Rick Warren makes the statement: “Everything you think, everything you see, everything you do, everything you feel -- God knows all about it. He already knows all you've done wrong and He still loves you!”
There are probably some things in our lives that we wish God did not see. There are times when we’d just as soon God was not with us. But the truth is, our God is so big that he sees everything. “We can’t sneak anything past God.”
It’s because we cannot sneak anything past God that Jesus went to the cross. God does not simply overlook our sin. God does not close His eyes and pretend our sin is not there. God loves us so much that He died on the cross to deliver us from our sin. On the cross, Jesus did for us what we could have never done for ourselves. He died for our sins. That is how much God loves you and me. Knowing everything about us, God still loves us so much that He provided the way of salvation through Jesus Christ.
The worship experiences of Holy Week help us celebrate this great love of God that knows all about us and still loves us. The scriptures tell us that before Jesus entered Jerusalem in what we call the Palm Sunday Parade, He wept over the city. He loved the people so much and He knew that most of them did not return His love. He entered to the shouts of “Hosanna” knowing that the cross was before Him. Jesus must have known the mixture of heart that the crowd had. They wanted to believe He was the Messiah. But they were not ready to stake their life on Him. Still, Jesus entered Jerusalem in order to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Palm Sunday is March 28. In addition to our three morning worship services, we will join with the Church Revived to offer a Community Easter Egg Hunt and Worship Without Walls. Help spread the word about these special opportunities that will be held at the Gardendale Civic Center Amphitheater.
Before Jesus went to the cross on what we call Good Friday, Jesus gathered to celebrate the Jewish Passover. It was during the celebration of the Passover Seder Meal that Jesus broke with some of the Jewish traditions to establish what we call Holy Communion. The Passover celebrated the deliverance God brought His people through the Passover Lambs. How appropriate for the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world who take some of the symbols of that first Passover, the bread and the wine, and refocus them on Him.
We have the unique opportunity this year to have a Messianic Jewish Rabbi come to teach us about the Passover Seder. This will take the place of our Wednesday meal and classes on March 31. You will need to purchase a ticket for this experience, for the meal is part of the worship experience that night. NOTE the time for the Seder Meal on March 31st is 6:00 PM.
On Saturday of Holy Week we will have a Saturday evening Easter Celebration. Last year, we filled the gym for the 9:45 Easter Service. To make more room for guests on Easter morning, we are offering this additional Easter Celebration on Saturday, April 3, 6:30 PM. We hope some of our 8:30 Sunday School classes will decide to come to worship on Saturday night to make room both in the 9:45 service and the parking lot for guests on Easter morning. We do need some to come back on Sunday morning to serve as Parking Ushers, Greeters and Nursery Servants. Isn’t this a great situation to have?
This Sunday, we conclude our message series, “START Becoming the Good Samaritan.” We’ll look at the parable one more time to learn about how Jesus intends for us to live when he said, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37b; NRSV) The real question is; are you more aware of the needs of those around you and are you acting with compassion?
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Being the Good Samaritan
Cathy Harris recently shared with me a story about being the Good Samaritan that was shared at Birmingham Emmaus Walk #55. The Emmaus Walk is a 72 hour Spiritual Retreat or Basic School in Christianity. Participants on an Emmaus Walk share special times of worship, hear several talks about living their faith from Lay persons, and a few talks on God’s amazing grace shared by clergy persons. You may have heard me say, “If you want a better understanding of God’s Prevenient, Justifying and Sanctifying Grace, go on an Emmaus Walk.”
There are several places in Alabama where a person can attend an Emmaus Walk. The Alabama Emmaus Community, which holds it’s Walks at Camp Sumatanga, has been around the longest. The Birmingham Walk sprang out of the Alabama Walk to provide additional opportunities to go on a Walk. If you would like more information about the Emmaus Walk, let me know. I’ll be happy to share with you and put you in contact with persons who would love to sponsor you on an Emmaus Walk.
Now, back to the story from Cathy Harris from Birmingham Walk #55. One of the lay persons who shared during the Walk had been homeless, but is now the Director of the Shepherd Center in Leeds. She keeps small brown lunch bags in her car. Each bag is packed with crackers, bottled water, toothbrush, small tube of toothpaste and deodorant. When she encounters a homeless person or someone is stationed along the side of the highway asking for money, she gives them one of those bags. She has intentionally prepared herself to be the Good Samaritan.
Cathy Harris, in sharing the story said, “…isn’t that a neat idea!!” It is! It is a very simple and practical way of being the Good Samaritan.
My wife Gina recently had another practical way of being the Good Samaritan shared with her. A parent shared a card she had received when going through a fast food drive-thru. When the person pulled up to the window to pay for her order, she was given the card (We call them a “Servant Evangelism” Card) that said her meal had been paid for, Jesus loves you. It also had a little information about the church that was printed on the card.
Did you know that we have business size cards that can be used in a similar manner? They have the church name and a place to write in your name on the front and information about our worship times on the back. I encourage you to pick some up and have them available to use in inviting persons to worship with you.
Talking about inviting, at lunch yesterday, I talked with a person who had worshipped at our Ash Wednesday Service. He is a member of a church that does not have such a service. That night, he made a commitment to pray for an unchurched friend during Lent and invite him to worship on Easter. That was one of the suggested spiritual disciplines. That was February 17th. This week he received a call from his unchurched friend. The friend said he wanted to go to church with him Sunday. That is the power of prayer.
This Saturday’s Old School verses New School Basketball Game is an opportunity to invite a friend to share in some fellowship with other believers. The cost is $10.00 per person, with money raised going to the youth summer mission trip. It should be an entertaining game, but in a different manner from the games you will see on television during this week of tournament games. There will also be some halftime entertainment that you will not want to miss. For your $10.00 you not only get to enjoy the game but you get a hot dog, drink and popcorn.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
There are several places in Alabama where a person can attend an Emmaus Walk. The Alabama Emmaus Community, which holds it’s Walks at Camp Sumatanga, has been around the longest. The Birmingham Walk sprang out of the Alabama Walk to provide additional opportunities to go on a Walk. If you would like more information about the Emmaus Walk, let me know. I’ll be happy to share with you and put you in contact with persons who would love to sponsor you on an Emmaus Walk.
Now, back to the story from Cathy Harris from Birmingham Walk #55. One of the lay persons who shared during the Walk had been homeless, but is now the Director of the Shepherd Center in Leeds. She keeps small brown lunch bags in her car. Each bag is packed with crackers, bottled water, toothbrush, small tube of toothpaste and deodorant. When she encounters a homeless person or someone is stationed along the side of the highway asking for money, she gives them one of those bags. She has intentionally prepared herself to be the Good Samaritan.
Cathy Harris, in sharing the story said, “…isn’t that a neat idea!!” It is! It is a very simple and practical way of being the Good Samaritan.
My wife Gina recently had another practical way of being the Good Samaritan shared with her. A parent shared a card she had received when going through a fast food drive-thru. When the person pulled up to the window to pay for her order, she was given the card (We call them a “Servant Evangelism” Card) that said her meal had been paid for, Jesus loves you. It also had a little information about the church that was printed on the card.
Did you know that we have business size cards that can be used in a similar manner? They have the church name and a place to write in your name on the front and information about our worship times on the back. I encourage you to pick some up and have them available to use in inviting persons to worship with you.
Talking about inviting, at lunch yesterday, I talked with a person who had worshipped at our Ash Wednesday Service. He is a member of a church that does not have such a service. That night, he made a commitment to pray for an unchurched friend during Lent and invite him to worship on Easter. That was one of the suggested spiritual disciplines. That was February 17th. This week he received a call from his unchurched friend. The friend said he wanted to go to church with him Sunday. That is the power of prayer.
This Saturday’s Old School verses New School Basketball Game is an opportunity to invite a friend to share in some fellowship with other believers. The cost is $10.00 per person, with money raised going to the youth summer mission trip. It should be an entertaining game, but in a different manner from the games you will see on television during this week of tournament games. There will also be some halftime entertainment that you will not want to miss. For your $10.00 you not only get to enjoy the game but you get a hot dog, drink and popcorn.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Others, Yes Others
"Others, let this my motto be” says an old hymn. That song somewhat captures the focus of this verse from Philippians; "Look out for one another's interests, not just our own." (Philippians 2:4; GNT) That is what the Good Samaritan did. He put the other persons first. The Priest and Levite put their interests first.
Rick Warren, in one of his “Purpose Driven Connections” wrote on this passage, “In other words, if you want to connect with people, you’ve got to start with their needs, not your own.” That is what the Good Samaritan did. He saw the needs of this wounded man. He put aside his personal agenda and focused on the needs of the wounded man.
We are in the Lenten Season, a time when we remember Jesus’ journey to the cross. Jesus certainly put our interests, our needs first. In fact, we are Jesus’ personal agenda. He lived, died and rose again for you and me. How can we claim to follow such a Savior and live selfishly?
Living for others is living against the trends of our culture. Almost everything in our culture tends to train us to think ‘me first.’ Because of that, we often find ourselves in the role of the Priest and the Levite in Jesus’ parable. We miss even seeing persons in need as we rush through life focused on our own needs.
I suggest three questions Sunday morning for you to consider throughout this week. How are you doing with them? They were…
What need(s) do I see?
How do I need to pray about this need?
What action can I take to help?
This week I’ve witnessed people living in a counter-culture way. The servants who make the Kingdom Kids Consignment Sale happen have chosen to act for others. Saying “yes” to serving always involves “no” to something else. Monday morning as I arrived here at the church campus about 7:00 am, some of these servants were already here ready to receive items for the sale. When I left the church about 9:00 pm following the Cub Scout Blue-Gold Banquet, some of those same servants were still in the gym making sure everything was in order for the Consignment Sale. Last night, Tuesday night, the sale for the sellers closed a little after 8:00 pm. Some of those servants had been here most of the afternoon evening. Then this morning, Wednesday, some of the same servants were here as shopping opened to the public. Why do they do it? One of the leaders put it well in her final words before the Sellers came to shop last night – “Remember – It’s about Jesus.” We serve because Jesus first served us.
This Sunday I will continue the message series, “START Becoming the Good Samaritan.” http://www.juststart.org/ We will look at the wounded man. Who are the wounded that we need to connect with?
Those who serve with the Royal Family Kids Camp feel called to connect with some wounded kids. Presently, there is a real need for men counselors. Because of the nature of the camp, counselors serve specifically with one or two campers. Prayerfully consider becoming a counselor for the week of May 31 through June 4. For more information, contact Pam Ansardi - pansardi@alabamabroadband.net or Paul Wiegert – pwiegert@gmvumc.org
You’ve probably seen the announcements about the Passover Seder Meal with Messianic Rabbi Eric Walker. The Seder Meal marked the beginning of the Jewish Passover. The instructions for the Passover were given to Moses as a way for the people to remember God’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery, especially the night of the Passover Lamb.
It was this meal that Jesus celebrated with His Disciples the night before he went to the cross as our Passover Lamb. We traditionally call that Thursday Maundy Thursday. The word Maundy meals “command.” That night Jesus commanded His Disciples to remember Him by means of the bread and the cup. The bread and the cup were part of the Seder Meal, which Jesus took and applied to Himself, the Lamb of God.
This year we have a unique opportunity to experience what the disciples experienced that Thursday night as they celebrated the Passover Seder with Jesus. Be sure to get your tickets for the meal, for space is limited. You can get them in the Church Office.
Tonight, Wednesday, February 24, some new “START Becoming a Good Samaritan” Small Groups get started. I encourage you to get in a group.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Rick Warren, in one of his “Purpose Driven Connections” wrote on this passage, “In other words, if you want to connect with people, you’ve got to start with their needs, not your own.” That is what the Good Samaritan did. He saw the needs of this wounded man. He put aside his personal agenda and focused on the needs of the wounded man.
We are in the Lenten Season, a time when we remember Jesus’ journey to the cross. Jesus certainly put our interests, our needs first. In fact, we are Jesus’ personal agenda. He lived, died and rose again for you and me. How can we claim to follow such a Savior and live selfishly?
Living for others is living against the trends of our culture. Almost everything in our culture tends to train us to think ‘me first.’ Because of that, we often find ourselves in the role of the Priest and the Levite in Jesus’ parable. We miss even seeing persons in need as we rush through life focused on our own needs.
I suggest three questions Sunday morning for you to consider throughout this week. How are you doing with them? They were…
What need(s) do I see?
How do I need to pray about this need?
What action can I take to help?
This week I’ve witnessed people living in a counter-culture way. The servants who make the Kingdom Kids Consignment Sale happen have chosen to act for others. Saying “yes” to serving always involves “no” to something else. Monday morning as I arrived here at the church campus about 7:00 am, some of these servants were already here ready to receive items for the sale. When I left the church about 9:00 pm following the Cub Scout Blue-Gold Banquet, some of those same servants were still in the gym making sure everything was in order for the Consignment Sale. Last night, Tuesday night, the sale for the sellers closed a little after 8:00 pm. Some of those servants had been here most of the afternoon evening. Then this morning, Wednesday, some of the same servants were here as shopping opened to the public. Why do they do it? One of the leaders put it well in her final words before the Sellers came to shop last night – “Remember – It’s about Jesus.” We serve because Jesus first served us.
This Sunday I will continue the message series, “START Becoming the Good Samaritan.” http://www.juststart.org/ We will look at the wounded man. Who are the wounded that we need to connect with?
Those who serve with the Royal Family Kids Camp feel called to connect with some wounded kids. Presently, there is a real need for men counselors. Because of the nature of the camp, counselors serve specifically with one or two campers. Prayerfully consider becoming a counselor for the week of May 31 through June 4. For more information, contact Pam Ansardi - pansardi@alabamabroadband.net or Paul Wiegert – pwiegert@gmvumc.org
You’ve probably seen the announcements about the Passover Seder Meal with Messianic Rabbi Eric Walker. The Seder Meal marked the beginning of the Jewish Passover. The instructions for the Passover were given to Moses as a way for the people to remember God’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery, especially the night of the Passover Lamb.
It was this meal that Jesus celebrated with His Disciples the night before he went to the cross as our Passover Lamb. We traditionally call that Thursday Maundy Thursday. The word Maundy meals “command.” That night Jesus commanded His Disciples to remember Him by means of the bread and the cup. The bread and the cup were part of the Seder Meal, which Jesus took and applied to Himself, the Lamb of God.
This year we have a unique opportunity to experience what the disciples experienced that Thursday night as they celebrated the Passover Seder with Jesus. Be sure to get your tickets for the meal, for space is limited. You can get them in the Church Office.
Tonight, Wednesday, February 24, some new “START Becoming a Good Samaritan” Small Groups get started. I encourage you to get in a group.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Reflections from Bro. Rudy –
February 17, 2010
Be Doers of the Word
Last night my “START Becoming the Good Samaritan” Small Group began our journey with the book. I wrote to the staff this morning that I wish every one could have heard the teaching/sharing on the DVD for the first session. It was powerful.
The session had some words from a variety of persons, many of whom will be on future lessons. One of the presenters referred to the book of James where James writes, “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” (James 1:22; NRSV)
Another of the presenters referred to a passage in 1 John, “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?” (1 John 3:17; NRSV)
Yet another presenter reminded us that we were created to serve.
We all know these things. The issue is doing. That was the case with the lawyer whose questioning of Jesus led to the parable we call the “Good Samaritan.” He knew what the law said: Love God and Love others. Jesus then told him “Do this, and you will live.” (Luke 10:28; NRSV)
His problem was not very different from ours. Most of us know the basics of what the Bible teaches. We know that we are to worship God and God alone. And we know that we are to serve others in the name of Jesus. It is the doing that we have problems with.
One of the reasons we have a problem with the doing is we have bought into our societies focus on the mighty “Self.” We have become a selfish people. That has poured into our church. We want the church to cater to our needs.
How can we expect to truly follow Jesus, the One who spent His physical life serving, and be self-centered? During this season of Lent, we hear again Jesus’ call, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24; NRSV)
Where are you denying yourself for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom?
What cross have you taken up in order to serve others in Jesus name? Remember, the cross for Jesus was something He committed Himself to for your sake and mine. What is the risk, the sacrifice you are making for others? What are you really doing to follow Jesus 24/7?
That’s one of the things last night’s lesson said to me. Being the Good Samaritan is not simply helping when we come across a stranded motorist. Being the Good Samaritan is having the heart and eyes of Jesus to see the needs of those around us, and then doing something.
If you are not in a “START Becoming a Good Samaritan “small group,” I encourage you to get in one. We have room for more in our group, which meets on Tuesday nights at 6:30 at Karen and George Smith’s house. There are several groups beginning next Wednesday night here at the church.
We talk about the importance of prayer. Today, Wednesday, February 17, 2010, begins our ACTS 29 Prayer Journey. If you did not receive yours by email, contact Amy Sizemore asizemore@gmvumc.org or Jennifer Lindholm jlindholm@gmvumc.org. If you want a hard copy, they are available in the Welcome Areas.
Here is another opportunity for prayer – Prayer Walk our Schools. First Priority is beginning this Sunday a weekly prayer walk around the schools here in North Jefferson County. The Prayer Walk will begin at 3:00 each Sunday afternoon, moving from school to school. The first Prayer Walk is this Sunday, February 21, 3:00 PM at Bragg Middle School here in Gardendale. The next Sunday, February 28, 3:00 PM, it will be at Gardendale High School.
Next week is the next Kids Kingdom Consignment Sale. There will be an opportunity to serve on Sunday afternoon setting up the gym, then on Monday in receiving the items. You can contact Valerie Maldonado valandfrankm@hotmail.com about serving. The biannual consignment sales are the two major fundraisers for our Volunteer in Missions Teams, including Royal Family Kids Camp.
This weekend many of our youth will be participating in a 30 Hour Famine. Students will be fasting for 30 hours on Friday, February 19 and Saturday, February 20. One of the purposes is to bring awareness to the reality of world hunger. According to the US Dept. of Agriculture, 17.3 million people live in insecure food households. You can sponsor a youth and the money raised will be used by World Vision to help feed the hungry. For more information about sponsorships contact Paul Turner pturner@gmvumc.org. If you would like to know more about the 30 Hour Famine check out www.30hourfamine.org
Tonight is our Ash Wednesday service, 6:30 PM. I hope to see you as we begin the journey of Lent.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
February 17, 2010
Be Doers of the Word
Last night my “START Becoming the Good Samaritan” Small Group began our journey with the book. I wrote to the staff this morning that I wish every one could have heard the teaching/sharing on the DVD for the first session. It was powerful.
The session had some words from a variety of persons, many of whom will be on future lessons. One of the presenters referred to the book of James where James writes, “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” (James 1:22; NRSV)
Another of the presenters referred to a passage in 1 John, “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?” (1 John 3:17; NRSV)
Yet another presenter reminded us that we were created to serve.
We all know these things. The issue is doing. That was the case with the lawyer whose questioning of Jesus led to the parable we call the “Good Samaritan.” He knew what the law said: Love God and Love others. Jesus then told him “Do this, and you will live.” (Luke 10:28; NRSV)
His problem was not very different from ours. Most of us know the basics of what the Bible teaches. We know that we are to worship God and God alone. And we know that we are to serve others in the name of Jesus. It is the doing that we have problems with.
One of the reasons we have a problem with the doing is we have bought into our societies focus on the mighty “Self.” We have become a selfish people. That has poured into our church. We want the church to cater to our needs.
How can we expect to truly follow Jesus, the One who spent His physical life serving, and be self-centered? During this season of Lent, we hear again Jesus’ call, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24; NRSV)
Where are you denying yourself for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom?
What cross have you taken up in order to serve others in Jesus name? Remember, the cross for Jesus was something He committed Himself to for your sake and mine. What is the risk, the sacrifice you are making for others? What are you really doing to follow Jesus 24/7?
That’s one of the things last night’s lesson said to me. Being the Good Samaritan is not simply helping when we come across a stranded motorist. Being the Good Samaritan is having the heart and eyes of Jesus to see the needs of those around us, and then doing something.
If you are not in a “START Becoming a Good Samaritan “small group,” I encourage you to get in one. We have room for more in our group, which meets on Tuesday nights at 6:30 at Karen and George Smith’s house. There are several groups beginning next Wednesday night here at the church.
We talk about the importance of prayer. Today, Wednesday, February 17, 2010, begins our ACTS 29 Prayer Journey. If you did not receive yours by email, contact Amy Sizemore asizemore@gmvumc.org or Jennifer Lindholm jlindholm@gmvumc.org. If you want a hard copy, they are available in the Welcome Areas.
Here is another opportunity for prayer – Prayer Walk our Schools. First Priority is beginning this Sunday a weekly prayer walk around the schools here in North Jefferson County. The Prayer Walk will begin at 3:00 each Sunday afternoon, moving from school to school. The first Prayer Walk is this Sunday, February 21, 3:00 PM at Bragg Middle School here in Gardendale. The next Sunday, February 28, 3:00 PM, it will be at Gardendale High School.
Next week is the next Kids Kingdom Consignment Sale. There will be an opportunity to serve on Sunday afternoon setting up the gym, then on Monday in receiving the items. You can contact Valerie Maldonado valandfrankm@hotmail.com about serving. The biannual consignment sales are the two major fundraisers for our Volunteer in Missions Teams, including Royal Family Kids Camp.
This weekend many of our youth will be participating in a 30 Hour Famine. Students will be fasting for 30 hours on Friday, February 19 and Saturday, February 20. One of the purposes is to bring awareness to the reality of world hunger. According to the US Dept. of Agriculture, 17.3 million people live in insecure food households. You can sponsor a youth and the money raised will be used by World Vision to help feed the hungry. For more information about sponsorships contact Paul Turner pturner@gmvumc.org. If you would like to know more about the 30 Hour Famine check out www.30hourfamine.org
Tonight is our Ash Wednesday service, 6:30 PM. I hope to see you as we begin the journey of Lent.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Reflections from Bro. Rudy –
February 3, 2010
Who is a Missionary?
This morning in Chapel, I asked the children, “What is a Missionary?” A Kindergartener raised her hand and gave this answer, “Someone who tells others about God.” I couldn’t have given a better answer. A missionary is essentially a witness for Christ.
Today we kick off our Global Impact Celebration. When we first began the annual Celebration I imagine that many of us thought of missionaries as persons who accept God’s call to go somewhere else in the world to bear witness to Christ. I believe that understanding is changing. We are all called to be missionaries where we are. In fact, in Jesus’ marching orders He told us to begin bearing witness in our Jerusalem, which is the place where we are.
The signs at the exits to our campus, remind us that the mission field begins right here in the North Jefferson area. We are to be missionaries in our neighborhoods, our civic clubs, our place of work, our schools, even our homes. Remember what a missionary is – “Someone who tells others about God.”
Tonight, Wednesday, February 03, 2010, we will hear a powerful message from one who has a real vision for missions, The Rev. Paul E. Smith, from Mandeville, La. Under his leadership, Life Church has been instrumental in starting over 50 churches throughout North, Central and South America. It is going to be a great night of worship.
On Friday, February 5, 2010, we will have most of the missionaries we support here to share about what God is doing in their place of ministry. We will also have some additional missionaries, as we hope to add one or two other connections through our Faith Promise Offering. I hope you will be here Friday night for the “Taste of the World” event. You will have the opportunity to meet all of these missionaries. Even if you did not have the opportunity to sign up for an event, come on. Don’t miss out.
God is up to something. As He said through the Prophet Isaiah, even “now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19; NRSV) Let’s be a part of what God is doing.
Here is a schedule for this weekend:
Friday – 2/5/10
12:00 Noon Senior Luncheon
6:30 PM Taste of the World
Saturday – 2/6/10
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast
9:00 AM Family Project
12:30 PM Women’s Luncheon
6:00 PM Sunday School Socials
Sunday
The Rev. Richard Adams will be our preacher at each of the morning services.
Missionaries will be in most of our Sunday School Classes.
Sunday morning we will be making our Faith Promise commitments to missions. In Paul’s writing we find several places where he mentions this kind of second mile, beyond the tithe offering for missions. As the title suggest, this is a Promise you make in faith, trust God to provide. Our Faith Promise giving provides the support for all of our missions beyond our Conference and District commitments. If all of our over 600 giving families were to commit $500 to Faith Promise that would be $300,000.00 to missions. If 250 families would commit $500, that would surpass our $100,000 goal this year. Gina and I will be trusting God for more than $500 and I know others will be doing the same.
This Sunday night we will celebrate Holy Communion as part of our Healing and Wholeness Service. This morning’s Upper Room Devotional Scriptures was the healing that Peter and John offered the lame man at the Temple gate (Acts 3). God is still doing mighty acts of healing. This is a good time to bring persons who need God’s people to lay hands on them in prayer, according to James 5.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
February 3, 2010
Who is a Missionary?
This morning in Chapel, I asked the children, “What is a Missionary?” A Kindergartener raised her hand and gave this answer, “Someone who tells others about God.” I couldn’t have given a better answer. A missionary is essentially a witness for Christ.
Today we kick off our Global Impact Celebration. When we first began the annual Celebration I imagine that many of us thought of missionaries as persons who accept God’s call to go somewhere else in the world to bear witness to Christ. I believe that understanding is changing. We are all called to be missionaries where we are. In fact, in Jesus’ marching orders He told us to begin bearing witness in our Jerusalem, which is the place where we are.
The signs at the exits to our campus, remind us that the mission field begins right here in the North Jefferson area. We are to be missionaries in our neighborhoods, our civic clubs, our place of work, our schools, even our homes. Remember what a missionary is – “Someone who tells others about God.”
Tonight, Wednesday, February 03, 2010, we will hear a powerful message from one who has a real vision for missions, The Rev. Paul E. Smith, from Mandeville, La. Under his leadership, Life Church has been instrumental in starting over 50 churches throughout North, Central and South America. It is going to be a great night of worship.
On Friday, February 5, 2010, we will have most of the missionaries we support here to share about what God is doing in their place of ministry. We will also have some additional missionaries, as we hope to add one or two other connections through our Faith Promise Offering. I hope you will be here Friday night for the “Taste of the World” event. You will have the opportunity to meet all of these missionaries. Even if you did not have the opportunity to sign up for an event, come on. Don’t miss out.
God is up to something. As He said through the Prophet Isaiah, even “now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19; NRSV) Let’s be a part of what God is doing.
Here is a schedule for this weekend:
Friday – 2/5/10
12:00 Noon Senior Luncheon
6:30 PM Taste of the World
Saturday – 2/6/10
7:00 AM Men’s Breakfast
9:00 AM Family Project
12:30 PM Women’s Luncheon
6:00 PM Sunday School Socials
Sunday
The Rev. Richard Adams will be our preacher at each of the morning services.
Missionaries will be in most of our Sunday School Classes.
Sunday morning we will be making our Faith Promise commitments to missions. In Paul’s writing we find several places where he mentions this kind of second mile, beyond the tithe offering for missions. As the title suggest, this is a Promise you make in faith, trust God to provide. Our Faith Promise giving provides the support for all of our missions beyond our Conference and District commitments. If all of our over 600 giving families were to commit $500 to Faith Promise that would be $300,000.00 to missions. If 250 families would commit $500, that would surpass our $100,000 goal this year. Gina and I will be trusting God for more than $500 and I know others will be doing the same.
This Sunday night we will celebrate Holy Communion as part of our Healing and Wholeness Service. This morning’s Upper Room Devotional Scriptures was the healing that Peter and John offered the lame man at the Temple gate (Acts 3). God is still doing mighty acts of healing. This is a good time to bring persons who need God’s people to lay hands on them in prayer, according to James 5.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Celebrate the Past – New Vision for the Future
If you have been in worship this year, you have seen the new bulletins. We thank Rachel Fitzpatrick for designing the logo that will be on all of our 150th Anniversary material. As you probably know by now, we have kicked off a year long celebration of our 150th Anniversary of ministry here in North Jefferson County.
In preparation for this year of celebrating, the 150th Anniversary Committee has attempted to read most of the histories that have been written through the years on both the Gardendale Church, which had its birth in 1860, and the Mt. Vernon Church, which had its birth in 1878. Often times those histories were revised when a new directory was done. As you read of those two churches and then their coming together on this hillside in 1974, you learn a lot about living into a vision.
It started with the vision of the Rev. John Shugart and the Tennessee conference. This part of North Jefferson county had not developed enough to even have a name when Brother Shugart began holding evangelistic services in what is now Gardendale. But he had a vision, a vision that moved Methodist across this nation, a vision to offer everyone Christ and to spread scriptural holiness.
I have noticed that often the histories of these two churches moved from one building project to the next. If you look closer, those building projects were testimonies to the churches real mission of growing more fully committed disciples of Jesus Christ. That is the way it should be. The vision should never be about building for building sake. It is about providing space to better fulfill the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ. When a church stops visioning of new facilities, it has probably stopped visioning of reaching many new people for Jesus Christ.
George Mathison sends me the newsletter from Auburn United Methodist Church. In a recent newsletter he mentioned their purchase of another Church Facility. They do not need all that facility at the present moment, but they are preparing for the future. I sense that Gardendale-Mt Vernon has witnessed that kind of visioning in its 150 years of ministry.
Teresa Watson has been working on ways to get the news of 150th Anniversary out to the community. She was able to line up spot on NBC 13’s Mid-Day News a couple of weeks ago. We have been able to obtain a copy of the interview that Lisa Crane did with me that day. It is included in this blog.
As we celebrate these 150 years of ministry, our Building Committee is looking at cost for a new Children’s Ministry Building. They have already discovered that cost estimates for the new building are down from two years ago. They are gathering information which they hope to have ready for the March Administrative Board meeting.
While construction on a new building is still down the road, we need to remember what is driving that vision. If we had additional space we could increase the number of children we have the opportunity to influence for Christ. Our overall waiting list still numbers over 300 children. We also need additional Sunday school space for adults. We are running out of room and we really need to begin one or two more classes right now. And when the entire new Children’s Ministry Building is complete, we will also have room to expand our facilities for youth. That’s the reason we have a new building on the drawing board, to provide additional space to connect more people to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, to grow more people in Christ-like love and to send more people into the world through Christ-like service.
Before we can think much more about building a new facility, we have to fix some erosion problems. You need to know that our building is not presently in danger, but the heavy rains have created some major erosion issues. The Trustees decided to do more than another stop gap attempt to stop the erosion. They hired an engineering firm to give us a solution for the long haul. The Trustees are almost ready to bring those recommendations to the Administrative Board and then put the work out for bid. They will keep us informed of the next steps in that journey. You need to know that it will not be cheap. Be in prayer for the decisions related to this work and its funding.
You should have received a packet of information about our Global Impact Celebration. It kicks off next Wednesday, February 3rd, 6:30 PM. Make plans to participate in all the opportunities of the Global Impact Celebration.
Because of the Faith Promises made last year at the Global Impact Celebration, our Mission Team was able to send $1,300 immediately to our United Methodist Committee on Relief for there response in Haiti. I encourage you to be in prayer for your Faith Promise commitment to missions that will be made in the morning services on February 7th. A Commitment was included in the packet of information you received.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
In preparation for this year of celebrating, the 150th Anniversary Committee has attempted to read most of the histories that have been written through the years on both the Gardendale Church, which had its birth in 1860, and the Mt. Vernon Church, which had its birth in 1878. Often times those histories were revised when a new directory was done. As you read of those two churches and then their coming together on this hillside in 1974, you learn a lot about living into a vision.
It started with the vision of the Rev. John Shugart and the Tennessee conference. This part of North Jefferson county had not developed enough to even have a name when Brother Shugart began holding evangelistic services in what is now Gardendale. But he had a vision, a vision that moved Methodist across this nation, a vision to offer everyone Christ and to spread scriptural holiness.
I have noticed that often the histories of these two churches moved from one building project to the next. If you look closer, those building projects were testimonies to the churches real mission of growing more fully committed disciples of Jesus Christ. That is the way it should be. The vision should never be about building for building sake. It is about providing space to better fulfill the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ. When a church stops visioning of new facilities, it has probably stopped visioning of reaching many new people for Jesus Christ.
George Mathison sends me the newsletter from Auburn United Methodist Church. In a recent newsletter he mentioned their purchase of another Church Facility. They do not need all that facility at the present moment, but they are preparing for the future. I sense that Gardendale-Mt Vernon has witnessed that kind of visioning in its 150 years of ministry.
Teresa Watson has been working on ways to get the news of 150th Anniversary out to the community. She was able to line up spot on NBC 13’s Mid-Day News a couple of weeks ago. We have been able to obtain a copy of the interview that Lisa Crane did with me that day. It is included in this blog.
As we celebrate these 150 years of ministry, our Building Committee is looking at cost for a new Children’s Ministry Building. They have already discovered that cost estimates for the new building are down from two years ago. They are gathering information which they hope to have ready for the March Administrative Board meeting.
While construction on a new building is still down the road, we need to remember what is driving that vision. If we had additional space we could increase the number of children we have the opportunity to influence for Christ. Our overall waiting list still numbers over 300 children. We also need additional Sunday school space for adults. We are running out of room and we really need to begin one or two more classes right now. And when the entire new Children’s Ministry Building is complete, we will also have room to expand our facilities for youth. That’s the reason we have a new building on the drawing board, to provide additional space to connect more people to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, to grow more people in Christ-like love and to send more people into the world through Christ-like service.
Before we can think much more about building a new facility, we have to fix some erosion problems. You need to know that our building is not presently in danger, but the heavy rains have created some major erosion issues. The Trustees decided to do more than another stop gap attempt to stop the erosion. They hired an engineering firm to give us a solution for the long haul. The Trustees are almost ready to bring those recommendations to the Administrative Board and then put the work out for bid. They will keep us informed of the next steps in that journey. You need to know that it will not be cheap. Be in prayer for the decisions related to this work and its funding.
You should have received a packet of information about our Global Impact Celebration. It kicks off next Wednesday, February 3rd, 6:30 PM. Make plans to participate in all the opportunities of the Global Impact Celebration.
Because of the Faith Promises made last year at the Global Impact Celebration, our Mission Team was able to send $1,300 immediately to our United Methodist Committee on Relief for there response in Haiti. I encourage you to be in prayer for your Faith Promise commitment to missions that will be made in the morning services on February 7th. A Commitment was included in the packet of information you received.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)