Reflections from Bro. Rudy –
April 28, 2010
Who’s Church?
This morning, in Chapel with our Children, I told them about Homecoming this Sunday. When I mentioned that Gardendale- Mt. Vernon was celebrating their 150th birthday, some of their eyes got real big. 150 years is a long time, especially for a child. I went on to share that this Church Family began before Gardendale was even a town.
Then I asked them a question that I was asked by a child many years ago, “Who’s Church is it?” Immediately, several of the children shouted out, “God’s!” Sometimes we adults forget that. We make the church about “us” or even more, “me.” We “church members” think the church is here to meet our needs. We forget that the Church belongs to God and was established by God to accomplish God’s purpose.
Our Baptismal/Confirmation Covenant, found in our “Book of Worship” and Hymnal, states; “The church is of God, and will be preserved to the end of time for the conduct of worship and the due administration of God’s Word and Sacraments, the maintenance of Christian fellowship and discipline, the edification of believers, and the conversion of the world. All, of every age and station, stand in need of the means of grace which it alone supplies.”
A couple of weeks ago I was in San Antonio for the Large Church Initiative. In one of the Keynote addresses, Reggie McNeal made this statement, “The Church does not have a mission. God’s mission has a church.” Think about that for a moment. God called the church into being to accomplish God’s mission. And what is God’s mission? Jesus stated that in what we call “The Great Commission,” “make disciples of all people.” We exist to join the Holy Spirit in seeking to offer salvation to the lost and to grow believers to become faithful disciples.
Reggie then illustrated it this way: We are the bride of Christ. In conversion we are married to Christ. Therefore, what captures Christ’s heart better capture our heart. It’s just like when a husband and wife marry. What captures the wife’s heart better capture the husband’s heart and what captures the husband’s heart better capture the wife’s heart. Being married to Christ, what captures His heart should capture our heart.
When John Shugart arrived in this part of Alabama, his heart had been captured by Christ’s heart for the people in North Jefferson County. God had a mission to accomplish here and John Shugart gave himself to that mission. I believe God still has a mission here and God continues to call us to join Him in accomplishing His mission.
As we celebrate these 150 years, we give thanks for the many disciples who have sought to accomplish God’s mission in North Jefferson County and beyond. And we also recommit ourselves to God’s mission. I hope you will be with us for this great celebration.
Don’t forget, there is only one worship service this Sunday at 10:00 AM. There will be seating in both the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall. Those in the Fellowship Hall will have a live video feed from the Sanctuary. Children’s Worship will also be at 10:00 AM, in the Youth Room.
After the service, I hope you will stay for Lunch and Fellowship. Bring dishes to share. The church is providing the meat, bread and drinks. During the meal time, a video about our history will be shown in both the Gym and Fellowship Hall. This will be a collection of pictures and testimonies about the growth and ministry of the Gardendale and Mt. Vernon churches and their coming together to form Gardendale-Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church.
If you are a member of this Church Family you will be receiving a letter about the Funding of the Erosion Work. As soon as the weather permits, we should see work begin on the erosion at the northeast corner of the Sanctuary building. The Administrative Board approved the receiving of a Special Offering for this work. The cost will be somewhere between $120,000 and $180,000. Prayerfully consider making a generous special offering to the “Erosion Work.”
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
An Open Door - Are We Using It?
As Paul closes his first letter to the Corinthians he makes this statement, “…a wide door for effective work has opened to me…” (1 Corinthians 16:9a; NRSV) We are not sure where that “wide door” was, but Paul saw an opportunity for ministry being opened to him.
That is the way I felt after our Bishop’s Dinner on Scouting. We had the privilege of hosting the dinner, as a little more than 100 persons from United Methodist Churches across North Alabama came, at the Bishop’s invitation, to explore the relationship between the local church and scouting. It was pointed out that “Churches of the North Alabama Conference are the principal partner for Scouting in Alabama.” (Rich Kilgore, A Scouting Director)
In his address, Bishop Willimon challenged local churches to consider scouting as an opportunity to fulfill the Conference Priority, “Empowering a New Generation.” Scouting opens the door to connect with the “next generation.” It is our biblical mandate to pass on the faith to the next generation. The Psalmist put it this way: “And he [God] told our ancestors to teach their children, so that each new generation would know his Law and tell it to the next.” (Psalm 78:5b-6; CEV)
I’m not sure that we have really seen Scouting as an opportunity to help us connect the next generation to Jesus Christ. Think about it: has scouting been seen as a ministry of our church or a group that simply meets in our facilities. There is a difference. Sure, we have held Scout Sunday the last two years but is that the same as claiming scouting as a ministry to connect the next generation to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and grow disciples in their relationship with Jesus Christ?
At the dinner, one of the Associates at Vestivia Hills UMC shared these facts about their scouting ministry. They have three hundred families involved in their scouting ministries. The Cub Scout Pack has grown to the point that they have two packs in their church. He said the transformation came when Scouting became a ministry of the church not simply an organization that used their facilities. Of the three hundred families, only about a hundred are church families. The other two hundred are part of the ripe harvest field of the church. We need to learn from them to be more intentional in connecting with the harvest field. Every week we have families come onto this campus that are not connected to Christ and/or His Church. Our children and youth ministries especially need to be more intentional in using this opportunity. We talked about this opportunity in our staff time on Monday. Kelly Wiegert and Paul Turner will be sharing some ideas about this connection with the Children’s and Youth Ministry Teams.
I was asked to share a story about the Scouting connection to our church. That was an opportunity to tell about a conversation I had at the Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday. I had seen a new person in our 11:00 service that morning. That afternoon, at the Easter Egg Hunt, she was there with her children. As we talked, she said that it was scouting that brought her to the church. While bringing her children to scouts, she picked up some of our information brochures. She also read our bulletin boards and announcements around the church and came to the conclusion this was a church that had something for her family. She had been to the 9:45 service and Palm Sunday she attended the 11:00 service. She said her family had found a church home. It all happened because of scouting.
On Scout Sunday, February 14th, we had many first time guests. Later, one of the leaders of the Cub Scout Pack said that we had five unchurched families in worship at 9:45 with the Cub Scouts. Those are five families who probably would never have come to a worship service here if it had not been for Scouting. A door was opened because of Scouting.
Bishop Willimon shared that his work on the God and Country Award played a role in his hearing God’s call to ministry. At their annual Blue-Gold Banquet, I spoke to our Cub Scouts about the God and Country Award. There is such an award for each level of Scouting. The last Scouts in our church to seek that award in our church were Bruce and Lynda Gagle’s children. I was blessed being their counselor. I volunteered to work with any scout who wanted to work on the God and Country Award.
Talking about “Open Doors,” the Saturday night Easter Celebration provided an “Open Door.” Because of the 245 persons who were at the Saturday night service, we did not have the traffic problem on Easter morning that we have had in the years before. We had some new people at that service and some people who saw it as an opportunity to come back.
I believe we also have another door opening to us. For a couple of years some have been talking about beginning a Hispanic Worship Experience or Bible Study. The Council on Ministries is putting together a Task Force to begin more “intentional” work on this possibility. We have learned of some grants to help with the establishment of Hispanic ministries with the church. We are now looking for persons who would like to serve on this Task Force. You can contact me or Jennifer Lindholm. If you are interested. We hope to have a meeting in a couple of weeks.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
That is the way I felt after our Bishop’s Dinner on Scouting. We had the privilege of hosting the dinner, as a little more than 100 persons from United Methodist Churches across North Alabama came, at the Bishop’s invitation, to explore the relationship between the local church and scouting. It was pointed out that “Churches of the North Alabama Conference are the principal partner for Scouting in Alabama.” (Rich Kilgore, A Scouting Director)
In his address, Bishop Willimon challenged local churches to consider scouting as an opportunity to fulfill the Conference Priority, “Empowering a New Generation.” Scouting opens the door to connect with the “next generation.” It is our biblical mandate to pass on the faith to the next generation. The Psalmist put it this way: “And he [God] told our ancestors to teach their children, so that each new generation would know his Law and tell it to the next.” (Psalm 78:5b-6; CEV)
I’m not sure that we have really seen Scouting as an opportunity to help us connect the next generation to Jesus Christ. Think about it: has scouting been seen as a ministry of our church or a group that simply meets in our facilities. There is a difference. Sure, we have held Scout Sunday the last two years but is that the same as claiming scouting as a ministry to connect the next generation to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and grow disciples in their relationship with Jesus Christ?
At the dinner, one of the Associates at Vestivia Hills UMC shared these facts about their scouting ministry. They have three hundred families involved in their scouting ministries. The Cub Scout Pack has grown to the point that they have two packs in their church. He said the transformation came when Scouting became a ministry of the church not simply an organization that used their facilities. Of the three hundred families, only about a hundred are church families. The other two hundred are part of the ripe harvest field of the church. We need to learn from them to be more intentional in connecting with the harvest field. Every week we have families come onto this campus that are not connected to Christ and/or His Church. Our children and youth ministries especially need to be more intentional in using this opportunity. We talked about this opportunity in our staff time on Monday. Kelly Wiegert and Paul Turner will be sharing some ideas about this connection with the Children’s and Youth Ministry Teams.
I was asked to share a story about the Scouting connection to our church. That was an opportunity to tell about a conversation I had at the Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday. I had seen a new person in our 11:00 service that morning. That afternoon, at the Easter Egg Hunt, she was there with her children. As we talked, she said that it was scouting that brought her to the church. While bringing her children to scouts, she picked up some of our information brochures. She also read our bulletin boards and announcements around the church and came to the conclusion this was a church that had something for her family. She had been to the 9:45 service and Palm Sunday she attended the 11:00 service. She said her family had found a church home. It all happened because of scouting.
On Scout Sunday, February 14th, we had many first time guests. Later, one of the leaders of the Cub Scout Pack said that we had five unchurched families in worship at 9:45 with the Cub Scouts. Those are five families who probably would never have come to a worship service here if it had not been for Scouting. A door was opened because of Scouting.
Bishop Willimon shared that his work on the God and Country Award played a role in his hearing God’s call to ministry. At their annual Blue-Gold Banquet, I spoke to our Cub Scouts about the God and Country Award. There is such an award for each level of Scouting. The last Scouts in our church to seek that award in our church were Bruce and Lynda Gagle’s children. I was blessed being their counselor. I volunteered to work with any scout who wanted to work on the God and Country Award.
Talking about “Open Doors,” the Saturday night Easter Celebration provided an “Open Door.” Because of the 245 persons who were at the Saturday night service, we did not have the traffic problem on Easter morning that we have had in the years before. We had some new people at that service and some people who saw it as an opportunity to come back.
I believe we also have another door opening to us. For a couple of years some have been talking about beginning a Hispanic Worship Experience or Bible Study. The Council on Ministries is putting together a Task Force to begin more “intentional” work on this possibility. We have learned of some grants to help with the establishment of Hispanic ministries with the church. We are now looking for persons who would like to serve on this Task Force. You can contact me or Jennifer Lindholm. If you are interested. We hope to have a meeting in a couple of weeks.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
It's All About the Cross
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.
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.
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.
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