Jesus’ Body - Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-27
One day I visited with a farmer who was outstanding in his field. As we talked I mentioned that the Bible is full of metaphors. He agreed, but I wasn’t sure he knew exactly what I meant. So I asked him, “What’s a metaphor?” He replied, “It’s to keep cows in.”
The Apostle Paul used metaphors to describe the church. He wrote to the church in Corinth, “You are the body of Christ.”
I showed the children the new USDA nutrition pyramid. Most of them had seen it before. They knew that a good mix of foods help make a healthy body.
God wants us to be health and strong. I asked them what we need to produce a healthy spiritual body. To grow up as health and strong Christians we need Bible reading, obedience to parents and other adults, prayer, church and Sunday School attendance.
Sometimes we pay attention to our physical needs more than our spiritual needs. It’s all important.
The first Christian churches were very different than ours. They had folks from very diverse backgrounds. 1 Corinthians 12:13 tells us that slaves and their wealthy owners were together in the church; Jews and Gentiles were sitting side-by-side. Even men and women gathered together for worship – something most religions of the day didn’t allow. There were rich – poor, urban – rural, educated – illiterate, Jewish – folks who formerly worshiped all sorts of Roman and Greek gods. The only thing many of them had in common was – Jesus.
I can understand why they would have a hard time working together. Many of them didn’t socialize in society, but they came together in the church. That’s a remarkable thing! They were the body of Christ.
They didn’t become the body of Christ because they had carefully worded by-laws or study groups to come up with catchy and inspiring mission statements. No, they became the body of Christ by being organically integrated with one another. They were one body.
History tells us that they didn’t always do it well. I’ve hear some people say, “I’d like to go back to being the early church.” Well, I’ve ready Paul’s letters to the Corinthians – divisions, factions, infighting, theological differences, marriage problems, immorality – they had plenty of problems. I think the church today has enough problems; at least I understand them.
Paul wrote at length to the church in Corinth, more than to any other congregation. Leading up to today’s passage he had just given instruction about worship, the Lord’s Supper and a talk about spiritual gifts. (It’s interesting that every passage about spiritual gifts in the Bible is followed by a passage about getting along together.)
We are the Body of Christ.
How is Jesus doing these days? How’s his body holding together after more than 200 years?
We like diversity and choices. Think about:
- A school orchestra with only trombones
- A grocery store with three items
- TV with only one channel
- A restaurant with only one item on the menu.
We love diversity and choices … everywhere, but in the church.
Here at Maple Grove, everyone is welcome. We don’t intentionally exclude anyone from worship or church activities. Why? Because God wants everyone to be part of the church!
The Bible begins with variety. Just look at God’s creation: bunnies and butterflies, tropics and snow capped mountains, rivers and deserts. God must have had fun creating all those different things.
The Bible ends with diversity. In Revelation 7:9 the Apostle John has a vision of what the Kingdom of God is going to look like. There will be a multitude of people from every tribe, nation, people, language; all gathered together to praise God. Only God can bring all these folks together in harmony.
The Apostle Paul writes to a church in Corinth that‘s pretty much fractured. They’re struggling with bringing together people from a wide variety of backgrounds. What does Paul tell them: “You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (verse 27)
Paul gives them a course in spiritual anatomy, how it all works together.
A. Working together as the Body of Christ is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
In the human body, every part needs every other part. The parts are different, but complementary and interdependent. The Body of Christ should work the same way.
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’”
What if Michelangelo only used the color green to paint the Sistine Chapel? It probably would have been painted over years ago. If the body was all eyes, it could see great, but it wouldn’t get anything done and it wouldn’t go anywhere. That’s a debilitating handicap.
The Body of Christ needs to work together.
B. Working together as the Body of Christ doesn’t happen by chance.
It’s not by accident; it’s not serendipitous. Look at verse 24: God has combined the members of the body. It’s God’s work. Just like God created the complexity of the human being; God creates the complexity of the church.
It’s God’s design that all of the very different people come together in the church. If God can put the universe together and make it work in harmony, we shouldn’t expect less from the church. God can help us to work together in harmony; that’s what God wants. Human free will sometimes makes it difficult.
Greek culture and Hebrew culture are like night and day. One has a western world view, the other eastern. The Greeks were people of the head; the Jews were people of the heart. Greeks think linearly; Jews think poetically. Yet God put them together. It caused problems – that’s what the discussion was all about in Acts 15 – but, God did it.
The Body of Christ needs to let God work in our midst. At a very difficult moment, Jesus said, “Not my will, but your will be done.” If it’s going to work – it has to be God’s work.
C. Working together as the Body of Christ helps us to appreciate each other. Diversity doesn’t mean conformity.
Let me put it in baseball terms. What would happen if the pitcher said to the shortstop, “I don’t need you?” How about if the center fielder told the others that he was the most important player on the team? What if, the first baseman said to the second baseman, “I don’t need you?” They wouldn’t win many games; they probably wouldn’t last long as a team.
Paul talks about the pride we have in our identity. That’s all well and good, but we need to appreciate and understand how we work together with the others.
What if the building committee decided to contract only stone masons to build the addition? It would look nice! But we probably wouldn’t have electricity or heat. Don’t even think about the restrooms.
God calls us to appreciate the part that each one has in the church. It’s all important to the overall functioning of Christ’s Body.
D. Working together as the Body of Christ means we look after each other and work for the mutual benefit of everyone.
A number of years ago Newsweek magazine interviewed Stacey King of the Chicago Bulls. They asked him, “What’s been your greatest moment in the NBA?” He said, “No question. It was the night, a glorious night, I’ll never forget the night, when Michael Jordan and I combined for 70 points.” What Stacey King did not tell the interviewer is that Jordan hit for 69 points that evening and King only scored one point.
The point is that they did it together. The team won the game. They were a part of the same team. God wants us, as Christians, to fully realize that we’re all on the same team.
At Maple Grove we all work together for the mutual benefit.
The Body needs nurturing and feeding. That’s why we have a Christian Education Commission. The Body needs to celebrate. That’s why we have a Worship and Music Commission. The Body needs a place in which to function and plan. That’s why we have a Finance Commission and a Building Committee. The Body needs to reach out to others – Evangelism and Service Commission; the Body needs to care for others during moments of crisis – Care team. Spiritual needs – Elders and others. Every part is important and appreciated.
We’re all working together for the same goal – to be a living, breathing vision of Christ in this world!
Next Sunday evening, we will get together and talk about how we are joined together and how we function as the Body of Christ. It’s going to be an important meeting because it’s at the core of who we are and what we do.
Paul told the church, “You are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
How’s Jesus looking these days?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
May 20, 2007 Sermon Synopsis
Jesus’ Witnesses - Scripture: Acts 1:6-11
I have it on good authority that God is left handed. A child told me this one day. I asked him how he knew that God did everything with his left hand. He told me, “The Bible tells us that Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God.”
Thursday, May 17 was Ascension Day; it’s 40 days after Resurrection Day (Easter). It’s the day we remember that Jesus left the disciples to go to heaven. It’s also a day of promise – Jesus will return!
During those 40 days following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus continued to instruct his followers. He appeared to a number of people. The Apostle Paul tells us he even appeared to a group of more than 500 individuals (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Jesus was all alive; all the words he taught, all the promises he made, must be true.
The scripture passage tells us about Jesus’ last meeting with his disciples. They were on the Mount of Olives.
The disciples were waiting for Jesus to establish God’s Kingdom. After all, Jesus had spoken at length about the Kingdom of God. It is a government that is fair, just, peaceful, good and equally looks after the benefit of all its citizens. We’ll all have enough of everything; there’s no crime, nobody will get sick, and nobody will die. Sounds good to me.
The disciples wanted to know if this was the moment they had all been waiting for. Is this the time when God’s Eternal Kingdom will be established?
What did Jesus tell them?
A. Jesus told them not to worry when he (Christ) will return. (Acts 1:7)
Many people have made predictions about when Jesus would return. Each time the day passed and Jesus didn’t show up. I think we can be pretty confident that Jesus will NOT return then.
One of the most tragic moments in Mennonite history has to do with such a prediction. Melehior Hofmann predicted that Christ would return in 1533, Munster, Germany would be the New Jerusalem. John Leiden and John Matthys let a violent revolution to take Mennonite control of the city. After 18 months of dictator like rule, the Mennonite revolutionaries were defeated and most all of them were killed in the process.
This was a defining moment. Some historians claim that this was a strong lesson for the Mennonite movement to fully learned that the Kingdom of God is not an earthly political movement.
An earthly kingdom cannot stand forever. Archaeologists study the remains of the once great kingdoms of Egypt, China, Persia and Rome. Someday, probably they’ll study the remains of the Kingdom of the USA.
Jesus taught his disciples, “My kingdom is not of this world.” It’s in the world, but it’s not of the world.
On the Mount of Olives, Jesus tells his disciples “Don’t worry about when I will return. Don’t worry when God’s Eternal Kingdom will come in power.” (RSV – Revised Steve’s Version)
The scripture says:
Jesus will return when you least expect it (Matthew 24), like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Nobody knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36)
B. Jesus told them not to worry about having the power or the will to do God’s work while we are waiting for the Kingdom to come. The Spirit of God will provide us with everything we need. (Acts 1:8a)
Jesus wants us to know that it’s not our struggle – it’s God’s struggle. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives to provide everything we need to live as Citizens of God’s Kingdom in this world.
I asked the children what happens at their house when they are going to have visitors. At my house we clean it up. There seems to be a relationship with the amount of cleaning and the importance of the visitor, the more important the visitor, the more thorough the cleaning. Jesus is coming back – is there anyone more important in your life than him?
God’s Spirit living in us helps us to get ready for Jesus’ return. We can be sure we’re ready for Jesus to come back.
When we invite Jesus into our lives, God’s Spirit takes up residence in us. Immanuel – “God with us.” Jesus want the disciples to know the God’s Spirit needs to be in control of our lives; we shouldn’t be trying to do things on our own.
C. Jesus wants his disciples to be WITNESSES. (Acts 1:8b)
This is what we should be concerned about! Don’t worry about when Jesus will return. Don’t worry about having what it takes to wait. Be witnesses!
What’s a witness? A witness is someone who tells what they have seen, heard, lived, experienced. If you don’t have Jesus in your life and you haven’t lived the Christian life in this world – you don’t have anything to talk about.
To be a witness means you have experiences with God to tell others about.
Being a witness can be dangerous. I talked about a man in the church who was in the federal witness protection program. There were people out to get him because of what he knew and because of who he might tell.
The powers of evil in this world want to stop us from being witnesses for Jesus. God’s Spirit is with us. It’s the heavenly witness protection program.
How did the disciples respond to Jesus leaving? They stood there staring into the sky. God had to send messengers to tell them, “Don’t just stand there looking into the sky – get busy for God!”
God calls this church, every individual, to be a faithful witness of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to do this so that when Jesus returns, there will be no surprises.
What’s the bottom line?
Are you being a faithful witness for our Lord Jesus Christ?
I have it on good authority that God is left handed. A child told me this one day. I asked him how he knew that God did everything with his left hand. He told me, “The Bible tells us that Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God.”
Thursday, May 17 was Ascension Day; it’s 40 days after Resurrection Day (Easter). It’s the day we remember that Jesus left the disciples to go to heaven. It’s also a day of promise – Jesus will return!
During those 40 days following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus continued to instruct his followers. He appeared to a number of people. The Apostle Paul tells us he even appeared to a group of more than 500 individuals (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Jesus was all alive; all the words he taught, all the promises he made, must be true.
The scripture passage tells us about Jesus’ last meeting with his disciples. They were on the Mount of Olives.
The disciples were waiting for Jesus to establish God’s Kingdom. After all, Jesus had spoken at length about the Kingdom of God. It is a government that is fair, just, peaceful, good and equally looks after the benefit of all its citizens. We’ll all have enough of everything; there’s no crime, nobody will get sick, and nobody will die. Sounds good to me.
The disciples wanted to know if this was the moment they had all been waiting for. Is this the time when God’s Eternal Kingdom will be established?
What did Jesus tell them?
A. Jesus told them not to worry when he (Christ) will return. (Acts 1:7)
Many people have made predictions about when Jesus would return. Each time the day passed and Jesus didn’t show up. I think we can be pretty confident that Jesus will NOT return then.
One of the most tragic moments in Mennonite history has to do with such a prediction. Melehior Hofmann predicted that Christ would return in 1533, Munster, Germany would be the New Jerusalem. John Leiden and John Matthys let a violent revolution to take Mennonite control of the city. After 18 months of dictator like rule, the Mennonite revolutionaries were defeated and most all of them were killed in the process.
This was a defining moment. Some historians claim that this was a strong lesson for the Mennonite movement to fully learned that the Kingdom of God is not an earthly political movement.
An earthly kingdom cannot stand forever. Archaeologists study the remains of the once great kingdoms of Egypt, China, Persia and Rome. Someday, probably they’ll study the remains of the Kingdom of the USA.
Jesus taught his disciples, “My kingdom is not of this world.” It’s in the world, but it’s not of the world.
On the Mount of Olives, Jesus tells his disciples “Don’t worry about when I will return. Don’t worry when God’s Eternal Kingdom will come in power.” (RSV – Revised Steve’s Version)
The scripture says:
Jesus will return when you least expect it (Matthew 24), like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Nobody knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36)
B. Jesus told them not to worry about having the power or the will to do God’s work while we are waiting for the Kingdom to come. The Spirit of God will provide us with everything we need. (Acts 1:8a)
Jesus wants us to know that it’s not our struggle – it’s God’s struggle. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives to provide everything we need to live as Citizens of God’s Kingdom in this world.
I asked the children what happens at their house when they are going to have visitors. At my house we clean it up. There seems to be a relationship with the amount of cleaning and the importance of the visitor, the more important the visitor, the more thorough the cleaning. Jesus is coming back – is there anyone more important in your life than him?
God’s Spirit living in us helps us to get ready for Jesus’ return. We can be sure we’re ready for Jesus to come back.
When we invite Jesus into our lives, God’s Spirit takes up residence in us. Immanuel – “God with us.” Jesus want the disciples to know the God’s Spirit needs to be in control of our lives; we shouldn’t be trying to do things on our own.
C. Jesus wants his disciples to be WITNESSES. (Acts 1:8b)
This is what we should be concerned about! Don’t worry about when Jesus will return. Don’t worry about having what it takes to wait. Be witnesses!
What’s a witness? A witness is someone who tells what they have seen, heard, lived, experienced. If you don’t have Jesus in your life and you haven’t lived the Christian life in this world – you don’t have anything to talk about.
To be a witness means you have experiences with God to tell others about.
Being a witness can be dangerous. I talked about a man in the church who was in the federal witness protection program. There were people out to get him because of what he knew and because of who he might tell.
The powers of evil in this world want to stop us from being witnesses for Jesus. God’s Spirit is with us. It’s the heavenly witness protection program.
How did the disciples respond to Jesus leaving? They stood there staring into the sky. God had to send messengers to tell them, “Don’t just stand there looking into the sky – get busy for God!”
God calls this church, every individual, to be a faithful witness of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to do this so that when Jesus returns, there will be no surprises.
What’s the bottom line?
Are you being a faithful witness for our Lord Jesus Christ?
Friday, April 27, 2007
A Musing for April 26
Perhaps you’ve heard …
A pastor places his order at the pet store: "I need at least 50 mice, 2000 ants and as many of those little silverfish you can get." The clerk replies, "We can probably do that, but it might take some time. Mind if I ask why you are placing such an unusual order?" The pastor replies, "I've accepted a call to another church and the church council told me to leave the office the way I found it."
Thankfully, I’m not that pastor. But I have accepted a call to another congregation. I leave ECBC with mixed feelings. I will miss you all very much, especially the children.
I’m thankful to all of you who help with Kids Together and with the brief Kids Club program. You all have special gifts for ministry and caring with the children. I will keep you all in my prayers.
Who will take my place?
The late Cyril Homer, an Army Chaplain, was filling the pulpitfor a minister who was out of town. He stated, "No one can really take the placeof your pastor. In fact, I feel like a piece of cardboard used to temporarily replacea broken window pane."After the service, a little old lady approached him and said, "Brother Homer, you're not a piece of cardboard. You're a real pane!"
You will need to evaluate the situation at ECBC. I believe that the Children’s Minister position has merit. You all worked very hard to develop this ministry and also in the search process. I believe that it will be to your benefit to reevaluate your work in the light of my ministry with you. In many ways, I feel like I let you down, but I know that the Lord will bless all of us as we seek to do God’s will. ECBC has many gifted church members; I encourage all of you to do your part for the children’s ministry.
Can he go to another denomination?
A Baptist pastor approached one of his church leaders, "Brother Jones, I heard you became a Mennonite. It just doesn't seem like you. You have been a Baptistall your life!""Pastor," Mr. Jones responded, "I just learned that I have a month to live and I thought it would be better for them to lose one of theirs than for us to lose one of ours!"
Hopefully my logic is better than that. Baptists share some history and beliefs with our Mennonite cousins. In the end, God isn’t going to ask us if we were Baptists or Mennonite or Catholic for that matter, but rather if we fully put our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. In the meantime, we need to be where we feel God wants us to be.
For the past seven months, God wanted me to be with you. I trust my ministry with you was meaningful and that the Lord worked in our midst. I believe that God has better things in store for both of us. The main thing is for all of us to remain open to the Lord’s leading in our lives, and willing to trust God and not our own instincts.
You are welcome to visit the Maple Grove Mennonite Church. The meeting house is at 549 Swan Road, about ¾ of a mile north of Atglen and about 1.5 miles south of Route 30 (first right past Country Gardens). Sunday morning services begin at 10:30.
May our Lord lead you in God’s ways this week and always.
Pastor Steve
This Week’s Motto: Omne finis novo initio est (“Every ending is a new beginning”)
A pastor places his order at the pet store: "I need at least 50 mice, 2000 ants and as many of those little silverfish you can get." The clerk replies, "We can probably do that, but it might take some time. Mind if I ask why you are placing such an unusual order?" The pastor replies, "I've accepted a call to another church and the church council told me to leave the office the way I found it."
Thankfully, I’m not that pastor. But I have accepted a call to another congregation. I leave ECBC with mixed feelings. I will miss you all very much, especially the children.
I’m thankful to all of you who help with Kids Together and with the brief Kids Club program. You all have special gifts for ministry and caring with the children. I will keep you all in my prayers.
Who will take my place?
The late Cyril Homer, an Army Chaplain, was filling the pulpitfor a minister who was out of town. He stated, "No one can really take the placeof your pastor. In fact, I feel like a piece of cardboard used to temporarily replacea broken window pane."After the service, a little old lady approached him and said, "Brother Homer, you're not a piece of cardboard. You're a real pane!"
You will need to evaluate the situation at ECBC. I believe that the Children’s Minister position has merit. You all worked very hard to develop this ministry and also in the search process. I believe that it will be to your benefit to reevaluate your work in the light of my ministry with you. In many ways, I feel like I let you down, but I know that the Lord will bless all of us as we seek to do God’s will. ECBC has many gifted church members; I encourage all of you to do your part for the children’s ministry.
Can he go to another denomination?
A Baptist pastor approached one of his church leaders, "Brother Jones, I heard you became a Mennonite. It just doesn't seem like you. You have been a Baptistall your life!""Pastor," Mr. Jones responded, "I just learned that I have a month to live and I thought it would be better for them to lose one of theirs than for us to lose one of ours!"
Hopefully my logic is better than that. Baptists share some history and beliefs with our Mennonite cousins. In the end, God isn’t going to ask us if we were Baptists or Mennonite or Catholic for that matter, but rather if we fully put our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. In the meantime, we need to be where we feel God wants us to be.
For the past seven months, God wanted me to be with you. I trust my ministry with you was meaningful and that the Lord worked in our midst. I believe that God has better things in store for both of us. The main thing is for all of us to remain open to the Lord’s leading in our lives, and willing to trust God and not our own instincts.
You are welcome to visit the Maple Grove Mennonite Church. The meeting house is at 549 Swan Road, about ¾ of a mile north of Atglen and about 1.5 miles south of Route 30 (first right past Country Gardens). Sunday morning services begin at 10:30.
May our Lord lead you in God’s ways this week and always.
Pastor Steve
This Week’s Motto: Omne finis novo initio est (“Every ending is a new beginning”)
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
A Musing for April 10
Perhaps you’ve heard …
An IRS agent contacted the pastor to verify a church member’s contributions.
“Did Mr. Smith contribute $10,000 to the church?”
The pastor replied, “I’ll check into it, but I’m sure he will.”
If an IRS agent and a lawyer were both drowning and you could only save one of them, would you go to lunch or read the newspaper?
My dad taught me, there are two things in life you can’t avoid: paying taxes and death. We put a lot of worry and energy into trying to cheat both of them; perhaps we should concentrate on using our God given finances and our lives to help others.
Perhaps we need to have more faith at tax time. Some people were worried that Jesus was trying to avoid paying taxes (Matthew 17:24-27). Jesus had Peter go fishing and pay the tax with money he found inside a fish. In the Garden of Gethsemane, some feel that Jesus was trying to avoid death. He told God, “Not my will, but your will be done.” Jesus reminds his disciples to “Give to Caesar (the worldly government) what is Caesar’s, and to God (the heavenly government) what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:15-22)
KIDS TOGETHER
We had a good group at Kids Together this week. Sherry Snyder was our leader this week; some of the kids went home with a frog craft she helped the kids make. Francesca helped organize our Easter ducky ring toss game. Rob came to observe the music; he will help with the music in the future. We talked about Easter stuff. Eggs, baby chicks, flowers are symbols of Easter and are symbols of the new life we have in Christ.
This week Chrissy Casey and Dorothy Gardner will lead the Kids Together program. I will be thinking of you and praying for you from sunny (hopeful) and warm (unrealistically hopeful) Ocean City, NJ.
NURSERY
Our nursery is filling up on Sundays! It’s great to see so many babies – that’s a great way to grow a church! Thanks to Betsy McGeorge and Jill Jordan for providing nursery care last week. Flossie Rusbuldt and Danielle Burkett will be in the nursery next Sunday.
KIDS CLUB
Thank you for your contributions to the Kids Club ministry project. On Sunday morning we packed 11 boxes for soldiers serving in Iraq. The “We Care” boxes will be sent to Jane Arena’s nephew, Chris Foley, and Betsy McGeorge’s brother-in-law, Dan Scheidel. I thank Sherry Snyder and Dorothy Gardner for their help with Kids Club.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S ON VACATION?
I will be on a short vacation this weekend. Francesca gave “us” a weekend at Ocean City for Christmas. We call it a wellness weekend, a time to rest and be renewed.
Maybe you heard about the man who wasn’t feeling well …
He went to his doctor for a complete checkup. Afterward the doctor comes out with the results.
"I'm afraid I have some very bad news," the doctor says. "You're dying, and you don't have much time left."
"Oh, that's terrible!" says the man. "How long have I got?"
"Ten," the doctor says sadly.
"Ten?" the man asks. "Ten what? Months? Weeks? What?!"
"Nine, eight..."
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:26-27)
May you make the most of this week that God has given you.
Pastor Steve
This Week’s Motto: Vive ut vivas (“Live that you may live”)
An IRS agent contacted the pastor to verify a church member’s contributions.
“Did Mr. Smith contribute $10,000 to the church?”
The pastor replied, “I’ll check into it, but I’m sure he will.”
If an IRS agent and a lawyer were both drowning and you could only save one of them, would you go to lunch or read the newspaper?
My dad taught me, there are two things in life you can’t avoid: paying taxes and death. We put a lot of worry and energy into trying to cheat both of them; perhaps we should concentrate on using our God given finances and our lives to help others.
Perhaps we need to have more faith at tax time. Some people were worried that Jesus was trying to avoid paying taxes (Matthew 17:24-27). Jesus had Peter go fishing and pay the tax with money he found inside a fish. In the Garden of Gethsemane, some feel that Jesus was trying to avoid death. He told God, “Not my will, but your will be done.” Jesus reminds his disciples to “Give to Caesar (the worldly government) what is Caesar’s, and to God (the heavenly government) what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:15-22)
KIDS TOGETHER
We had a good group at Kids Together this week. Sherry Snyder was our leader this week; some of the kids went home with a frog craft she helped the kids make. Francesca helped organize our Easter ducky ring toss game. Rob came to observe the music; he will help with the music in the future. We talked about Easter stuff. Eggs, baby chicks, flowers are symbols of Easter and are symbols of the new life we have in Christ.
This week Chrissy Casey and Dorothy Gardner will lead the Kids Together program. I will be thinking of you and praying for you from sunny (hopeful) and warm (unrealistically hopeful) Ocean City, NJ.
NURSERY
Our nursery is filling up on Sundays! It’s great to see so many babies – that’s a great way to grow a church! Thanks to Betsy McGeorge and Jill Jordan for providing nursery care last week. Flossie Rusbuldt and Danielle Burkett will be in the nursery next Sunday.
KIDS CLUB
Thank you for your contributions to the Kids Club ministry project. On Sunday morning we packed 11 boxes for soldiers serving in Iraq. The “We Care” boxes will be sent to Jane Arena’s nephew, Chris Foley, and Betsy McGeorge’s brother-in-law, Dan Scheidel. I thank Sherry Snyder and Dorothy Gardner for their help with Kids Club.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S ON VACATION?
I will be on a short vacation this weekend. Francesca gave “us” a weekend at Ocean City for Christmas. We call it a wellness weekend, a time to rest and be renewed.
Maybe you heard about the man who wasn’t feeling well …
He went to his doctor for a complete checkup. Afterward the doctor comes out with the results.
"I'm afraid I have some very bad news," the doctor says. "You're dying, and you don't have much time left."
"Oh, that's terrible!" says the man. "How long have I got?"
"Ten," the doctor says sadly.
"Ten?" the man asks. "Ten what? Months? Weeks? What?!"
"Nine, eight..."
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:26-27)
May you make the most of this week that God has given you.
Pastor Steve
This Week’s Motto: Vive ut vivas (“Live that you may live”)
Thursday, April 5, 2007
A Musing for April 5
GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS ….
Good news: finding Easter Eggs on Easter
Bad news: finding Easter Eggs at Christmas
I’m sure that disciples’ thoughts on “Good Friday” centered on “Bad News.” The unjust trial, abuse, and death of Jesus are a tremendous tragedy in the history of humanity. The good news is that Easter morning came! Jesus rose victorious from the dead; the horrors of humanity couldn’t keep him in the grave. That’s Good News!
The word Gospel comes from the Old English word “Godspell” which meant a good story. This was a translation of the Latin and Greek words (evangelion) for “Good News.” The Gospel is Good News! Jesus Rose from the Dead!
It was sad to announce my resignation on Sunday. The sad part is thinking about leaving all of you, especially the kids. Bad news. As a person of faith, I believe that God brings good news out of bad things. The Apostle Paul wrote, “We know that all things work together for good, for them who love God.” (Romans 8:28) This is good news and hope for the future.
Some have asked about my future plans. In May I will begin as pastor of the Maple Grove Mennonite Church near Atglen. Pray for me as I continue to pray for you.
GROWING IN OUR FAITH DURING LENT
Six weeks ago we planted our amaryllis bulb. We planted it with full faith that it would grow and bloom. We watered it and cared for it. Three weeks ago I almost gave up on the bulb. It showed no signs of growth; I didn’t believe it would grow. However, I didn’t know what was going on inside.
Then a small sprout of green appeared. There was hope. It would at least put out some leaves. It was alive!
Then it put out a stalk with a bud on the end. The bud is opening up and we should have a bloom for Easter Sunday! Good News!
Of course, the plant is an analogy of our spiritual growth. Those of us who have given our lives to Jesus are like the bulb planted in the soil. The church is responsible to care for the plant. Some of us don’t show any visible growth; but God knows what is going on inside. Some of us are growing, but we don’t know if and when the flowers will appear. Some of you are blooming beautifully!
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colossae,
“All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.” (Colossians 1:6)
KIDS TOGETHER
We had a good group at Kids Together this week. I appreciated the help and leadership of Natalie and Ezria Heaps and Gwen Sill. This week Sherry Snyder will help lead the Kids Together program.
HAVE YOU NOTICED the “stained glass” pictures on the doors leading into the sanctuary? The Kids Together children made these during lent. They are symbols of Lent and Easter. The Bible proclaims the Easter message. Flowers, eggs, and butterflies are symbols of rebirth and new life. The crown of thorns and nails represent Jesus’ suffering. The cross is the symbol of Jesus sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).
KIDS CLUB
Many people contributed to the Kids Club ministry project. Thanks! The boxes for soldiers serving in Iraq will be packed on Sunday morning. “We Care” boxes will be sent to Jane Arena’s nephew, Chris Foley, and Betsy McGeorge’s brother-in-law, Dan Scheidel. I thank Sherry Snyder and Dorothy Gardner for their help with Kids Club.
SEE YOU IN WORSHIP
Easter is a time when Church attendance tends to grow. The story is told about a man who was coming out of church on Easter Sunday. The pastor was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. He grabbed the man by the hand and pulled him aside. The Pastor said, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"
My friend said, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor."
Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"
He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service!"
May you have a good week in God’s service.
Pastor Steve
This Week’s Motto: Cresco per crucem (“I grow through the cross”)
Good news: finding Easter Eggs on Easter
Bad news: finding Easter Eggs at Christmas
I’m sure that disciples’ thoughts on “Good Friday” centered on “Bad News.” The unjust trial, abuse, and death of Jesus are a tremendous tragedy in the history of humanity. The good news is that Easter morning came! Jesus rose victorious from the dead; the horrors of humanity couldn’t keep him in the grave. That’s Good News!
The word Gospel comes from the Old English word “Godspell” which meant a good story. This was a translation of the Latin and Greek words (evangelion) for “Good News.” The Gospel is Good News! Jesus Rose from the Dead!
It was sad to announce my resignation on Sunday. The sad part is thinking about leaving all of you, especially the kids. Bad news. As a person of faith, I believe that God brings good news out of bad things. The Apostle Paul wrote, “We know that all things work together for good, for them who love God.” (Romans 8:28) This is good news and hope for the future.
Some have asked about my future plans. In May I will begin as pastor of the Maple Grove Mennonite Church near Atglen. Pray for me as I continue to pray for you.
GROWING IN OUR FAITH DURING LENT
Six weeks ago we planted our amaryllis bulb. We planted it with full faith that it would grow and bloom. We watered it and cared for it. Three weeks ago I almost gave up on the bulb. It showed no signs of growth; I didn’t believe it would grow. However, I didn’t know what was going on inside.
Then a small sprout of green appeared. There was hope. It would at least put out some leaves. It was alive!
Then it put out a stalk with a bud on the end. The bud is opening up and we should have a bloom for Easter Sunday! Good News!
Of course, the plant is an analogy of our spiritual growth. Those of us who have given our lives to Jesus are like the bulb planted in the soil. The church is responsible to care for the plant. Some of us don’t show any visible growth; but God knows what is going on inside. Some of us are growing, but we don’t know if and when the flowers will appear. Some of you are blooming beautifully!
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colossae,
“All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.” (Colossians 1:6)
KIDS TOGETHER
We had a good group at Kids Together this week. I appreciated the help and leadership of Natalie and Ezria Heaps and Gwen Sill. This week Sherry Snyder will help lead the Kids Together program.
HAVE YOU NOTICED the “stained glass” pictures on the doors leading into the sanctuary? The Kids Together children made these during lent. They are symbols of Lent and Easter. The Bible proclaims the Easter message. Flowers, eggs, and butterflies are symbols of rebirth and new life. The crown of thorns and nails represent Jesus’ suffering. The cross is the symbol of Jesus sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).
KIDS CLUB
Many people contributed to the Kids Club ministry project. Thanks! The boxes for soldiers serving in Iraq will be packed on Sunday morning. “We Care” boxes will be sent to Jane Arena’s nephew, Chris Foley, and Betsy McGeorge’s brother-in-law, Dan Scheidel. I thank Sherry Snyder and Dorothy Gardner for their help with Kids Club.
SEE YOU IN WORSHIP
Easter is a time when Church attendance tends to grow. The story is told about a man who was coming out of church on Easter Sunday. The pastor was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. He grabbed the man by the hand and pulled him aside. The Pastor said, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"
My friend said, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor."
Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"
He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service!"
May you have a good week in God’s service.
Pastor Steve
This Week’s Motto: Cresco per crucem (“I grow through the cross”)
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Sojournal article for April
GOT CHANGE?
“Got any change, Mister?”
This is what the ragged fellow asked me as I walked by.
“Change? Of course I’ve got change. Change is what I have most.”
We live in a world where everything seems to be changing. The only thing that is constant is the change. Someone once said, “Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.”
But change can be good. Without change we could not improve ourselves, have a better life or even grow. Change is the main component of our conversion experience. When Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again,” he was telling him he needed a complete makeover. Start over, do it again, change completely.
Easter is about change: a caterpillar to a butterfly, an egg to a chick, pain to joy, the earthly to the spiritual.
Everything changed for Jesus and his disciples during Easter week. The ecstatic joy of Palm Sunday, the deep emotion of clearing the sellers from the Temple, The intimacy of a meal together in the upper room, the arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and, ultimately, the resurrection. What a week. You can find every emotion possible expressed at some point during that week. Change is emotional.
What changed? Jesus showed us that a life controlled by God brings new life; that change, in God’s hands, is for the good.
Did I give the beggar my change? To attend to his needs I had to change my immediate plans. I bought him a meal. We ate together. He shared his life; I shared my life.
The Easter story demonstrates a world begging for change, and our Lord who changed everything for us.
Wishing you a life changing Holy Week!
“Got any change, Mister?”
This is what the ragged fellow asked me as I walked by.
“Change? Of course I’ve got change. Change is what I have most.”
We live in a world where everything seems to be changing. The only thing that is constant is the change. Someone once said, “Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.”
But change can be good. Without change we could not improve ourselves, have a better life or even grow. Change is the main component of our conversion experience. When Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again,” he was telling him he needed a complete makeover. Start over, do it again, change completely.
Easter is about change: a caterpillar to a butterfly, an egg to a chick, pain to joy, the earthly to the spiritual.
Everything changed for Jesus and his disciples during Easter week. The ecstatic joy of Palm Sunday, the deep emotion of clearing the sellers from the Temple, The intimacy of a meal together in the upper room, the arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and, ultimately, the resurrection. What a week. You can find every emotion possible expressed at some point during that week. Change is emotional.
What changed? Jesus showed us that a life controlled by God brings new life; that change, in God’s hands, is for the good.
Did I give the beggar my change? To attend to his needs I had to change my immediate plans. I bought him a meal. We ate together. He shared his life; I shared my life.
The Easter story demonstrates a world begging for change, and our Lord who changed everything for us.
Wishing you a life changing Holy Week!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A Musing for March 21
There are so many things I don’t understand …
One day, Jesus said to His disciples: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like 3x squared plus 8x minus 9."
A man who had just joined the disciples looked very confused and asked Peter: "What, on Earth, does He mean by that?"
Peter replied: "Don't worry - it's just another one of His parabolas."
What do I make of the things in the Bible that I don’t understand? Jesus really doesn’t want to confuse us. Perhaps we should concentrate on the things we do understand clearly, like our admonition to love God and others. I think if we get the basics down, the other things will make sense over time.
GROWING IN OUR FAITH DURING LENT
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz,
I wonder where the flowers is?
Sometimes growth comes in spurts. That’s certainly true of our amaryllis bulb. I have to admit, I had given up hope on a flower this year. We had done all we could do (water, sunshine, etc.), and I didn’t think anything was going to happen. But the Lord has provided the growth.
“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” (Isaiah 61:11)
“Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.” ~Lou Erickson
KIDS TOGETHER
Dustin and Rory Flay were great leaders for Kids Together on Sunday. The children had a number of prayer concerns that we prayed for. They learned that it helps to take our concerns to God and also talk about them with others. Michael Cattell brought his new baby sister, Katy, with him this week (his parents were also here). He’s a proud older brother!
This week Karen and Danielle Burkett will help lead the Kids Together program.
NURSERY
Winnie Spoonts and Kristen McGeorge were our nursery workers this week. They had a good group in the nursery. Linda and Lloyd Casey will be in the nursery during the worship service on Sunday.
KIDS CLUB
The Kids Club continues on Sunday evenings. We talked about self-defense. Bill Hyde gave us a tremendous display of his tae-kwon-do. The kids even learned how to break boards in two. We related that to being physically and spiritually prepared to meet life’s demands. Dorothy helped the kids made their own snack, a special bread recipe of Dorothy’s. Next week we’ll continue talking about defending our spiritual lives; we’ll learn some special moves to fend off attacks of the devil.
Children grades 3 to 7 meet from 6:00 to 7:30 every Sunday evening during lent. Sherry Snyder and Dorothy Gardner join me as leaders for the Kids Club. Don’t forget to help us gather supplies for our ministry project: care packages for soldiers in Iraq.
VBS IS COMING
Mark your calendars for July 15-19, 2007. The Children’s Ministry Team is making plans to transform our children into ‘007 agents for God.
LEND GOD A HAND THIS WEEK
A farmer purchased an old, run-down, abandoned farm with plans to turn it into a thriving enterprise. The fields were grown over with weeds, the farmhouse was falling apart, and the fences were broken down. During his first day of work, the town preacher stops by to bless the man's work, saying, "May you and God work together to make this the farm of your dreams!"
A few months later, the preacher stops by again to call on the farmer. Lo and behold, it's a completely different place. The farm house is completely rebuilt and in excellent condition, there is plenty of cattle and other livestock happily munching on feed in well-fenced pens, and the fields are filled with crops planted in neat rows. "Amazing!" the preacher says. "Look what God and you have accomplished together!"
"Yes, reverend," says the farmer, "but remember what the farm was like when God was working it alone!"
May you and God have a good week working together.
Pastor Steve
This Week’s Motto: Sic biscuitus disintegratum (“That’s the way the cookie crumbles”)
One day, Jesus said to His disciples: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like 3x squared plus 8x minus 9."
A man who had just joined the disciples looked very confused and asked Peter: "What, on Earth, does He mean by that?"
Peter replied: "Don't worry - it's just another one of His parabolas."
What do I make of the things in the Bible that I don’t understand? Jesus really doesn’t want to confuse us. Perhaps we should concentrate on the things we do understand clearly, like our admonition to love God and others. I think if we get the basics down, the other things will make sense over time.
GROWING IN OUR FAITH DURING LENT
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz,
I wonder where the flowers is?
Sometimes growth comes in spurts. That’s certainly true of our amaryllis bulb. I have to admit, I had given up hope on a flower this year. We had done all we could do (water, sunshine, etc.), and I didn’t think anything was going to happen. But the Lord has provided the growth.
“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” (Isaiah 61:11)
“Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.” ~Lou Erickson
KIDS TOGETHER
Dustin and Rory Flay were great leaders for Kids Together on Sunday. The children had a number of prayer concerns that we prayed for. They learned that it helps to take our concerns to God and also talk about them with others. Michael Cattell brought his new baby sister, Katy, with him this week (his parents were also here). He’s a proud older brother!
This week Karen and Danielle Burkett will help lead the Kids Together program.
NURSERY
Winnie Spoonts and Kristen McGeorge were our nursery workers this week. They had a good group in the nursery. Linda and Lloyd Casey will be in the nursery during the worship service on Sunday.
KIDS CLUB
The Kids Club continues on Sunday evenings. We talked about self-defense. Bill Hyde gave us a tremendous display of his tae-kwon-do. The kids even learned how to break boards in two. We related that to being physically and spiritually prepared to meet life’s demands. Dorothy helped the kids made their own snack, a special bread recipe of Dorothy’s. Next week we’ll continue talking about defending our spiritual lives; we’ll learn some special moves to fend off attacks of the devil.
Children grades 3 to 7 meet from 6:00 to 7:30 every Sunday evening during lent. Sherry Snyder and Dorothy Gardner join me as leaders for the Kids Club. Don’t forget to help us gather supplies for our ministry project: care packages for soldiers in Iraq.
VBS IS COMING
Mark your calendars for July 15-19, 2007. The Children’s Ministry Team is making plans to transform our children into ‘007 agents for God.
LEND GOD A HAND THIS WEEK
A farmer purchased an old, run-down, abandoned farm with plans to turn it into a thriving enterprise. The fields were grown over with weeds, the farmhouse was falling apart, and the fences were broken down. During his first day of work, the town preacher stops by to bless the man's work, saying, "May you and God work together to make this the farm of your dreams!"
A few months later, the preacher stops by again to call on the farmer. Lo and behold, it's a completely different place. The farm house is completely rebuilt and in excellent condition, there is plenty of cattle and other livestock happily munching on feed in well-fenced pens, and the fields are filled with crops planted in neat rows. "Amazing!" the preacher says. "Look what God and you have accomplished together!"
"Yes, reverend," says the farmer, "but remember what the farm was like when God was working it alone!"
May you and God have a good week working together.
Pastor Steve
This Week’s Motto: Sic biscuitus disintegratum (“That’s the way the cookie crumbles”)
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