This message is based on the first part of a book by Henry Nouwen called “The Selfless Way of Christ – Downward Mobility and the Spiritual Life.” I ran across this work several years ago, and it has had a profound impact on my life, and I feel called to share some of it with you today. I need to start by looking at different understandings of the Call of Jesus which exist in our world today. “Christian” is a very broad label in today’s world, with very...
Last week, I talked about churches that reach out and are ‘other focused’ … and churches that, unfortunately, are ‘inward focused’ and truly live for themselves. The truth is, what we’re doing here was never to be about us. The Church is all about Christ and his vision and mission for us as his Body. If you remember, we were also encouraged in this direction by words from Bishop Jung (spoken at AC 2013): “We are not a church geared for survival, but a church that reaches out to a...
It’s one of those times when I feel like apologizing for the sermon title before I even begin … and I do! There are many wonderful churches out there who are filled with faithful disciples of Jesus Christ who are getting these things right (what we’re going to be talking about the next two weekends). But that doesn’t take away from the fact that there are still untold thousands of churches who still exist primarily for themselves. In other words, they have no vision outside their doors … and no...
One of the most delightful concepts in human experience is the idea of ‘home.’ Even the word ‘home’ suggests memories of rest, security, and the presence of those we love the most… I think back to some ‘homes’ that’ve meant a great deal to me. For whatever reason, I remember fondly the parsonage in South Wayne and enjoy taking my kids back to see it, to reminisce, and so forth. My brother and I had a bedroom window that overlooked the roof of the front porch. You can just imagine...
I don’t know that much about mountain climbing and ‘no,’ I’m not planning on taking up that sport as a part of my cardiac rehab, but I am quite impressed with those who do climb mountains … especially mountains like Mount Everest! More than 3,000 climbers have made it to the top. But, several thousand have failed—more than 220 dying in the attempt. And the place they most often failed was the South Summit to Hillary Step. There, there’s a knife-edge ridge made of ice, snow, and fragmented shale—10,000 feet...
The train chugged its way through Indiana at twenty-four miles per hour. Now, that doesn’t seem like a terrible speed. That is, until you take into account how long it takes to stop a 6,200-ton train … and what lay upon the tracks ahead. “That’s a baby!” yelled Robert Mohr, the attentive conductor. The engineer, Rodney Lindley, had thought it was a small dog, but the thatch of blonde hair and the colorful clothes made it all clear. Emily Marshall, a child of nineteen months, was playing...
The topic for today is Unity, based on God’s love. Please note that I did not say uniformity, which is different. Unity is harmony or agreement between diverse people. Uniformity is about all of us being the same. When I think of Unity, I think of the youth mission trips. People from all walks of life work together, live together and worship together with a common goal of “Being Jesus” for each other and for the community they are serving. The people are all very different, and they help each...
Today we are taking some time to pause, and reflect on how to apply what we have learned about God’s love for us to our daily lives. How we live is a combination of both “being”, which is our inner thoughts and feelings, and “doing”, which is our exterior behavior. Our “being” impacts our “doing”. As we grow from babies to children to teenagers to adults, our inner selves are shaped by the physical and psychological environments we live in. We receive messages that try to define “who we are”...
As Charles Dickens said, this is the greatest short story every written! In 22 short verses, we can see ourselves and the ins and outs of our life with God pretty clearly … through the characters in particular. While this story is usually referred to as The Parable of the Prodigal Son, I want to suggest that it’s the FATHER who is the main character—not the son … or sons! The FATHER is mentioned at least 12 times in the span of these 22 verses. While entire books have been...
Let me begin with our text for today. This psalm (86:8-15) shows us King David’s devoted trust in God … in times of deep trouble. Just listen to Eugene Peterson’s translation of this scripture… There’s no one quite like you among the gods, O Lord, and nothing to compare with your works. 9 All the nations you made are on their way, ready to give honor to you, O Lord, Ready to put your beauty on display, 10 parading your greatness, And the great things you do— God, you’re the...
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