He’s My Guide
Posted February 7, 2010 by bronxcatCategories: Christian Inspiration, Music
CHORUS
He leads me through the garden where my spirit starts to grow
CHORUS
Now when my load is heavy, He says lay your cares on Me
From the highest mountain
From the highest mountain
I trust the Lord, He’s good, He’s faithful, He’s my guide
Hidden Ice and Emotional Baggage
Posted February 5, 2010 by bronxcatCategories: Uncategorized
Most of my neighbors are good about clearing their sidewalks after a snowfall. I really appreciate this when I walk around the neighborhood in the evenings. I have learned by experience, however, that there are certain houses where the path is never cleared. This leads to problems a day or more later when the snow on the cement has turned to ice. The most dangerous time is when there is new snow which covers the ice and the unsuspecting person can take a serious fall. When I encounter these areas I usually end up walking in the street, which because of its known dangers is actually safer than the hidden dangers of the icy path.
In our lives, there can be hidden danger spots as well. Events in our lives can leave us hurt, and we may end up covering up this emotional baggage rather than choosing to deal with it. The danger of not clearing it out is that an unsuspecting person may tread upon the wrong spot and end up being hurt by our reaction. As a result people may avoid making important connections with us as they attempt to find a safer path.
What Gives Us the Right?
Posted January 30, 2010 by bronxcatCategories: Church
A friend of mine (A) was recently hurt by something another friend of mine (B) said. A and B do not know each other very well; we all attend the same church. B apparently prefaced the comment about A’s personal habit by saying something about how Christian’s need to help each other, and that the comment was made in Christian love for one another. Does attending the same church make it acceptable to tell someone who is really only an acquaintance something that is hurtful but supposedly for their own good? I can’t help wondering if B would have said anything if B only knew A as an acquaintance through some non-church group. Being fellow Christians certainly doesn’t seem to have helped the outcome. A is now talking about finding another church. While I strongly believe that was not B’s intention, I can’t see how B could have expected a different outcome. For one thing, B doesn’t know A well enough to know all the facts that are involved, and in my opinion should not have said anything. Our Pastor does know about the situation and will try to help iron things out. And I have spoken to A about remaining in church. But it does leave me thinking about what we can all learn from this. What is appropriate behavior and when do we cross the line?
THAT’S NOT FAIR!
Posted January 24, 2010 by bronxcatCategories: Scripture, Sermons, Stewardship
This is my message for January 24, 2010 the Third Sunday After the Epiphany. The scriptures are: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21.
That’s Not Fair!
What would your response be if you came in to the sanctuary one Sunday morning and found that the pews had been removed, leaving only a few seats for those who were physically unable to stand for the entire worship service? Would you embrace the change joyfully? Or would you tolerate it for one day, and then demand that the pews be returned?
Or what would you do if I said that the worship committee had decided that, after rising to hear the gospel, we will all continue to remain standing for the entire sermon? I am certain that my own response to such changes would be far from joyful. After all, I’ve been know on occasion to comment on how hard and cold the pews are in the winter, and certainly standing for such a long period of time would be much more uncomfortable than a cold pew.
And yet, in the reading from Nehemiah, we are told that the people in Jerusalem stood throughout the morning until mid day as the law was read and explained to them. Why would they do that?
I think that most of us have become complacent; we expect to be able to read, study, and hear the word of God whenever we want to. The average American household is reported to have four Bibles. If you have a radio, television, or the internet there is religious programming available to you around the clock. The Bible has been translated into over 450 languages and the New Testament into almost 1400 languages. This means that for approximately 90% of the inhabitants of the earth, there is a translation available in a language that they are able to speak.
Jewish teaching reports that Moses wrote the 5 books of the Torah on scrolls made of the skins of a kosher animal. Eventually, parchment was used to create copies, but just one error made in the copying of the scroll invalidated the entire scroll.
So the average person did not have easy access to the written word of God. And even if they did, many of them were illiterate. You may recall the passage in John chapter 8 where the Jewish leaders are questioning Jesus, and before he answers, Jesus writes something in the dirt. There has been a lot of speculation as to what he wrote. But it is possible that his act of writing was simply his way of letting these leaders know that despite his being the son of a carpenter, he was literate.
So what was it that the people listened to as they stood while Ezra read from the scrolls? That would be the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures, called the Torah. We know them as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Duteronomy. The word Torah means teaching. These scriptures contain 613 commandments, of which the 10 commandments are the most important. These instructions teach the people how to act, worship, think, and even feel about life. There are also stories that teach about God’s relationship with his people.
When Nehemiah went to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple, the Hebrew people were in exile in Babylon. Historical accounts indicate that that the lives of the captives in Babylon were relatively good. But Psalm 137 expresses some of the feelings of anxiety and loss that the exiles experienced. Verses 1 through 4 in the New International Version read: By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept, when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?
If you look in the book of Daniel, you will get another snapshot of the lives of the Jewish people during their exile. They were sometimes restricted in their ability to pray, or were ordered to bow down to idols, and so on. Not to mention the possibility of being thrown into a fiery furnace or a lion’s den. So it seems to me that the Hebrew people were thirsting for the word of God and for his law. In fact, they are the ones who told Ezra to bring out the book of the law and read from it. They wanted to hear the stories that would tell them who they are and how they are to relate to the Almighty God. And so they showed their reverence for God and his law by standing as they listened.
The people had a dramatic response to what they heard. They wept. While this was certainly a sign of their remorse because of how they had broken God’s law, just as we all have broken it, I think they also wept from joy. From the joy that comes from knowing that they were not forgotten, that they were forgiven, and that God’s law is a sign of his great love for each and every one of us.
One of the remarkable things about this passage in Nehemiah is that it records the presence of women and of children. Most of the time they were not included in the teaching of the scriptures. And when they were there, their presence was not recorded. For example, in Mark chapter 6 when Jesus fed the multitude with 5 loaves and 2 fish, we only know that about 5000 men were present; there is no mention of the women or children who were presumed to be there.
In the case of today’s scripture, the inclusion of women and children seems to indicate that one purpose for reading and teaching about God and his laws was to create a renewal and revitalization in all of God’s people. That it was to be direct and personal, with all sharing in the opportunity and responsibility of acting as God’s chosen people. I once read somewhere that God doesn’t have any grandchildren. He only has children. That is because we are each called by God himself into relationship with Him, it is not something we can receive through someone else.
In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis talks at length about the law. You probably know of him as the author of the Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis refers to God’s law as the Law of Human Nature, or the Law of Right and Wrong. This discussion was originally a series of radio broadcasts that were later put into book form. They occurred in Britain during WWII when the country was experiencing nightly air raids. It was a time of trouble, fear, uncertainty, and great loss of life. The purpose of these talks was to teach the people of Britain about the basics of Christian belief.
Currently, we are also experiencing fear and uncertainty, about our economy, environment, terrorism and war. Not as great as what they were facing in WWII but still real to us. And we are also troubled by the same lack of knowledge of basic Christian beliefs in the general population. So these talks resonate with us now as well. Our fears can lead to despair, and to seeking something more in life; seeking meaning, and reassurance that your own personal existence in this world matters.
Lewis sees the evidence of a law of right and wrong as proof of the existence of God. He uses a number of finely tuned arguments to get this point across. For one thing, he explains that when someone makes a statement such as “hey, that’s my seat” or “that’s not fair” it indicates that the person is comparing someone’s actions to a standard. This standard is not of human origin because it is independent of what people think and do.
This law of human nature can be broken and we break it frequently. Even those who say they don’t believe in an absolute law of right and wrong will complain “that’s not fair” if you break your promise to them. There is a Peanuts comic strip inserted in your bulletin. Patty and Violet are talking about how they always end up doing what Lucy wants. When they tell Lucy that they are not going to play the way she wants, she throws a tantrum and exclaims “It’s not fair!” Eventually she gives in and agrees to do what they want. So why is it that we believe that when interacting with others, that we shouldn’t always get to do the things that we want, and that we must consider what others want? If, instead of believing in God we believe in evolution and the survival of the fittest, why shouldn’t it be that the person who has the strongest will always get their way? Certainly there are times when that happens, but we know that it is “wrong.” Why? Because we have a universal standard to which we compare it. A real law, that is above and beyond ordinary facts and behavior.
Lewis also explains that humans not only feel the need to do things, such as help others, but we also feel guilty when we don’t do them. And when we break one of the rules, we don’t question the standard, but instead we make excuses as to why we didn’t live up to the standard. For example, we may feel that we should call a friend to check on how they are doing, but we justify not calling them because the person likes to complain, and we feel that we will be on the phone forever, and that of course we really don’t have that much time to spare right now. These are all justifications we make for not doing what we feel is the right thing to do, for not living up to the universal standard of behavior. And we feel guilty as a result. Lewis also proposes that the Holy Spirit is involved in the need we feel to do what is right and in the guilt we feel when we do not do what is right.
This concept of a universal law of right and wrong that is established by God ties in with today’s psalm, which makes statements in praise of the law, such as the lines “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.“
Another aspect of today’s scriptures that resonates with me is the link in Psalm 19 between the law and creation, both of which point to the presence of a Creator. The law also tells us how we are to relate to creation. Nowadays, wherever you go, you hear about global warming. Often the discussions are very heated. Is there climate change, and is man the cause of it, or is it a natural cycle. Not long ago I was trying to explain to someone that man’s role in climate change isn’t important to me, because God calls all of us to be good stewards of the earth. I don’t need the government to tell me what I ought to be doing.
I recently came across a letter related to this issue that is written by the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church, published in Nov 2009. It manages to make a number of great points. I’d like to read to you the first few paragraphs of the letter, and if you are interested you can read the rest, I will post a copy in the vestibule; or you can read it online (www.gbod.org/worship/).
The letter is entitled: God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action, and it begins:
God’s creation is in crisis. We, the Bishops of The United Methodist Church, cannot remain silent while God’s people and God’s planet suffer. This beautiful natural world is a loving gift from God, the Creator of all things seen and unseen. God has entrusted its care to all of us, but we have turned our backs on God and on our responsibilities. Our neglect, selfishness, and pride have fostered:
• pandemic poverty and disease;
• environmental degradation, and
• the proliferation of weapons and violence.
Despite these interconnected threats to life and hope, God’s creative work continues. Despite the ways we all contribute to these problems, God still invites each one of us to participate in the work of renewal. We must begin the work of renewing creation by being renewed in our own hearts and minds. We cannot help the world until we change our way of being in it.
We all feel saddened by the state of the world, overwhelmed by the scope of these problems, and anxious about the future, but God calls us and equips us to respond. No matter how bad things are, God’s creative work continues. Christ’s resurrection assures us that death and destruction do not have the last word.
Paul taught that through Jesus Christ, God offers redemption to all of creation and reconciles all things, “whether on earth or in heaven.”(Col 1:20) God’s Spirit is always and everywhere at work in the world fighting poverty, restoring health, renewing creation, and reconciling peoples. Aware of God’s vision for creation, we no longer see a list of isolated problems affecting disconnected people, plants, and animals. Rather, we see one interconnected system that “groans in travail.”(Rom 8:22). The threats to peace, people, and planet earth are related to one another, and God’s vision encompasses complete well-being.
We, your bishops, join with many global religious leaders to call for a comprehensive response to these interrelated issues. We urge all United Methodists and people of goodwill to offer themselves as instruments of God’s renewing Spirit in the world.
The letter goes to make several more important points and pledges. What I liked the most was how it presents a biblical perspective on the topic, and its stress on how interconnected these issues are, and how it requires personal responsibility and involvement.
So, in summary, God, Creator of all things, has given us his law. This law is a sign of his love for us, but it comes with responsibilities. We are not to be mere observers, but are called to action. We have with us the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide us in our actions, to help us recognize right and wrong. In Mark, chapter 12, when asked which of all the commandments in the scriptures were the most important, Jesus responded that the most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Thanks be to God.
Abraham, Martin, and John
Posted January 18, 2010 by bronxcatCategories: Misc.
Abraham, Martin, John, Bobby. Modern day prophets?
// In Service
Posted January 3, 2010 by bronxcatCategories: Christian Inspiration, Holidays
I wish we all understood the message in this. A good thing to ponder in the new year.
Just One
Posted December 30, 2009 by bronxcatCategories: Animals
Great video about rescue of a dog.
What I Want to Know
Posted December 28, 2009 by bronxcatCategories: Animals, Nature, Scripture
I came across this nest recently when taking a walk. I am wondering who lives/lived there. It seems so precariously placed, with only one small branch and a bunch of wires for support.
It reminds me of the parable of the house build upon sand.
Matthew 7:24-28:
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
