Luke 10:1-11
This week (if technology is kind to us) we will hear young voices talking to us about Luke 10 and what it means for the next generation. We will see video excerpts from youth, some you will recognize, others you won't.... and we will get their perspective on this text we have been digging into all month... what does it mean to go as lambs into the midst of wolves if you are a young person... are we the wolves they find themselves in the midst of??? What does it mean to go out into the harvest, to shake the dust off your feet, if you are young and headed toward your adult life.
It is important to listen to and really hear the voices of youth. To hear and take to heart their perspective on what the church should be doing to connect with young people today.
It is time to hear young voices for a change. And to prayerfully consider the wisdom in their words, their actions, and their hearts.
We cannot move forward in any direction if we don't include and acknowledge the wisdom of the young people among us. It isn't that we hope they will lead us tomorrow, it is that we need them to lead us now.
Hope to see you Sunday.
Questions or comments? Email me or comment below.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
“Living Into Our Dust”
Luke 10:1-12
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
This week at our church we will honor the Native American and remember our painful legacy as Christians and Methodists in our attempts to either colonize or 'christianize' the native people or to outright kill them, as in the Sand Creek Massacre. Our role this Sunday in worship is not to 'objectify' native peoples, but to stop for a moment and appreciate the deep spirituality they bring to their lives and their culture. And to remind ourselves of the very painful place Methodists find themselves when we remember the Sand Creek Massacre.
I invite you to spend some time this week finding out more about these people, if you aren't familiar:
Col. John Chivington, Methodist minister and Army colonel who led the troops into battle against the Cheyenne and Arapahoe people who were living on government protected area in a 'peace camp,' leading to what we now call the Sand Creek Massacre.
Chief Niwot: One of the 'peace' chiefs killed in the massacre that day.
The NUMC Book Club and I are encouraging everyone in our congregation to read the book Chief Left Hand by Margaret Coel.
As you learn more about the Methodist minister whose hate for the Indian people led to the slaughter of peace Chief Niwot at the Sand Creek Massacre, dwell for a while on the legacy that our name Niwot United Methodist Church carries on both sides of this tragic history.
This week's message is called "Living Into Our Dust." The writer of Luke points out that if someone enters a town and is rejected they can dust their feet off and move on. Think for a few minutes about what it means if WE are the DUST that is being shaken off. What if we are the ones that rejected a people and as a result, they are shaking themselves free of us and moving on? What do we do to live into our 'dust' in regards to Chivington and Sand Creek? How do we best work for peace and brother/sisterhood with our Native American neighbors?
Dig around in the muck and dust this week. I'll see you on Sunday after Annual Conference.
Email me or comment below.
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
This week at our church we will honor the Native American and remember our painful legacy as Christians and Methodists in our attempts to either colonize or 'christianize' the native people or to outright kill them, as in the Sand Creek Massacre. Our role this Sunday in worship is not to 'objectify' native peoples, but to stop for a moment and appreciate the deep spirituality they bring to their lives and their culture. And to remind ourselves of the very painful place Methodists find themselves when we remember the Sand Creek Massacre.
I invite you to spend some time this week finding out more about these people, if you aren't familiar:
Col. John Chivington, Methodist minister and Army colonel who led the troops into battle against the Cheyenne and Arapahoe people who were living on government protected area in a 'peace camp,' leading to what we now call the Sand Creek Massacre.
Chief Niwot: One of the 'peace' chiefs killed in the massacre that day.
The NUMC Book Club and I are encouraging everyone in our congregation to read the book Chief Left Hand by Margaret Coel.
As you learn more about the Methodist minister whose hate for the Indian people led to the slaughter of peace Chief Niwot at the Sand Creek Massacre, dwell for a while on the legacy that our name Niwot United Methodist Church carries on both sides of this tragic history.
This week's message is called "Living Into Our Dust." The writer of Luke points out that if someone enters a town and is rejected they can dust their feet off and move on. Think for a few minutes about what it means if WE are the DUST that is being shaken off. What if we are the ones that rejected a people and as a result, they are shaking themselves free of us and moving on? What do we do to live into our 'dust' in regards to Chivington and Sand Creek? How do we best work for peace and brother/sisterhood with our Native American neighbors?
Dig around in the muck and dust this week. I'll see you on Sunday after Annual Conference.
Email me or comment below.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
When Nothing Is Everything
Luke 10:1-12
Take nothing with you... no purse, no bag, no sandals...and greet no one on the road.
This scripture encourages us to move out into the world, but not with a big bunch of freebies to offer or a video of how we can change your life. This scripture says to go into every town where God intends to go.... and to take absolutely nothing with you, not even your purse or shoes. And for those of us with more purses and shoes than we can imagine knowing what to do with, this IS perplexing information. Wow. We are to take nothing with us.
It reminds me, though, of when we see the Spirit most clearly. Think of the days after a natural disaster like the tornadoes in Oklahoma. In the midst of people losing everything they have, we see the Spirit at work, people entering the scene to help with rescue efforts, neighbor helping neighbor pull people and pets and fragments of their life out of the disaster-torn areas they once called home. There is a sense of community connection and grace and hope that one rarely sees in our day-to-day lives filled with more than we can ever hope to enjoy.
This is not to say that we wish for natural disasters to shake us into our senses of what matters. Of course not. It is just the most blaring representation that what we really need from one another, or need to offer one another, is not a 'thing' but ourselves.
So, I don't know about you, but it tells me a lot about how we really connect with people. We don't need slick programming or a cool hip pastor or a blaring sound system or a million different activities to connect with our neighbors.
What people really want is the hand reaching out to grab them when they find their lives in rubble. Or the smile greeting them as they try to make the most of a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. Or a purpose for being in and among the people of God.
Take no bag, no purse, no sandals. Take yourself to the world. Offer your ear, your hand, your feet. And realize THAT is all God intends for you to take in order to spread God's love.
How do you show God's love in your day-to-day life? How has it been shown to you? Email me or comment below.
Take nothing with you... no purse, no bag, no sandals...and greet no one on the road.
This scripture encourages us to move out into the world, but not with a big bunch of freebies to offer or a video of how we can change your life. This scripture says to go into every town where God intends to go.... and to take absolutely nothing with you, not even your purse or shoes. And for those of us with more purses and shoes than we can imagine knowing what to do with, this IS perplexing information. Wow. We are to take nothing with us.
It reminds me, though, of when we see the Spirit most clearly. Think of the days after a natural disaster like the tornadoes in Oklahoma. In the midst of people losing everything they have, we see the Spirit at work, people entering the scene to help with rescue efforts, neighbor helping neighbor pull people and pets and fragments of their life out of the disaster-torn areas they once called home. There is a sense of community connection and grace and hope that one rarely sees in our day-to-day lives filled with more than we can ever hope to enjoy.
This is not to say that we wish for natural disasters to shake us into our senses of what matters. Of course not. It is just the most blaring representation that what we really need from one another, or need to offer one another, is not a 'thing' but ourselves.
So, I don't know about you, but it tells me a lot about how we really connect with people. We don't need slick programming or a cool hip pastor or a blaring sound system or a million different activities to connect with our neighbors.
What people really want is the hand reaching out to grab them when they find their lives in rubble. Or the smile greeting them as they try to make the most of a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. Or a purpose for being in and among the people of God.
Take no bag, no purse, no sandals. Take yourself to the world. Offer your ear, your hand, your feet. And realize THAT is all God intends for you to take in order to spread God's love.
How do you show God's love in your day-to-day life? How has it been shown to you? Email me or comment below.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Under Contract: God Moves In the Suburbs
The first thing we read in this passage is, "After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go." The number 70 really jumped out at me when I read this! On any given Sunday, we fall in the range of 70 in attendance. This passage, my friends, is about us!
We are called into all
the places that God intends to go… wherever that is. We are not called to take anything but ourselves, just us…
and go wherever God intends to go.
In the month of June, we will spend an entire month on one biblical passage, Luke 10:1-12, focusing on different pieces of how it might speak to us as we move into searching for a new vision, new life, new breath in this connection called NUMC.
It is time to find our
mission in the world, in the neighborhood, in the suburbs we call Gunbarrel, on the block we call Lookout Road. God is calling us to show others the love of Christ… not alone, mind
you, we don't have to do this work alone… the scripture suggests pairs… but it also suggests we don't need any props with us... only our good word telling the good news.
We are to be kind and
gracious, accept what is offered to us, but we don’t have to push ourselves on
people. If people turn us away, this scripture says our peace returns to
us. We simply move to the next
place. And, believe it or not, even in our unaccepted places and situations, we
have left an imprint of God there.
Our God is not just within the walls of 7405 Lookout Road. Our community is not just within the walls of 7405 Lookout Road. We also don't just find God in the Homeless Shelter or in the AA meetings, though God is surely there, as much as anywhere. God is also in the suburbs.... moving in and among the rental signs, the for sale signs, the under contract signs. God moves among us in all facets of our lives. God's contract is to sign us onto a lifetime mortgage of loving our neighbor.
How do we pair up to move into the world? Where in these suburbs do you see evidence of God at work? What is God calling us 70 to do?
Email me or comment below.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
God Sheds Grace on Thee
Romans 5:1-5
Suffering produces endurance produces character produces hope... and hope does not disappoint us.
Some of the most uplifting, keep on going, words in the New Testament. These words tell us that our trials and tribulations of life are going to lead us forward and make us strong. We won't be defeated by them; the Spirit will give us the strength to move through them.
I suppose you could also read these words and take a more negative view, suggesting that they imply that suffering is somehow good for us and what we are supposed to put up with, no matter what, but I don't see it that way. I see it as a way forward, a realization that darkness never can be the last word when the warmth and light of the Spirit guides us.
On Sunday we will remember fallen soldiers. Those who died in the line of duty, in service to country. Those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure peace and freedom for their fellow citizens. A high calling and a great responsibility.
Many of you know people who have died while serving their country. Memorial Day is a day to stop, be silent, and pay homage to their sacrifice. Many think it is a day to honor all dead, or a day to honor all veterans who have died. This website can give you more information on Memorial Day. It dates from the Civil War, and was a day set aside to pay tribute and remember the Union and Confederate soldiers that died in that war.
It is a civic holiday. It is not a religious one. So, creating a service for fallen soldiers on a Sunday morning worship hour is a little risky. But please take heed of the intent: We as a body of Christ in this place are pausing to remember those who have died in battle, those who have sacrificed their whole lives. And we are pausing to learn from their experience. And we are pausing to pray for peace that no one need die in battle again. And we are pausing to recognize that God is with us in all of life.
Thoughts, stories, comments, etc? Email me or comment below.
Suffering produces endurance produces character produces hope... and hope does not disappoint us.
Some of the most uplifting, keep on going, words in the New Testament. These words tell us that our trials and tribulations of life are going to lead us forward and make us strong. We won't be defeated by them; the Spirit will give us the strength to move through them.
I suppose you could also read these words and take a more negative view, suggesting that they imply that suffering is somehow good for us and what we are supposed to put up with, no matter what, but I don't see it that way. I see it as a way forward, a realization that darkness never can be the last word when the warmth and light of the Spirit guides us.
On Sunday we will remember fallen soldiers. Those who died in the line of duty, in service to country. Those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure peace and freedom for their fellow citizens. A high calling and a great responsibility.
Many of you know people who have died while serving their country. Memorial Day is a day to stop, be silent, and pay homage to their sacrifice. Many think it is a day to honor all dead, or a day to honor all veterans who have died. This website can give you more information on Memorial Day. It dates from the Civil War, and was a day set aside to pay tribute and remember the Union and Confederate soldiers that died in that war.
It is a civic holiday. It is not a religious one. So, creating a service for fallen soldiers on a Sunday morning worship hour is a little risky. But please take heed of the intent: We as a body of Christ in this place are pausing to remember those who have died in battle, those who have sacrificed their whole lives. And we are pausing to learn from their experience. And we are pausing to pray for peace that no one need die in battle again. And we are pausing to recognize that God is with us in all of life.
Thoughts, stories, comments, etc? Email me or comment below.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Spirit Touch
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
No religion but social religion. No holiness but social holiness.--John Wesley. Wesley's focus was always on how we are "at one" with one another. How we connect and join together as community to care for and love one another, particularly those often left unloved.
When Jesus speaks of being the Alpha and the Omega, he is emphasizing the promise that Christ is with us, from beginning to end, and we are always welcome to tap into the Christ for refreshment, nourishment, fuel for the journey.
The imagery in this text suggests cleansing and refreshing. Washing the robes. The water of life. How do we touch one another in our everyday lives in ways that lead to affirmation and the sense that we are cared for from the beginning of time till the end? Do we reach out and touch our world in intentional ways that are infused with the power of the Holy Spirit, or do we just flail our arms and hope we reach someone or something that can make a difference?
Our graduating seniors have a new journey ahead of them. A new set of Alpha experiences as they reach this Omega moment in their lives. How do they find a sense of the Holy Spirit residing in them in ways that can guide them in all their next steps? How can they reach out and touch the new world they are encountering in ways that will not only enrich their lives, but will expand Christ's kingdom in their new surroundings? How do they tap into the Spirit in such a way that they feel cared for from the beginning of time till the end?
How do we connect to one another to create the Christ Community in our lives today? It is important to notice everything we touch. Each person, each creature, every THING is a potential Spirit connection, a way to bring us all into a sense of the Divine and a common purpose to guide us forward.
Washing our robes so we can receive life. Inviting everyone who is thirsty to receive the water of life. Growing a garden so that all who hunger might receive a fresh salad. Finding a way to prepare meals, host meals for those who are hungry. Reach out and touch someone with your sense of Christ living in you. Find the Spirit Touch.
Comments? Email me or comment below.
Peace.
No religion but social religion. No holiness but social holiness.--John Wesley. Wesley's focus was always on how we are "at one" with one another. How we connect and join together as community to care for and love one another, particularly those often left unloved.
When Jesus speaks of being the Alpha and the Omega, he is emphasizing the promise that Christ is with us, from beginning to end, and we are always welcome to tap into the Christ for refreshment, nourishment, fuel for the journey.
The imagery in this text suggests cleansing and refreshing. Washing the robes. The water of life. How do we touch one another in our everyday lives in ways that lead to affirmation and the sense that we are cared for from the beginning of time till the end? Do we reach out and touch our world in intentional ways that are infused with the power of the Holy Spirit, or do we just flail our arms and hope we reach someone or something that can make a difference?
Our graduating seniors have a new journey ahead of them. A new set of Alpha experiences as they reach this Omega moment in their lives. How do they find a sense of the Holy Spirit residing in them in ways that can guide them in all their next steps? How can they reach out and touch the new world they are encountering in ways that will not only enrich their lives, but will expand Christ's kingdom in their new surroundings? How do they tap into the Spirit in such a way that they feel cared for from the beginning of time till the end?
How do we connect to one another to create the Christ Community in our lives today? It is important to notice everything we touch. Each person, each creature, every THING is a potential Spirit connection, a way to bring us all into a sense of the Divine and a common purpose to guide us forward.
Washing our robes so we can receive life. Inviting everyone who is thirsty to receive the water of life. Growing a garden so that all who hunger might receive a fresh salad. Finding a way to prepare meals, host meals for those who are hungry. Reach out and touch someone with your sense of Christ living in you. Find the Spirit Touch.
Comments? Email me or comment below.
Peace.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
"Spirit Sight"
John 14:23-29
The Senses of the Spirit...how do we connect to the Holy Spirit through our senses? This week begins a short series on that theme.
Spirit Sight. How do we see the Spirit? Through good works and acts of charity? Through fellowship and public worship? Sure, those are all obvious places to see the Spirit alive and well.
But it is also more subtle. In this week's gospel reading, John tells us of Jesus' words to the disciples right before his ascension, telling them of an Advocate who will come to walk alongside them.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
How do we "see" this Advocate in our lives? How do we gain a sense of Spirit Sight? Jesus tells the disciples "I am going away and coming to you," hinting at his physical presence exiting, but being replaced with the spiritual presence of Christ. This is where we begin to look for and SEE not the actual Jesus, the man who walked the shores of Galilee, but Jesus, the Christ, who resides in the hearts and minds of everyone who claims the title "Christian."
Spirit Sight is a challenge. It requires us to live lives that others clearly see as Spirit-filled. It also requires us to fine-tune or our own vision, open our own eyes that we might see... the will of God unfolding all around us in the world. In the lives of others, as well as in our own. It requires us to really see the world around us as if it is infused with the Spirit. Look for the way that Spirit-infusion is waiting for us to help it along in ways that truly transform the world.
I have been wanting some time to find just the right person to help me with a new worship-related project/ministry. Yesterday, I just happened to be sitting in the library with the RIGHT person, and my eyes were finally OPENED to really see her in that role. She had been there all along, gifts openly displayed, but yesterday I finally found the Spirit Sight to know that she was the one I had been praying for all along.
Seeing IS believing, but sight is a tricky thing. And it doesn't always require physical vision. How do you work on seeing the Spirit work? In what ways is Seeing the first step to Acting in the faith?
Email me or comment below.
The Senses of the Spirit...how do we connect to the Holy Spirit through our senses? This week begins a short series on that theme.
Spirit Sight. How do we see the Spirit? Through good works and acts of charity? Through fellowship and public worship? Sure, those are all obvious places to see the Spirit alive and well.
But it is also more subtle. In this week's gospel reading, John tells us of Jesus' words to the disciples right before his ascension, telling them of an Advocate who will come to walk alongside them.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
How do we "see" this Advocate in our lives? How do we gain a sense of Spirit Sight? Jesus tells the disciples "I am going away and coming to you," hinting at his physical presence exiting, but being replaced with the spiritual presence of Christ. This is where we begin to look for and SEE not the actual Jesus, the man who walked the shores of Galilee, but Jesus, the Christ, who resides in the hearts and minds of everyone who claims the title "Christian."
Spirit Sight is a challenge. It requires us to live lives that others clearly see as Spirit-filled. It also requires us to fine-tune or our own vision, open our own eyes that we might see... the will of God unfolding all around us in the world. In the lives of others, as well as in our own. It requires us to really see the world around us as if it is infused with the Spirit. Look for the way that Spirit-infusion is waiting for us to help it along in ways that truly transform the world.
I have been wanting some time to find just the right person to help me with a new worship-related project/ministry. Yesterday, I just happened to be sitting in the library with the RIGHT person, and my eyes were finally OPENED to really see her in that role. She had been there all along, gifts openly displayed, but yesterday I finally found the Spirit Sight to know that she was the one I had been praying for all along.
Seeing IS believing, but sight is a tricky thing. And it doesn't always require physical vision. How do you work on seeing the Spirit work? In what ways is Seeing the first step to Acting in the faith?
Email me or comment below.
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