Your Mission If You Choose to Accept It

This message was done at Christ UMC-Piscataway, which happens to be my home church.

Second Sunday After Pentecost

Your Mission If You Choose to Accept It

May 29, 2016

Galatians 1:1-12

When I was growing up Sunday afternoons were filled with watching James Bond movies and Star Trek episodes as a family. I learned two things from these days; one-Sean Connery is the best bond, two-the mission, whatever it was, would be accomplished in unexpected ways.

Now Paul, in my opinion, is the master of trying the unexpected. This man went from being one of the biggest persecutors of Christianity to becoming one of its biggest supporters. I mean, his letters to newly formed and growing communities of faith comprise the majority of the New Testament, no letter is the same. Paul recognizes and honors the differing practices and understandings of each community.

As we begin to read the first chapter of Galatians, I must admit I feel bad for the people. I don't know if he used up all his poetic words in his correspondence with the people of Corinth, or if earlier interactions with the people of Galatia proved them to be super hard headed, but we find a very emphatic, frustrated and no-nonsense Paul in these 12 verses.

Verse 1 seems odd, like who starts a letter in the third person, but as we continue to read it makes more sense. The next four verses are part of a typical greeting of the time...and then we hit verse six. “I am astonished”, the message translation says “I can't believe your fickleness.” “how easily, so quickly you desert the one, turn traitor to the one who called you to live a new life…” Well that escalated so quickly!

I can feel how Paul is holding back and  trying to say in the nicest way “ Are you serious?  You guys, I mean you guys...I TOLD you what to do!” Yet in Paul’s frustration I am reminded of how often I make concessions to the work God has called me to. Nothing bad, but at times I let the stuff of my day to day life take precedence over deepening of my faith...and isn't this the same for many of us?

As members of the church universal we are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ. As members of Christ UMC of Piscataway we are called to find strategic and engaging ways to accomplish this mission. If you had to name who we are what would come to mind? Our diversity is clearly seen through our fellowship together but is it truly reflected in our programs, our events, our worship?

In our district we’ve had to rethink the needs during clergy gatherings. With a growing number of clergy with young children we have had to take into account the need for childcare providers during these events, something that has never had to be taken into account. We've done so many events now that it is almost second nature that when an event is scheduled we ask for tables, chairs, and a childcare provider. At annual conference they hire childcare providers so that clergy with young children feel empowered to find their professional-personal balance.

When the new conference center was conceived the big question asked was why? What was the purpose of the new building? What would it be called would it make a difference? In the short time this new building has been open it has began a ripple effect if Greater New Jersey. It was named the Mission and Resource Center to reflect the vision and goals of the conference as identified by staff and leaders. It was made to be open in layout and accessibility for everyone in the conference. If you ever have an opportunity to go there for an event I highly suggest you do so. The space was designed to be communal and I think they did a great job on it!

Beloved, have we taken this same care to understand who WE are at CUMC? What is our vision and our mission as a communal body? What do the names of our various committees and ministries mean? If something is named just to be cute or “inspirational” have we missed an important and awesome opportunity to minister to those in this place and beyond?

The people of Galatia had heard Paul’s message of Christianity and they had tried to embrace it. But the world overwhelmed them, they found it easier to go with the flow then go against it. A problem we have today. And because of it they lost the vision and mission of being a follower of Christ. They turned to what they knew, not what was right, not what they knew they were called to do as a community.

Friends, part of naming our  vision is identifying where we fall short, discovering how we can embrace the vision more fully, and preparing for change to happen. In his book “Selling swimsuits in the Arctic” Adam Hamilton makes an amazing point the “...core of the mission in the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.The rest of what we do is strategy and tactics for accomplishing this mission.”

Beloved this responsibility does not fall on leaders solely, the mission falls on each of us who claim this place.

• Why did you come to CUMC?
• What made you fall in love with this place?
• How do we get ourselves back to our initial feelings about this place?

We should leave this place proud of the work we do as a community. We should leave this place every time inspired by the Holy Spirit that meets us here Sunday after Sunday, knowing that we are called to transform the world with our actions and interactions.

So if we are people of the resurrection, inspired by the winds of pentecost, a missional people, called to make disciples in this world we must do three things.

1) PREPARE: We need to prepare and understand the mission we are called to.

In the 007 movies Bond dons a tailored suit and is given an array of gadgets by Q. In Star Trek the crew makes sure their ship, the Enterprise, is working and they are all ready. Though their mission was specified through Starfleet the crew prepared to encounter whatever came their way. For this community preparation means we work as individuals and as a community to open our hearts, minds, and eyes for God to work and move in and through us.

2) EXECUTE: What needs to be done to get to the goal? How do we execute the mission?

In James Bond, Star Trek and our reality we have experienced that unorthodox methods seem to work best. We cannot do things that worked before, solely because they worked before! Here at CUMC we need to intentionally make space for new faces to get involved in all things, we need to truly be willing to try...and possibly fail a few times.  We need to be ready to let go of things we usually do, that are part of our tradition. We must take risks, and we have! In programs like our Princeton Seminary Interns, Shepherds Shelves, Musicfest-we have taken leaps of faith to do more and I pray we continue to leap further and with less uncertainty.

3) UNDERTAKE: What do we do to accomplish the mission and how do we  make sure to end in celebration?
-Bond: inappropriate, end with a woman

-Enterprise: ship went into warp speed at the end “to the next adventure”

-what do we do/can we do to signify the time to move to the next/accomplishing goal.

-Mission is never done for us!!

Prepare, execute, undertake- when we do these things we get to fulfill our mission, we get to make disciples and transform the world. Beloved, I ask you as people of the resurrection, as people inspired by the winds of the Holy Spirit, as children of God-will you choose to accept this mission, to come to the cross ready for God to move in and through you, to be transformational agents of God in this world? Will you pledge to let God use you in whatever way you are called? Will you accept this mission given by God?

We have been prepared, let us offer all.

The God We Can Know: I am the True Vine

This message was done as part of Califon UMC's "The God We Can Know" worship series.

Fifth Sunday in Lent

The God We Can Know Worship Series

I am the True Vine 

March 13, 2016

John 15:1-8

Let us join our hearts together; Life giving God, we thank you for the opportunity to gather together one more time, to lift up your name in word and song. God I thank you for this opportunity to join with this community who have covenanted to learn more about you in this season. Holy One, let the words be yours not mine. May they be pleasing to you, may they help to transform your world for majestic things! Be with us.  Amen

It’s amazing that today we are one week away from the beginning of Holy Week. That after the sacrifices we have made and the struggles we have had as individuals and as community during this season we can see the finish line. Every year it seems that despite my hopes and attempts this Lenten season seems to fly by. Yet every year I am also amazed at unexpected revelations from God, deeper understandings I have of myself on this faith journey, and the power and awesomeness of this man named Jesus.

So when Pastor Kyle told me you were doing a worship series on the “God We Can Know”  and focusing on the “I am” statements of Jesus, I got excited! It seems that every time I participate in a study of these statements I am blown away by the new things God shows and does among God's people. And God is something different to each of us. Some of us know God to be a healer, or a protector, or a provider. Some know God through the love of a parent, or a teacher, or a friend. Yet in each of these varied experiences and understandings the God we serve is the same, the God we serve is many faceted because we are not cookie cutter people. 

The God I know is one of great love, great grace, great power, great hope, abundant welcome. The God I know loves me and calls me beloved. The God I know is forgiving, and understanding. A God of comfort, a God of peace. And my understanding of God, and how I got to that place is why today's Gospel passage resonates so fully within me.

I am a community organizer at heart who believes in radical hospitality. My heart beats for people, the ups and downs of the community I am a part of impacts my spirit, I aim to find creative ways for unity and conversation to occur over everyday and hard topics. I believe we need to aim to be a healthy church- on the local level, the little c. and as an institution, the big C. Good health is evident through our worship, our expressions of faith in the world are seen through outreach, our growth is not solely evident through numbers but through the ability to create new programs and try out new creative worship. And this same hope for good health, to truly be a beloved community,  is what we find in our passage from John. 

John demonstrates throughout his gospel that Jesus was unlike any man who has ever lived. John spends a majority of his book examining the last 24 hours before Jesus’ death. This narrative we see at the beginning of the 15th chapter is part of  4 chapters in John  known as the Farewell Discourse; calculated words from Jesus to prepare, calm, instruct and strengthen the disciples for life after his death. As modern day readers we have the privilege of knowing how the story plays out from a triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, a betrayal from one of the twelve in Gethsemane, darkness at Golgotha, and resurrection in the garden. The disciples did not. 

Jesus knew that when he left his friends would feel alone, and scared, and even want to give up on this amazing ministry they had done together. So in these verses Jesus reminds them of the amazing connection they have.

I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. MSG v5

I love this version from the Message translation because it reminds us that our connection is intimate. It is about knowing in our heart of hearts who God is. 

“I am the true vine”

The vine isn't a new metaphor for people of faith. In the Old Testament, God’s vine was Israel. Even though God tended the vine, trimmed it, and cut off the branches that bore nothing, the vine bore no fruit.  God grieved for this vine, the people Israel,  and finally left it unprotected after everything that was done bore no fruit. Their privilege was forfeited. As people of faith our blessing and relationship with God is no longer connected to the old vine, one of covenantal relationship with Israel. Abundance comes through our connection with the new vine,  understanding who Jesus was and is.

A vine is a unique thing in a garden. Vines have a tendency to get unruly and to go all over, and if you aren't careful they can impede the growth of another plant. Yet you can prune the branches to your hearts content. Sometimes the branches coming from the vine are healthy and sometimes they are dead. The dead ones must go because they add unnecessary weight and prevent new branches from forming. The healthy branches must be pruned as well. While they may produce fruit, it may not be the best fruit. When you take the time to prune, shape, and guide the direction of its growth you can be amazed at the increase of the harvest.

If Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, God is the vine grower. God is the one doing the pruning. God knows our potential as people of faith and tries to coax our best our of us. Sometimes pruning is removing a bad habit or other distraction. But sometimes pruning is more painful because our branch has become tightly intertwined. Painful pruning means that we face truths we normally try to avoid. These moments of pain make us truly evaluate things and people in our lives. These moments make the fruit, the revelations, the new attitudes that emerge , greater than they were before. We become empowered by the strength of the vine, and the care of our pruning to give more. When we are pruned regularly we begin to look more like Jesus in our day to day. When we are pruned regularly we produce better fruit. 

When I am pruned regularly by God I am a better friend, a better coworker, a better daughter, a better sister, a better wife. When I let God show me the things that have to go the result is more beautiful than I can imagine. 

The fruit, my best self, comes when I stay close to God, through Jesus, when I abide in Christ. Beloved we do not have to work to produce the fruit. When we aim to welcome society's outcast like Jesus did we are producing fruit. When we make space for new groups that enter our community, showing radical hospitality, we are producing fruit. When we sit with a friend who is experiencing loss, providing a gift of presence, we are producing fruit. 

Our fruit can cause a chain reaction in the world. When we aim to know the true vine, aim to know God, we learn to love, be gentle, be cheerful, be patient, and help others. THESE are the fruits we produce and give to others. As we remain connected to Jesus through the study of God's word, the gathering in communal body, praying for guidance, we do a lot of good things and inspire others to as well.

Beloved today is the first day of the rest of your life. Today we take the knowledge and the promises of the past 4 weeks. Today we claim to know God as the great “I AM”, as the Bread of Life, as the Light of the World, as the Good Shepherd, and as the True Vine. And be claiming this we make a conscious choice to invite Jesus into our lives daily through the rest of this season and beyond. We make a conscious choice to find strength in the promises of God, that God will do what has been said throughout time.  We make a conscious choice to claim that we each have potential, greater potential than we even realize. We make a conscious choice to be people of relationship, connected to the true vine and connected to one another, to create a bountiful harvest in this world.

It's more than a handshake

As I sat in a meeting at church the other evening we began discussing the roles of volunteers for an upcoming event. I suggested to the group that we should try and do immediate followup after they expressed interest, to say "thank you" for wanting to be involved. And as I left that meeting I began to think about how we tend to abuse the volunteers in our churches.

Lets be real church volunteers are the main reason many churches survive and thrive. The time and dedication they give,Volunteer burnout is a real thing. Type those two words into google and you will find articles, blog posts, and even "open letters" to leaders. Many people will always say "yes" and others truly have a heart to volunteer but as leaders we sometimes fail to put systems in place to make volunteering efficient, to be clear of our expectations, and to honor the fact that the Church (as institution) should not be an individuals entire life.

A friend of mine once said "as the church we are called to be stewards of peoples finances and their time." When we as the beloved community forgot to practice radical hospitality we run the risk of pushing people far, far away, we run the risk of creating resentment in dedicated people, we run the risk of forgetting to nurture the gifts and graces of the individual to fulfill an end goal.

"“Radical hospitality” requires intentional invitation and welcome. It goes beyond greeters at the door and handshakes during worship to welcome every person as an honored guest. Certainly, being a “friendly” church is good. But being in ministry in a confused and hurting world calls for “radical hospitality,” which breathes our core value: people are important to God and to this church."¹ 

We create a disservice when our welcoming efforts are solely focused on visitors. To be truly hospitable is to get to know the people you are welcoming. When my best friend comes to visit I know she gets cold easily so I make sure to leave her extra blankets, I anticipate a need because I know her. When I  was growing up we had three different individuals at church who used the large print bulletin and hymnal. All of the ushers were trained to have those ready for these individuals, as well as pay attention during the service to anyone else struggling to read the print in the bulletin or hymnal so they could try and swap it out for the large print version. Their training allowed for them to meet the need of an individual and to be on the lookout for ways to be inclusive to those who walked in Sunday morning.

Granted no system is perfect and sometime people slip through the cracks, yet the culture of the community shifted to provide moments of welcome in other aspects, to pay attention. If you come to my home church during our biannual Cantatas you will see a row of singers sitting in front of those on the risers. They want to be a part of this awesome ministry but can't stand for extended periods. By finding ways to accommodate we say to them "we want you here" and we say to those who see them minister "truly anyone is welcome".

So what does radical hospitality look like for volunteers in the church? It means that we get to know these individuals personally. It means that we attempt to use people for their gifts and graces, not because they are a warm body who said yes.

I think we need to be able to answer the following as we look to utilizing volunteers:

1. Are you prepared: Have those in charge been trained and empowered to be transformational leaders not transactional leaders?
2. Are you clear: Are the tasks and expectations for their completion clearly stated to the volunteers?
3. Are you strategic: Has space been created so varying needs can be met? (i.e. childcare for parents, low impact tasks for those with mobility issues, dietary restrictions considered for those with health and medical issues)
4. Are you intentional: Is their a followup structure in place for post volunteering? (i.e. thank you notes, certificate, appreciation dinner)

There are other questions, I dont deny it, but using these as a general framework allows us to actively engage people in church life and church work. It allows us to be places of radical hospitality. It allows are interactions to be more that a handshake during the passing of the peace.

1 http://www.umcom.org/learn/is-it-time-to-move-from-friendly-to-radical-hospitality^↩

...and to dust we will return.

"Made by God from mud, dust of the earth, we remember that to mud and dust and God we will eventually return."

A pastor friend posted this earlier today, and while Ash Wednesday is a concept and theological ideology I comprehend, today these words hit me differently. Amid finishing statements for my upcoming DCom meeting, agreeing to serve as a confirmation mentor at my home church, and the ups and downs of life this idea of being made by and from struck a chord in my spirit.

Its easy to forget my worth as an individual; not my worth as a daughter, sister, wife, friend, leader...just me. How wonderful to have this day where we are reminded that we were created from dust and mud because God believed the world needed each of us and that we will return to that original state once our time here is done.

It's a charge of sorts for this first day of Lent-how am I being the best mud/dust/God breathed individual in this world? And that's the hope for these 40days, that we discover (or rediscover) what we have been created for and called to.

Potential and Possibility

Potential and Possibility
January 31st, 2016
Jeremiah 1:4-10

Have you ever watched a baby learn to walk? There is unsteadiness of feet and body, uncertainty in their eyes, surprise as they fall time and time again, confidence growing as they become more and more sure in their ability to do this new thing, and suddenly you can't remember a time when they weren't walking. 

 Now, have you ever watched the adults watching a baby learn to walk? “Come on, come on” “You can do it” “Uhoh you’re ok” “one more, one more”. It is a comical sight to behold!
Yet while we giggle at this scenario it's amazing how time and time again we do this same dance with God. You see it doesn't matter how old we are, how grown we may feel, how grounded we may be in scripture or theology, we all have our “learning to walk” moments as we journey in this life, moments where we take unsteady steps towards a steady God.

 When Pastor Francie asked me if I’d be interested in preaching I said sure, we picked the date, I looked at the scripture for the day, and I began to try and figure out the word God had for us. 

 As ideas began to swirl in my mind one clear statement made its way to the front... We have been destined to do great things, wonderful things, despite our size, our race, our age, our gender, our immense amount or mustard seed size faith. God has equipped each and every one of us to do something amazing in this world, to help create the kingdom of God here for ourselves and each other. What is your potential? What are your possibilities?

Friends as I have prepared and prayed those are the two questions that I have asked myself and now I ask you; What is your potential? What are your possibilities?

It seems to me we have certain expectations of these words. Immediately my mind thinks of perfection and perfect moments yet that is not who any of us are, that is not what any of us bring to the table. I hate to break it to you but we are all imperfect, including me. We all make mistakes, and poor decisions. We all have moments of doubt and fear and uncertainty. We say hurtful things and are too stubborn to make things right.

But the beautifulness of this faith thing is that this is just what God wants. And God waits with open arms encouraging us to keep going.

According to Merriam Webster dictionary the word potential is defined as “existing in possibility”. The word possible is defined in three ways;

• being within the limits of ability, capacity, or realization 
• being something that may or may not occur or may not be true or actual 
• having an indicated potential

So again I ask you to think what is your potential? what are your possibilities? What are the things that exist right now in your life that you are capable of doing yet fear holds you back from?
Can I read the scripture to you one more time from The Message version? 
 This is what God said: “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations—that’s what I had in mind for you.” But I said, “Hold it, Master God! Look at me. I don’t know anything. I’m only a boy!” God told me, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a boy.’ I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there. I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it. Don’t be afraid of a soul. I’ll be right there, looking after you.”

Our passage from Jeremiah that we’ve now heard twice tells us that God has given us the answer to these questions I have put before us. God knows what we are capable of, what we can create and make, what we can be! 

The story of Jeremiah tells of a man called to be a prophet, something he was unprepared for, and frankly didn't want. Yet God spoke to him, to tell him that not only was this his purpose but that God had ordained it and would be standing by for each and every step of the way. His story resonates so fully with me because I have asked the same questions as I’ve tried to figure out my call to ministry. Why would God call me to do this thing I feel so unprepared for? Yet as I look back on my life, as short as it may be, I see the moments where God was moving. The interactions that have strengthened me, the relationships that have built me up, the ways I have been pushed and pulled in preparation for this call on my life. 

And I bet that when you look back at your life you see that God has prepared you for your call whether you sit in this place fully understanding what it is or not. Now I must admit when I heard my call it was not like the conversation God and Jeremiah had, although I do have friends who clearly heard God in this way. And one of the biggest struggles for me was understanding that even though THAT wasn’t how God called me to my purpose did not mean I wasn't called. And when I struggled the most, someone-stranger and friend, spoke words of encouragement and affirmation in my life. 

 Beloved do you hear me? The God of infinite possibilities, and potential has ordained for each of  us, you and me, a purpose in this world. 

 Elohim (God), Adonai (Lord, Master), Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah), Emmanuel (God is with us), El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty), Jehovah-Rapha (the Lord that heals), Jehovah Jireh (the Lord will provide), Jehovah Sabaoth (the Lord of Hosts), God the Father, God the Mother, God-Almighty has met each of us in different ways with the name we needed to hear to encourage us, challenge us, and support us at the highest and lowest moments of our lives and God will continue to do so. Our potential is wrapped up in the possibilities we untap by deepening our relationship with the Holy One, by knowing God by name. How have you made space in your life for God to move and work and speak to you and through you?

Today’s Hymn of Preparation is a fond reminder of childhood for me. It is the first song I remember reading as a musical score, it’s one of the first hymns I ever memorized, and as I grow older and deeper into my faith I appreciate the simplicity of the chorus; “Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go Lord if you lead me, I will hold Your people in my heart.” This is more than a song, it's a prayer! To be in the depths of God's love, to strive to know God more fully, means we embrace that God will put us where we need to be and surround us with those who will encourage our spiritual growth and shape us to be love those around us-the friend, the neighbor, one seen as unloveable, outcast, stranger, other. The struggle for each of us is not whether we can do it but to figure out how to embrace what we are afraid of. To embrace the potential and possibility that God has laid forth for each of us, even when the outcome is scary or unknown.

 Beloved, to say yes to potential and possibility, my goodness, anything could happen.

As we leave this place today with many answers, and even more questions, I hope that we each make time and space for God to speak and guide. There is no age limit on who can expand the kingdom of God! And that is our charge if we claim to be a Christ follower. Consider as you leave here today why you are here at Christ United Methodist of Piscataway. Consider what God is calling you to do in this place to help share the love we have come to know in this amazing God. This looks differently for each of us. For you it may be joining the Cantata or Gospel Choir or Bells, for you it may mean volunteering in some way for MusicFest in June, for you it may mean speaking to Beth Hart about becoming a Stephen Minister or to Mary Staynings about teaching Sunday School, for you it may mean signing up for the next Trustee work day, for you it may mean just showing up in this space week after week. There is an opportunity for each of us to get involved, connected and begin to live out our full potential as people of faith who commune in this place.

John Wesley, one of the founders of our Methodist tradition, wrote a covenant prayer that he is believed to have prayed daily, and I have found myself turning to it recently. This covenant between the pray-er and God while simple in words is powerful, just like the hymn of preparation. It speaks of a promise to let go of self and recommit to God. It is a reminder to trust in the promise God made to Jeremiah, that God will be there looking after me through it all. It is a promise that God awaits for me with open arms like a loving parent as I stumble and fall along the way saying “Come on, You can do it, One More.”. It is a sign that while I am in this space, this church, this fellowship I must do all the good I can in all the ways I can to all the people I can. It is a reminder that my potential is powerful and my possibilities are endless when I truly open myself to hear God’s voice.

Will you join your hearts in prayer with mine? 
I am no longer my own but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low for you. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

Flung Wide Open

Flung Wide Open

Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost

August 30, 2015

James 1:17-27

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Have you seen that swiffer advertisement about the “Tobin Stance”? In this commercial the family talks about the harsh winters that keep them inside, and how once spring arrives dad flings the windows open, puts his hands on his hips and takes a deep breath. And yes it is a commercial so it goes on to talk about using the products to  keep a handle on the pollen, dog hair and dust that seems to be more visible during this time. Yet I think there is something almost theological about this stance; flinging open the shades and windows  to get to the fresh air, taking a moment to breathe deeply, and then evaluating the dust that has been stirred up by this action.
Our passages today departs from the imagery of bread that we have explored for the last five weeks and shifts to exploring godly behavior, words and deeds. We see the importance of living a life of action- not maintaining tradition just for tradition's sake, to listen carefully to God’s instruction that has been placed in our hearts, to be a people of change and transformation. In both our passage from James and our passage from Mark we are reminded that we need to guard our hearts from the world so that our words and actions can be honorable to God, that our words and actions share God's generosity and love.
“If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.”[1]
The book of James is full of encouragement and help for us as people of faith. It continually reminds us to put into action the things we know God has tasked us with. It seems that today's passage answers the question “How can I put into practice what I know I should do?” In verse 26 that I just read I was struck by the blatant call out to fake religious-ness. Its not just the tv preacher who charges you $50 for a miracle or the mega-church pastor who spends more energy promoting his new book instead of the words of the bible, it is also us in our everydayness. We must watch what we say and not make excuses for our actions, especially when we purposefully aim to hurt or attack someone else. If we can cuss out someone's mama and then turn around and quote scripture to judge someone else's actions our religion is worthless. We must honestly look at our lives and actions in context with the things God has explained in detail.
And yet the author, James, also reminds us that we need to remember that we may slip or feel our actions are worthless but as people of faith we know what is right. We are God's beloved and we have been tasked with grace and strength to encourage one another to put into practice what God has tasked us to do.
A friend sent me this story from a group email and it seems to have originated from a psychological study on cultural acquisition.[2] “A group of psychologists performed an experiment years ago, in which they started with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, they hung a banana on a string with a set of stairs placed under it. Before long, a monkey went to the stairs and started to climb towards the banana. As soon as he started up the stairs, the psychologists sprayed all of the other monkeys with ice cold water. After a while, another monkey made an attempt to obtain the banana.  As soon as his foot touched the stairs, all of the other monkeys were sprayed with ice cold water. It's wasn't long before all of the other monkeys would physically prevent any monkey from climbing the stairs.
Now, the psychologists shut off the cold water, removed one monkey from the cage and replaced it with a new one. The new monkey saw the banana and started to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attacked him.  After another attempt and attack, he discovered that if he tried to climb the stairs, he would be assaulted. Next they removed another of the original five monkeys and replaced it with a new one. The newcomer went to the stairs and was attacked. The previous newcomer took part in the punishment with enthusiasm!
Likewise, they replaced a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey tried to climb the stairs, he was attacked. The monkeys had no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they were beating any monkey that tried. After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys had ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approached the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been around here.
Friends we need to let go of doing things just because we’ve always done it!
In our Mark passage we find Jesus responding to the Pharisees by calling them out. He reminds them that the action is not the important thing, it’s the heart behind it. They are upset that the disciples broke the law by not following the proper ritual but in verse 8 Jesus tells them “You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." These scribes and Pharisees didn't care that these disciples were doing the work of God or that their hearts were in the right place all they cared about was doing the “proper” and “right” things. Like these leaders and lawyers we too value our material things, our human tradition at times rather than Gods law. How many times do we do something at church...at home... at work... because we’ve always done it this way!
Friends this is the problem! Times change, fads disappear, faith is eternal and internal. Its uncomfortable to look at our lives and realize we do things just because, it's uncomfortable to realize we are judging others-friends and stranger alike, it's uncomfortable but God is a God of grace.
“Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me, Open my ears that I may hear voices of truth thou sendest clear, Open my mouth and let me bear tidings of mercy everywhere.”[3] When we tell God to open these things, to help us fling wide we ask God to move and work within so we can be people of action. John Wesley, the founder of the United Methodist Church, believed fundamentally that Jesus is God's means of grace. He told us that there are things a person that a person with a heart that had moved far away from the heart of God could use to begin to move back toward God, “means of grace”. Prayer, whether in private or with others; searching the Scriptures; (which implies reading, hearing, and meditating thereon;) and receiving the Lord's Supper, eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of Him.  These things, ordained by God although ordinary, share the grace of God to our souls.
“You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;”[4]
To take the “Tobin Stance” is to be flung wide open, to evaluate the stirred up “dust” that has settled; the bad words, negative attitudes and general evil that contaminate our spirits. This is the first step to being that person God created you to be. By flinging ourselves open we are saying loud and clear that we are ready for a deep cleaning, too much is stirred up for us to ignore.
Over this summer I’ve talked about struggling with day to day busyness and not prioritizing God time. By flinging open my life I must admit that the busyness is a lie, a distraction to tell myself. And I, like each of you, must be conscientious to continually clean and upkeep my spirit on a regular basis. The Pharisees ritual wasn’t bad, it had just become more important than the why of the ritual. And the same applies for us. Why do we come to this place? Why do we give? Or why don't we? Why haven’t we volunteered for a ministry? Why is the place important to my emotional and spiritual growth? And if it isn't why not? Friends, we need to be a people of action!
By opening up ourselves we can create change that can transform the world. By opening ourselves to God we covenant to walk the way God calls us to. Yet if we only listen to the word and do not do what it says we are Christian statues.
So friends take some time this week, plant your feet firmly, fling yourself open, breathe in deeply and look behind you to start addressing the dust you may stir up.

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^[1] James 1:26

^[2] Stephenson GR. Cultural acquisition of a specific learned response among rhesus monkeys. In: Starek, D., Schneider, R., and Kuhn, H. J. (eds.), Progress in Primatology. Stuttgart: Fischer; 1967: 279-288.

^[3] UMH 454; Open My Eyes, That I May See

^[4] James 1:19

What Are You Hungry For?

What Are You Hungry For?

Eleventh Sunday of Pentecost

August 9, 2015

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

John 6:35, 41-51

This week I got home from work with a craving for yeast rolls. I scoured online for a quick recipe and lo and behold found a 30 minute recipe! Simple ingredients thrown in a bowl, made simpler with my kitchenaid and a dough hook, turned my kitchen into the most delicious smelling space as bread rose and was baked. As I pulled the tray out of the oven, stared at the perfectly golden tops, I immediately tore one apart and sunk my teeth in the warm dough. Instantly I was transported to childhood bread making making and waiting on the edge of my seat for the bread to be done!

At my moms church in DC the pastor makes bread for communion in a machine behind the pulpit. Most mornings the smell of fresh bread greets you before the ushers do… Oh there is something magical about fresh bread!

Two weeks ago we read about the miracle feeding of the five thousand, last week we literally joined together to feast in the form of communion and today we explore the third week of five where we see lessons relating to food and eating, partaking in holy bread. Friends, What are you hungry for?

There is a worship song by an amazing woman named Kathryn Scott called “Hungry” where she writes “Hungry, I come to You for I know You satisfy. I am empty, but I know Your love does not run dry.” This song was written after a 3 year songwriting drought. She says that the ability to write lyrics came back to her when she realized who she was is enough because of who we belong to. These lyrics and her realization are for us too; WE are enough because of who we belong to, we are children of God, hungry and ready for God to move in our lives. God invites us all to eat, to partake in a holy meal, to be nourished and filled by the holy bread we are offered through Jesus.

"I am the bread of life" this statement by Jesus, is applicable today more than ever, it is a declaration! Jesus literally gave us bread. Bread that he has offered so many times to so many people, yet it is our individual decision to partake in it. It is our decision whether we want this spiritual nourishment or if we want to starve. By choosing to eat this bread we are choosing to rely on God for nourishment and fulfillment. This does not mean that magically the things that tempt and hold us disappear, rather we must now work harder to resist them. To truly hunger for God is the best kind of hunger, it is a hunger that when satisfied will remain so.

This week I went to a funeral and the church had beautiful stained glass windows. They lined both sides of the sanctuary and the sunlight pouring through made every color seem brighter and more radiant. While depicting many different scenes from the life of Jesus the panels showing the last supper stuck out to me. The colors were arresting and helped show detail, yet the table itself seemed to be on an angle. Looking up it seemed as if you were not just a viewer but a part of the meal. Jesus seemed to be inviting the viewer in, opening the table to anyone who approaches it.

This is the invitation we find in our Gospel reading today, “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”^[1] This is not about the everyday and ordinary bread. This bread that is given through Jesus causes us to be changed on the inside, it causes us to cast away the things of the world that are slowly choking the life out of us, it is sacrificial and holy.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”^[2] What are you hungry for?

To be hungry according to Webster’s Dictionary means that you are “Suffering because of a lack of food; feeling a strong desire or need for something or to do something.”^[3] What are you lacking? What do you have a desire for?

Our New Testament passage tells us to put away our falsehood and change, to imitate God. This should be our desire, our hunger, to constantly strive to be more like the Holy One. Friends, this is not easy. Jesus reminds us in the gospels that he is the bread of life, love made flesh, grace freely given… we are called to partake in this. We are invited  as believers to come together around a table and share this bread, we are called to examine this holy mystery as individuals and community, we are called to satisfy our hunger.

“Each time we come to you we come with many needs. We need sustenance, we need clothing, we need food, we need friendship and companionship and love. We need to feel appreciated. We need to feel as if we are capable in our work and valued in our contribution to those around us. You tell us to share our needs with you. You tell us to ask for the fulfillment of our needs. You ask us to talk to you about the many hungers that we want so desperately to be filled. And yet, when we get what we want, we only feel satisfied for a moment. We often fail to offer thanks. We move on to the next thing we feel we must have. So help us to come to you first and foremost seeking to have you, to have your love, to have a sense of your presence. We need many things, but we so often fail to realize that we need you most. Often, it is only when we lose all else that we feel you closest and have a the strongest sense that you are all we truly need.”.^[4]

Come to this place, ready. Come to this place remembering you are beloved, the children of God. God invites us to the table, waiting for us to say what we are hungry for. Come hungry.

Let us pray, life giving God we come to you with so many needs. Help us to remember that we need you first and foremost. Feed us with the food, the spiritual bread that nurtures love within us and challenges us to continue your work in this world. Feed us so we may share this food with others. Quench our thirst, satisfy our hunger, shape us to carry out your love. In Your Son’s name, the provider of holy bread we pray, Amen

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^[1] John 6:48-51

^[2] Ephesians 5:1-2

^[3] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hungry

^[4] http://nathanwattwood.blogspot.com/2012/08/pastoral-prayer-based-on-john-6-i-am.html