Blog Archives - Trinity United Methodist Church

Struggle with Sin and Temptation Not a Modern Phenomenon

4/29/2014

We like to think that the struggle with sin and temptation is a modern phenomenon. After all, we are bombarded 24/7/365 with images and enticements that previous generations never had to face. Yet, as I was doing my devotions this morning, I came across the following passage written by John Wesley, the father of the Methodist movement. Wesley said,

"After my return home, I was much buffeted with temptations; but cried out, and they fled away. They returned again and again. I as often lifted up my eyes, and he 'sent me help from his holy place,' And herein I found the difference between this and my former state chiefly consisted. I was striving, yea, fighting with all my might under the law, as well as under grace. But then I was sometimes, if not often, conquered; now I was always conqueror."

I don't have a clue as to what the temptations were that Wesley was struggling with. Apparently, though, as much as he strived to rid himself of them, they kept coming back. Notice, though, what he then did. He says: "I as often lifted up my eyes"--I'd suggest that meant he was in prayer. As a result of his prayer, God "sent me help from his Holy place." Not sure what he means by those words, but they seem to some sort of answer to his prayer. He then notes that in the answer, he seems to get a revelation about the difference between his former state (sinner) and his current state (saved by Christ). In his former state he was continually striving against the temptations with which he struggled. He, apparently, often lost the battle and temptation won. He identified himself as "conquered". Yet, in his new state (In Christ) he found that he was able to overcome temptation and he identified himself as "conqueror."

I think that his struggle speaks volumes to our own struggles with temptation and sin. If we try to do it on our own, we are bound to be conquered. Sin has such a hold on us that, by ourselves, we cannot overcome it. It is only when we add Christ to the equation, that we even have a fighting chance. At that point we can move from conquered to conqueror. I'd like to suggest, though, that this does not mean the move will be easy.

I was wondering, what are your thoughts on this matter? Please share them in the comments below.

Thoughts on Easter Sunday

4/21/2014

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. I consider it the biggest day of the Christian year. Attendance is always up. We had 146 in our service yesterday. Rick did an outstanding job with the music and the brass quartet was a great touch to the special choral piece as well as the hymns. I preached a sermon. I've noted a pattern in my Easter sermons through the years. As I reflect upon them, they seem to be almost funeral like in their nature. Now for those of you that do not know me, by my saying the sermon was "funeral like" does not mean that it was depressing. I tend to think that funeral sermons are thoughtful and meditative in nature. I think they are designed to help us face the reality of death and the reality of life. I hope that was what came across in the sermon.

It was so good to see so many people. There were a lot of extended families gathering. Easter has that family sort of feeling associated with it. Normally, I enjoy Easter at my mom's with some fine home cooked food. This year, though, it just wasn't meant to be.A three hour trip to Tennessee and a three hour trip back was just too much for one afternoon. Yet, we did have a family meal together. We let Cheddar's in Bristol do the cooking.

Following the meal, it was our intention to go to Sam's Club. When we got there it was closed. Imagine that Easter Sunday and a store, like Sam's Club was closed. Debbie, always the optimistic one said, "Well. It's good that they close on Easter." With Sam's Club not an option, we decided to head up the road to Target. Guess what. Target was also closed. Once again Debbie took the optimistic view. It is time for me to be honest with you. I did not take an optimistic view. I wanted to go to Sam's Club and I wanted to go to Target and I was internally miffed that they would be closed. It really didn't matter to me that it was Easter Sunday!

Not the best of attitudes for a pastor to have, if I say so myself. As Debbie pointed out, I should have been grateful that the stores--and it just wasn't these two--were closing on Easter Sunday. Even thought they may not be Christian run organizations, it was nice that they observed one of the Christian Holy Days as a time off for their customers. Even as I write this on Monday morning, I am still somewhat dismayed that these stores were closed. i guess, though, that this episode is teaching me something about my views on things like this. As the title of my blog suggests, its just something that I will have to ponder.

Here's a question for you, would you have expected major national chains to have closed on Easter Sunday? Why or why not? Leave your answers in the comment section.

A Recap of Recent Church Activities

4/20/2014

The last two weeks have been extremely fruitful for the church. I simply want to give you a look at the events in a "by the numbers sort of way"

Friday April 11, 2014 : Fish Fry to Raise Money for Vacation Bible School

540 pieces of fish fried
150 pounds of potatoes baked
6 -107 oz cans of baked beans served
40 pounds of hush puppies
6 large sheet cakes for dessert
15 + pounds of cole slaw
5 gallons of cooking oil
Lot's of hard work by lot's of people
A fellowship hall packed with folks from all over the community for nearly two hours
Final result: $1416 raised for our Vacation Bible School

Sunday April 13, 2014: Easter Egg Hunt

30 children
1200+ easter eggs
5 prize baskets
200+ cookies
A few gallons of kool aid
A great time for helpers, parents, and kids

Sunday April 13, 2014: Easter Cantata

110 persons in attendance
35 musicians and choir members
1 narrator
45 minutes of exquisite music
1 elated director
A great opportunity to worship God

Thursday April 17, 2014: Holy Thursday Foot Washing and Communion

128 slides with musical background
1 loaf of bread and one chalice of juice
1 tub of water
14 stations of the cross
8 participants
One solemn service tinged with hope and possibility

Saturday April 19, 2014: Back Pack Project Pick Up Day

15 routes within our neighborhood
250+ homes in the neighborhood
2734 items collected
$50 in cash for the ongoing project
Some hard workers that collected, counted, and sorted

All in all, a busy, but extremely fruitful time in the life of our church. I sincerely want to thank everyone that had a part in any of these activities. Thanks for showing up and helping out. Your service will be of benefit to many.

Dry Bones

4/15/2014

Ezekiel 37:1-14

We've all sung the children's song:

" Them bones, them bones, them dry bones.."

This song is taken from today's lection written by the Prophet Ezekiel. In this passage, we Lord comes upon Ezekiel and gives him a vision of a valley full of dried up bones. In the vision he sees the bones come together and sinew and flesh comes upon them, but still there is something missing. They are not living.

Life only came when the "breath of God" came upon the bones.

Sometimes, I think that we are much like this valley of dry bones. The bones are knit together. The sinew and muscle is in place, but something is missing. We don't seem to have the new life that God has promised us in Jesus Christ. We continue to act as if we are dead, rather that alive by the power of the Holy Spirit. We continue to forget that God has called us--empowered us--and sent us into the world to be--not just a bunch of dry bones--but the living body of Jesus Christ.

A Dangerous Friend

4/14/2014

Lazarus, brother to Martha and Mary--friend of Jesus--belonged to a unique club. He, along with very few other people, died and then was raised again from the dead. Membership in that club is hard to come by. In today's lection, we find the story of Jesus sitting down to dinner with his newly resurrected friend.

We see Mary anoint Jesus' feet with "costly perfume" and keeper of the common purse, Judas Iscariot (the one that was to betray Jesus). Complaining that she should have sold the perfume and given him the money to help the poor. In reality, he wanted to use the money for his own ends. It seems he was a thief.

What's really interesting to me about this story, was the concluding verses and their reference to Lazarus. It seems that word of Jesus' miraculous resurrection of Lazarus had spread. The people found out that not only was Lazarus in town, but that Jesus was also their and so they began to flock to the home of Lazarus. Imagine, the miracle worker and his miracle together in the same place.

Apparently, the crowds were large enough to draw the attention of the Jewish religious authorities. They had already schemed to put Jesus to death, but now, they saw the crowds that Lazarus was drawing. So, it says, "So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus."

From that verse, it becomes apparent that Jesus was a dangerous friend.

Because of his friendship and association with Jesus, Lazarus, formerly dead and now alive again, suddenly got a bounty on his head. People saw him and heard his story. Apparently, his story pointed toward the work that Jesus did, because people started believing in Jesus because of Lazarus.

It sort of makes me wonder. Is there a price on my head? Am I a strong enough witness for Jesus Christ and his miracle working power of salvation in my life that I would pose a threat to the powers that be--either worldly or spiritual-- that they would seek to eliminate me?

Suffering and Affliction

4/11/2014

Scripture for Today:

2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Visit the Upper Room Daily Devotional

What do you do in response to suffering and affliction?

Let's start out with an easily understood scenario of "suffering" (at least we like to think it is suffering). I have a bad cold or the flu. I ache. My head is stuffed. What do I do? After loading myself up with over the counter meds I begin the mantra, "I really don't feel so good." I begin to play the pity card and ask my wife to bring me something to drink or eat. I just don't feel so good. In most of our minds this is the extent of our suffering and affliction.

Is that really suffering? Is that really affliction? No. It is not. That's just me being a baby because I don't feel good because of a cold.

Real suffering and affliction begins to take hold of our lives when we face a daunting diagnosis of cancer or prolonged illness. Real suffering and affliction begins to take hold of our lives when we face daily food shortages and the corresponding hunger. Real suffering and affliction begins to take hold of our lives when we are persecuted, tortured, and killed because of our belief in Jesus Christ.

I hope you get the picture. Most of us never truly face suffering and/or affliction. Yet, we act as if the small things of life are the things that are true suffering and affliction.

In today's passage, Paul talks about suffering and affliction. He doesn't gripe and moan about it. Instead, he transforms it. He refers to a God that offers consolation to those that suffer. He refers to a God that knows well the sufferings of Christ and so is able to console us in our worst moments, because he has already experienced the worst--and he did it for you and me.

Read that passage one more time and see what God is able to do on your behalf to help you through your times of suffering and affliction. Then, like Paul give thanks and rejoice at what God is able and willing to do for us.

With His Stripes We Are Healed...

4/9/2014

Scripture for Today:

1 Peter 2:21-25

I want to start something today. I can't promise I'll make a post everyday along these lines, but I will try at least 2-3 times a week. Here's what I want to do.

My primary spiritual discipline each morning when I come into the office is to spend about 30 minutes reading scripture, praying, and reading comments from various Christians on a weekly theme. I am going to list the scripture for that day in the column at the left and then share some brief thoughts on that scripture. If I get it working properly, you can click on the scripture link to be taken to a page that will let you read the scripture. Read the scripture(s) and then my thoughts. With that said, let's begin...

If you read these two passages, you will note a common theme. Peter quoting earlier from Isaiah 53:9, makes the following allusion to another part of that same chapter (53:5) when he says "you are healed because of his wounds." I grew up with the more traditional reading of Isaiah 53:5 -"By his stripes we are healed."

Having been influenced by a charismatic interpretation of that scripture, I used it as a passage to claim physical healing of the body. There is more, though, than just a physical healing that comes about through the stripes that Jesus endured on our behalf. In reality, a physical healing will only prolong this earthly life for a few more days. In the light of eternity, it is not physical healing that our soul ultimately craves. Our soul longs for a spiritual healing that comes through Christ's death on the cross because of our sins. So, I won't tell you not to claim that verse to help with your physical healing. Do it. First realize, however, that unless your soul is right with God all the physical healing in the world will not stop you from the spiritual death that awaits you if you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Please share with me your thoughts on this matter by making a comment.

It's Everyone's Responsibility

4/3/2014

As I read the Romans 12 article this week, from the General Board of Discipleship, the following sentence jumped out at me: “Hospitality is not just a committee, it's a whole church effort.”

I think that too many church members like to relegate things to committees. If there is a committee, then whatever the task may be, becomes the responsibility of the committee members. Unfortunately, such attitudes are detrimental to the overall growth and function of the church.

To be a disciple means that you are actively engaged in the ministries and life of the church. It’s not the responsibility of the evangelism committee to do all the evangelism. It’s not the responsibility of the worship committee to do all the worshiping. It’s not the responsibility of the Shepherd Team to do all the caring. It’s not the responsibility of the Hospitality Team to … do you get my point?

Most people act as if the only team that they are on is the sit-in-pews-on-Sunday-morning-team. Don’t get me wrong it’s nice to have bodies in the pews, but those bodies have to want to carry on the ministry of the church and not just assume that someone else is going to do the ministry—for them.

That is one key to being a disciple that makes other disciples. You have to want to get ACTIVELY involved in ministry and mission and not just leave it to someone else.

Welcome to My Blog

4/3/2014

This isn't the first blog I have created--and most likely--it won't be the last. I'll be using it to share some of my thoughts on topics related to the church and her ministry. Not all of them will be original. Some of them will be my response to an article I might have read or some event that caught my attention. Some of them might be God sightings--those moments in time when I see God at work in the world. I invite you into my thoughts and encourage you to share your thoughts with me via the comment section associated with each of the blog posts.