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My heart beats for love. I want to be different. I want to be who I am called to be. WORTHY and LOVED!

Sunday, May 25, 2014

“Being Formed in Community” - Acts 17: 22-31

Why are you part of a church community? How do you hope to be formed through this local church? How are you helping to form others? What is the body of Christ - worship on Sunday morning? Sunday School? Fellowship meals?
Relevant Magazine released an article earlier this year entitled “5 Really Bad Reasons to Leave the Church”. Number one - I’m not being fed. The article went on to claim that too many people leaving church under the guise of this excuse instead of looking for ways to be fed and feeding others spiritual substance.
John Wesley created the Methodist movement as a place to be fed - as a place to experience revival within the Anglican Church. He wanted to make disciples who commune with God, both learning about the faith and putting those beliefs into practice. He saw the faith community as a place where this learning and living faithfully intersect, for loving God and neighbor at its very core is both a belief and a practice. 
Wesley affirmed that we are each at a different stage of our faith journey, but this lead him to question what the Methodists should teach, who should teach, and how they should teach. Everyone needed to be nurtured, even in these different places of faith. Everyone needed a place to help live out their faith in order to give their lives meaning. But how could that be done when people were in such different places?
Saint Paul struggled with some of these same questions about teaching - who, how, what, and where. As he went from place to place, experiencing new cultures he found that how he may have proclaimed the gospel in the last town may not work in his current location. So he tried to connect the gospel culturally to what people experienced - and one beautiful example of this teaching doctrine while being culturally sensitive took place in this mornings scripture lesson. 
Paul arrived in Athens - a place where people loved to learn. In fact their love for learning was so deep that it was both their work and their pleasure. One of the areas of study that interested them the most was religion. Paul entered into Athens and first perceived the culture around him. He noticed the idols that surrounded the city, but one alter in particular caught his attention - the alter ‘“to an unknown God.” Paul had an opening.
Notice what Paul did not do in his teaching. Even though he didn’t believe the same thing as those in Athens, even though he saw many, many idols which were against his own religion, he still chose to affirm how religious the people were. He affirmed their quest to find meaning and truth in their lives. He took what the culture provided and expounded upon it for the sake of the gospel, claiming that he knew this unknown God. It was the God who created the heavens and the earth. A God that could not be contained in an alter, shrine, or idol. This same God, created us, and in him we live and move and have our being. We are his children. 
Paul had the attention of the city. He connected with them on a level they understood, talking about their own shrine, but also about so much more. He spoke about a God who wants to be in relationship with his creation, and calls humanity to repent when we stray. A God who both judges and raises the dead. A God unlike any the Athens had ever known.
In this moment, Paul was a gifted teacher. He instructed the people after observing what was important to them. He truly embodied the wisdom John Wesley would later give about teaching to “use all means, but seek God alone.” The early Methodists used culture as a teaching tool as well. In a day an age when theatrics were valued, they preached to large crowds outdoors. They sung hymns with words crafted to familiar tunes. Wesley used the culture of the people to connect them with Christ, just like Paul.
But notice what Paul does not do. He does not devalue the message or person of Christ by putting him on par with all other gods. Paul firmly claims that this God was the one to whom all people would have to give account. Wesley didn’t water down his message either. Instead, he used it as a way to wet people’s appetites. To get them to crave knowing God more. As people grew in their faith, he equipped them with groups where they could learn through their relationship with others. Within these groups, more mature faith emerged and people were able to ask questions about the scriptures and instruction they had received - they were able to make their faith their very own. These groups also provided a place where people could live out their faith through serving others. People grew from seekers to servants.
We live in a world where people are still searching, like the people in Athens when Paul spoke, and people in England when the early Methodists emerged. People are searching for this unknown God, who we claim to have faith in. If Paul wouldn’t have shaped his teaching to his audience, using their culture to connect people with the gospel message, he would have missed an opportunity to make the message of Christ understandable. He looked for an opening to share about Christ and he seized it.
Not so long ago people grew up learning about Christian values in the home. They went to Sunday School in droves where they learned the basic stories of the faith. Then they went to Church services where they were instructed on disciples to help grow with God - such as prayer, devotional reading, fasting, and communion. There was a point where the Church simply had to open its doors and people came. We are no longer living in that time.
Paul and Wesley are calling us to re-examine how and what we are teaching. They are inviting us to have an adaptive witness - one that will do whatever it takes to reach a new generation with the message of Christ. Two examples of churches that are reaching a generation for Christ: Right around the corner in Lawrenceville, people are finding that the old model of people coming to church, joining, then serving, no longer is normative. They have a community of people who want to serve, who want to give their lives meaning. So they use mission trips as opportunities to invite people who are new to the faith or do not have a relationship with Christ to come and serve. They work along people strong in their faith, who are passionate about Christ. During the week, conversations naturally emerge through relationships and basic instruction takes place as people truly begin to listen and meet each others needs. Another example: The Open Door Church in Pittsburg strives to have people connect with their worship gatherings through their small group. They have small groups that meet in public places and people are encouraged to bring their friends. Through this time of fellowship and study of scripture, a generation of people are coming to know Christ. 

Friends, what are we willing to do to reach a generation for Christ? Does our heart break to instruct people in the faith? Are we willing to change things that may be comfortable for us in order to teach others? Are we willing to be fed in order to feed other’s spirits? Are we ready to seize the moments God provides to speak to a new day and age about the love of Christ? Amen. 

Sunday, May 11, 2014

“Community and Communion” Acts 2: 42-47

At the top of the list of words that bother me is “community”. It often rubs me the wrong way because people claim to be a community without really realizing the weight that distinction holds. Or worse they want to be a community for the benefits but not putting in the hard work.
Community is more than a buzzword or catchphrase. Community is at the heart of our relational faith. Christianity calls us to be in relationship with God and with one another. However, when such statements are made about the core values of our faith - especially about community - one of two things happen. First, some people turn to today’s text, which is often seen as the text about Biblical community and become discouraged. They approach Acts 2 with a sense of dismay - thinking that their church isn’t like that or they put on rose-colored glasses and remember when they think their church was like that. 
At other times the opposite effect happens. A church looks at Acts 2 and quickly claim that they are friendly, which means that they are a community. Former District Superintendent, Greg Rapp, was known to say that one of the worst words a church could use to describe itself is friendly, because it often means that we are friendly with those who are like us, or those who are already members, instead of being inviting, welcoming, and hospitable.
If today’s text is not meant to lead us to despair, nostalgia, or inflated claims of community, what is its purpose? What is the Biblical meaning of community and why do we claim that to be part of our faith today?
To explore the meaning of community for the Church, we must first look at what the Church believes about God. We claim this profound, yet confusing, truth that God is three in one and one in three. While the word Trinity is not used anywhere in Scripture, we are told in several places, perhaps most notably the Gospel of John, about the relationship between God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For John Wesley, it wasn’t so important to get caught in the details of how the persons of the Trinity relate to one another as the fact they are linked together in community. The very nature of God is being in communion with God’s very self, and through grace the Trinity relates to us as well. 
What do you think of when you hear the word “communion”? Communion has various meanings, but two that most impact how we view community include fellowship with one another and sharing life deeply. When we apply that to the Trinity we discover that God is deeply sharing life within the Godhead and desires to be in fellowship with us! A holy God wants to come and share life with us - what a beautiful thought! 
Further, God wants to be in communion with us so desperately, that God is the one who issues us the invitation to come, be, and grow. We are invited into holy communion by God’s very self. We cannot do anything to deserve it; it is simply an act of grace. God also doesn’t force us to accept the invitation, but if we choose to enter into communion with God we find that it will deepen over time as we come to know of Christ’s love that leads us to repentance, and is moved towards fullness by the Holy Spirit. 
Communion with God is a gradual process, initiated by God and fueled by our response. In the words of scholar Randy Maddox, communion is “a dance in which God always takes the first step but we must participate responsively, lest the dance stumble or end”. This dance may look different for each person who experiences it, but it is here that we come to recognize God’s action and depend more fully on God’s grace. 
But entering into communion with God isn’t just about our relationship with God or God’s relationship with God’s self - its also about our relationship with other people. For as the Church’s members grow in holiness so does the entire Church community grow in holiness. It isn’t just about me and my faith or my relationship with God, its about growing together. Which is where today’s passage from the book of Acts picks up. 
Sometimes we approach Acts 2 and get caught up in the wonder of it all - here is a rag tag group of people who grew into an unbelievably large gathering over night. We focus on the numerical growth or the idea of communal sharing, but I would invite us to ask a different question today - how did this group of disciples get there? What habits or priorities did they practice together that lead to these effects?
Christian community was intentionally practiced in Acts in four ways. First, the followers of Christ came together for teaching. This was their time to dwell in the scriptures together. For us, this happens in worship, Sunday School, Bible Studies, and small groups. It is our time to place ourselves in the presence of God’s Holy word and let it examine us, so we can learn more about God and who we are as God’s people.
Secondly, they fellowshipped together. They had time to examine of the quality of their relationship with one another and to invite other people into those relationships. Remember before what I said about church’s calling themselves friendly? Sometimes when we are “friendly” we exclude visitors from conversation. Being a people who fellowship together means inviting new comers to coffee. It looks like being in a small group where people can be known. Its living into the United Methodist slogan from a few years back of “making new places for new people.” Fellowshipping isn’t just being with the people who make us comfortable or who we like, its a community activity.
Thirdly, they broke bread together. When I was in seminary my ministry placement was to a retreat center where I worked on Biblical Feasting. I cooked meals for people almost every weekend and had an opportunity to talk to them about the hospitality that we show one another around the table as well as how eating together is truly a spiritual activity. For Christians we break bread in a variety of ways: in every day meals, when we open our homes to one another, in church potlucks, and when we celebrate holy communion. Each of these has a unique way of drawing us closer to God and other disciples.
Lastly, the disciples were in the habit of praying for one another. They were a community of prayer support. They understood prayer to be an opportunity to be in communion with God. They prayed out loud, and heard others lift their name and concerns before God. There is perhaps no better gift that we can give someone then to pray for them and for them to hear our prayers. 

These four habits - praying for one another, breaking bread together, fellowship, and teaching - may take on different expressions, but they all must be present for us to be a vital community. For us to be a true community that is more than just a buzzword. To be a community that is present in the good times and the bad, the exciting and the mundane. They aren’t always easy. But they will draw us closer to the God who invites us to be in communion and into community with one another. And they give us the opportunity to live into Peter Bohler’s words to John Wesley: “You practice a holy life till you have it; and then because you have it, you will practice a holy life.” May we be a people who practice the holy life with one another as an outpouring of our relationship with a holy God. Amen. 

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Acts 2: 14a,36-41 - What it Means to be Christian

If we want to make disciples of Jesus Christ, then we have to know what it means to be Christian. What we believe. Who we follow. Far too many people, when asked what Christian’s believe fumble around for answers. They miss an opportunity to minister to someone about Christ.
Perhaps one of the reasons Christianity and being a Christian is so hard to define, so hard to put a finger on, is that our walk with Christ is a process. Christians are expected to grow in their faith, grow in living out their beliefs, continually. Another reason is that so much of our life with Christ is dependent upon being lead by the Holy Spirit. 
Finally, its hard to define what it means to be Christian because there are both overarching principles for all Christians, and some that are specific for each denomination. For example, United Methodists believe that being Christian demands following Christ with our heart and life. Its not just about what we believe in our heads but about how we live out each and every day. Being Christian isn’t just a name or a title that we are ascribed, it a complete way of life that effects how we think, speak, and live. 
Today’s scripture passage comes after the end of Peter’s first sermon. The sermon didn’t have a delightful or cheery ending - but yet, the message lead to more than 3,000 people asking what they should do? How should we respond to this message that we’ve just heard? How can we come to know about this Jesus whom you speak of?
Peter’s response was one that has resounded through the ages of Christianity - “repent and be baptized so that your sins may be forgiven.” Through baptism we are born anew into a life with Christ and connected to his body, the Church. Baptism, for many, marks a significant point in their Christian journey. For some it is the beginning of their faith walk. For others, it comes at a turning point, when they accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. But no matter when a person is baptized, there is always an affirmation that we cannot earn God’s grace. We cannot earn the promises that are made at our baptism. We cannot earn salvation.
For some this is perplexing - especially as the crowds are asking in today’s scripture, what can we do, for so much of the work of baptism is God’s. Its not necessarily about what we do, but what God does for us - and that’s grace. In fact, we have been offered this grace time and time again before we ever make the decision to be baptized. Because God loves us each so deeply, and wants us to return to him, grace is working in our lives before we even come to know him. Baptism is simply us publicly saying “yes” in response to God’s offer of love and forgiveness.
Pastor Timothy Hare tells the story of a pastor gathering children around for their time during the worship service. As the pastor sat there he asked the children the question ‘what does forgiveness feel like?’ A question I would guess many adults would find hard to answer. But one little boy looked like he was thinking very hard about the question and responded, “It feels like your birthday. Like you are starting over.” What a beautiful image for baptism - its like a birthday - into new life. A celebration. A confirmation. Something that we cannot earn, but defines who we are. 
Peter goes on to say, “you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. Another thing that is hard to wrestle with about what Christians believe is that it isn’t always orderly and systematic. Peter seems to be saying that after you are baptized that you receive the Holy Spirit. But for some, the Holy Spirit is alive, present, and active in their life well before the sacrament of baptism. For others it seems to be a long time afterwards before they can pinpoint the movement of the Spirit in their lives. Just as we cannot earn salvation, we cannot force the Holy Spirit to show up at a certain time or act the way that demand. 
Yet, we will receive the Holy Spirit as Christians and the Spirit acts in us to respond to the grace that Christ started for us on the cross. The Holy Spirit helps us respond to God’s grace in a personal way, as well as allows us to carry the message and promise of God’s love to others. It is the Holy Spirit, not our own belief, that makes us Christians who can live out our faith. It is the Holy Spirit that transforms us, bit by bit, over time to be more conformed to the ways of Christ.
It may seem odd that the Holy Spirit plays such a vital role in our life with Christ. Being a Christian isn’t simply believing in Jesus; its having a relationship with the God who we believe is three in one and one in three, God the Father, Son and Spirit. Peter understood this even before the doctrine of the Trinity was stated. In his exhortation, he is speaking to the crowds about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes in our Christian walk, doctrines like this one trip us up. We get tangled up in the things that we do not understand instead of looking to see how God - Father, Spirit, Son - is present in and effects our lives. 
For God and God’s message do effect our lives. I don’t think 3,000 people responded that day because Peter was the most eloquent of speakers. They responded because the gospel effected their lives, spoke to their concerns, and they saw how it was part of their story. 
I recently received a message from a friend asking how to address concerns that the Bible is not relevant to today’s society. Her question gave me pause and I had to think a while before I answered her. I struggled with the question because I so deeply see the Bible as being relevant to today’s society. Because God is relevant. And it is the Story of God relentlessly pursuing a relationship with us, giving everything to redeem and forgive us. Perhaps there is no story more relevant in a society with so many people thinking they can earn everything on their own, even forgiveness.
Peter didn’t have to make the gospel message flashy, but he did present it in a way that directly spoke to the people’s needs. We forget that at the core of what Christians believe is forgiveness. We get caught up in side issues instead of focusing on the cross and the empty tomb. We get sucked into trendy debates instead of asking how the Holy Spirit is leading us to reach out to this culture, at this time. And we get distracted from the fact that at its very core, Christianity is a religion of invitation. An invitation from Christ to come and hear the good news. An invitation echoing through the ages from John the Baptist, to the cross, to Peter that fateful day, to even us, here, now, to repent. For nothing that we do can separate us from the God who loves us so dearly, as long as we confess and say that we are sorry. An invitation to be baptized, clothed in new life and welcomed into the family of God. 

Brothers and sisters, some day someone is going to ask you to account for what you believe as a Christian - how are you going to answer them? Are you going to fumble for an answer? Or are you going to rattle off a long list of shalls and shall nots? Or are you going to give a thesis on complicated doctrines, that honestly no one throughout the ages really fully understood? Or... Or are you going to speak of the grace that set you free? Speak of being welcomed into the family of God through the symbol of baptism and what it means to you each time we welcome someone new into the faith? Are you going to tell of a God who relentlessly pursues you with his love, even to the point of going to the cross before you knew him? Are you going to speak of having a living faith, lead by the Holy Spirit each day? Speak of a Savior who invites you to come and be made whole? Some day you will be asked. What will your answer be? Amen.