White House minister: Obama's man of faith, Joshua DuBois, has dual roles - latimes.com

Religion DOES have a place in politics. Separation of church and state DOES NOT mean that one's faith should not and/or does not influences one's public life or decision-making. It is heartening to see that a Christian minister is a member of the White House staff who's thoughts are heard at the highest levels of government. Thank you, Jesus, for placing this man of God near the seat of power in our country.

White House minister: Obama's man of faith, Joshua DuBois, has dual roles - latimes.com

The Journey Continues

"When the days drew near for him to be taken up,
he set his face to go to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51, NIV)

And so begins what is often referred to as "Luke's Journey Narrative," a lengthy section of Luke's gospel that tells us about Jesus' journey to Jerusalem where his destiny is fulfilled and our salvation is secured. For the past several weeks I have been preaching a series of sermons on The Journey, looking at what we are called, as Christians, to do as we follow God's path for our lives. This section of Luke's gospel (9:51-19:28) includes some of the best-known stories about Jesus' life. Many of these stories are told in the other gospels and set at different times than where Luke places them; some of the stories are only told by Luke. The point is that Luke is much less concerned with the accurate chronology of these events and more concerned about presenting a cohesive narrative that paints a vivid picture of the path Jesus follows and calls us to follow. For Luke, it is about the journey.

Luke saw our Christian life as a journey with Jesus. It is a journey that challenges us, causes us pain, walks us through suffering, and leads us to the glory of salvation. It is why Luke closes his gospel with the Walk to Emmaus story where, after Christ's passion, death, and resurrection, the disciples once again encounter Jesus on the road…walking beside them. The image is clear: Jesus never leaves us, he is always walking beside us along our journey, and he has already been wherever we are going.

As Jesus leads his disciples on this final journey to Jerusalem, he teaches them all they need to know to carry on his mission after he's gone. The fact that Jesus led them to Jerusalem stands in contrast to their sending out from Jerusalem at Pentecost. The disciples' witnessing ministry is centered at Jerusalem, but it travels throughout the world and transcends the boundaries of the Temple and traditional religious practice. This is a journey of challenge, change, and progressive upheaval of the status quo. It is a clear witness to the fact that following Jesus Christ isn't easy and that it involves much more than standing still. It is a journey that calls us forward every day and challenges us to respond to Jesus in ways that often make us uncomfortable.

Simply accepting Christ as Savior is not enough. When we accept Jesus, our lives our transformed and our behavior should change to reflect this transformation. We move away from the thoughts and deeds of our past and move forward along the path that God lays out for us. It is never about doing something to make ourselves worthy of salvation; we can't do anything so righteous as to earn this gift. It is always about responding to what Christ has already done for us. The response is the basis for our journey as Christians. As we move forward we stop doing things that displease God and try to do those things that God wants and expects from us. This is the essence of the word "repentance" that Jesus calls us to – turning away from one thing and turning toward a better thing.

One of my favorite Scripture verses is Jeremiah 29:11 – "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm; to give you a future with hope." God has a plan for each of us; God has already laid out the journey that He wants us to take. That journey will takes us many different places, but in the end it will lead us straight into His arms for all eternity. This is the journey that Jesus leads us on in the gospel. Through his stories and challenges, Jesus makes it clear that we have choices to make that will either keep us on the path or lead us off into the weeds. Each lesson Jesus presents, every parable he tells, offer us clear instructions on how to make the right choices. Admonitions such as: "Follow me," "Go and proclaim the kingdom of God," "Do this and you will live," and "Go and do likewise," are not idle words – they are clear commands to change our behavior.

Jesus forces us to look in the mirror and see ourselves as we are and as God intends us to be. We are called to change our attitudes, modify our behavior, and treat one another as the children of God we all really are. We are challenged to view every decision we make through God's lens and do our very best to discern God's will; this really means that we are to stop making selfish decisions based only on our desires. We are told to do the work of God's kingdom on earth without regard to our personal comfort, always thinking of the other person before we think of "me." These are not easy choices and they are often painful for us.

I pray that we can all develop a clearer picture of the journey God has mapped out for us and that we will learn together how to make that journey as faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

God bless,
Pastor Don

Is it ever OK to be mean?

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."
(Isaiah 5:20, NIV)

"Values are faithfully applied to the facts before us, while ideology overrides whatever facts call theory into question." (Anonymous)

Isaiah warns the Israelites against unethical behavior. Persons who twist their situation to their own advantage are those who mistake ideology for values. The other quote above attempts to show the difference between real values and ideologies. I am reminded of the Church that rejected the teachings of Galileo when they threatened the established theories of the Church. Clearly the Church was mistaken, but their ideology won out over the facts presented. Galileo's fate might have been different if the Church had sought to discern the value of God's Creation rather than the self-serving ideology the Church had created.

I am deeply troubled by the mean spirit that seems so prevalent in our culture. It doesn't seem to make much difference if we are talking politics or sports; religion or patriotism; poverty or war; the conversations have taken a turn for the mean-spirited and intolerant. We seem to be far less interested in another's point of view than we are in being right and winning every argument. We seem much less concerned about what is good for the community or the country than we are concerned about what's good for me and what makes me happy. We are more about winning at all cost than we are about playing fair and letting the best person win the day. We are, in general, a mean and self-centered bunch of people in today's world.

Isaiah wrote during a time when the people believed that God was active in their everyday life; God is still active today in our lives. Isaiah wrote to people in the midst of trouble and unrest in the political and social circumstances in which they lived. We continue to face difficult political and social circumstances in our time. Isaiah warned that trouble the people faced was a symptom of the troubled relationship they had with God. I believe we can see the same warning today. The unrest in our political and social environments is a symptom of the trouble in our relationship with God. We have stopped listening to the lessons God is teaching and we pay too much attention to the lessons our culture shoves down our throats. This, I believe, is the real difference between values and ideology. God offers us a set of values that, if applied to our lives, will lead us to a close personal relationship with God and ultimately to our eternal life in God's presence. Ideology, on the other hand, leads down a path to destruction and eternal separation from God.

Being in a right relationship with God means being in right relationships with other human beings and with ourselves. It means naming good as good and evil as evil. It means leaving the darkness to walk in the light. It means faithfully applying our true moral values to every decision we make and really trying to discern what God wants us to do in every situation we face. It means rejecting extreme ideologies that cause us to ignore the opinions of others and demonize those who disagree with us. It means recognizing that we do not have all the answers and we need the help of our fellow human beings and God. It means admitting that we frequently make mistakes, act with bad judgment, and always need the grace and mercy of God to pick us up when we fail.

Ideologies cause us to forget that the answer to almost every question lies somewhere in the middle, between the two extremes. Finding ways to live with one another in the midst of our sin and need for forgiveness is what binds us together as children of God and helps us to build God's kingdom. Values lead us to love one another, care for one another, and lift one another up when we fall. Values lead us to follow the path Jesus blazed for us. Values help us to realize that, even though we fall short of the glory of God, God values all of us as His good creation. Amen.

God bless,
Pastor Don

Happy for the Gift

 

I’ve been thinking about my sermon from Pentecost Sunday ever since I presented it. I’m hoping that the message was clear…We need to be excited about the gift we received from God in the form of the Holy Spirit. I told the church that if we really believe in Jesus Christ and trust that he keeps his promises, then we are all Pentecostal Christians. After all, didn’t Jesus promise to send the Holy Sprit, the Advocate, the Counselor, to remind us of Jesus’ teaching and to guide us forward in our mission to the world? If this is true, then the Spirit’s presence in our lives makes us Pentecostal by definition.

If we accept this premise, then I believe we need to be very happy about this gift we’ve been given. This is a really great present and it’s worth sharing with everyone we meet. I think that was the general idea…God gives us the Spirit so we will know how to share Jesus with the world. We are not called to blend in and hide our gift; we are called to stand out and draw attention to God. I hope you enjoy this message. Below is a link to the audio version:

http://sermon.net/revdtabbs

 

“Mistaken for Being Sober”

"Speaking in Tongues: A 21^st Century Perspective"

The story presented in The Book of Acts, 2:1-12, has been studied for centuries by scholars and church-goers alike. It's the story of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled the disciples and they were empowered to speak the gospel message of salvation in as many languages as there were folks listening. Reading the story we can pick out at least sixteen different languages represented in the crowd.

This story has given rise to the charismatic belief in speaking in tongues. Of course, this story doesn't really relate to the modern-day charism of speaking in tongues at all, since the disciples in the story did not speak unintelligible languages of the heavens; rather, they were speaking normal human languages that they didn't know. This was miraculous, but not cosmic. It has caused quarrels about whether the disciples actually learned a new language or if the people simply understood what was being said. Was this really speaking in many languages or was it some sort of First Century United Nations? Either explanation would be miraculous; but the conflicts continue.

Another issue seems to be that we have lost our enthusiasm for Pentecost and the Holy Spirit. Post-modern Christians are adept at thinking about social justice issues, but seem to lack the stomach for talking about and learning about the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's gifts to the church. "Spirituality" is a great buzz-word, but there is a general disconnect when it comes to talking about being filled with the Holy Spirit and acting like the disciples did at the first Pentecost. I wonder why this topic has become so stale.

This passage is considered to be the focus of the Pentecost and provides the most-often preached text for this important Sunday. Maybe that is part of the problem; maybe we have heard this text preached so often that we think there's nothing new to say about it. Maybe we think we know the Pentecost story so well that it is no longer special. There is nothing more for us to learn here. Can't we just move on? This might a great day to dust off last year's Pentecost sermon. Read the story, make a few brief remarks about the birth of the church, and let's all go to lunch. That would probably be a pretty popular Sunday indeed!

The thing is: It is still a miracle when people actually hear about and understand the work of God in a way that speaks to them. There are people in our community who think differently, live differently, and understand differently than we do. There are still people out there waiting to hear the gospel presented to them in a way that they can understand and embrace. How are we speaking in languages for those people?

Think about those first disciples in the story. They were scared out of their minds, hiding behind locked doors, waiting for somebody to come and take them off to jail or to the same fate that met their Master. Then, on that special Pentecost Day, they changed their mood and their behavior because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. They went out into the streets proclaiming the saving work of God without any fear. They were able to speak in whatever language was necessary for the people around them to understand. For them, it was a great miracle of speaking in many different languages; for us, it might just be the miracle of being able to relate to many different kinds of people. The miracle of Pentecost in our lives might just be the ability to reach out to people in our own community and find ways to bring them to an understanding of God's love. Maybe we don't need to speak in tongues or any other language; maybe we just need to realize what people need and provide it.

In the story we just heard the apostles were accused of being drunk. How else could the people explain their wild appearance and behavior? The people knew that these followers of Jesus were different. However, their assessment as to why they were acting so strangely was wrong. The apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit.

But it raises a question for us. When folks see and hear us, what do they assume? How do they explain our appearance and behavior? It may be that there is nothing to explain. If we seem to be like everybody else, then shame on us. We are not called to blend in — but to stand out in such a way that calls attention to our God. I wonder if too many Christians would never be mistaken for being drunk because their faith is so incredibly sober.

The apostles weren't drunk — just excited. They were filled with the Holy Spirit that they encountered through a violent wind and tongues of fire, and they took the message of Jesus to the entire earth. They were mistaken for being drunk. I think that many Christians today are mistaken for being sober. We are so afraid that somebody might think we're weird or different or strange that we act so sober that no one would ever mistake us for being excited about our faith. That's just wrong! I don't want to be mistaken for sober; I want people to wonder why I'm so happy and excited. I want people to ask me what's gotten into me so I can tell them – the Holy Spirit has gotten into me! That's what Pentecost is really all about…It's about showing everyone how excited you are to be a Christian. It's about going out into the streets and proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ with enthusiasm. It's about being able to communicate with many different types of people in ways that they can understand and appreciate. It's about helping lots of different people learn about Jesus and come into a relationship with him.

So, how about you…Do you want to be mistaken for being drunk on the love of God or mistaken for being sober?

Can you do it?

"I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love." (Ephesians 3:16-17, NRSV)

The Letter to the Ephesians includes encouragement for new believers who are just beginning to realize what it means to be transformed by the gospel message. The readers of this letter are reminded that because they now live in Christ they are no longer aliens or strangers from God. Because of their response to the gospel, these readers are experiencing a radical transformation of their personal and social identity. They are being re-socialized into God's purposes and family. I urge you to read the entire letter.

This is a beautiful section of the Bible where we see how wonderful it is to have the Holy Spirit present with us; we see how inspired and motivated we can be when we recognize this spirit of love inside us. It is empowering to think that we receive spiritual strength as we grow and develop in our relationship with God. The prayers we read here give thanks to God for the unbelievable power and love God shows us in Jesus Christ. We see that God gives and gives and then gives some more to those who follow Christ. God's Spirit strengthens us as this spiritual nurturing takes place and we are led to know God better and better.

It is important that you read the entire letter because Ephesians is not simply encouraging; it is intended to influence the thought and conduct of the reader. It was written to build up the church and to tell the readers how they should act. I don't think we should be surprised by this message. After all, the gospel message is supposed to transform us; it is intended to change our behavior. OMG…There's that frightening word – "change"!

We don't much care for change; we resist it with all our strength. We like change even less when it isn't our idea. Maybe that's why following Christ is such a challenge for us – Christ calls us to change the way we think and the way we behave and we're happy just the way we are. We must realize that the reason Jesus came was because the way things were was not acceptable to God and the people needed to change; Jesus came to reconcile the people back to God – to show them a new way to change their behavior. Jesus came to unite all peoples into God's family for God's purposes.

We are now beginning our 5^th year together as pastor and congregation. As I review the work we have done together I see many wonderful things done in the Name of Jesus for this church and our community. I thank God for your faithfulness. I also see the potential for so many other things that would lead us into better relationships with God, with each other, and with our neighbors. In our committee meetings and small groups there is a lot of discussion about what our next steps should be and how we might better serve the community. I hear many good ideas and I see plans to nurture those ideas into ministry. What seems to be in shorter supply is the commitment to actually begin the work of clearing, planting, fertilizing, and harvesting these ideas. The list of people who have signed up to help with these new ministries is a fraction of the number of people needed to actually bring in the sheaves. The spirit seems willing, but the flesh appears weak when it comes right down to saying, "Yes, I will help with this project or that ministry; yes, I will teach Sunday school; yes, I will go on a mission trip; yes, I will volunteer my time in the kitchen; yes, I will be an active
participant in my church."

I need your help; your church needs your help. Each one of us has something to contribute. Every contribution of time and energy helps us to realize new opportunities for ministry that bring more people into a relationship with Jesus. That is, above all else, why we are the church in Mangum: "To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." Please prayerfully consider how you fit into the ministry of your church and make a commitment to serve. Don't wait for someone to "recruit" you, fill out the form, turn it in, and get involved today. Remember what Helen Keller said: "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."

God bless,
Pastor Don

Why can’t we all just get along?

Why can't we all just get along?

Several people have asked this question lately and it does seem to be a cause of frustration for many. There are so many examples where countries cannot get along with other countries; denominations cannot get along with other denominations; citizens cannot get along with their governing officials; church members cannot get along with other church members or their pastors. What is most alarming is that, often, the reasons that these peoples and groups do not get along is based either in falsehood, misrepresentation, or simply faulty memories. But, it doesn't matter why they aren't getting along…What matters is only that each side is "absolutely right" and the other side is "absolutely wrong" and no one is interested in dialogue or compromise. It begs me to ask: "When did we get to be such mean people? When did we all become so convinced of our own importance and the insignificance of another point of view? When did it become acceptable to tell lies and half-truths to make your point? When did gossip become truth?"

I have recently encountered a situation where a particular individual faced some resistance in accomplishing a particular task. The source of the resistance seemed to be a misunderstanding between a few people and an honest mistake made by another individual. Even when the mistake was acknowledged and rectified, the first individual felt the need to continue to stir the pot, as it were. This person spent a lot of time contacting other persons in the organization to say that the one who had made the mistake had deliberately done so in an effort to undermine the whole organization. Of course this was not true, but it sounded true in the context of the gossip being spread. Before long many people were angry and anxious to remove the offending person from the group. Others defended the contrite offender and threatened to leave the organization if the others didn't stop the gossip. In short, a split developed along the lines of loyalties on both sides. The sad part is that the whole incident was based on half-truth, misunderstanding, and unfounded gossip; it could have been avoided if the parties had been willing to engage in civilized and productive dialogue. Instead, people on both sides are now not speaking to the other side and discomfort hangs in the air.

I am also aware of another situation where resistance to change and the struggle for undeserved power has caused an otherwise "Christian" organization to stand at the edge of a precipice leading to a split. Certainly most of us could cite a similar example.

My point here is that Jesus called his people to love God first and then to love everyone else. God's kingdom is filled with diversity of opinions just as it is filled with diversity of races, colors, creeds, and cultures. Diversity is God's good creative design; it is not an accident. Diversity is a gift from God that causes us to broaden our perspective and learn to get along with many different people. Diversity is the creative genius of a God who loves and cares for all of the peoples God created. Next time, before you get angry or argue with another person or dig your heels in the midst of conflict, ask yourself: "Why CAN'T we all just get along?"

Shalom!
Pastor Don