Holy Land Pilgrimage

January 24, 2011

To our dear friends and supporters of our ministry,

Our Bishop, Rev. Dr. Robert E. Hayes, Jr., recently announced that he is hosting a trip to the Holy Land for recently ordained clergy and their spouses. The trip is scheduled for July 4-15, 2011. Bishop Hayes visited the Holy Land in 2010 for the first time and realized how it affirmed and changed his ministry. He wants to share that with us. To facilitate this, Bishop Hayes has agreed to pay one third of the cost for the trip and is asking us to raise the other two-thirds. What is also remarkable is the extraordinarily low cost for this journey of a lifetime. The total cost is $3,999.00 per person. This makes our share of the cost $2,666.00 per person, or a total of $5,332.00 for the two of us. While this is truly reasonable for a trip of this caliber, it is still a substantial sum of money for us.

As we prepare for this journey we covet your prayers. We ask that you pray for us as we practice frugality in order to save for the trip expense. We ask that you pray for our safety during the trip. We ask that you join us in praying for our preparedness to receive the great blessings that will come to us as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus and his Disciples. Finally, we ask that you pray for the generosity of people who support our ministry.

We believe that this pilgrimage is a journey God intends for us to make and that God will take us there and bring us back safely. With that in mind, we are stepping out in faith to buy our passports, put down travel deposits, and make other plans for the journey. Our leap of faith includes trusting that God will make a way for this trip to be funded. Our church has established an account where donations are being accepted. The information for this fund is:

FUMC-Holy Land Visit
c/o Great Plains National Bank
P.O. Box 400
Mangum, OK 73554
ATTN: Bonnie Hobbs

Most of all we covet your prayers; any financial assistance will also be greatly appreciated. We are greatly blessed in our ministry and we pray that this trip will enable us to be a blessing in ways that we cannot even imagine.

Thank you and Shalom!

Don and Linda Tabberer

Fulfilling the Law

Sunday, February 6, 2011, Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Evening Service

Matthew 5:17

“Fulfilling the Law”

Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

This verse has challenged the church for centuries…

This seemingly simple sentence is the source of constant debate over how modern-day Christians should embrace and keep the Law of Moses…

It sounds like Jesus is saying that everything in the Law stands exactly as written.

However, does this really mean that we are supposed to avoid eating pork and that stoning a disobedient child is still okay?

I don’t think so.

So, what does Jesus mean here?

Jesus is clear that he does not intend to abolish The Law…

However, he is equally clear throughout his ministry that he does not affirm the status quo

The key to understanding this passage is in discerning the word “fulfill”

For Matthew the word “fulfill” is complex…

It does not mean merely “to do,” as though Jesus claims that he performs everything required by the Law…

It is not “interpret” either, as if what he offers is only a new interpretation of the meaning of the Law…

It does not mean “sum up,” as though Jesus claims his teaching is only a summary of the Law…

While Jesus does not come to abolish the Law, he is changing it…

His radical preaching tells us that he is re-imagining the Law for a contemporary audience, to fit with their contemporary practice…

Matthew’s theology of fulfillment leads us to understand that the Law and the Prophets point beyond the context of their own contemporaries to a future realization of God’s will.

This is a Messianic Christology that affirms Jesus as the One who teaches God’s will and demonstrates how to live it out in a more contemporary world.

This does not mean mere repetition or continuation of the original Law; it means that the principles of mercy, justice, love, and covenant loyalty are what matters in the Law

Jesus declares that his life and teaching reveal the will of God for the world…

He tells us that it is not strict adherence to the Law that makes us holy…

It is the way we live out the will of God found within the Law that brings holiness…

Jesus exercised great freedom in his living over and against the traditional understandings of the Torah…This caused much discussion about the continued validity of the Law…

The church has wrestled with this issue ever since…

I believe that Jesus’ message is clear – God is not concerned about strict adherence to ancient Law – hear “Pharisee” – rather, God is looking for us to follow his will for the world as it is described in the spirit of the Law

How does this understanding fit into our contemporary culture?

I wonder if it opens us up to new ways to imagine what God’s will is for the 21^st Century

I wonder if this offers new opportunities for tolerance and compassion

I wonder if Jesus is speaking to us about how the principles of mercy, justice, love, and loyalty are what really matters in the Law

I wonder if the spirit of God’s Law might lead us into different ways of treating one another

Certainly, I do not have all the definitive answers to these challenging questions…

Remember, Christians have been debating this passage for two thousand years…

But I want us to be part of the conversation and seek ways to settle in to our own contemporary reading of Jesus’ words: “I come to fulfill the Law.”

What does that really mean for us, I wonder?

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…Amen

Gotta Shake It and Let It Shine

Sunday, February 6, 2011, Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Morning Service
Matthew 5:13-20

“Gotta Shake It and Let It Shine”

Salt has been a part of human history for thousands of years…

Archeologists have discovered settlements around salt springs

Evidence shows that salt was once traded ounce-for-ounce for gold

Trade agreements were formed around it

Wars have been fought over it

Exchange of salt for slaves in ancient Greece gave us the expression "not worth his salt"

Romans gave a salarium or salary to those who were "worth their salt"

There are salt museums to remind us of salt’s key role in the history of Europe, Asia,
the Middle East, and North America…

For us, salt is a flavor enhancer we take for granted and it is still used to cure and preserve meats

It is believed that there are more than 14,000 uses for salt…

From anti-icing sidewalks to making better coffee…

From helping with your laundry to cleaning copper pots…

From curing bad breath to relieving bee stings…

This simple compound – sodium chloride – has helped to shape the world as we know it.

In our Gospel reading this morning, Jesus tells us that we are salt and calls us to remain salty…

He also says that we are light and tells us to shine brightly…

This “you are” language implies that it is part of our identity…

Being salt and light is part of who we are as followers of Christ…

When Jesus says, “you are,” it doesn’t sound like we have much choice…

For good or ill, we are salt and light…

We need to accept that reality and do our best to shake it and shine it
in a bland and dark world

Let us pray…

Lord, help us to better understand what your kingdom requires of us.

May the words of my mouth be your words and may the meditations of our hearts
be your thoughts…In Jesus’ name…Amen

A little boy asked: “What is salt?”

The answer: “Salt is what spoils the potatoes when you don’t have any.”

I think this is what Jesus is getting at when he uses the salt metaphor to make his point…

The world is like a pile of potatoes that will be better or worse off because of the salt or lack of salt that we provide…

Salt can spoil the taste of food if it isn’t there – at least I think so –
I’m pretty partial to salt.

Our witness can enhance the world when it shakes out in the right amount,
or it can spoil things if we don’t shake it at all.

When you think about it, salt isn’t very useful in and of itself…

Its value comes in its application to other things…

We wouldn’t eat a plate of salt, but salt applied to almost any food makes it taste better.

The long list of uses for salt are all about mixing it with something else or applying it to something else to achieve a desired result…The salt just sits there until we use it.

When Jesus calls us the salt of the earth, could he be telling us that our true value is
in how we interact with others?

Salt enhances flavor, it brings out the best in food…

That’s what those who love Christ should do – bring out the best in people…

We should bring some zest to life and enhance its flavor…

Of course, we can’t do it alone – Only Christ can help us…But, I have to ask...

Are we enhancing the flavors around us?

Are we making others better?

Are we doing what salt should do?

Did you know that salt is made up of two poisonous elements – sodium and chlorine –?

Sodium bursts into flame when put into water, and chlorine is a green noxious gas that can poison a whole community if it leaks from a tank car.

But when these two evil substances combine they make beneficial salt…

I wonder if this tells us that Jesus can take somebody with a couple bad habits and turn them into something useful…

If we put the dangerous, poisonous elements of our lives into God’s hands, he can transform us into something beautiful and beneficial.

Interesting how God can do amazing things with ordinary folks like us

We need to remember too that we can’t live without salt…It is part of our system…

A certain amount of salt is required to regulate the balance of fluids in our bodies and it aids the transmission of electrical nerve impulses; it helps our cells process nutrients and it’s part of the process of muscle contraction and relaxation.

Without the eight ounces of salt most of us carry around with us,
we would most certainly die…

Jesus says: “You are the salt of the earth.”

Christians are essential to God’s world…

You are vital to someone’s life…

As followers of Jesus, our salt – our witness – is something the world cannot live without.

What good is salt if it stays in the shaker and never gets out? Has it done anything?

If you have salt in your shaker, you are called to shake it out…let it mingle with the world, adding flavor and making things better.

Another thing salt does is make you thirsty…

When you get a box of salty popcorn at the movies you can’t help but buy a soda to go with it…The salt is going to make you thirsty…

In the same way, when we shake some of God’s salt into the world, we hope that it will make people thirsty for more Jesus…

We want the salt to draw more people to Christ.

OK, so maybe we’ve taken this image as far as we can today…

But, I didn’t make it up – Jesus did…

The point is that we want to enhance other people’s experience of God…

We want to help others find their way into a relationship with God…

And, we don’t have to be heavy-handed about it – like salting your food,
you want to be subtle – not over-powering…

When you salt popcorn just right, you think, “Mmm, now that’s good popcorn.”

It’s not about the salt, it’s about the popcorn.

In the same way, we want to enhance the perception of God through the subtle flavor of His life lived in us.

It’s not about us, it’s about God.

We can take Jesus’ “light” metaphor and apply the same characteristics to it…

Light, in and of itself, isn’t very useful – It’s value comes when it is used to illuminate something else…

Without light, the world would be a pretty dull place to be – we couldn’t see and enjoy any of the wonderful things God created…

Light is made up of two elements – electrons and protons – that aren’t very useful just sitting around by themselves doing nothing…When they come together and begin to vibrate, the electromagnetic waves they create cause light…

Interesting how God can do amazing things with ordinary stuff.

Light is essential to our life too…Light fuels many of the complex chemical reactions that sustain life.

Light makes it possible for humans to see..

In the dark we grope around struggling to find our way…

Light allows us to see clearly…

Jesus’ use of this image also tells us that our light is not simply to allow others to see whatever they want to see, but it is so they may witness the acts of justice and mercy that Jesus’ followers perform in his name.

Jesus is clear that our light should help others recognize that what we do
is for the glory of God.

It makes perfect sense that Jesus would tie these two images together…

Salt and Light are vital to life itself…

When Jesus calls us “salt” and “light” he tells us that we are vital to the life of God’s kingdom here on earth…

He lets us know that our salt and light isn’t about us, rather, they are all about God…

The people sitting around Jesus that day on the hillside understood these images clearly…

More importantly, they got the context of these images…

Who are the salt of the earth?

They are the humble, the ones who mourn, the meek,
and those who hunger and thirst after doing what is right in the world…

Who are the light of the world?

They are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who suffer abuse for standing up for what is right.

Think back to last Sunday…

Blessed are you who don’t have it all together…

Blessed are you who ache because of how severely out of whack the world is…

Blessed are you who stumble, trip, and fall at the same place,
again and again and again…

Blessed are you because God is with you…God is on your side…

You are the salt of the earth…

You are the light of the world…

You are the one that God can use, in spite of all your faults and flaws…

You are the one that others see and you give glory to God…

Amen.

Blessed in God's Promises

Blessed in God’s Promises

Matthew 5:1-12
Sunday, January 30, 2011

SCRIPTURE STORY:

After Jesus called his first Disciples he went throughout Galilee. He taught in the synagogues and proclaimed the good news of God’s kingdom. He healed all manner of disease and sickness, and great crowds followed him. When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the side of a mountain and sat down. He began to teach them about God’s promises.

·         Blessed are you who don’t have it all together.

·         Blessed are you who ache because of how severely out of whack the world is.

·         Blessed are you who have run out of strength, ideas, will power, resolve, or energy.

·         Blessed are you who stumble, trip, and fall in the same place again and again and again.

·         Blessed are you who on a regular basis have a dark day in which despair seems to be a just one step behind you wherever you go.

·         Blessed are you, for God is with you, God is on your side, God meets you in that place.

(Rob Bell’s modern re-telling of the Beatitudes)

Let us pray…

Holy God, we are blessed in your promises and we come to you now, humbly, to receive your Word.

I pray that your words will be my words and that your thoughts will be our thoughts.

Guide us now in the hearing of the Gospel message.

In Jesus’ Holy Name…Amen

We’ve heard The Beatitudes before…

They may even be one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament…

They mark the beginning of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount…

We’ve read about them in Sunday school…

We’ve seen them in movies…

You have probable heard them preached a time or two…

The version you just heard is a little different from what you’re used to…

But, I want us to use this opportunity to look at this passage in a new way…

I want us to hear these words and try to imagine what they mean for us today…

The first thing we need to do is recognize who Jesus was speaking to…

The story tells us that Jesus had been travelling throughout the area…

He attracted crowds of sick, lame, paralyzed, and demon-possessed people…

He was followed by the sick, the troubled, and the down-and-out…

He healed them all…He ministered to all of them…

So, one thing we know for sure is that these same troubled and broken people were the ones gathered around him for this sermon…

That is important for us to remember…The broken, down-and-out regular folks – like us – gathered to listen to Jesus

It’s also important for us to understand that the word “blessed” should not be confused with the word “happy” we so often hear when this text is read…

Jesus isn’t talking to us about being happy here – about being in a good mood, or feeling good about our situation…

The word Jesus uses means: a fortunate state of life – experiencing God’s favor…

Jesus is revealing a new perspective here – a kingdom perspective…God’s perspective

It is this perspective I hope we can use today to re-visit the blessedness we find in God’s promise

“Blessed are the poor in spirit…Blessed are those who are not only economically deprived, but who also stand before God with no illusions of self-righteousness or self-sufficiency.

They are favored in God’s kingdom.

Like all the Beatitudes, this is a huge reversal for the ancients…Only the rich and powerful enjoy favored status – the poor are not worthy; this is also why the idea of “poor in spirit” is important – the self-righteous are not the favored as they believe.

“Blessed are those who mourn…Blessed are those who grieve over sin and evil in this world; they will be consoled/comforted

Certainly, those who suffer personal grief find comfort in their faith and God’s promise.

More importantly, however, when we mourn the collective and corporate sin of which we are a part, we confess to God and acknowledge that we do not always do the things God expects of us as citizens of this world.

Whenever we have the courage to stand before God and take responsibility for our contribution to corporate sins of this world, God will comfort us.

“Blessed are the meek…Blessed are those who are lowly and powerless, those whose only hope is in God; they will find the hope God promises; they will inherit the earth

Jesus isn’t talking about weak or spineless people here; this isn’t for the faint of heart.

Jesus is talking about those who courageously follow him in spite of their lack of means or status in the community…These are people who face the giants from positions of powerlessness that are not of their own making.

The last shall be first…the first shall be last

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…Blessed are those who yearn for the final salvation that only God can bring; they will be filled with saving grace.

It’s a familiar image to think of longing for justice as “hunger”…

God sees those who truly seek justice and righteousness; who truly hunger and thirst and yearn for God’s will to prevail…

God promises to fill them one day.

“Blessed are the merciful…Blessed are those who avoid judgment and embrace forgiveness; they will be forgiven; they will receive mercy

The Bible tells us not judge or we will be judged…

Jesus says that God will forgive us just we forgive others…

If we are to enjoy God’s mercy, we must first demonstrate the mercy God demands of us.

“Blessed are the pure in heart…Blessed are those who are undivided in their loyalty to God; they will see God.

A “pure heart” is an undivided heart…No false gods; no misguided loyalties;
true devotion to God and God’s will…

Purity like that comes from avoiding anything in this world that distracts us from God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers…Blessed are those who work for the wholeness and well-being that God wills for our broken world; they are God’s children.

This isn’t just about diplomacy and non-violence; it’s also about helping to pick up the pieces of a world torn apart by human sin, in whatever form it manifests itself, and putting them back together – healing the wounds our sin causes.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…Blessed are those who suffer because they serve God; they will be comforted.

Ancient Christians and Jews knew slavery and persecution; they counted on God’s promises to redeem their suffering and bring them to eternal peace.

Modern victims of The Holocaust, genocide, and religious and ethnic cleansing know what suffering truly feels like; they too count on God’s promises of redemption and eternal peace.

Anyone who suffers because of their devotion to God is promised a place in God’s kingdom…forever.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account…”

Blessed are you when people talk against you, make up lies about you, and seek to bring evil against you because you serve God.

It seems that our culture has a way of holding God’s people up to ridicule;
of misunderstanding and misrepresenting what they do not have.

Maybe it is jealousy, or greed, or simply pettiness, but those who don’t share our belief prefer to make fun of it or try to destroy it.

A wise minister once told me that you can always tell when you are doing the right thing – Somebody will try to stop you.

Rejoice and be glad for God will welcome you into his kingdom
and your reward will be great!

We must resist the temptation to think of the Beatitudes as a Christian Philosophy of Life…

This is not a system designed to make us more successful and calm today…

Christianity is not a scheme to reduce stress, lose weight, advance your career,
or keep you healthy…

Christianity is a way of living based on the firm and sure hope that God’s future will be a time of mercy and not cruelty; a time when righteousness and peace will prevail.

The gospel is the counter-intuitive, joyous, exuberant news that Jesus has brought the unending, limitless, stunning love of God to even us.

It is radical good news that turns the ancient world upside down and challenges us to continue to seek healing and freedom in the broken world of the 21^st Century.

Blessed are those who live this life now, even when such a life seems foolish, for we will – in the end – be vindicated by God.

When God is in charge the world will be a very different place.

This is the gospel that calls even us “blessed” in the promises of God.

Amen.

What Are You Looking For?

“What Are You Looking For?”
John 1:29-42
Sunday, January 16, 2011

            In the entertainment industry we are moving into the annual “Award Season.” The Golden Globes, The Tony’s, The Emmy’s, The Oscar’s, and countless other award shows will soon compete for viewers as actors, directors, musicians, and comedians engage in an endless mutual admiration group hug…Have you ever listened to the way they introduce each other on these awards shows?

“Please welcome world-renowned singer, dancer, and actress…winner of three academy awards, two Emmy’s and the Nobel Prize for Pretty…the woman who single-handedly brought sequins back to Hollywood…Miss Sally Sweetwater!”

I mean, really, she’s just a presenter and it sounds like she cured the common cold!

It is funny sometimes the way we make introductions…

Your cousin the doctor becomes a cutting-edge surgeon…

Your son the teacher becomes a full professor…

Your sister who sings solo in the church choir becomes a brilliant musician

Sometimes we exaggerate just a little to make people sound as good as we can;
we tend to think that a person’s image is enhanced by the larger-than-life introduction and their identity is created through what they do.

The problem with this is that we sometimes rob a person of the freedom to be who they truly are as they try to live up to their introduction.

In some ways John the Baptist is like the Master of Ceremonies for our gospel story
this morning…

His role is to point us to Christ…to introduce Jesus and to help us get to know him
for who he truly is….

While the introduction may seem pretty big – “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; Son of God;” and so forth, there is no exaggeration here.

Let us pray…

May the words of my mouth and the mediations of our hearts be truly pleasing to you,
O Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

The passage we read this morning is clearly divided into two distinct sections…

First we hear the testimony of John the Baptist identifying Jesus.

This testimony actually begins in verse 19 when the Jewish leaders confront John, asking him who he is…John tells them that he is not the Messiah, nor is he Elijah, nor is he the prophet.

He tells them that he is the “voice of one crying out in the wilderness…
Make straight the way of the Lord.”

He says that he is not worthy to even untie the sandals of the One who is yet to come.

Then, the next day, Jesus shows up and John points to him and identifies him as,
“the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

There are a couple of things we need to take away from this first section…

1.      John says he didn’t know Jesus; well, of course he knew him – they were cousins, they grew up together. What he’s telling us is that it wasn’t until the Holy Spirit appeared that John recognized Jesus for who he truly was. It is this recognition that enables John to testify with authority about who Jesus is.

2.      John distinctly uses the singular form of the word sin; he does not talk about the plural sins of the world – the many personal and corporate sins of humanity. The sin John refers to here is THE SIN of UNBELIEF. Jesus has come to take away the unbelief of the world…He has come to point people back toward God and to restore a right relationship with God.

The second section of this reading sets us up to be released from unbelief by helping us to identify Jesus Christ…

You see, our decision to be a disciple is inseparable from the decision we make about Jesus’ identity.

We must understand who Jesus is before we claim a relationship as Jesus’ disciple.

We hear a laundry list of titles for Jesus as the characters in this story point to him…

Lamb of God        Son of God           Rabbi                     Messiah

One who ranks ahead of me because he was before me

One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit

The next few verses include:

Son of Joseph from Nazareth             One in whom there is no deceit

King of Israel        Son of Man

Think about other names or titles that we give to Jesus…

The Way                            The Truth                          The Life

Light of the World            Light in the Darkness        Word of God

Sinless man                       Redeemer                          Lord

Healer                                Comforter                         Savior

God with Us                     King of Glory                   King of Kings

Who is Jesus?

The images from the gospel suggest that the reality of God in Jesus goes beyond any label we can place on him…

Jesus’ own words suggest that he is more than we can ever imagine…

“What are you looking for?” he asks

The disciple’s response of “Where are you staying?” is better translated “Where do you stand? What are you about? Who are you?” These would-be disciples aren’t asking where Jesus lives, they are concerned with his substance – his identity.

Jesus tells them, “Come and see.” Come see for yourself who I am and what I’m about. This calling of the first disciples is a warm invitation to be in a relationship;
it is not a forceful command.

This thoughtful invitation suggests that we cannot know one another by names or titles; rather, we know one another by how we live.

As we get to know Jesus throughout the Gospels, the names and titles will be replaced, reformed, and redefined by Jesus’ words, his actions, and finally his death and resurrection.

The rich variety of Christological images we encounter in Scripture cautions us to keep our eyes open for new and surprising revelations of God.

The church sometimes acts as if it has answered the last question about Jesus’ identity and arrived at the definitive revelation…What about the continuing journey?

We need to be open to new images and new metaphors for understanding Jesus and his relationship with the faith community.

We cannot let orthodoxy and traditions stand in the way of fresh and vital calls to discipleship that reveal new dimensions of the identity of Jesus Christ and the boundlessness of God’s grace.

The list of titles for Jesus is open-ended…

“What are you looking for?” Jesus asks…

“Release from drug addiction,” comes the answer and Jesus is Healer.

“Help me forgive,” and Jesus is the One who Empowers.

“Show me how to do my best,” and Jesus is Guide.

“What are you looking for?” Jesus wants to know…

The message is clear – Jesus is whatever we are looking for;
he is everything we are looking for;
he is all we need.

The “call narratives” in the gospels help us to understand discipleship…

For Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the stories of Jesus calling his disciples are focused on the idea of following Jesus to be transformed; promising a change in the lives of the disciple.

For John, however, the call narratives are about Jesus – about knowing who Jesus really is, developing a relationship with Jesus, and then being able to introduce Jesus to others.

John wants us to see that our call to discipleship is wrapped up in our understanding of the true identity of Jesus Christ.

Ultimately, John wants us to know and to testify that Jesus is everything anyone needs.

“What are you looking for?”

No matter how you answer that question, Jesus says, “Come and see.”