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9/1/2022 0 Comments

the Cost of Discipleship

Beloved of God,

Fella-ship is happening this Saturday at the church at 8 AM. It’s a chance for our men to get together to spend time with each other, pray, and offer mutual encouragement. One way or another, donuts and coffee tend to show up. It’s a good group, and we’d love to see you.
The church office will be closed on Monday in observance of Labor Day. Enjoy the holiday and be safe!

Our Scripture reading for Sunday is pretty challenging. Every once in a while you’ll run across one of those verses that nobody has printed on a tote bag, or hanging up over the dining room table.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)
It gets even harder from there…
In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. (Luke 14:33)
Does Jesus want us to walk out on our families? Does Jesus really want us to give away all of our possessions to follow him? Pastor types are always very quick to say “no, of course not. Jesus loves your family! Jesus likes your stuff!”. But really and truly the answer is more complicated. Look back at the very first verse of our reading to see why:
Luke 14:25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
The answer to these questions, whether I leave my family behind or get rid of all my stuff, is not a simple no. Instead, I think it might be this: Yes if that’s what it will cost to follow Jesus. The rest of this passage is about people, like this large crowd, who started great things without any concern over the cost. If you can’t finish, it’s better not to start. Will your family abandon you, threaten you, disown you over your discipleship? Do your things help you follow Jesus, or anchor you in the world? We do well to consider our families, our status, our possessions from time to time and honestly ask ourselves if the choice were between these things and following Jesus, what choice would we make?

Please join me this week in praying for :

An end to this pandemic.
Those having to love family through a hard moment.
Wisdom, for ourselves and this congregation.
Students, teachers, parents, and staff in our local schools.
Those who are lonely.
Those who are traveling.
In thanksgiving for those who serve regularly, faithfully, and quietly in this body.
The person(s) God will call to minister with us not long from now.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local level.
Those who attend to emergencies on our highways, in our wildlands, in our communities, and even in our homes.
One another (please email [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list).

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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8/25/2022 0 Comments

do not forget to do good and to share with others,

Beloved of God,

    Members of this church should be planning to attend our congregational meeting this Sunday, August 28th. We benefit from your wisdom as we discern the Spirit’s will for us together.
    Our Scripture reading for this week picks up where last week’s sermon text left off. It’s a fascinating part of scripture, and I hope you’ll read through it this weekend. These verses in Hebrews 13 are the type of closing instructions and advice that show up in lots of New Testament letters. It’s normal to end these kinds of writings with instruction and encouragement. But in Hebrews, there is so much attention to the reason behind the advice. Here’s an example:

Heb. 13:15     Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

It’s not just what we do, but why we do it. It’s not that Christians simply don’t offer sacrifice. It’s that the substance of that sacrifice changes. We come to know that praise, good deeds, and sharing with others, are the sacrifices of time and effort that honor God.
We should certainly be obedient, but the idea that we must be obedient with no regard for why is not a universal Scriptural truth. In fact, in an instance like this we learn not just that Christian sacrifice looks different, but why this is so. Doesn’t this teach us something about God? Don’t we come to know God more fully by not just knowing what God wants, but why God wants it? Isn’t it a great grace to know anything of God’s reasons at all? I hope you’ll think of that as we hear this passage on Sunday together.

Please join me this week in praying for:

Wisdom in this church.
Patience and guidance as we meet Sunday congregationally.
Students, teachers, staff, and others still getting back in the swing of things in our local schools.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local levels.
Those who respond to emergencies on our roadways, in our wildlands, in our communities, and even our homes.
Energy, rest, inspiration, and creativity for God’s people as they serve and minister day by day.
Neighbors in our state dealing with flooding and other challenges.
Those stepping into hard moments with family, with pets, or with friends.
Each other (please email [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list).

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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8/3/2022 0 Comments

August 03rd, 2022

Beloved of God,

    This Sunday we’ll be observing the Lord’s Supper together. Please plan on joining us for this important recommitment to Christ Jesus and to one another. We’ll have a chance to examine ourselves, and to discern Christ’s love and sacrifice for us as we come to the table.
    After the service, we are going to spend time eating together and hearing from the leaders of the different ministries in our church. We’re going to have waffles and pancakes, so bring along your favorite topping for a classic breakfast starch (apologies to hashbrowns). I’d encourage you to bring something to take notes on how these ministries are actively serving God in the church and the wider community.

    Our Scripture reading for Sunday is from Isaiah 1:10-20. There are some troubling words there, including these:
13     Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
        Your incense is detestable to me.
     New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations--
        I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14     Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
        I hate with all my being.
    They have become a burden to me;
        I am weary of bearing them.
15     When you spread out your hands in prayer,
        I hide my eyes from you;
    even when you offer many prayers,
        I am not listening.

I often try to remind us that we always have God’s complete attention; that He is aware of all our cares and struggles. These verses seem to fly in the face of that. But it’s a word we need in order to remember that God loves us too much to play games with us. There can be a gap that grows up between what we offer and what we are. There are plenty of ways to play at offering ourselves to God without really doing it, and the only victim of this ruse is ourselves. God is never fooled.
    Instead, we have the chance to offer our whole selves as what the Apostle Paul calls, “a living sacrifice”. We can bring God exactly who we are, and shape our lives around His kingdom. Our worship doesn’t have to be something we merely put on. It can be the core of what we are; of our daily practice. Why would we not strive to make it so?

Please join me this week in praying for:

Grace and peace for those among us who are grieving.
Students, teachers, parents, and staff as local schools come back into session.
This congregation as we ponder our jointly held ministry and discern God’s call for us here and now.
Those who respond to emergencies in our wildlands, on our highways, in our communities, and even our homes.
Those who are feeling the strain of loving and caring for others. Pray that God might ease that load, perhaps through us.
In thanksgiving for so much rain. We’ve needed it badly and God has been so faithful these last weeks.
Each other (please email [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list).

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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7/28/2022 0 Comments

Things above

Beloved of God,

    I hope you’ll mark your calendar for a few important dates in the coming weeks. We will be having a conversation with our ministry leaders on Sunday, August 7th. I hope you’ll plan on spending time with us during the Sunday School hour to hear about opportunities to grow in faith, needs within ministries, and a broad picture of annual events where you might partner with our ministries.

    I hope you’ll plan on joining us for our last two Midweek Cookouts for the Summer. I’ve loved getting to spend that time together on Wednesday, and for the final two weeks, we will be doing some Tie Dye just for fun. You may bring a white item to dye, but there will also be white t-shirts available.

    Our Scripture reading for this week comes from Colossians 3. Paul is fleshing out for the Colossians the substance of the change that takes place in a Christian life. Paul tells us our affections, our intentions, and our minds themselves should be directed to the things above because that is where Christ, the very substance of our life, is seated in glory. Old habits, behaviors, patterns of thought and actions don’t have a place in our lives anymore. In fact, those parts of us are dead, and what remains of them are also to be put to death.
    Paul goes on to point out that even the deep, important divisions that hold so much sway over us have no place for those of us in Christ. Religious boundaries, racial boundaries, economic boundaries, all these are obsolete. Christ is all, and is in all. It is a totally new way not just of behaving, but of understanding ourselves as we relate to God and to each other.
    This passage gets at the heart of devotion. We use that word a lot, but do we always recognize the practice? Do we, the sinful but saved, truly practice devoting ourselves to God day by day? Do we put these old patterns, these obsolete identities to death by giving all of ourselves to Jesus? Perhaps we can practice devotion more faithfully, and start by meditating on this very passage. We’ve been raised with Christ, and we can point our whole selves toward him again, each day.

Please join me this week in praying for:

Those of us facing illness, recovery, or weaknesses of mind or body.
Those who are traveling; for safety as they go and return.
Those in our community who respond to emergencies on our highways, in our wildlands, in our communities, and even our homes.
Wisdom for those of us making decisions.
Strength for those of us who are tired.
Officials in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local levels.
Teachers and students as they begin to prepare for the coming academic year.
People in our community who are having to face hard things, and face them alone.
Each other! (Please email [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list)

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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6/30/2022 0 Comments

Sow your seed in the Spirit

Beloved of God,

    I don’t know at what age I started to become someone surprised by the rapid passage of time. I have lived every day of June, but I still find myself caught off guard that it is over. I hope you are finding time for rest and recreation this Summer and enjoying the gift of rain as much as I am.
    Please be praying for our youth this Saturday as they participate in the 30-hour Famine. As they fast they will be taking up tasks around the church, including a car wash. If your vehicle needs a little scrub-down, keep your eyes peeled for some great young folks in our lot willing to do just that.
    On Tuesday at 10:00 AM we will be gathering to give thanks to God for our Friend and Brother Terry Hawkins. Terry was a deacon, a teacher, and a beloved member of our family, but he was also someone who did important work quietly and faithfully. As such, there is likely to be a significant presence joining us Tuesday, and you can help us prepare for those folks by letting us know if you plan to attend. Please email April to RSVP.

    Our Scripture reading this week is from Galatians 6:1-16. At the end of Paul’s letters, there was often a section on behavior and discipline. In the letter to the Galatians, Paul uses agriculture as a controlling metaphor to help him do this. Last week we read about the Fruits of the Spirit, which we often think of as the fruit above.

It’s cute! It’s memorable! But if we stop there we won’t recognize that Paul continues to use agriculture as a metaphor right into Galatians 6.

Gal. 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

The fruit we read of in Galatians 5 is always a result of how and where we sow. The life of discipleship isn’t like sitting around eating fruit. It’s more like the work of planting in the right place, tending the field well, keeping at it, and not giving up. We must not grow weary in doing good, just like a faithful farmer doesn’t abandon his fields before a crop comes in. Sow your seed in the Spirit, the new and beautiful part of you that’s alive in Christ. Don’t tend fields in the worst part of who you are; the part you’ll leave behind in a new creation. Be patient. Be faithful. And in time you will be fruitful.

Please join me this week in praying for:

An end to this pandemic.
Protection for those among us who are traveling.
Those recovering from illness or medical procedure.
Young people in our community, especially those in our congregation who we are called to steward.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local level
Those who respond to emergencies on our highways, in our wildlands, in our communities, and even in our homes.
Those among us who are facing big decisions, big changes, and big moments.
Each other! (please email [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list)

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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