Feeding People Upstairs!

For the last several years, One Spirit UMC has been offering an evening meal on Tuesday nights in a ministry called Open Doors. It is a warm meal designed to give people an extra hand that could use it. Our guests include people who are struggling financially, people who just like to hang out on Tuesday evenings, volunteers from the church and surrounding area and lots of people who could just use a little time in fellowship.

Several months we began throwing around the idea of not only feeding people downstairs (in fellowship hall) but upstairs (in the sanctuary) as well. We have been dreaming, praying and planning as to how we could accomplish that.

This past Tuesday evening that dream and prayer came to life. At 6:15 PM, nineteen of our guest joined us for Worship as we sang several contemporary Christian songs, prayed together and listened to a message about Zaccheus. It was a blessing for everyone!

Starting in February we will begin worship on the first and third Tuesday of every month immediately following dinner at Open Door.

Please keep us in your prayers as we watch God do amazing work in our lives!

Jacob, Israel, Jacob...is Scripture really reliable?

It has been interesting to visit Genesis again this January and look at the chronological writings comparing the chapter sequence to the story chronology. For centuries it has been argued that Moses and Moses alone was the author of Genesis. Many theologians today think that there are three or four distinctive writers of Genesis, a book that was handed down as an oral epic through many generations, before it was actually penned in papyrus probably around 900 BC, (although others would say closer to 1400 BC or the time of Moses).

We see in the writings that after Jacob wrestles with God he is renamed Israel. But two chapters later he is referred to as Jacob again. The chapter after that he is named Israel by God...again! Some would argue that this is proof that scripture has errors and is unreliable. If we can wrap our minds around the multi-authorship idea, this is explained by the fact that what we see here is the story as it is related by several authors, compiled as close to chronological order as possible. If we don't examine the writings critically, it is easy to be dissuaded in our beliefs and our faith.

At the same time it is always important to be caught up in the meaning or message of the Scripture MUCH MORE than the origins or literary form.

It is clear to me for instance that God wants us to "wrestle" with the call of God in our lives and to trust that the Creator is much bigger than the issues we face, and that God is ALWAYS ready, in Divine grace, to forgive us and bring us back. Praise God for God's amazing love!

Just some thoughts....

Selah

Often when reading the Psalms we come across the word Selah. There is a contemporary music group that uses this name for their band (a sister and brother team), that make amazing music together and I HIGHLY recommend their albums if you like reflective, tight harmonies in your music style.

The word Selah is not completely understood, but a similar word is often used to urge one to stop and reflect. Because of that many theologians and experts in early language think that when Selah appears in a Psalm (remember most of the Psalms are songs that were sung to a melody) it is where there was a musical interlude, not unlike when there is a piano or guitar solo after a verse. This would give the listener the opportunity to "stop and reflect" on the words that were just sung.

Oh if we could all just stop and reflect from time to time....

Family Dysfunction

As we continue our exploration of Genesis, I find some comfort in the drama and dysfunction of Isaac's family. Many times as I work with families in ministry I hear people talk about how dysfunctional their families are. Its as if we are looking for the perfect or "normal" family situation. It is pretty clear that outside of some situations involving violence or neglect, that most families have similar amounts of dysfunction, and as we see with Isaac and his sons, that's been going on for a long, long time.

The lessons learned is that we should always look to our faithfulness to God, as exampled by God for us...because people are always going to fall short of the mark....just a thought.

Worry Warts Unite!!

Been kind of a tough day for me, had some grenadess launched at me, dealt with some really old wineskins that seem to be leaking, and worried about broken hearts, lost my cool, listened to broken hearts and and deep seated pain in others. I really began to worry what the impact would ultimately be on the lives of people involved. I guess if I'm honest, I worry a lot about doing the right thing, taking the right path, making the right choice.

In today's reading we are reminded by Jesus, that God takes care of the most insignificant things in His creation, clothes the lillies of the field in grandeur. God will also take care of us if we are willing to allow that.

As for me I will continue to search my heart for what I believe God is calling me to do, and I hope each of you will as well... "Who of you by worrying will add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

TV MA Rating!!

In the last few days we have seen in the book of Genesis the story of how the two angels of the Lord are nearly accosted by men as Lot tries to hide them and protect them. Often the stories of scripture pull no punches when describing the sins of mankind, and pull no punches in God's displeasure in them as well.

I found it interesting that God offered Lot and his family safety if they were willing to leave their place of sin and walk back towards the Lord. But it becomes clear that God wanted a total committment to that return. When Lot's wife looks back at their sin-filled past, she pays the conseequence.

So it is with us. God calls us to turn our back on our own sinful lives, and never turn back. Looking back on our old life, almost always leads to devastating consequences....just a thought...

And Abraham laughed....

In our "read the bible in a year" project, today we read the story of Abram's name change to Abraham. At that moment God tells Abraham that he will father a child, at the ripe old age of 99. Scripture records his reaction..."Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed.."

Every time I read this it makes me smile. How many times has God called me to do something that my first reaction is, "Say what?? You want me to do what?"

Clearly God calls us to go where He can do great work through us, to take on missions that He can provide the resources and the grace.

I find comfort in knowing that God has a wonderful sense of humor, and that there is no challenge bigger than our Creator....just a thought...

The Transfiguration- Light in the dark?

This year many of the members of One Spirit Church in KC are joining me in a "through the bible in a year" journey where we will read about 3 chapters from the bible every day working our way, together, systematically through the entire collection of Scripture. We have been reading Luke this week, and this morning heard the "good doctor's" description of Jesus' transfiguration as He met with the two other "deliverers" from the bible, Moses and Elijah.

As I was reading some background on the scripture this morning one of the analyst suggested that the accompanying Apostles were sleepy...and this may be because the event possibly took place at night! In all the years I had read about this encounter, I never considered the possibility of this event taking place at night.

The light coming out of the darkness, the deliverers meeting together to encourage Jesus the fully man fully God into His next chapter of His mission to save the world.

This is why I think it is so important to read and re-read the scripture, to search for new ideas and depth and meanings.

I have had a lot on my mind of late and am not sleeping very well, in fact night time has become a real trial for me in frustration. Tonight I will focus on the encouragement of the deliverers in the darkness, where the Messiah took on the new glow of strength for His mission!

Maybe all of us could use another read of the words of the creator?....just a thought....

PPGSW- or what to do with the New Christmas Gift!

On December 24th, albeit to a snow decreased crowd, we celebrated the birth of "THE" king, and remembered the incredible gift of redemption that our Creator has given to us. But just like most gifts that we received this last Christmas, there are some things we need to do to keep the Gift in the condition it was received. As United Methodists we pledge and covenant with our local church to support "The Gift" with our Prayers, our Presence, Our Gifts, Our Service and Our Witness.

This month we are featuring a re-commitment of our covenant in a series call "The After-Christmas Gift Guide." "24-Hour Customer Support", "Some Assembly Required", "Additional Supplies are Necessary", "Batteries Not Included" and "Customer Feedback Survey" are the sermon titles, but beneath the clever puns is a renewed call to recommit our lives to this Saviour, this Jesus, the Christ.

When is the last time you REALLY considered being "sold out" for Jesus, making a radical covenant that might seem crazy to everyone else? Maybe its time, right now!