Mind Your Own Business :: Dying Moments :: 11.15.09 November 17, 2009

Our last night in this series we focussed on the idea that often we live reserved lives, without risks, and if not careful can look back from the end of them and realize we’ve missed it.  The concept came out of a story Jesus told in Luke 16:19-26

19″There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22″The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,[a] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25″But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

We started off the night with a couple songs: Unchanging (Tomlin) and You’ll Come (Hillsong)
We used a short video piece to get us going in the right direction.  You can watch it here.

I explained the direction we were going and we passed out sharpies and some cards I had made.  On the side titled: My Obituary (Life AS IS), I asked everyone to take a few minutes and consider the rest of their life IF it were to stay consistent from here on out.  If they were to keep on the same paths they’re on now, what might be said about them at their death?  We heard “Amazing Grace my Chains Are Gone” with some images of graves as they wrote.

John then got up and shared the message with them.  Using the scripture from above and the life of Oskar Schindler as an example.  Although he had done an extraordinary thing saving 1100 Jews from certain destruction during World War II, when the war was over and it was time for him to flee, he felt regret.  He realized he could have saved more lives.  There were more risks he could have taken.  We watched this scene from Spielberg’s 1993 film, Schindler’s List.

With the idea fresh in mind that with risk comes a chance for God to do amazing things in and through us, I asked everyone to pull back out their paper.  On the other side it said: My Obituary (Life as it COULD be), and I asked them to write a second obituary.  This time they should consider what their life could look like if they dared to take risks with God.  To give it all so that he could use it all.  A life that you would look back upon with pride, knowing you did all you could and that God did the rest.  We listened to “Take My Life” by Warren Barfield as they worked.  Great lyrics for this night!  You can listen here.

We came back together singing ”Came to My Rescue” (Hillsong) and “Yesterday, Today and Forever” (Vicki Beeching).  It was a great night.

Here is our current prayer request list. (Anyone can ask for prayer, just let me know! You can talk to me or drop one of our prayer request cards in the worship space Drop Boxes.)

:: Sonya Cooper’s dad has had a major surgery

:: Eric and Tina are expecting their first child!  So far, so good.  Please keep everyone’s health in your prayers.

:: Pray for Christa and her sons

:: Pray for Lacy Thompson – she’s serving as a missionary in Ecuador until Thanksgiving.

:: Andrea, Amanda B and Randall F are all looking for new jobs – pray God will open up the right opportunities.

:: Pray for Sam Dills (and his family) as he fights cancer.

:: Pray for Tony S – his truck died – Pray God is in the midst of it all and provides another vehicle.

:: Pray for Keith Kenney – he’s injured his ankle pretty severely.

Mind Your Own Business :: And Then Some :: 11.8.9 November 12, 2009

Our series continues with the radical concept about giving that Jesus introduced.  The idea that we are called not just to be generous, but to go farther than asked.  We used two pieces of scripture to focus in on this idea:

Matthew 5:38-42 (The Message)
“Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.”

Luke 6:31-38 (New Living Translation)
31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

So we started the night with a couple songs: Everything Glorious (David Crowder) and Lead Me to the Cross (Hillsong).

And we jumped right into story time.  We had set up a big, comfy reading chair, along with table and lamp in the focal point of the room.  So at that point in the service Karol came up.  Karol works at the library and reads books to kids often.  So she came up and read to us “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein.  We had the illustrations up on the big screen behind her as she read.  A beautiful book about the honor of giving your all and then some.  About the nature of the world to keep asking and to keep taking.  About the sustaining hand of God through the process.

When she finished, we broke the group into smaller discussion groups.  And gave them a sheet of questions to think though.  That first scripture was also a part of their discussion.  John followed this time with a short talk, working in our second scripture for the night.  The band followed that with a couple more songs: Wonderful Maker (Tomlin) and Hosanna (Hillsong).

It was a beautiful night!

Here is our current prayer request list. (Anyone can ask for prayer, just let me know! You can talk to me or drop one of our prayer request cards in the worship space Drop Boxes.)

:: Jackie Anderson is still traveling a very rough road, but she did start receiving Disability!!

:: Eric and Tina are expecting their first child!  So far, so good.  Please keep everyone’s health in your prayers.

:: Pray for Christa and her sons

:: Pray for Lacy Thompson – she’s serving as a missionary in Ecuador until Thanksgiving.

:: Andrea, Amanda B and Randall F are all looking for new jobs – pray God will open up the right opportunities.

:: Pray for Sam Dills (and his family) as he fights cancer.

:: Pray for Tony S – his truck died – and he and Andrea are moving back in together.  Pray God is in the midst of it all and provides another vehicle.

Mind Your Own Buisness :: COST is a Factor :: 11.1.09 November 2, 2009

At RUMC we find ourselves in the middle of what many would consider an uncomfortable situation.  Our church is in the middle of a campaign – a debt reduction campaign, and it’s also the time of the year when we’re all asked to make a commitment regarding our stewardship for the year – how we will commit to giving back to God by investing with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.

Seasons like this within the body of Christ can be looked at as an opportunity to lean into God, to publically claim dependence upon him and put our money where our mouth is.  Better yet – it’s a chance to put our money where our heart is.

But unfortunately, anytime money is brought up, for many of us it’s more like the fine print on the screen image (above) We say, whoa, money? Mind your own business!  As a matter of fact, most Americans don’t want to see a connection between our faith and OUR use of OUR money. We think that churches ought to stick to spiritual things and stay away from talk about money.

But it turns out, there is literally no subject which Jesus (the head of this church) talks about more.

• 16 of Jesus’ 38 parables deal with how to handle money and possessions. Almost half!!! Obviously, Jesus thought money was a spiritual thing worth spending time on – worth teaching about.

• In the Gospels—1st four books of NT that tell the story of Jesus’ life—one out of ten verses, 288 in all, focuses directly on the subject of money. That’s interesting, isn’t it? The Bible talks about tithing—giving ten percent. The Gospels—the books about Jesus—tithe. They devote ten percent of their verses to the subject of money.

• In the whole Bible, there are about five hundred verses on the subject of prayer and another five hundred on the subject of faith. There are two thousand on the subject of money and possessions.

What we do with the stuff we have is important to God.  To say “mind your own business” is just to recoil back into that selfish, safe place of ignorance – that’s not what we’re called to.

What we do with the stuff we’ve been given (talent, time, money, etc) – our STEWARDSHIP of these things is important to God.  So as a church we’re going to talk about it. We will do it respectfully, and in a way that doesn’t embarrass or hurt – that’s why our Offering Boxes are in the back of the room during this service.  Because we understand that how we approach money as a church can become a stumbling block for many people.  So we removed that potential issue, by inviting you to go to the plate instead of the plate coming to you.  

I’ve heard it said this way:  “The scriptures deal with money matters, because money matters.”

One recent study suggests that Americans spend 75% of our time relating to money. That includes earning it, spending it, investing it, thinking about it and worrying about it. Money matters.

 Jesus put it this way: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  In other words, where you’ve invested your money, you tend to invest your heart as well.  So of course we’re going to talk about your “treasure” in church – we can’t just mind our own business.  The business of the church is cultivating these hearts – and these hearts are connected to our treasure.

So we’ll spend a few weeks talking about different aspects of giving, of stewardship – and what we’re called to in these areas.  Please don’t run.  Don’t shut down and mumble, mind your own business – This, my friends, is our business.  And I’m excited – because this is going to challenge us.  People grow when they’re challenged – and I think we’re going to see some growth!

So we sang a couple songs: Hosanna (Hillsong) and Unchanging (Tomlin)
Our mission statement video was shot during the fabulous Fall Carnival the week before.

John spoke on the focus of the night.  The idea that the secret to giving is that it cost you something.  He shared the story of David buying a space to build an altar to God.  The man who owned the space offered it to David for free, along with anything else he needed.  But David realized how, though generous, the offer would take away from the purpose of the sacrifice.

David’s response to the man’s offer was this:
“”No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”  (2 Sam 24:24)  He understood that a cheap and easy gift just wouldn’t mean the same thing.  John spoke on that idea, and challenged us to consider the “cost” of our gifts – not just in the monetary value they have, but in how our sacrifice is connected to them.

It was also All Saints Day in our tradition.  So we spent some time remembering those saints who went home in the last year.  We lit candles for the church members who had passed, and people were invited up to light candles for other friends, family or loved ones who they wished to honor.  It was very solemn and beautiful. 

It was ALSO the first Sunday of the month, which is when we celebrate communion.  So John segued from costly gifts right into Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for our sins.  We took communion – served to each other (you receive, then turn around and serve the next person, then they do the same – very cool!).  The band played Communion (Third Day) and I Will Not Forget You (Pasley). 

We wrapped up the night with Marvelous Light (Hall) and hugs all round.  It was a good night.

Here is our current prayer request list. (Anyone can ask for prayer, just let me know! You can talk to me or drop one of our prayer request cards in the worship space Drop Boxes.)

:: Jackie Anderson is still traveling a very rough road, but she did start receiving Disability!!

:: Pray for Louis Savor’s mother – she had a heart attack last week and is recovering slowly.

:: Pray for Christa and her sons

:: Pray for Lacy Thompson – she’s serving as a missionary in Ecuador until Thanksgiving.

:: Andrea, Amanda B and Randall F are all looking for new jobs – pray God will open up the right opportunities.

:: Pray for Sam Dills (and his family) as he fights cancer.

:: Pray for Tony S – his truck died – and he and Andrea are moving back in together.  Pray God is in the midst of it all and provides another vehicle.