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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Go Where the Fish Are

Dear friends: 
 
As you probably know, over the course of the last number of weeks, I have been preaching strictly through the lectionary, and even more specifically, strickly through the Gospels.  The lectionary is the schedule of Scripture readings that various denominations follow throughout the year.  Once done, the major Biblical themes have been touched upon.
 
But now here is a strange thing -- by doing this, both last week and this week, we have touched on two very different "Call" stories.  Last week, the lectionary passage was from John, and we talked about Jesus' call of Philip and Nathaniel.  This week, the passage is from Mark, and we concern ourselves with the call of Peter and Andrew, James and John.  Both passages demonstrate the authority of Jesus, but this Sunday we learn the implications of the Call of God.  Our passage is Mark 1:14-20, and I hope you'll take time to look it over before Sunday.
 
Jesus was great with marketing.  To fisherman, His call was couched in fisherman language -- "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (the Greek is generic, and is properly translated as "people", but somehow saying that Peter and the others would become "fishers of people" just doesn't sound right to me!).  Obviously Jesus is calling Peter, Andrew, and the rest of us into the ministry of evangelism.  But how would the Master have us do that?
 
Well, to continue the fishing analogy, this Sunday we'll talk about how to "Use the right lure", how to "Cast a wide net", and how to "Go where the fish are".  Or, to put it less cryptically, we'll talk about where we need to go, what we need to say, and what the Church needs to do to attract people to Christ.  In these tough economic times, people are looking for answers to tough questions, and Jesus is the source of all those answers. 
 
I'll see you Sunday, and we'll see how the Bible addresses these important issues.

Friday, January 16, 2009

What is Christ calling us to do?

Dear Friends:
 
This Sunday we are considering what it means to be called by Jesus into service.  When one is called to be a disciple of the Lord, are we also called to be a carbon copy of Jesus?   Or are we called to follow the Lord with our lives, but still flavoring our ministries with our own unique personalities?
 
The Scripture story we are considering is found in John 1:43-51.  It is the story of Jesus' call of Philip and Nathaniel.  Philip, when called by the Christ, seems to show a bit of the missionary spirit about him.  He goes straight to Nathaniel and invites him to "Come and See" Jesus.  Nathaniel, on the other hand, shows some hesitation.  He responds with those very famous words "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?".  And yet, in the end, they are both called into Christian service, a service which lasts them the rest of their lives.
 
Like these two very different personalities, we each have unique gifts and graces that we can bring into the ministry.  Some of us do one thing well -- some another.  Some like to be in front of the limelight.  Some behind the scenes.  But each of us is serving as the Lord has called us to do.  Not one calling is better than another.  But all are in some ways very different from each other.
 
What is Christ calling us to do?  Come join us on Sunday, and let's find out together!!!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Season of Epiphany

Dear friends:  We have now entered the season of Epiphany, a time of the church year that is rich in preaching themes.  Epiphany celebrates two related events simultaneously, 1) the arrival of the Wise Men to visit the baby Jesus, and 2) a much broader theme of God's revelation of His Plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.  The colors of the season are white and gold.  The symbol is light.  Praise is in the air!!
 
So our Scripture passages are going to be about lights and sounds, scenes and drama, and life events of Jesus that will show us that He is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Light.  They lead us to allow God's Light to shine in our hearts in new ways, to illumine the dark corners and allow us to grow in our Christian Walk.
 
This weeks passage is Mark 1:4-11.  We are introduced here to John the Baptist, whose role is to proclaim the coming "of one greater than me", for whom he is not even worthy "to loose his sandles from his feet."  John creates quite a stir by proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  Like the prophets of old (he even looks the part), John calls Israel to repent, and be ready for God's coming Kingdom.  And the crowds flock to him in droves!
 
But then Jesus Himself comes to John, and is Himself baptized.  He is given God's Spirit and pronounced by God Himself to be His beloved Son.  This is the last time in Mark that anyone recognizes Jesus as the Son of God (except for the demons), until at the Crucifixion, the Light dawns on a Roman centurion, who proclaims that "This man is truly the Son of God."

 
You see -- Epiphany themes.  Light, sound, drama, Pronouncement, and the Revelation of God's Wonders!!

 
This passage invites us to do several things:  to anticipate the coming of Jesus, to repent, and to be introduced to the Holy One.  We don't need John in the flesh dressed in camel hair and eating wild locusts and honey to help us to do these things.  But there are ways we can do this today.  It takes looking within, and then looking outside ourselves.  It takes faith.  And it takes a life lived in the knowledge that God isn't yet done with either ourselves or this old world.


Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!

Dear Friends:  This Sunday is the First Sunday of the New Year, and, if you are counting, the tenth "Day of Christmas" (do you remember what my true love is supposed to give to me this day!!??).  It is also the 2nd and last Sunday of Christmastide.
 
The Scripture passage this week is Luke 2:41-52, the only story from Jesus' childhood to be found in Bible.  It is a famous story:  the Holy Family goes to Jerusalem for the annual feast day celebration, as required by the Law.  When the celebrations are over, the family begins the return trip home, and then discovers that Jesus is not with them!!  Where could He be?   He is only a boy of 12!!  After three days of frantic searching, they find Him in the Temple, discussed elements of the faith with the doctors of the Law.  Mom and Dad are understandably mad!  You know the feeling -- when you've searched and searched for a lost child, maybe in a grocery store or maybe even in the neighborhood -- you are beside yourself with worry.  And then, when the child is found, you could hug him and kill him all at the same time!!  These were the feelings Mary and Joseph had at the time.
 
But when they chastised Jesus, He responded that they shouldn't have had to look very far.  He was "in His Father's house", "doing His Father's business".
 
As we look ahead to a New Year, we will probably be in the habit of making New Year's resolutions.  More likely than not, they won't last very long -- by the end of the first week, they might be faded memories of better intentions.  Old habits take their place again.
 
This morning's passage of Scripture reminds us that perhaps the best resolution to make is to be "about our Father's business".  And to do that, we need to make a habit of going into the Word and going out into the world.
 
Join us for Sunday worship to find out exactly how to do that!!!  I'll see you there!!

Keith Almond