July 2015 Newsletter Pastor's Article

    
 In the past few weeks, many events have taken place in our country that have brought a mix of emotions to people. I do not think that it is my place to ever use my position to expound my personal feelings about political issues. But, on June 28th, I shared the follow during our prayer time.

     The Supreme Court is charged with interpreting the US Constitution and not the Bible. Adam Hamilton put it this way in a blog post this week: “ The Court is not asked to discern God’s will, or what constitutes ethical or moral behavior for Christians. Likewise, Christians do not determine their morals from public opinion polls. The Supreme Court ruling does not directly address how pastors, churches, and individual Christians must or should view the issue of same-sex marriage.”

     Currently, the official position of the United Methodist church is that gay and lesbian couples cannot enter into the covenant of marriage. Methodist clergy are not allowed to bless the marriage of same sex couples and such marriage ceremonies may not be held in United Methodist Churches. On Saturday, June 27th, all clergy in our conference received an email from our Bishop reminding of this, but also encouraging all pastors “to continue to reach out to all persons, within and outside of the church, whatever their sexual orientation or beliefs about marriage.... I pray that we will be known as people who show one another great patience and love even as we deal with our differences. May we love each other as Christ loves us (John 13:34-35).”

     The official position of the United Methodist church can only be determined by the General Conference which will meet in May of 2016. I expect that at that time, there will be much debate about this issue. Within the United Methodist Church, faithful Christians disagree about how the scriptures should be interpreted concerning this issue and I am certain that within our congregation there is a variety of opinions concerning this topic.

     However, I have brought this up to encourage us all to be in prayer about how we can faithfully respond to one another – particularly to those with whom we disagree. Our witness is greatest in how we treat one another. Whatever the issue is--whether it is about same sex marriage or what flag flies at a state capital--our witness is most faithful when we show grace and love to others even in the face of their disdain.

     So, my prayer request is that we will seek God. We will seek to be people of grace. We will seek to show love to all even when that same love is not offered to us. 

As the Bishop wrote, May we love each other as Christ loves us.

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’  John 13:34-35

Who Will Roll the Stone Away?

   When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?' When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, 'Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.' 

Mark 16:1-7 (NRSV)

We can only imagine the depth of grief that the women were feeling as they walked to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body with spices. What enormous grief they must have felt and yet they were compelled to perform this duty for Jesus much like the many other care-taking duties they had performed when he was living. The women had most likely been the ones who had cooked and cared for the daily needs of the disciples and perhaps focusing on a “task” would help their grieving.

Mark tells us that they have started out very early as the sun was just rising. And as they walk, they are wondering about the large stone placed in front of the tomb. How will they get the tomb open?

Who Will Roll the Stone Away?

This was a HUGE heavy stone that took a few men to move. My question is if they knew the stone was there, why didn't they bring someone with them?  Why didn't they bring any help?

 

 Yet, when they arrive, the stone was already rolled away! The obstacle that they thought would keep them from reaching Jesus has already been removed.

Who will roll the stone away?

That question didn't even need to be asked because it had already been accomplished. As I was reflecting on that question Who will roll the stone away? I realized how many other questions we ask that don't matter. How many things do we worry about that aren't really worries at all? My father would say, “Don't borrow trouble.” By that, he meant, “don't worry needlessly.”

The women were worrying about a situation about which in the end they didn't need to worry.  However, in this case, it was a practical concern and they had no way of knowing what they would find when they reached the tomb. It was a legitimate concern....

Who will roll the stone away?

But, what if... 

what if that concern had kept them away from the tomb?What if their worry over not being able to move the stone had kept them from even going?

Sometimes the worries and concerns in our lives seem overwhelming and sometimes there are practical questions that nag at us and worry us. There are stones in our own lives that need to be rolled away.  But, if we allow ourselves to be controlled by the worry, we might miss the opportunity for joy.

Today-this celebration of Easter is about Hope! The Resurrection of Jesus is about Hope not worry!  It’s about Joy, not fear!

As fearful and worried as those women were, they went to the tomb anyway. They went knowing their grief might only be deepened by what they would find there

They went to the Tomb-- a place that certainly would hold great sadness and instead, they found hope.

Easter is about Hope not fear!

When I think of the situations that bring us grief or which induce fear in us, I wonder, if we are borrowing trouble? Where are the stones in your life that need to be rolled away? Where are the places of sadness and grief that make you want to stick your head in the sand? Where have you let fear control your life?

What stone needs rolled away?

The women wouldn't have been able to roll the stone. It would have taken a few men to do this! But, God had already done it. The passive voice is used : the stone was rolled away. That means that “someone” had performed the action of “rolling it away." 

 

Who had done that? God had! 

Just as God had raised Jesus from the dead!

The stone was a barrier into the tomb but, when it was removed, Hope was made real and new life was gained by all! Resurrection happened!

On this Easter Morning, as we celebrate Resurrection and new Life and Hope, what stone needs rolled away in your life?

I invited you to offer whatever that stone is in your life to God. Might you know that it is through Christ that all the stones in our lives are rolled away and that all the fears and worries as overwhelming as they seem, can be rolled away by the One who raised Jesus to new life and offers that same new life and hope to us.

May you choose to live out of that hope rather than fear.

Who will roll the stone away?

God has already done it!

Praise be to God!

Christ is Risen!

Alleluia!

A Prayer for the Broken Hearted

O God,
who is the healer of all things,
you know our heart break
when life is not what we want or expect.

You, who walked among us 
and knew our emotions as even one of us,
you know the pain that is only felt inside our hearts--
when it feels like our very being is being split apart.

Lord, when hope seems hard to grasp,
Help me to know a bit of Your Grace--
even just a glimpse of your love for me.
Help me to know that when all others abandon me,
you do not.

Walk with me and bind up my broken heart
that I might love once again.


not sure when i wrote this but it has been awhile.. just sitting here in my drafts... thought I would share.