ande myers

Deep People

2011-11-04T12:04:00.003-04:00

It is easy for me to get discouraged as I pay attention to the political process: local, national and international. I have a close friend who’s been in Washington for over ten years and has a high level job in the Senate. Two weeks ago we spoke and she said, ‘I am thinking of getting out. It is just too nasty around here.’

I wonder, considering our beauty pageant elections and sound byte culture, how many of the strong leaders of the past 150 years or so could get elected today? Abraham Lincoln was awkward looking and wore melancholy on his face. Theodore Roosevelt had bagged too much big game; he busted up trusts; he was also a bit too ‘green’. His cousin, FDR, was physically disabled and probably would not impress on the stump today. Harry S. Truman, o.k. I’ll say it, … maybe a bit too nerdy.

Now, I realize that I can be the ‘glass half empty guy.’ I believe that this for me is sinful and I seek help from God. And I share this with you to say, Please, don’t you be glass half empty people! There are enough out there already.

Richard Foster, a favorite devotional writer of mine has said, ‘Superficiality is the curse of our age…The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.’ Of course by ‘deep people’ he means devoted and serious followers of Christ.

How do we become deep people? Well, we recognize where we are and who we are. We are sinners in need of a savior. Deep people look to the Lord for their identity and meaning. Deep people realize that they are brought together by God’s calling and invitation. Deep people also regularly practice submitting their lives and will to the Lord. They do this at home, in quiet; they do this together, in worship. You know some of these deep people. With the Lord’s help we can become like them.

The Psalmist knew of these deep people, too: They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. (Psalm 1.3)

Today we have the opportunity to follow Jesus Christ with our lives. How we respond determines the kind of people we will become.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

The Serious Call to Discipleship

2011-09-30T11:10:00.000-04:00

On Sunday I was reminded again of how valuable a Sunday School class can be to me. We were discussing a difficult passage from Matthew 8 where Jesus calls a person to follow and that person replied, I will after I bury my father. Jesus responds with a shocking statement, Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead. Wow.

We discussed the ramifications of ‘discipline’ and noticed that to be a disciple is a calling we each must consider with utmost seriousness. Becoming disciples is our job to do. We all need reminders.

On Monday, with the good conversation from the day before fresh on my mind, I read an interesting article in Time about Nnamdi Asomugha, the great cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles. (‘Thou Shalt Not Pass’, p. 67, October 3, 2011) In bold I saw these words: In 2010, Asomugha won the Jefferson Award for Public Service, often dubbed the Nobel Prize of community service.

This offseason Asomugha was given a $60 million contract with the Eagles. The article described how important it is to him that he uses his wealth and influence for greater good. He chairs two different philanthropic programs and books numerous speaking engagements, both national and international, where he encourages others to give back.

In the article we learn that his parents, who were Nigerian immigrants, were quite strict. He and his siblings were not allowed to watch t.v. but were encouraged (translated ‘made’) to read. (I wonder, is it harsh to forbid t.v.? Each family can decide.) His parents made it a priority to go to expose their children to the great needs of the world. His family would lead food drives and visit homeless shelters regularly.

So, how does a person become a good steward of $60 million? In short, Asomugha developed the habit of giving back. This can be a hard habit to develop, but once it does, it tends to stick. When the millions came his way, he already knew how he would use the money.

The article in Time never mentioned Asomugha’s faith and I know nothing of his personal life…but his story clearly speaks to me on the issue of discipleship. So, how are we to be faithful in the big things in life? Well, it seems clear that we must practice faithfulness. And we tend to get the most frequent practice in the small things. It also helps when we start as soon as we can. According to Jesus, discipleship is very serious stuff.

Stewardship

2011-08-31T16:49:00.000-04:00

Friends,

Recently I’ve thought a lot about stewardship. Maybe it was all the study about Solomon’s great influence and opportunity two weeks ago for the message. (Or maybe it was the next week thinking about Esther and her faithfulness in a tight spot.)

Stewardship can mean faithfulness with your physical and monetary possessions. But this is not all. As I heard recently, it can mean, Learning to live on less so that others can have more. This is not all, either.

I remember a story I heard told by Frederick Buechner several years ago about an incident in his ministry. He reflected on leading a retreat at Laity Lodge and what he shared as he was asked to tell part of his story. Here’s what he said:

It took place in the 1930's during the Depression when there wasn't much money; an awful lot of drinking was going on in the world and in my family; an unsettled and unsettling time even for a child of ten, which I was.

The episode I described concerned a time when my father had come back from somewhere. He had obviously had too much to drink. My mother did not want him to take the car. She got the keys from him somehow and gave them to me and said, "Don't let you father have these." I had already gone to bed. I took the car keys and I had them in my fist under the pillow. My father came and somehow knew I had the keys and said, "Give them to me. I have got to have them. I have got to go some place."

I didn't know what to say, what to be or how to react. I was frightened, sad and all the rest of it. I lay there and listened to him, pleading really, "Give me the keys."

I pulled the covers over my head to escape the situation and then finally, went to sleep with his voice in my ears. A sad story which stood for a lot of other sadness of those early years.

When I finished reading it, Howard Butt, who is head of the Butt Foundation which finances Laity Lodge, came up to me and said something for which I was utterly unprepared. He said, "You have had a fair amount of pain in your life, like everybody else. You have been a good steward of it." (‘The Stewardship of Pain’, a sermon preached in 1990)

Today will you be a good steward of all you’ve been given (and of all the Lord has brought you through?) Someone dear to you may desperately need it.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

The Resilient Life

2011-08-19T14:54:00.000-04:00

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith...

~ Hebrews 12.20-1

Recently we’ve looked at ‘The Resilient Life’ as a topic of study and reflection. On some level each of us desires to live with resilience. We want to live lives of faith and hope in the storms of life and in the calm.

Caleb was sent with 11 others to scout out Canaan. Ten said, No way, but Caleb and Joshua said, With God’s help we can do this. Forty years later Caleb was still a fighter…He lived The Resilient Life.

Eli failed miserably as a father. His two sons became priests and made a mockery of the ministry under Eli’s gaze. They would be punished by God. Eli’s eyes had grown dim yet, when the Lord called Samuel, Eli recognized that God was speaking to the boy and he told him how to listen. Eli had allowed the Lord to heal him of his failure and he was in his 90’s when he mentored Samuel.

Sunday we will focus on Solomon, a king known for his prayer for wisdom, his judgment (one in particular), his riches and his building of God’s house, the Temple. He ruled a long time and did great things, yet he lost focus in the living of his life. And he was the wisest person to ever live! I hope you’ll be here as we seek God’s guidance as we reflect on Solomon’s life. I am very excited about what there is for us to learn.

Just so you know, it is a privilege to be your pastor and I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday. Let’s commit again to living The Resilient Life.

Blessings,

Ande

Builders

2011-07-15T10:19:00.001-04:00

In a wonderful message from twenty years ago, Benjamin Reeves told of a story he had heard earlier in his life. It seems there was a wealthy individual who was leaving on an extended trip. He placed blueprints in front of his secretary and told him, ‘I’ll be gone for ten months. Here are the plans and specs and funds to cover the cost.’

Here is how Reeves told the story:

The astute employee saw a chance to feather his own nest. He hired a crooked contractor, employed unskilled labor whenever possible, and put cheap, inferior material into the building. When it was finished, it had the appearance of magnificence, but was really a poorly constructed, insubstantial shell.

When the employer returned and went with the secretary to see the building, which looked quite beautiful overlooking the lake, he asked the secretary, "What do you think of it?"

"I think it's wonderful," the secretary replied.

"I'm glad you like it. I'm retiring from business; I won't need your services much longer and I want you to have a nice house in your retirement. This house is yours."

Sunday we’ll focus on the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount. This is the key verse:

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock…

~ Matthew 7.24

Sunday we’ll focus on the subject, Builders. I hope to see you then.

Blessings,

Ande

2011-06-10T17:00:00.001-04:00

The Telephone

I have just hung up; why did he telephone?

I don’t know…Oh! I get it…

I talked a lot and listened little.

Forgive me, Lord, it was a monologue and not a dialogue.

I explained my idea and did not get his;

Since I didn’t listen, I learned nothing,

Since I didn’t listen, I didn’t help,

Since I didn’t listen, we didn’t communicate.

Forgive me, Lord, for we were connected,

And now we are cut off.

~ Michel Quoist

There are many ways we pray. We confess; we ask on behalf of someone else; we ask for ourselves and our families; we give thanks.

But Quoist’s brief poem (prayer) reminds us of something we know: Prayer is to be a dialogue not a monologue. So, how do you nurture listening to God in your life?

Maybe you hear God’s voice in nature or through a friend or through worship or in Scripture. Whatever the case, I’ve learned that listening can only occur when I make an effort to pay attention.

Yesterday morning I went out onto my patio to do just this. Because of a finicky little dog and a three year old little girl, my sleep had been disrupted in the night so that I was not able to make it to the patio as early as I would’ve liked. Yet, the morning was cool, the coffee was hot and my life was open. I was paying attention.

Psalm 24, so overlooked because of its close neighbor, 23, came to mind: The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…

Over the cool breeze, under the brightening sky, feeling the mugginess, watching the squirrels work or play – it is hard to tell the difference – and listening to the birds sing I knew, This all is the Lord’s. And my life is, as well.

What a great way to start the day.

Blessings,

Ande

The Monks of Portsmouth Abbey

2011-04-28T14:43:00.002-04:00

On Palm Sunday the New York Times published an interesting article: ‘Monks Embrace Web to Reach Recruits’, by Tanzina Vega. I found it quite interesting. Here’s how it began:

The Benedictine monks at the Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, R.I., have a problem. They are aging — five are octogenarians and the youngest will be 50 on his next birthday — and their numbers have fallen to 12, from a peak of about 24 in 1969.

So the monks, who for centuries have shied away from any outside distractions, have instead done what many troubled organizations are doing to find new members — they have taken to the Internet with an elaborate ad campaign featuring videos, a blog and even a Gregorian chant ringtone.

(Read the original article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/business/media/18monks.html?_r=1&ref=tanzinavega )

As I looked at the pictures and read the stories of these dozen monks, I realized that they really want their chosen mode of calling and practicing Christianity to continue. They have developed a Facebook page to reach younger generations and are also experimenting with a blog – but, as of now, are afraid that they are not quite ready for Twitter! One priest said it this way, If this is the way the younger generation are looking things up and are communicating, then this is the place to be.

I was impressed by the maturity of these men who spend much of their days in prayer and in silence yet connect with and minister to the world for Christ’s sake and do it in new and different ways. When faced with new possibilities, they were curious and longed to be faithful. No circling the wagons here. This is Christian maturity.

I noticed that this article appeared on Palm Sunday, a day the world is reminded to drop our preconceived ideas of what the Messiah looks like and how the Messiah works. On this day we are to embrace Jesus Christ who comes God’s way and in God’s time and who comes ‘in the name of the Lord.’

I also see connections between these monks reaching out and inviting younger generations to participate and our challenge to spread the Gospel, as well. One monk’s comment was telling, Our power is very limited. In the end it’s God who is calling people to himself and calling to people to live in union with him. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t do our part.

So, will you do your part? What if it means changing your mind … or your practice?

Do you like these ideas, or not, or do you have questions? Let me know.

Gotcha Day

2011-04-08T14:26:00.001-04:00

Friends,

Wednesday, for our family, was a very special day. We had lunch with friends and celebrated together and have termed it Gotcha Day…for one year ago Kenya’s adoption was final. And she loves to say – Gotcha!

In some ways her coming into our family was a natural thing. We met her and began caring for her when she was 3 weeks old and smaller than either of our boys were when they came home from the hospital. She lived with us for her first 11 months, was sent to live with biological family for seven months but visited often during that time, and then came to live with us for good when her parents asked us to care for her again (she was 17 months old then). She has been with us every since.

A week ago Michelle and I visited with friends who’ve taken a baby into foster care. We shared that the one regret we have as we look at our experience with Kenya is that the first two years of her life for us were filled with great anxiety – a fear of losing her. (Each month we went to court and listened as the judge decided where Kenya would reside.) I don’t know how this anxiety could’ve been helped. We fostered not intending to adopt, but then we met Kenya and we all were in love.

As we talked last with our friends who are fostering a beautiful baby, we also shared that there is no way we could’ve traveled on this journey with sanity if it had not been for our church family. I don’t say this in a cavalier manner. There is absolutely no way.

I remember when Kenya had been sent to be with her biological family one friend (a church member) said, Stay in touch with them if you can, this is not over. I think this is far from over. At the time I just knew it was over, I thought she was lost forever, and I was in a fog of grief wondering how our family would go on. I didn’t even know how to pray. Never did I dream this friend would be right.

You know, I probably don’t encourage you often enough to go and be the church. Jesus calls us to be his hands and his feet, his compassion and his love, his church. I also probably don’t praise you often enough when you do just this. Sometimes your pastor and his family need you and you have certainly been the church for us. For this I am thankful.

God bless you.

Ande

Comments? I'd love to hear them at: ande.myers@gmail.com

Psalm 42 - A Reflection for Worship

2011-03-16T20:31:00.001-04:00

Psalm 42

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so our souls long for you, O God.

Our souls are thirsty for You, we are thirsty for the living God.

When shall we come into your Presence and see your face?

Our tears have been our portion night and day and many have asked, Where is your God now?

Why are our hearts so heavy, O Lord? Why this unrest within us?

Our souls are quite burdened, the load is hard to bear;

Therefore now we will remember Your work in our midst.

We remember your help in this place.

We remember the waves of your Presence rushing over us.

Lord, you have given your loving-kindness in the daytime,

And in the night-time we did sing of you. We now make our prayers to you,

O God, the Lord of our lives.

At times we wonder, ‘Have you forgotten us? Why are our adversaries so heavy upon us?’

Our bones are being broken, we are oppressed and scorned. We are asked again, Where is your God now?

Even though our hearts are still heavy, O Lord,

Even with our souls’ unrest.

O God, We will put our trust in you.

We will give thanks to the One who is our Help and Presence,

Our Light and our Life. Amen.

A Lenten Devotion

2011-03-16T20:26:00.003-04:00

Friends,

I hope this brief note finds you doing well. Perhaps you realize that the Christian church is in the season of Lent. This is the season of the year leading up to Easter. Here are some general Lenten facts:

~ Begins on Ash Wednesday and includes 40 days minus Sundays.

~ Adapted from the word, lengthen, as in the lengthening of the days.

~ In the early church, converts used this time to prepare for baptism on Easter Sunday.

~ This time represents the time (40 days) Jesus spent in the wilderness focusing on God. His vocation was

clarified as a result.

Today many ‘give up’ something during these

40 days. This may or may not serve a spiritual purpose.

(Examples might be t.v., caffeine, alcohol, the news

media, chocolate, etc.)

Here are some practical applications for us:

~ 40 days is ten percent of a year, thus representing

a tithe.

~ Habits formed during this time can carry over.

~ ‘Giving up’ something is never trivial when it is done for the greater purpose of glorifying God. Nor is ‘taking on’ something new for a period of time.

~ Less of any one thing can mean more space and room for God. We can welcome this.

Years ago I decided to ‘take on’ something new during Lent. This year I am carefully praying through selected psalms. I take a particular psalm a week and pray through it several times over the course of the week. I read it in a few translations, new and old. I read what a good commentary or two says about this psalm. Finally I write it in my own words as a prayer.

Sunday I shared Psalm 42 with the church during our time of Morning Prayer. The extended and relaxed reflection on this psalm helped me notice the general message of the psalmist: in the midst of turmoil, as the psalmist was asked, Where is your God now?, the psalmist remembered God’s work in the past. This remembering sustained for the present. Remembering brought comfort; remembering was also a commitment.

This week I’ve moved on to another Psalm, and am finding the exercise even easier and more enjoyable. How will God use this during these forty days and beyond? We shall see.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

The photo in this email is of our Communion Table this past Sunday. The Flower Committee does a great job with seasonal displays.

Comments? - I'd love to hear from you: ande.myers@gmail.com

Completely Legal and Absolutely Wrong

2011-03-04T14:26:00.002-05:00

Friday, March 04, 2011

Early yesterday morning I saw some friends at the coffee shop and they asked me, What do you think about this Westboro Baptist Church and the Supreme Court decision?

Nothing like this to start off a Thursday, huh? Well, have you seen this story? Westboro Baptist is a church known for their hate and hate-filled demonstrations at inaugurations, courthouses and ,yes, funerals. You’ve probably seen their posters. These appeared at the funeral under consideration: "God Hates Fags," "God Hates You," "God Hates America," "God Hates the USA/Thank God for 911," and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” to name just a few.

This week the Supreme Court heard a case involving Westboro Baptist and the grieving father of a fallen soldier. The soldier was Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, a Marine who died in Iraq. All Mr. Snyder wanted for his son was a private and solemn funeral. And then they show up with their posters and their hatred. (Here you can find several good and thoughtful stories about this Westboro Baptist Church, the Supreme Court, and the issues surrounding this case: www.abpnews.com.)

So, back at the coffee shop…Ande, what do you think about them?

I said, It makes me sick that they call themselves Baptist and it makes me sick that they call themselves a church.

Would you worship with them? No.

Would you serve them Communion? They wouldn’t come to our church.

That’s not what I asked…if they did, would you serve them Communion? We would have some sort of conversation beforehand and I would not.

The Supreme Court decided 8-1 that Westboro Baptist could make these nasty protests. In this case it is evident that they decided that what is legal in America can still be totally wrong. Even in this ugliness America remains beautiful.

The Associated Baptist Press referred to the lone minority opinion:

Justice Samuel Alito filed a dissenting opinion, saying that while the church’s speech might be protected if directed toward a public figure, plaintiff Albert Snyder of York, Pa., was a private individual who suffered “great injury” due to “outrageous conduct” by a group seeking publicity…“In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalization of innocent victims like the petitioner,” Alito opined.

Here is why I am so mad at Westboro Baptist. I celebrate that they can legally express their opinions. And I am resigned to the fact that they can be tacky about it and tasteless, even vulgar. But the church is called to a higher standard. That church and all churches. And I see in this church no reflection of Jesus Christ.

In our nation freedom is a privilege. Freedom is a responsibility. Sadly, not everyone is mature enough to earn privileges and take responsibility.

Justice Alito prevented a unanimous decision because he could not get his eyes off of the victim. In this case the victim was the grieving family of Lance Cpl. Snyder. I am proud of Justice Alito’s decency. And if I err, I hope to err on the side of grace and compassion.

As we think about our lives and our callings we should aspire to live lives of purity, generosity, and compassion. In this case I believe this would have been to tend to the grieving family. James said it like this in chapter one verse 26 – 27:

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

After leaving the coffee shop I was still angry at Westboro Baptist. I probably always will be. I also realized that the world is looking to the church. They notice. And I wonder: Do we give them substance and seriousness? Are we like Jesus? Our job, job number one, is to be witnesses for Jesus.

Please, God, give us your help.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

Questions or comments: ande.myers@gmail.com.

An Invitation to Grace

2011-02-11T16:23:00.001-05:00

On the way back from a visit today I was listening to National Public Radio’s coverage of the events in Egypt. Hosni Mubarak has resigned. The people are ecstatic as hopes are high. One person interviewed said that in 6000 years of Egypt’s recorded history the people have never gotten to speak this way and choose a government for themselves. If that is true, and it very well may be, that is remarkable to me. Truly we are blessed here in our nation, warts and all.

I want to shift gears and focus a moment on grace. You have often heard (from me) that each day we have opportunities and invitations given to us by the Lord to serve him with our lives. We can choose to show mercy, compassion, generosity and forgiveness – to name a few. The question is, Are we open to these invitations?

Recently, in a Smithsonian Magazine article, there was a cover piece written about the history of the Colosseum. It was quite fascinating. In it a story was told about Emperor Gallienus. He ruled Rome from 253 – 268 AD.

It seems the Emperor’s wife had been swindled by a local merchant. He had sold her glass jewels instead of authentic ones. Of course, this turned out to be a bad idea. As his punishment the Emperor sent him into the Colosseum to face a ferocious lion. (So much for an eye for an eye.)

Well, when the cage on the arena floor opened a chicken walked out of the cage and the crowd roared with laughter and applause. The Emperor had the herald proclaim, ‘This merchant practiced deceit and then had it practiced on him.’ And the Emperor let the man go.

I wonder if the merchant learned his lesson.

In the world today if you practice mercy, it will be noticed. If you are gracious, even when you’ve been wronged, this will catch someone’s attention. When you are generous; people see it. If you are patient when you don’t have to be or when it is very hard to be, someone just might wonder… ‘How in the world does he or she do that?’

And then a witness can begin.

Blessings,

Ande

Your comments are welcomed at ande.myers@gmail.com.

Prayer for Egypt

2011-02-04T16:01:00.000-05:00

Have you watched much international news lately? I have been interested in the goings on in the Middle East more than normal, first in Tunisia and now in Egypt. As you may know, protests began in Egypt two weeks ago and they began with a few thousand people. It was relatively quiet. Only one week later, literally hundreds of thousands of people assembled in Cairo to demand the removal of long time President, Hosni Mubarak. These ensuing protests have not been quiet at all.

Mubarak began ruling thirty years ago when then President Anwar al-Sadat was assassinated. Mubarak was wounded by the gunman in the attack but survived and began his presidency declaring a ‘state of emergency’ that was imposed then and has not been lifted. This ‘state of emergency’ has severely limited the freedom of some 80 million Egyptians. (Currently newspapers and websites have been shut down and some estimate that up to 15,000 Egyptians are political prisoners.)

It is interesting that many of the protesters are young and many have spent significant amounts of time in the United States and Europe. In other words, they have seen democracy and now wonder, If much of the world can have freedom, why can’t we? This is a good question.

Why the riots? Well, with the current government and the institutions that have been developed the people have not been heard. They feel they have no voice. (Much of the info I have seen concerning this crisis is found at the Economist and the Washington Post websites.)

Several years ago I attended an inauguration here in the US. My cousin, who’d worked for the then Senate Majority Leader said, I don’t care if you voted for him or not. I don’t care if it is your party that has won or not – you just have to attend an inauguration.

Sure enough, my cousin was right. I witnessed a peaceful transfer of power. The people had been heard; the majority ruled; and the minority ultimately respected this. It is amazing that this happens so often in our nation. What a blessing!

Join me in praying for the Middle East and for Egypt in particular. We in the West have an opportunity to help with new directions for democracy. Increased freedom in this corner of the world will be good for all of us. Let’s pray for our Egyptian neighbors today. For God so loved the world…

Blessings,

Ande

Comments? I'd love to hear from you at ande.myers@gmail.com.

Searching for God

2011-01-28T13:20:00.001-05:00

Friends,

I want to try something new and post last Sunday’s message here. First let me share a couple of observations. A sermon is a spoken – not written – message. Each week I type up a manuscript and go over it a couple of times but don’t bring it into the pulpit. Sometimes the written message and the spoken one are very similar. Sometimes they are not at all.

One day this past week I took my written manuscript and edited it based on how I remember the sermon being spoken. I did this days after Sunday – so what is here is not what was shared last week. However, I hope it is recognizable.

I have edited and cleaned up the grammar, etc., but this is meant to be a ‘reasonable facsimile’ of the message you heard.

Notice many times I give credit when I refer to someone else’s ideas. I also recognize that there is no way to give credit every time someone else’s ideas have shaped mine, but I will do my best.

Blessings,

Ande

As usual - questions or comments are welcomed at ande.myers@gmail.com

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Ande Myers - Cornerstone Baptist Church

Genesis 1.1 – Searching for God

‘In the Beginning God’

Intro (to the series):

Last year one of the most reputable and most utilized Bible search engines on the web analyzed the searches done on their website and published the results. Between March and April of last year, BibleGateway.com was used to make over 25 million Bible searches. Late last year the results of those searches were published.

As I read this report, I realized that there were some sermons in here, sermons on the most searched passages in the Bible, and perhaps a sermon or two on the flip side – what people are not looking for. So, for the next few weeks we’ll examine some of these passages.

First, a word in general about what I’ve found. I’ve taken some time to read the top 100 verses and of them, sixteen (16% for those of you who are good at math) were from the Old Testament. This is not really surprising to me but I do believe it illustrates that we neglect God’s story in the Old Testament, many times.

I use an Old Testament Passage today and may use one more, but will focus the rest of the time on the New Testament. As I read through the most searched Scriptures I put them into categories: those dealing with courage to face fear, plans for life, sin, salvation and practical advice for the living of life. We will focus on these themes over the next few weeks. I am very excited about this journey and I hope you’ll plan to be here along the way.

One of my favorite singers (David Wilcox) has written a song called, Start with the Ending. In it he imagines a relationship that from the beginning has the honestly and clarity that often times is only revealed at the end of a relationship. Sometimes I’ve thought this would be nice, what about you? Start with the ending. Just this week I noticed a particular celebrity breakup. And this had been a very long relationship – at least in standards used for those that occur in the public eye. They said, When we were away from the lights and cameras we began to realize that we were headed different directions in life. We love each other, our time together was a blessing; we are just going different places in life.

This story told about the fact that after their breakup they both got away and asked some of these questions, Do I love myself? If I am to be alone am I o.k. with this? What will it take for me to be happy? What do I want in life?

At the end of their relationship they went back to the basics. Today I don’t want us to start with the ending. I want us to start at the beginning.

Some of us in life come to a point where we think we have some of it figured out. You see, there is a particular way that things ought and ought not to happen. We act and react and think and plan and have contingency plans for each situation. Yet, somehow, now we realize that in life one can’t plan for nor can one anticipate everything. This truth is compounded in family life. At this point we might find ourselves with no particular guiding clue. (Inspiration and Tolstoy’s words from Anna Karenina, part III, chapter 20.)

My advice at this point in life is unlike the singer’s advice to ‘start with the ending.’ My advice is to start with the beginning.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is how the chapter starts…and over and over again, for seven days a pattern is repeated.

Unfortunately these verses have, in my opinion, been the source of the wrong kinds of attention. There are some who’ll read the Bible in general and Genesis specifically to answer certain questions in life, and this is alright. The questions they want to answer are, How, exactly did this happen? And, When, exactly did this occur? I really believe that these are the wrong questions and here is why.

These are some of the oldest Scriptures we have and the earlier Jewish audiences would not wonder about this. They would not ask, How old is the earth? Or, How did it come to be?

They were a minority people in the world and they had been surrounded by other people and their gods. Four hundred years in Egypt and then on to Canaan and eventually on to Babylon and back, and in each place they were surrounded by all these other gods. Some of these journeys were voluntary and some were not.

When they would find themselves at wits end and in need of help they would lift their eyes unto the hills for help and what would they see? (Do you remember from our look at Psalm 121?) They would see other gods carved into the hills and temples there. But they were reminded by the psalmist, Your help will come from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

So, specifically, verses one and following say, In the beginning was God. We’ll also know him as the great I AM, I was, I have been, I will be. Each person was reminded that there is something that always was, and this is the Lord God.

Verse two shifts the focus to the earth and says, The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep…

Here we see an image of formlessness, of void, there was nothingness and chaos. But, notice - a ray of hope, and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said…in chapter one, ten times God speaks and it comes to pass.

The early Jewish person is not concerned with How? or When? But she is burdened by Who? and What? In the beginning there was God and God made order out of chaos. God spoke and it came to be. And because of God’s Spirit, God’s presence, there is always hope.

III

I want to come at this Scripture from two angles this morning. The first one I have alluded to, Let’s start at the beginning.

A friend called me on Monday very excited about his team’s advancement in the playoffs. (I always am eager to talk football.) He then shared with me that this past year his father passed away, something I had not known. He decided, really, he committed, to spend more time with his family. His words were, Dad was my rock and without him I’ve been spinning, but now I know what I am to do.

I have spent 18 years giving my all for my company and they’ve moved me to Fredericksburg. And I realized, All this toil and all this giving I’ve done for them has gotten me nothing. And in the process I have neglected my responsibilities and obligations at home. I am not going to make this mistake again.

He had to go, but I hope our conversation is not over. You see, we didn’t touch on the spiritual aspect of things, but I recognize as clear as you are sitting here today that God’s Spirit was hovering – moving over the face of the waters. There has been darkness. There has been disorder. There has been chaos. But, the Good News of the Gospel is that there is Hope.

Genesis one has a pattern. God speaks, it happens, and it is good. Do you remember that God looks at each day, at all of what he’s made and sees that it is good?

Now, if you look at your days, if we look at our lives we see that all is not good. I believe this is because we – mostly un-intentionally – step further and further away from God and his goodness. We don’t do this on purpose or with malice. We just, like sheep are prone to wander and stray. We nibble and nibble and walk and walk and low and behold we are a long way from home.

The second angle is related to the first. Remember that when God created human beings he made us in his image. What does this mean? Not only are the fingerprints of God all over us, but each of us is made in God’s image. So, when we look at one another we should remember this and watch closely for images of God.

Perhaps today – in our world – we should remember, when we look at our enemies or our adversaries (a better word) that God has created them in his image. I have fingerprints of God all over me…you have them over you…our neighbors do to…as do our enemies.

Recently there was an older couple retired from ministry looking for a church. (Gordan MacDonald’s Seat Selection for Worship.) As they came into the empty sanctuary they chose seats near the front – out of habit.

Not long after an older man in his eighties came in and sat in front of them. He was alone. Once the music began they sang and sang and sang and the older gentleman had to sit down. The former pastor asked, Are you o.k.?

Yes, I’m fine.

Knees, hips or ankle problems?

All three.

During the announcement he and his wife moved over and asked the gentleman to sit with them. He wanted to decline but did not and gathered his coat and moved back.

After the service he said that it was nice to have someone to sit with, for his wife died two years ago and he had no one to come to church with him. He also shared that his son’s family was having problems and he was quite worried, as they were all the family he had. They seemed to bond well together as fellow worshipers can.

The retired pastor said, May I pray for you? And he did.

This week you will get these chances, for they don’t just happen from eleven to noon on Sundays. This week you will have opportunities to serve the Lord, will you take them?

On last Saturday evening I went to Asheville to see a member of our church in the hospital. Afterwards Michelle had given me the go-ahead to take some personal time and find a Barnes and Noble.

I knew there was one south of town on 26 but had missed the exit. As I asked a young man how to find my way he said, You need to turn around and go back.

I said, Can’t I just go up here and through there and so on and so on?

He realized I would never find Barnes and Noble that way so he said, No, you need to turn around.

The Scripture has a word for this and it is Repentance.

Some of us are heading the wrong direction. It isn’t malicious. It has been gradual. Either way no length of travel down the wrong road will lead us to the right place. This morning maybe we need to stop, turn around, start with the beginning, even. This may be the best thing you can do today. If so, use this time of commitment and respond to the Lord’s leading in your life.

Amen.

Come and Worship

2011-01-07T12:17:00.001-05:00

Friends,

I hope your New Year is off to a great start. On last Sunday we began a look at some of the Songs of Ascent. These are Psalms 120 – 134. There are fifteen of them and they were sung going up to Jerusalem to worship. If you were here Sunday you remember that the theme for these weeks is this, Come and Worship.

As a pastor I have heard many reasons people give for not worshiping. Some have been thoughtful and valid, some have been doozies. And I have endured most of these – even the doozies – with a straight face.

We could each probably come up with a dozen reasons not to worship but I can think of one big reason to Come and Worship and that is to meet God. It can be plain and simple.(Inspired by the thoughts of Eugene Peterson.)

This year I have been reading portions of Mark Twain’s autobiography. The portions I am reading were compiled from monthly magazine articles roughly a hundred years ago.

Twain tells of a pastor friend of his, Rev. Joseph Harris, quite an interesting guy (this story is from 1880). In Twain’s words:

Harris has had many adventures. He has more adventures in a year than anybody else has in five. One Saturday night he noticed a bottle on his uncle's dressing-bureau. He thought the label said "Hair Restorer," and he took it in his room and gave his head a good drenching and sousing with it and carried it back and thought no more about it. Next morning when he got up his head was a bright green! …As the days went on and Sunday followed Sunday, the interest in Harris's hair grew and grew; because it didn't stay merely and monotonously green, it took on deeper and deeper shades of green; and then it would change and become reddish, and would go from that to some other color—purplish, yellowish, bluish, and so on—but it was never a solid color. It was always mottled. And each Sunday it was a little more interesting than it was the Sunday before—and Harris's head became famous, and people came from New York, and Boston, and South Carolina, and Japan, and so on, to look. There wasn't seating-capacity for all the people that came while his head was undergoing these various and fascinating mottlings. And it was a good thing in several ways, because the business had been languishing a little, and now a lot of people joined the church so that they could have the show, and it was the beginning of a prosperity for that church which has never diminished in all these years.

I could say, Come and Worship Sunday to see what color the preacher’s hair is…But, I’ll stick with this, Come and Worship you might just meet God. Have a great day.

Blessings,

Ande

2010-12-17T15:08:00.003-05:00

Friends,

This morning I read an interesting but sad story in the newspaper (online.) If are curious, you can find it here – Mark Madoff story.

The story was about Bernie Madoff’s oldest child, Mark. You’ll remember that Bernie was a crook, the organizer of a Ponzi scheme, and it is estimated that he schemed away about $68 billion of other people’s money. Bernie is in prison here in NC and will be for 150 more years.

But the story I saw was about Bernie’s son, Mark, and the choice he made to take his own life last week. Here’s part of the story as it appeared in the online edition of the paper:

Last Friday, the publisher of a promising real estate newsletter called Sonar Report rose before dawn, scoured the news to gather items for that day’s edition and, at 9:04 a.m., sent it out to his e-mail subscribers.

Less than 24 hours after sending his e-mail, he hanged himself in his downtown Manhattan apartment, leaving behind a life of burdens and blessings.

The blessings appeared to be sustaining him, even on that final day, according to those closest to him. They recall a man who was patiently building a new business, talking regularly with close friends, spending time with his wife and four children and, even in the last hours of his life, walking his dog, an affectionate Labradoodle.

But behind that screen, the burdens of life as Bernie Madoff’s son — the continuing suspicion from the public, the harsh accusations in numerous lawsuits, and his exile from the world of Wall Street — were steadily becoming unsustainable.

This is so very sad. Mark took his life on the second anniversary of his father’s arrest. Many of his friends had worried about him but thought he was doing so much better. In this Bernie Madoff saga, how many victims are there? Mark left a wife and four children, all victims. Ruth, Bernie’s wife of 50 years and Mark’s mother, has been called the ‘loneliest woman in New York City.’ She has been ostracized by the public, shunned by her friends and wounded by rumors of Bernie’s extra marital affairs. Even though she’s become a very wealthy woman over the years, I’d say she’s a victim, too. Four of his relatives who have reaped benefits from Bernie’s business dealings have been named in legal suits thus far. These suits will drag on for years and years in court. And, let’s not forget, Bernie Madoff lost $68 billion of other people’s money - maybe thousands of people. Certainly they are victims.

This makes me wonder, How much bad can one person do? But, on second thought, I don’t think I really want to know.

This afternoon I hope to complete a message about the Good News of Christmas as I focus specifically on Simeon and Anna’s faithfulness. With the article from the newspaper in one hand and the witness of Scripture in the other, a flipside to my previous question has emerged…How much good can one person do?

Perhaps a better way to ask this question is, How much good can God accomplish in the life of one willing person?

You know, some of us probably know people like Mark Madoff and his family. We know people burdened with sins of their own. And these sins are upon them like a heavy dead weight. We also know people dealing with the consequences of someone else’s sins. Sometimes this even seems worse. We know people who right now look at their circumstances and can’t see a way ahead.

Let me remind you, God wants to use you to bless these people today. God wants you to encourage them and remind them that there is hope. God wants you to live lives of faith and dependence on him. God wants you to keep your promises and tell the truth. God wants you to embrace his Good News. And God plans to use your faithfulness to help accomplish his purposes. This is a promise of Scripture and a mission of the church.

On Christmas Eve we’ll hear these words in worship and they will remind us of God’s faithfulness and love. They also testify to the willingness of those who received God’s gifts and were called to follow despite their fears:

In the quiet of the night

A woman gives birth:

A personal act of faith;

Accepting God’s charge upon her.

In the quiet of the night

A husband becomes a father:

A personal act of faith;

Accepting God’s charge upon him.

In the quiet of the night

A baby breathes the air:

A personal act of sacrifice;

God steps out of the divine into the mundane

For us.

Will you look for God’s work in the world? Will you listen to the lives of your neighbors? Will you step out in faith and follow God in faithfulness? This is the life of a disciple.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

Comments? Email me at ande.myers@gmail.com

Hope in the Lord

2010-12-10T12:59:00.002-05:00

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

~ Psalm 146.5

Friends,

During this Advent Season I, as you pastor, am supposed to tell you not to be distracted by the commercialization of Christmas and the hubbub it brings. I accept this as part of my job. Not too long ago I was in a local store and saw the decorations and the lights and heard the carols and I thought what you probably have thought, as well: Thanksgiving can’t be too far away! (ba-dum-bum)

Early this morning at the coffee shop I finished a unique memoir written by a woman who had, in a way, lost her husband. He had been struck by a car and had suffered severe head trauma and in order for his life to be saved, part of his brain had to be removed. As a result of his injuries and his treatment, he no longer had a way of remembering the past or looking forward to the future. All he had was today, or, more specifically, this very moment.

As his wife coped and tried to meet his needs, she found herself really only living for today and in the moment, as well. No longer was the past comforting to her and tomorrow for her was the great unknown. Over and over again I was struck wondering, Where is her hope?

Thus far in Advent we have lit the Candle of Hope and the Candle of Peace and as we light them it is important to remember that we don’t just passively observe these things (Hope, Peace, Joy and Love). As we light these candles we make commitments and we make promises. Do you realize that one of the ways God plans to bring hope into this world is for his people – you and me – to act hopeful? And really the only way we can do this is to place our hope in Jesus Christ. And certainly God calls you and me to bring his Peace, to point to him and to work for the things that will bring Peace. We also must embrace the One who brings us peace.

Sunday we’ll focus a bit on the Candle of Joy and one of the joyous things we’ll do is sing the Cantata. As a member of the choir I am excited about singing these songs. As a member of the church I look forward to the music and to worship. As a father I look forward to bringing my children. As a son I look forward to my parents being here. And as your pastor I hope to see you in worship on Sunday.

Blessings,

AndeMyers

Comments - email me at ande.myers@gmail.com

Thoughts on Friendship

2010-11-24T07:57:00.001-05:00

Friends,

This morning I am just reflecting on this past weekend at church. On Saturday we distributed 50 Thanksgiving meals to our neighbors; on Sunday we worshiped together and shared in a Thanksgiving Meal at church that evening; and on Monday we served about 400 meals at Angel Food. Whew.

I have two thoughts I want to share with you about this. One, thank you, thank you, thank you for your help and involvement in these ministries, in worship, and in all aspects of the weekend. After we got home from the meal and from the community service in town I said to Michelle, This was a good day at church. Would you agree? Thought two: I thoroughly enjoyed serving, worshiping, eating, and fellowship alongside you. You are fun to hang around with, serve with, and you never cease to be a blessing to me.

A couple of Sunday mornings ago we were on vacation and preparing to worship with a friend in Lenoir. I bought the Observer and was able to read it on Sunday, something I rarely am able to do on Sunday. (This is not a complaint, just an observation.) One story that caught my eye was ‘The Best of Friends,’ written by our former president, George W. Bush. (Has enough time passed that I can mention him without it being political?)

When he said he would step out of the fray, he obviously meant it. And one of the only we have heard from him in the past year, apart from some interviews about his book, was this short article. And, you know what it was about? Friendship. Interesting.

His words: Harry Truman, one of my predecessors, is often quoted as saying, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” But while the 33rd president and I are said to have much in common, we diverge on this topic. Now that I’m retired, people ask me for advice, and I tell everyone: Make friends, keep them, and learn from them your entire life… He went on to say, My friends have truly been one of the greatest gifts of my life. It’s been said you can judge a person by the friends he keeps—and if that’s true, then I’m a fortunate man indeed.

I say these are fine words. Make friends, keep them, and learn from them your entire life.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

Comments? Email me at ande.myers@gmail.com

A Prayer Experiement

2010-10-27T13:33:00.003-04:00

Friends,

I hope you are having a great week and enjoying this rain. Don’t we need it?

On Sunday in the first sermon in a series of three, What Christians Do, we focused on the fact that We Pray.

Remember that I asked you specifically to pray for three different people each day this week. Here’s a story that was told:

A mother had two sons, one a gardener and the other a potter. Said the gardener, ‘O mother, pray to God for rain to water my plants.’ Said the potter, ‘O mother, pray to God for sunshine to dry my pots.’ Now the mother loved them equally well. Shall she pray for rain or sun? She decided that she would pray for both her sons and leave their requests in the hands of God.

(adapted from Harry Emerson Fosdick, The Meaning of Prayer, written in 1915)

Well, it is Wednesday – how are you doing in this prayer experiment? If you’ve lifted up three people each day in prayer, great, keep going. If you have forgotten – it is only Wednesday, start now. And, if you weren’t here to accept the challenge, won’t you begin today.

On Sunday we’ll focus on part II, What Christians Do: We Think.

I hope to see you tonight as we listen to one of Paul’s sermons.

Blessings,

Ande

Comments? Send an email to ande.myers@gmail.com

The World in the Palm of the Hand

2010-10-20T12:43:00.002-04:00

Last week on vacation I began an interesting book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Now, I don’t practice Zen, nor do I ride motorcycles, and I know virtually nothing about how either works. Nevertheless, isn’t reading the thing that can take you places you’ve never gone? An escape?

This book was a runaway hit in the early 70’s and has been on my list for a while. It is also pretty easy reading and on one level is the story about a father, his eleven year-old son and two other friends who ride out West on the back of motorcycles. This part of the storyline is simple.

But, like with many good books, there is a deeper story, also. You see, this father is trying to figure out his life. He is on a journey – and I’m a sucker for journeys – and is trying to understand what it is that he’s lost in life. He must first comprehend the past to understand who he is now and who he can be tomorrow. When read on this level, it is a book of Philosophy.

One thought that has captured my imagination occurs as the father is trying to understand the difference between himself and one of his riding partners. He observes that we glean our picture of the world as we notice a myriad of events in our lives and select them and sort them and process them. The author’s exact quotes was, We take a handful of sand form the endless landscape of awareness around us and call that handful of sand the world.

My wheels have really been turning on this. I’ve known people whose world was simply as big as their living room and what they could see from it. One said, Did you know that 17 school buses pass our house each morning on the way to school? That’s 3 more than last year!

I’ve also known people whose world was grand. I knew one lady who was basically confined to her very small home in rural Virginia because of physical limitations, yet her world was large and full of ideas that she wanted to discuss with me. She was involved with many people and lived life to the fullest with her mind through books and conversation and worship.

I wonder what sand I am holding in my hand and how it shapes my understanding of the world. I fear I often hold tight to the wrong things. I worry and am anxious. I can be selfish. My world gets too small. I rely too much on myself.

A wise person once said, One must look at the world with the Bible in one hand and the New York Times in the other. (Feel free to substitute your newspaper of choice.) I would add, When in doubt, focus on the Bible and the Good News therein, for it is here that we find our grounding.

Late one afternoon on the beach last week I stood with my feet in the sand; the coolish waves were lapping over my ankles. As I looked up I saw the moon clearly in the darkening blue sky. I think I began to understand being ‘wed to heaven yet rooted on earth.’

What do you hold in your hand that shapes your understanding of the world? My prayer is that you hold tight to what is Hopeful and Best and learn to turn loose of everything else. Jesus said it this way, But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt 6.33)

Blessings,

Ande

Do you have comments? I'd love to hear: ande.myers@gmail.com

Vacation

2010-07-30T14:50:00.001-04:00

This afternoon I want to talk with you about when things don’t go as you had planned. Maybe you can relate.

Our family is fresh off our vacation for the summer and rested and ready for what comes next, I suppose. Now, I’ve always loved the beach, not so much the sand but the sounds and the wind and the waves and the food and the schedule or lack thereof. In preparation for our trip to the beach I pulled out a novel, a book of sermons by Gardner C. Taylor, and a memoir to take with me. I had started all three before we went, which proves critical for me to be motivated to read on vacation. (In the past Michelle and I have always worked to carve out time for one another to be able to read and just think while at the beach.) I also was preparing to pray about certain areas in my life where discernment is needed at this time.

Well, lo and behold, two days before we were to leave, Michelle was called to KY to care for her parents and I went on to the beach with our three kids in tow to meet my sister, her family and my parents.

I did little reading at the beach. Also, instead of much quiet time spent in prayer for discernment, my prayers were simple, short, and simply asking for strength and wisdom. This was not my intention, for I had planned to pray about very specific topics and issues; instead I could only pray in broad strokes. God, please give me strength for today. I was so very tired and this was all I could do.

Maybe Anne Morrow Lindbergh was right when she said, The beach is not the place to work; to read, write or think. I rested and laughed and jogged and prayed and was as quiet as I could be. (Incidentally, the Lindbergh quote was from the first line of her wonderful book, Gift from the Sea. The first line was about as far as I got on vacation in this profound memoir.)

I realize the strength God has given me was in the form of rest. Discernment will have to come in time. I wonder, where do you need God’s strength today? Are you even aware of where it is needed in your life? If not, perhaps God will show you…

Blessings,

Ande

What time is it?

2010-07-09T11:45:00.001-04:00

Recently in our Sunday School Class we have been focusing on the life of Joseph. You’ll remember he was a bright and confident young man with a promising future before him. Until … he was despised and sold into slavery by his brothers.

End of story, right? No! In Egypt he rose through the ranks and served Potiphar and was loyal to him – even at great cost. Joseph ended up in prison, so, end of story, right?

No! There, even in prison, he was faithful and true and used the gifts God had given him. He was almost forgotten in prison until he was recognized to be wise and given great responsibility by Pharaoh himself.

This responsibility brought him full circle and face to face with his brothers again. And through all of this God brought reconciliation.

The verse that sums up Joseph’s plight is found in Genesis 50.20:

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. (NLT)

Basically, the story of Joseph is a reminder that God is above all, in all and can work through all. As David once said, Where can I flee from your presence?

I was reminded of a couple of questions asked by William C. Martin in The Art of Pastoring: Contemplative Reflections. I will quote Martin:

There are two questions that need to be answered in order to move along the path toward God. One could spend a lifetime just considering these two questions and answers.

The first question is, What time is it?

The second question is, Where are you?

The only correct answer to the first question is, Now!

The only correct answer to the second is, Here!

So, I wonder, What time is it in your life? Where are you? Remember, God is at work in your life and has big plans for you whether you can see his hand at the moment or not.

Blessings,

Ande

If you have comments, I'd like to hear them: ande.myers@gmail.com.

The Light of the World

2010-06-24T10:18:00.006-04:00

It is great to be back from our mission trip to Paducah, KY. You know that the ministry of Carpenters for Christ has been so meaningful and instrumental in our church’s life.

One of the traditions at Carpenters is that after each meal during the trip someone shares a devotional thought. On Saturday a week ago, I was asked to and would like to share with you some of what was said.

This week is my sixth Carpenters for Christ trip and that is hard for me to believe. Each trip has been a unique blessing in my life. Throughout the years I’ve enjoyed the devotions that different ones of you have shared and as I reflect on these and as I’ve listened to you and as I’ve shared myself, I am struck by how similar our stories really are. We’ve shared stories of joy and of pain; we’ve shared of loneliness, brokenness, and family challenges. One thing we’ve also all shared is this – testimonies of God’s faithfulness.

The Scripture I want to share with you this morning is found in the third chapter of Revelation. It is Jesus’ word to one of the churches, a church that had not really made a decision for Christ. This church was neither hot nor cold.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Notice this invitation from the Lord – I want to come in to sup with you. Jesus does not want to linger on the stoop; he doesn’t want to sit in the foyer. He wants to be at the table, at the heart of the home.

Once some friends of Michelle’s invited us to supper. When we arrived they weren’t ready, so they invited us into the kitchen and involved us in the preparation. Dawn said, You do the salad. And, Ande, can you put together the casserole?

As we worked together in the kitchen and as we eventually shared that meal together we had a great time. On the way back home I said, I didn’t really know them before, but now I really feel like I know their family. This is what sharing a meal can do.

And Jesus’ invitation to us is this: I stand at the door and knock. Can I please come in and sup with you?

Gardner Taylor has shared about this picture, The Light of the World – By Holman Hunt.

Hunt presented it to one of the colleges at Oxford and at the reception, one friend pulled him aside and said, Holman, I’m afraid you’ve made a terrible mistake.

What is it?

The door at which Jesus stands has no knob on it.

Holman replied to his friend, There is no mistake. That door must be opened from the inside.

And Jesus says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Today will be filled with invitations from Christ. Will you open the door.

Blessings,

Ande

If you have comments, please write to me: ande.myers@gmail.com.

When I gaze into the night sky...

2010-06-04T10:36:00.007-04:00

Wednesday night in prayer meeting we considered Psalm 8. Surely the psalmist penned this after gazing into a night sky.

Here are some of the verses from the New King James translation of the Bible:

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens! …When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?

When have you last taken the time to ‘consider’ the Lord and his excellence? Our lives can be so busy; we run to a fro from this to that. And reflection takes time, as does ‘consideration.’ They take planning and commitment. They take prioritizing and effort.

One has said, If you have but three minutes to give to Bible reading in the morning, give one minute to reading and two to thinking about what you’ve read. These are wise words, indeed.

A few weeks ago my parents went to Florida to watch Atlantis’ last flight. She’s taken 32 trips and flow 120 million miles in the last 25 years. One of her sisters also launched the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990. (The space images here are provided by Hubble. Launch shot taken by Dad.)

Atlantis reminds us that we’ll go to great lengths to observe the heavens, which brings me back to the psalmist. His wonder, his attention, his focus, his gaze went from the night sky to the Creator of it all.

And there, to the praise of the Lord God, did he return:

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!

In the days to come will you focus your gaze on God’s wonderful creation? Take the time to notice the smile of a loved one or the face of your child or the beauty of nature or by a gaze into the night sky (in short, simply pay attention to God's wonderful Creation). My hope is that this focus will cause a praise to God on High to well up inside of you to the point of overflowing.

Blessings,

Ande

If you have thoughts you'd like to share, please email me at: ande.myers@gmail.com

Looking into the Sky

2010-06-01T13:03:00.005-04:00

On Sunday I was to be away on vacation, but, really at the last minute, we weren't able to go away for the week. So, on Monday, I began looking at Acts 1 and this sermon came to be. It was a pleasant surprise to me and I want to share a bit of it with you...

On Tuesday of this past week I had lunch with two pastors in town. As we chatted I asked, What big plans do you have this summer?

One said, Well, as you know, in July we are expecting our second little girl. (Their first is three years old.) The other pastor replied, Well now, that should be easy, you already have the girl thing down, right?

His reply was – I’m not sure any of us ever have that parenting thing down. (Can I get an, Amen?!)

When we were expecting Daniel we read, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, The Guide to Your Baby’s First Year, The Father’s Guide for the Baby’s First Year, etc… We went to childbirth classes, nursing classes and caring for your baby classes. We paid attention in the hospital and allowed the nurses to show us everything we were supposed to do.

But, when they said, It’s time to go home!, we thought, You aren’t going to let us take this baby home are you? We just aren’t ready!

Well, we were…but we weren’t. We are…but we aren’t. But, by the Grace of God, here we are. I remember my cousin saying, after his son, Will, was born, there is never a moment – 24 hours a day – where either the washer or dryer is going and lights are on somewhere in the house. Often all three are going on at the same time.

When should I call? I said. His response – Anytime, we are always up now.

You know, there are some things in life you only learn by experience. Some journeys are such that you must learn as you go. Step by step. Steps of faith.

The book of Acts is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke. And here, in the first verses of Acts we pick up where the last verses of Luke have taken us – with some repetition.

Jesus has risen from the dead and he’s come back to the earth for forty days and during this time he has revealed himself to the disciples, he has given them instructions and commands and he has tried to prepare them for his departure.

Notice that he’s given them the instructions, Stay here in Jerusalem and wait for the Spirit to come to you. This is what the Father has promised.

Of course, as I look at the disciples and try to sympathize with what they are going through, I realize, if they are anything like I am, they want to go back to Galilee, back home, back where things are easier.

Notice here – this is not what discipleship is about. At least not as far as Jesus is concerned. It is as if Jesus says to them, I am not calling you to a place where you will be most at ease…I am calling you to a place where you will be most effective witnesses for me. (Thanks to the comments of Alexander Maclaren)

Notice Jesus is never sentimental or nostalgic. Jesus always calls us to press forward from where we are now not to a place we have been before but to a place where he is calling us and a place that he is preparing for us.

This instance in Scripture has been called the Ascension, for Jesus ascends into Heaven where he will rule forever. And Luke records that he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

As Jesus ascended, they must have tarried. They looked intently into the sky. They reflected upon Jesus’ life and ministry. They were focused. They marveled at what they were seeing. They noticed what had happened and they studied what it meant in those moments.

The brief portion of the text I want us to focus upon is verse eleven, and it is so very telling. Spoken by, I assume, the angels:

"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky?”

Why do you stand here looking into the sky? What did this mean? What does it mean for you and me?

Jesus’ call is into a life of deep conviction, strong compassion, endless grace and eternal mercy. Jesus’ call is to follow with our lives. Remember Jesus’ instructions in the Sermon on the Mount. They were not theoretical but practical. He advised his followers on anger and murder, on contempt and lust, on family and marriage, on bullying and living with enemies.

You and I live in a specific place and we’ve been given a specific life that involves certain family members and neighbors. You have specific talents and gifts, so do I. You have been given opportunities to serve the Lord today. They may not be there tomorrow.

As Eleanor Roosevelt so aptly said: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift; that’s why they call it the present.

And, you know, this present is created by God wrapped up by Jesus Christ himself and delivered to you by the Holy Spirit.

And the angels are saying to you right now, can you hear them? …Why do you stand here looking into the sky?

I believe – I have been convicted lately - that one of the greatest things the church need is more theologians. What do I mean by that? Well, I believe we don’t give our faith enough thought. We don’t marvel enough at God.

In seminary my favorite professor, David Garland, said, My problem with students is that they spend too much time out there (pointing to the world) and not enough time in there (pointing to the library.)

Well, what does serious reflection do for a person? What will daily prayer and contemplation with the Lord accomplish? What will a commitment to studying the Scriptures in whole and specifically the Gospels and the life of Christ do for you?

You will be prepared to return the life you’ve been given to God. You will be able to present your lives as a living Sacrifices to God – this is what God wants from you. This is our job.

How we walk away from this place is of central importance to God. God wants your whole life – or as Eugene Peterson says in the Message translation of the Bible – God wants … your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – He wants the whole thing as an offering. This is the best thing you can do for God.

So – what does this all mean? Well, step one is this. You have to decide and only you can decide. You must commit to following Jesus Christ wherever he leads. This may mean there are some behaviors in your life that will have to change – absolutely. This may mean some priorities and what you do with your time and your money and your giftedness will have to be refocused.

This will mean that you will do your tasks; you will live your life and follow through with your responsibilities – you will do this – no longer for yourself. You will live starting right now for God. If you have never made this commitment or if you need to re-focus or re-commit to this commitment again, then use this time…right now. I will be here to receive you if you come. The Lord – right now – is listening to your prayers.

Or – as the angels ask – will you stand there and look at the sky? Amen.

If you have feedback or comments about this blog, please email me at ande.myers@gmail.com.

Filled with The Power of the Spirit

2010-05-26T16:53:00.006-04:00

Sunday was Pentecost Sunday and a great day to celebrate in church. Here are some excerpts from my message:

One of the fun things about going away to college was visiting other churches. I went to college in Birmingham, AL, and finding baptist churches there is like finding sand at the beach.

One weekend a friend in the dorm asked me to go to church with him. He’d seen that a former Hell’s Angel was giving his testimony. Well, we loaded up and went to hear him one Sunday night and his testimony was extraordinary; it was astonishing; it was spectacular - everything you would imagine from a former Hell’s Angel turned Evangelist.

That next week a few of us were talking about what we’d seen and heard and I remember thinking, I’m not so sure I should ever tell my testimony…compared to what I had heard, I sounded about as adventurous as Lawrence Welk or Al Gore!

Let’s consider Jesus’ first recorded public statements in the Gospel of Luke. Now, he’d been ministering and healing throughout the land, but he has come home to Nazareth to worship.

Unrolling it, Jesus found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4.14 -21

News of Jesus’ ministry had spread, so when he got up to read Scripture in worship, people paid close attention. As Jesus read this Scripture everyone related, as they considered the oppression and lack of freedom they experienced under the strong hand of Rome.

And Jesus said, Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Today, right in front of you, God has come into the world. Today, God is delivering.

As Jesus quoted from Isaiah…we are reminded that Jesus had come bringing the Good News that God so loved the world. And Jesus had come to share this good news with the poor. And I believe he meant to share not just with people who had few material possessions or little means, I believe he came to the poor, the person who’d sold herself to her own will and had made her own desires and whims and inclinations her chief aim in life. As she chased her desires and put her wants over everything else, she had been left bankrupt and impoverished. Jesus came to deliver Good News to the poor.

This week I talked with a minister who’d spent ten years as a prison chaplain. One interesting thing he said as he reflected upon that ministry was this: When a person is in prison, he is not the only one in prison. His wife is in prison; his children are in prison; his extended family is in prison, too.

I believe Jesus was not just talking to the prisoner. He was speaking to the person who’d been held captive by his own sin or the sin of a loved one. The solution for sin, the way to break the shackles of sin, is and always will be a vibrant and active faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus has come for imprisoned of all sorts.

Jesus also came for the blind. And here lack of vision is not just limited to the physically impaired. Jesus came for the people who’d lost sight of what life was to be about. God has a plan for your life. God knows you. God loves you. God calls you to participate with him in this world.

Some were blind because they focused on the wrong things. Take the Pharisees, for example. They knew their Bible better than we do. They fasted. They prayed every day. They followed God’s law in their life even when it was inconvenient. Yet, they missed Jesus Christ right in front of them – at least many of them did.

Some, like Judas, were blinded by their greed or blinded by their expectations of a Messiah who’d free them from Rome. As they looked for a Messiah, they looked for a political solution to life’s problems. Instead, Jesus offered a life greater than the freedom of citizenship of any nation could ever offer. (The poor, blind, and prisoner ideas inspired by Alexander Maclaren.)

In the synagogue that day they heard Jesus’ words, yet they didn’t hear his message. And a few verses later, they drove him out of town. Matthew and Mark record similar occurrences in the Synagogue. Mark says, He could not do any miracles there because of their unbelief…And Jesus was astonished at their lack of faith. (Chapter 6)

Let’s consider two things: The first one is this, Is it possible that our doubts and suspicions and unbelief effect the ability of God to work in our lives or in the lives of our family or in our neighbor’s lives? Jesus could do no miracles there because of their lack of faith. Mark said so.

Pentecost should remind us that God does great things when his people faithfully gather in prayer together. Where two or three are gathered, there I shall be, Jesus says. There should be no such thing as an ordinary or average Sunday. My prayer is that we will learn to come into this place with great expectations anticipating the wonderful things God is doing and will do!

The second issue involves a question. What does it mean, what will it look like, what will be the result when the Spirit of the Lord is upon you (and me?) (Thank you to Walter Shurden’s May 2010 Preaching Journal for this question.)

Some would say, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because I am excited to be here. Some would say, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because I ‘feel’ something powerful. Some would say that the Spirit of the Lord is upon us because we draw big crowds and our people are excited. Is the Spirit of the Lord upon me because my testimony is spectacular? No. Some would say, The Spirit of the Lord is upon us because we jump up and down and shout and sing and dance.

But, what did Jesus say?

The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor."

Jesus’ call is into a life of deep conviction, strong compassion, endless grace and eternal mercy.

We are to be his witnesses. Now, ask any judge, do they want witnesses to be fancy or creative, embellishing the story for the sake of courtroom drama? No, the judge wants someone to simply tell ‘the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.’

Jesus said, You are to be my witnesses. And my Spirit is in your midst. You are not alone. Go. Tell. Be my disciples. The world needs you to tell them about me. Amen.

Do you have comments? I’d like to hear: ande.myers@gmail.com

Who You Are

2010-04-23T16:22:00.000-04:00

This past week someone reminded me of an old friend named Jack McEwen. When I was in high school, Dr. McEwen was the interim pastor at my home church. He was this very interesting guy who’d been an English professor and pastor for many years. He was wise and articulate and I really admired him. This is one of the things I remember him saying:

“Want what you have, do what you can, be who you are.”

Let’s think about this.

Two weeks ago Michelle and I went to see a Garrison Keillor performance at the North Charleston, SC, Performing Arts Center. Dear friends had given us tickets and we’d been looking forward to the trip since Christmas time.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Garrison Keillor hosts a weekly radio program on National Public Radio called, A Prairie Home Companion. It is an old-style radio variety show with skits and stories and live music. I love the portion of the show called the ‘News from Lake Wobegon,’ a fictitious small town way out there on the prairie in Minnesota, Keillor’s home state.

Each week Keillor tells stories about the apparently ordinary happenings and goings on in Lake Wobegon during his artful monologue. But, if you pay close attention to the events of the weeks and the comings and goings of the residents, there is often a deeper message woven carefully into the tapestry. This message is always funny, sometimes profound and often redemptive. Michelle and I found this to be the case in Charleston, as well, where Keillor appeared onstage with a single stool and a mike and talked about his life and growing up in Lake Wobegon. He told stories for two hours, each building on the one before with common threads running throughout.

His last story was about majoring in journalism, finishing college and moving to New York City. There, after time beating the streets for stories, he had an epiphany. He realized that his calling was to home, a place he knew, telling stories about what he knew best. That summed up his life in Lake Wobegon. As we left the theatre that evening we wondered, How much of his fictional Lake Wobegon is autobiographical? I assume much.

You know, there is something to appreciating what you have and enjoying what you’ve been given. There is joy in doing all you can and being who you are. I would call this gratitude. Or thanksgiving. Or stewardship.

I hope your life is filled to the brim with each of these today.

Blessings,

Ande

Do you have comments? Write to me at: ande.myers@gmail.com

Passing by...

2010-04-08T13:16:00.001-04:00

This week I re-read and old article I had saved from the newspaper…

What do you think would happen, hypothetically, if one of the world’s greatest violinists performed incognito before an audience of over 1000 people? What if he performed on a violin hand crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1713? What if he performed the greatest pieces of music written for violin, masterpieces, for nearly an hour? What if he performed the pieces flawlessly? And, what if he did this in a very busy place in the middle of rush-hour? What might happen?
Well, the Washington Post wondered this very thing and enlisted Joshua Bell, possibly the world’s greatest living violinist, to don a baseball cap, a t-shirt and jeans and to play his 3.5 million dollar (yes, 3.5$ million) violin in a subway station in Washington, DC. Bell opened his case and began playing the violin.

At the end of an hour he’d made $32.17. Twenty-seven people had passed by and put money in his case; one person recognized him; a few people, less than 10, actually paused to listen to the music. But – here was the shocking thing – 1070 people hurried by like he wasn’t even there. 1070 people missed the greatest violinist in the world playing on the greatest instrument, a Stradivarius, playing masterpieces. 1070! Can you believe it?

As I re-read this article I felt so very sad. I also wondered if I would’ve been one of the ones who passed by. There are videos of this on the internet, for this experiment was filmed. There are also interviews with people who passed by and missed it.

You can guess the responses people gave for passing by: it was Friday and I was in a hurry. I couldn’t hear – my ipod was in. I didn’t have time. I didn’t recognize the music.

I noticed one interesting thing in the excerpts from the video of this experiment…when the violinist was playing, men and women passed right by nearly every single time. Caucasians passed by, as did African Americans. Indians passed by, so did Asians. But all the children who walked by noticed the music and wanted to stop and listen. And every single one of them was hurried along by his or her parents.

This experiment raises bigger questions: Do we have time for beauty in everyday life? How often do we miss the moment? When is the last time you rushed by never noticing a beautiful thing? (The article was: ‘Pearls Before Breakfast,’ by Gene Weingarten, The Washington Post, 04.08.07)

Blessings,

Ande

Holy Week

2010-03-30T16:55:00.001-04:00

On yesterday it was my privilege to deliver the message at our community’s Holy Week Service at the Waldensian Presbyterian Church. I did not have this manuscript with me, but here is the gist of what I tried to say. As I share this with you I hope it will help your preparation for the celebration of Easter.

Then one of the criminals said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

~ Luke 23

Jesus was there on the Cross – living the last moments of life. One thing I have noticed as a pastor – and it is one of the great privileges of local church ministry - is that when a loved one is dying people pay attention. This can be a stressful and tense time, but also God can use this time to heal deep tensions and strong divisions in families. We want to be there for one another – especially at the time of death. And when someone shares his/her last words they aren’t often mundane or ordinary. These verses highlight some of Jesus’ last words.

It has often been said that Jesus wasn’t crucified on an altar between two candles but on Golgotha between two criminals. One of the criminals realized the significance of the moment – two criminals and the Messiah being crucified – side by side – together. One criminal recognized that this was not the case and said,

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom…

Jesus, my life has not added up to much – please remember me.

Jesus, I wish I had another chance, please remember me.

If I had it to do all over again, I’d be a different man, please remember me.

Jesus, I am full of regret and shame, please remember me.

Jesus, for a long time I’ve been forgotten and estranged and alienated. I am lonely, please remember me.

Jesus, I imagine, looked him in the eye and said, Today you shall be with me in Paradise.

And in that moment, when the hatred of the world was focused at one point, on Jesus, he spoke words of reconciliation. At the moment when there seemed to be no way to move forward – not for the criminal – when it was hopeless and they were approaching the dead end, Jesus Christ made a way. And this way was true for the criminal and can be ultimately true for us all.

In the moment of hopelessness, Jesus forgave the sinner and made a promise he intends to keep, Today you shall be with me in Paradise. Have you heard those words before?

This week during our noonday services the theme is ‘Those Who Stood in His Shadow.’ I hope your next step – as you reflect upon Peter and Pilate and Mary and Judas and this Criminal today – is to ask: What am I to do with this? What does this mean in my life? What does this mean for the world? How am I to respond?

There are a number of ways we could go from here – I want to head in one specific direction. Many years ago a Quaker theologian named Douglas Steere wrote a small and profound book called, On Listening to Another. In it he said one of the greatest things one person can do for another, one of the most profound ministries we each can do, is to listen to one another. To look a person in the eye, hear her words and say, I hear you. To communicate, What you are saying is important to me.

Each of us has touched by Jesus in our loneliness or our grief. Some of us have been alienated. Others of us are filled with grief or regret. No matter where we’ve been Jesus, the Messiah, can forgive us. He can embrace us. He will remember us.

Once you have received this kind of forgiveness, once you have been restored and given eternal hope – your job…my job…our job – is to do this with others. We are to be his agents of reconciliation.

I recently heard a minister tell of his experience in a Sunday School classroom of Jr. High boys…

Of course their conversation went in and out and around Scripture, football, basketball and pro wrestling. At the conclusion of the class he asked the boys if anyone could define God’s grace and forgiveness. This one boy with a kind of sheepish smile who’d been quite most of the hour said, “Well, if a cop waves you over to the side of the road for speeding and comes over and gives you a ticket because you were speeding that’s justice. If he comes over and gives you a warning and lets you go, that’s mercy. But after he waves you over to the side of the road for speeding, comes over to the side of the road and gives you a Krispy Kreme Donut, that’s grace!” (adapted from Tony Campolo’s, ‘Models on Forgiveness,’ 03.14.2010, www.30goodminutes.org)

We’ve been forgiven…we know Jesus’ reconciliation…we know his mercy…and his grace…Jesus has made us promises he intends to keep…now, go and do likewise.

Blessings,

Ande

On Prayer

2010-03-19T10:18:00.001-04:00

As a Christian I have always had a desire for prayer. Some would call this the ‘tug of home.’ As a good baptist I felt the pressure to make prayer work in my life and so over the years I have read many books on prayer. I have several on my shelf right now and have enjoyed many others. I’ve tried Lectio Divina, literally ‘divine words’, praying with small portions of Scripture as the guide. I have enjoyed praying as Ignatius of Loyola taught several hundred years ago, systematically looking over the past 24 hours and thanking, confessing, praising and asking God for strength for tomorrow. Two years ago I ran across a great little book at the Catawba Co. Library, Praying in Color: Drawing a new path to God, written by an Episcopal math professor. This prayer is done with a clean sheet of paper in front of you and colored pencils in hand. I’ve also practiced Centering Prayer –a la Thomas Keating - for months and seen great progress opening my life to God.

You name it, I’ve tried it. I have gone from method to method and back and forth and here and there again - and then some. And all of the methods have worked to some extent. Maybe you can relate.

Several months ago I saw an interview with Gardner Taylor, who’s been a mentor of sorts for me since I met him at a conference a few years ago. He’s known as the Dean of African American preachers. He’s well into his nineties and he lives in Raleigh. In this video he was asked about his prayer life. His response was that he has learned to sit before God. As he spoke the scene shifted to him in a rocker on his front porch. Sitting. Just sitting. Before God, Gardner’s friend for more than nine decades.

It dawned on me. What if prayer can be like sitting with an old friend? I thought of old friends, people I most enjoy spending time with, and realize that we sometimes chat, we catch up, we share hopes and dreams, we share what thrills us and we share sorrow. We also eventually just sit and enjoy being in each other’s presence. No words, no expectation, no work, no pressure.

I am not sure where you are in your prayer life right now, but today take comfort in the fact that in prayer you might not have to do anything. Just show up before God, sit a while, and see what happens.

Blessings,

Ande

The Man Who Had Two Sons

2010-03-12T14:53:00.001-05:00

There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' … It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. In that distant country, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had.

~ from Luke 15

This is how the story of the Man Who Had Two Sons begins. And we are aware of where it goes from here.

On Sunday the message will focus on this parable. It has been called one of the main boulevards of Scripture (a life-line, a thoroughfare) and the reason I want to call your attention to it today is to prepare us for a stroll here on Sunday.

We don’t know the ins and outs of why the young son went away. He wanted to prove he could live life on his own. He resented his father’s success. He tired of his domestic chores and work. He’d heard the call of the wild. He longed for wide open spaces. He resented a quiet life. We really don’t know the whys, but in his rebellion we see our own ignorance and silliness, we see arrogance even.

Yet the story is about the father. The one scorned and bruised but forgiving and welcoming. And the story is about a place the young son could leave and shame, but then could still return to as an heir. This return was made possible only because of the father’s love.

Blessings,

Ande

Growing in Compassion

2010-03-11T08:23:00.001-05:00

from Friday, February 26

Friends,

I hope you are having a great Friday. Many of you have shared your reflections on Lent with me, from what you’ve given up to what you’ve taken on. Thank you – and I will say that, as with most disciplines, the fruit is seen with consistent and patient practice.

I am working on a slideshow for worship Sunday and have, in my head, called it, ‘Glimpses of Our Community.’ Basically on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I carried our camera around with me and when I was out and about took pictures of the things I saw. You will see some of these in worship on Sunday and as you do I’ll ask you to think about our little patch of earth and all her needs. This idea has been inspired by the following verse:

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

~ Luke 13.34

Jesus looked with compassion on this city, the city that housed the Temple (the dwelling place of God) and all the religious leaders, this city that was unable to hear God’s word that he brought to them in person. Was Jesus angry about his rejection? No. Jesus wanted to shelter them under his wings and protect them and nurture them and keep them warm. The imagery of the mother hen is startling, really, isn’t it? What does this mean to you?

Today, where is God calling you to be more compassionate? Where is God seeking to give you his nurture and embrace?

I hope to see you in worship Sunday.

Blessings,

Ande