March 10, 2009
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
So, have you recovered from losing that hour of sleep last Saturday?
Last weekend’s spring forward to Daylight Savings Time reminded me of Cassandra, a woman Jessica and I knew during our college years in St. Petersburg, Florida. Cassandra grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, which, up until recently, never observed the annual time change.
I’ll never forget the day a bunch of us tried to explain to her what Daylight Savings was, and that she needed to adjust her clocks like the rest of us. It all seemed utterly ridiculous to her. “I need to do what?” she stammered. Wake up an hour earlier, change her whole time reference, have more darkness in the morning, more daylight at night, and call it normal? How could the whole country be in on something that had been hidden from her for her entire life? And how could she be sure that this wasn’t just some outrageous joke we were all playing on her? Cassandra was right to be skeptical, for this time shift was no small matter. It would demand a change in her pattern of behavior, her frame of being, her way of life. Readjusting her biorhythms would take much longer than simply resetting her watch.
I think about all this in light of this Sunday’s scripture text, the classic Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. I wonder if skepticism and bewilderment are accurate descriptors for how the first followers of Jesus would have received these greatly provocative, highly controversial words. Jesus wasn’t just calling for minor adjustments to their lives, but a comprehensive and definitive realignment of their thoughts, behaviors, and relationships with others. This was life-altering stuff.
Imagine what the responses must have been: “Blessed are the poor in spirit? Those who mourn? The meek? Are you kidding? This makes no sense! Am I missing something here?”
Jesus was calling for a fundamental shift forward in the way his followers behaved. No longer to be aligned with the standards of the world, but to a new set of ideals framed by the Kingdom of God. It called for a complete inversion of conventional wisdom and cultural norms. The hungry would be filled, the persecuted rewarded, and the meek inheriting the earth. All of this must have come as a seismic shock to those still stuck in standard time.
John Wesley captures how much this must sound like folly to those on the outside looking in:
But all this wisdom of God is foolishness with the world. The whole affair of mourning and poverty of spirit is with them stupidity and dullness….And it is no wonder at all, that this judgment should be passed by those who know not God. (John Wesley, “Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.”)
Forget about merely losing an hour of sleep here or there; the Sermon on the Mount calls us to an entirely different way of viewing reality, just like two men who view a situation in stark contrast: one who sees a canyon below, and the other level ground. Wesley continues:
Suppose, as two persons were walking together, one should suddenly stop, and with the strongest signs of fear and amazement, cry out, "On what a precipice do we stand! See, we are on the point of being dashed in pieces! Another step, and we fall into that huge abyss! Stop! I will not go on for all the world!" -- when the other, who seemed, to himself at least, equally sharp-sighted, looked forward and saw nothing of all this; what would he think of his companion, but that he was beside himself; that his head was out of order; that much religion (if he was not guilty of "much learning") had certainly made him mad!
Throughout this Lenten season, we are exploring the various ways that the cross challenges us to see reality, and calls us to be realigned with the values of God’s kingdom. It is called “Upside-Down: How the Cross Changes Everything.” And this week we make a stop on the mountaintop, to hear these provocative words of Jesus, with particular focus on the seventh beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Together, let’s spring forward, into a new life of commitment and discipleship.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
Matthew 5:1-11
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
PROPERTY ACQUISITION UPDATE
Under the authority given by the recent Charge Conference, the Building Committee and Board of Trustees have entered into a contract with Lundell Construction for the purpose of demolishing and clearing the two recently purchased 6th St. properties at a cost of $25,000. This is significantly lower than the amount approved at the Charge Conference. Demolition is expected to begin anytime in the near future.
NEW PRAISE BAND AT ST. PAUL’S
We give thanks to God for Dr. David Klee, professor of music at Buena Vista University, who has offered to develop a new praise band at St. Paul’s. The Administrative Board two weeks ago approved the addition of this new program to our worship ministries, and we are currently looking for vocalists and instrumentalists for this exciting new opportunity. We are particularly looking for drummers, guitarists, keyboardists, and horn players. If you are interested, please contact David at klee@bvu.edu. David will be promoting the new ministry in an upcoming article in the Chronicle and in a Cherokee Connection radio spot a week from Thursday.
YOUTH CAR RALLY
Attention, youth grades 7-12! Buckle up and start your engines! We’ll gather from 4-6pm on Sunday, March 22, for a crazy time scouring the town for our next car rally! Come along, and bring a friend! Adult drivers are needed to help escort teams around town. If interested, please contact the church office.
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