A Disciple's Path

September 24, 2013

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

“Nature does not proceed by leaps and bounds.”  - Carl Linnaeus

Grace was eager to come home from school yesterday to demonstrate what she learned in Mrs. Rochleau’s science class.  She said it quickly, each word rolling off the tongue with a confident cadence and precise diction:

“Kingdom, Phyla, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species,” she trumpeted, proudly.  The old biology major in me couldn’t be prouder. 

She had memorized the essential categories of the timeless classification system developed by Carl Linnaeus, the 18^th century Swedish biologist known as the father of modern taxonomy.  His work was based on a simple premise:  the more we can classify specific details of every organism, the better we can appreciate both the interconnectedness and diversity of all of life. 

I asked Grace if she could categorize human beings, and she correctly identified our genus species name as homo sapiens.  Eventually, she will be able to complete our taxonomy, as Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Primates, Genus: Homo, Species:  Sapiens.  Once she is able to do this, she will be able to see how we fit in the grand scheme of all living things.

Grace’s eagerness to learn this classification system made me think about our own identity as a St. Paul’s congregation.  It may be a crude analogy, but we can classify our existence as Genus: St. Paul’s, Species: United Methodist, Order: Wesleyan, Class: Protestant, Phylum: Christianity….

…. and then, of course, Kingdom: God.  We are all part of the Kingdom of God. 

A DISCIPLE’S PATH

Just as learning the Linnaean Classification System helps humans see their place in the world, discovering who we are as United Methodists clarifies our place in the Kingdom of God.  That is why, starting October 6, we will begin what may be the most important series I have offered in my six years as your pastor.  It is a six-week series that will help us learn more about what it means to be United Methodists committed to Christ through our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness, which are the vital components of our membership vow.   

The series is called “A Disciple’s Path,” based on a curriculum distributed by the United Methodist Publishing House.  It is written by my good friends, Rev. Jim Harnish and Rev. Justin LaRosa, and developed at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, where I served prior to coming here.  To date, A Disciple’s Path has been used by over 4,000 churches across the country, helping its members grow in their commitments to Christ and remember their mission and purpose as a congregation.

A critical part of this series will be your participation in a weekly small group.  I am grateful to the following people who are volunteering as facilitators of these groups, as they will host and guide conversations that will take your discipleship to the next level.  They will start October 7, using a workbook that will be available for purchase.  To secure a spot soon, please respond to this email or contact the church office with your preference.

·      Sheree Hausmann and Jenny Burroughs:  Monday evenings, 7:00-8:30, Home of Sheree and Louis Hausmann 

·      Connie Hankens and Meribeth Adams:  Tuesday afternoons, 1:00-2:30, Church Library

·      Bruce Dagel and Magrey deVega: Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:00, Church Library

·      Dave and Linda Appleby and Linda Burkhart: Wednesday afternoons, 12:00-1:30, Church Library

·      Laura Benson and Missy Jenness:  Wednesday evenings, 6:30-7:30, Church Library

STEADY GROWTH, ONE STEP AT A TIME

Linnaeus once said, “Nature does not proceed by leaps and bounds.”  It is rare, if not impossible, for organisms to develop new characteristics with any degree of suddenness or spontaneity.  For life to advance to greater levels of complexity and achievement, it must do so with hard work, gradual change, and steady commitment. 

That’s precisely the way we grow as Christians.  John Wesley said, “Every one, though born of God in an instant, yet undoubtedly grows by slow degrees.”  The sanctifying grace of God empowers us to make daily, deliberate choices to grow in our faith, deepen our commitments to God, and live into the image of Jesus Christ.  That is my ultimate hope for you, and why I would urge you to participate in A Disciple’s Path small group.  Step by step, let us take the path that will strengthen our discipleship.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

531 W. Main St.

Cherokee, IA  51012

Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org

To view past editions of the Mid-Week Message, visit http://mdevega.blogspot.com. 

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Songs for the Children

September 17, 2013

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

When I was younger, I attended a small, private Christian school in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Emblazoned on the south wall of our gymnasium, just below the scoreboard and above the exit doors, were these words in big green letters: 

I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children walk in the truth. – 3 John 1:4

Whenever we’d gather for school assemblies, pep rallies, or home ball games, these words served as a visible reminder of the school’s primary purpose:  to create a safe, nurturing environment in which every child received a good education and a solid foundation in the Christian faith.  I would like to think that I am a beneficiery of that school’s success in accomplishing its mission.

SONGS FOR THE CHILDREN

In a way, that ought to be the mission of every church:  to ground its children in the foundations of the Christian faith, nurturing a safe environment to explore their beliefs and form their convictions.  In the words of this poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, it is about teaching our children to “sing” the language of our faith: 

     “Home, My Little Children, Here are Songs for You”

     Come, my little children, here are songs for you;

     Some are short and some are long, and all, all are new.

     You must learn to sing them very small and clear,

     Very true to time and tune and pleasing to the ear.

     Mark the note that rises, mark the notes that fall,

     Mark the time when broken, and the swing of it all.

     So when night is come, and you have gone to bed,

     All the songs you love to sing shall echo in your head.

MINISTRY TO OUR CHILDREN

You can be proud that in many ways, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is taking seriously the call to foster its children in the faith.  I am grateful to report to you the great start of our new Wednesday night youth programs.  Despite graduating a large number of seniors last year, the senior high teen time has fifteen active kids, meeting at the home of Craig and Monica Schmidt from 6:30-8:00pm.  A number of those kids are new to the area, who came by the invitation of friends.

We also started two new mid-high groups:  One for 5^th-6^th graders, led by Nicci Lundquist, and the other for 7^th-8^th graders, led by Diane Rochleau.  Both meet from 6:30-7:30pm at the church and include a light supper.  Last week, we had a total of twenty mid-highers, including many folks that were invited by a friend.

And this Sunday, we will be celebrating the nine children in our third-grade class who will be receiving their very own Bible.  As my friend and former senior pastor Jim Harnish likes to say, handing a Bible to these kids is one of the most dangerous things a church can do.  It can empower them to live as God created them to be, to become agents of love and healing for a broken world.

This Sunday will be a special one, indeed, as we continue our sermon series on the life and ministry of Paul by looking at the pastoral epistles of 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.  Our text will be an appropriate one for the day, as we strive to be a living embodiment of the way that young Timothy received his faith from his ancestors, learning the songs of Christian conviction until they “echoed in his head.”

I’m grateful to God, whom I serve with a good conscience as my ancestors did. I constantly remember you in my prayers day and night. When I remember your tears, I long to see you so that I can be filled with happiness. I’m reminded of your authentic faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I’m sure that this faith is also inside you. Because of this, I’m reminding you to revive God’s gift that is in you through the laying on of my hands. God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.  (2 Timothy 1:3-7)

Grace and Peace,

Magrey 

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

531 W. Main St.

Cherokee, IA  51012

Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org

Paul's Favorite Phrase

September 10, 2013

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, "Morning, boys, how's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, "What the hell is water?"

- David Foster Wallace [1]

After sixteen years of ministry, I have discovered several reoccurring quirks in my writing and preaching.  I improperly begin too many sentences with the words And and But.  I have a long-term, first-order habit of over-hyphenating words.  I am also an alliteration addict.  When I preach from the pulpit, I point with an open hand, leaning forward with my right foot in front of my left.  When I preach in front of the altar, I stand on the precipice of the chancel, my toes peering over the top step like a parrot on a perch.  These are all things you’ve probably noticed.  I’m sure you’re aware of many more.  

A few months ago Grace peered over my shoulder as I was typing a sermon on the computer.  “Daddy,” she said, “I’ve memorized your whole sermon plan.  You do the same thing every week.  You read the scripture, then you talk a little bit, then you compare it to a real life thing, then you crack a few jokes.  Then you say, ‘Now we’ll take up an offering.’”

She knows me all too well.

PAUL’S FAVORITE WORDS

I’d like to think that I’m not the only preacher with idiosyncrasies, which is why I was happy to spend some time with yesterday’s daily scripture bookmark reading the book of Ephesians, the next stop in our sermon series on Paul.  Paul had a favorite phrase that consisted of two little words.  And there is no better example (there I go again, beginning a sentence with And) than in the opening chapter of Ephesians:

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will.  To the holy and faithful people in Christ Jesus in Ephesus….God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world….This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. We have also received an inheritance in Christ….We are called to be an honor to God’s glory because we were the first to hope in Christ. You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ.

Throughout his epistles, Paul uses some form of the phrase “in Christ” 165 times, and it occurs more often in his letter to the Ephesians.  It appears 36 times in that book, ten times in the first chapter alone.

What did Paul mean by that phrase?  Many scholars, from the great Albert Schweitzer in the early twentieth century, to contemporary scholars like Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, believe that Paul used that phrase to describe his ongoing, mystical relationship with Jesus Christ.  It was, first of all, ongoing: it began with his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, but it continued throughout his life and ministry. 

PAUL, THE MYSTIC

Second, his relationship with Christ was mystical.  Granted, that word, well, mystifies us.  We often associate the practice of mysticism with some eccentric set of gestures and incantations designed to elevate ourselves to oneness with the divine.  According to German theologian Gustav Deissmann, that is a “proactive mysticism,” in which following strict, regimented behavioral patterns guide an ascent toward God.  That is the opposite of Paul’s mysticism.  His spirituality was not proactive, but reactive, which depended not on right works to get to God, but on a faith that leads to an awareness of God’s presence already in and around him through Jesus Christ.  [2]

Like a fish becoming aware of the water that was the very source of its life, Paul described his awareness of Jesus Christ to the people at the Areopagus as the one in whom we “live and move and breathe and have our being” (Acts 17:28).  For Paul, living “in Christ” meant nothing less than surrender and submission to the person and work of Jesus Christ, fully participating in his life, death, and resurrection.

And if you look closely at Ephesians 1 (there I go with And again), Paul used the words in Christ to describe more than a private, individual experience of Christ, but a communal, corporate experience within the body of believers.  Whereas many religious mystical traditions require complete isolation, practicing transcendence in hermit-like seclusion (notice the hyphen), Paul believed that a mystical relationship with Christ was best experienced with fellow Christians, in a mutually caring, refining, and serving community.  Borg and Crossan describe that relationship in this way:

For Paul, life “in Christ” was always a communal matter. This was so not simply because “it’s important to be part of a church,” but because his purpose, his passion, was to create communities whose life together embodied an alternative to the normalcy of the “wisdom of this world.”[3]

As we continue in this journey through the wonderful words and witness of Paul (another  alliteration) let us grow in our awareness of God’s constant love and strength that surrounds us in Christ, and seek to live out our faith in community with each other. 

In Christ,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVegaSt. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA  51012
Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org 

[1]  “David Foster Wallace on Life and Work.”  The Wall Street Journal, September 19, 2008. 

[2] Stewart, James.  A Man in Christ.  New York, Harper and Row Publishers.

[3]  Borg, Marcus J.; Crossan, John Dominic The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church's Conservative Icon.  HarperCollins, 2009.

WEDNESDAY YOUTH GROUPS START THIS WEEK

Attention, all 5^th through 8^th Graders!  We are eager to announce three new youth small groups throughout the school year:

5^th-6^th Graders, 6:30-7:30pm, with Nicci Lundquist in the 5^th-6^th grade Sunday school classroom at the church.  A light supper (pizza and drinks) will be served.

7^th-8^th Graders, 6:30-7:30pm, with Diane Rochleau in the Chapel at the church.  A light supper (pizza and drinks) will be served.

9^th-12^th Graders, 6:30-8:00pm, with Craig and Monica Schmidt, in their home.  Dinner will be served.

Come and join them, and bring a friend!

A Prayer for Syria

September 3, 2013

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

We join with others around the world witnessing the atrocities committed in Syria, particularly troubled by the alleged use of chemical weapons against its own citizens.  As President Barack Obama and leaders in Washington debate possible military intervention, we unite with people of faith around the world praying for a peaceful resolution and an end to the violence. 

Pope Francis has designated this Saturday, September 7, as a worldwide day of prayer for the situation in Syria.  To that end, I offer my own prayerful reflection, which may guide your own thoughts throughout the week.

“The Lion Roars Again”

The Lord has said to me:

When the lion growls,

    the young lion, over its prey,

    though a band of shepherds is summoned against it,

    isn’t scared off by their noise

    or frightened by their roar.

So the Lord of heavenly forces will go down

    to fight on Mount Zion and on her hill.

Like birds flying aloft,

    so the Lord of heavenly forces will shield Jerusalem:

    shielding and saving, sparing and rescuing.  (Isaiah 31:4-5)

Spirit of God, and Source of True Peace,

The lion roars again.

We watch unfolding events in Syria and gasp at atrocities committed by leaders and rebels, by militia and civilians, and we fear for them.  Like helpless sheep, they hear the growl of violence, that inner stir that causes them to rise up against each other, with a lust for supremacy in a perpetual fog of self-protection.  By the thousands, they fall dead:  cruel victims of more than modern weapons and wicked hearts, but also the notion that violence  must be fought with violence.  

Their proud and noble history is hunted by this prowling lion, this predatory cycle of violence that has gripped humanity since the beginning:

Cain against Abel,

     Jacob against Esau,

          Siblings against Joseph,

               Judas against Jesus,

                    Brother against Brother.

Their struggle exemplifies the complexity of the human heart.  We confess that all of us, to some degree, long for a security that endures, but often falls prey to the roaring lion of redemptive violence.  And so, hearing that same roar, we too are tempted by war.  We sense the allure to attack. To summon “bands of shepherds,” whose brandished weaponry and clamoring blare, we believe, will vanquish the bloodshed with greater bloodshed. 

But the lion “isn’t scared off by their noise or frightened by their roar.”

Therefore, as the prophet summons, so we entreat you:  descend upon us as "birds flying aloft."  Grant to us a way through the violence that is greater than our earthly means.  Show the people of Syria, and all of us, the way of true peace. 

Through laying down arms, not taking them up. 

     Through seeing your face in the eyes of each other,

          rather than hearing the lion in each other’s voice.

               Through sacrifice for the common good, not a lust for supremacy. 

                    Through diplomacy and international pressure, not unilateral military action. 

                         Through forgiveness, not revenge.

Match the forces of wickedness with these mighty forces of your kingdom, and

Shield,

    Save,

          Spare, and

               Rescue

                    All your people. 

O God, we ask your blessing upon our President, and leaders of all countries, as they weigh the heavy matters of this time.  Forgive us for entrusting to our human institutions the responsibility of providing a peace that only you can provide.  And may all of us be conduits of that same peace, in the way we treat one another.  Teach us to live by this enduring hope, and by the promise of your ultimate vision: 

The lion roars again. 

But it will lie down the Lamb someday.

So be it.  Amen. 

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

531 W. Main St.

Cherokee, IA  51012

Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org

RETURN TO REGULAR SUNDAY SCHEDULE

We continue our sermon series on the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul with a return to our regular Sunday morning schedule.  Sunday school begins at 9:00am and worship starts at 10:10, with the children’s sermon resuming as part of our service.  We hope to see you there!

NEW MID-WEEK YOUTH GROUP OPPORTUNITIES

Starting this week, we are excited to offer the following small group opportunities for our youth:

Senior High Teen Time, Grades 9-12:  Starts tomorrow, Wednesday, September 4.  6:30-8:00pm, at the home of Craig and Monica Schmidt.

7th-8th Grade Small Group:  Starts Wednesday, September 11.  6:30-7:30pm, led by Diane Rochleau at the church.  Food and refreshments provided.

5th-6th Grade Small Group:  Starts Wednesday, September 11.  6:30-7:30pm, led by Nicci Lundquist at the church.  Food and refreshments provided.

The Day I Was Told to Sit in the Back

August 27, 2013,

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

One of the first churches I served after I graduated from seminary was a small, rural congregation in the deep South.  I was young and eager to please, but still somewhat oblivious to the realities of ministry in the real world.  Within the first few months of my arrival, we scheduled a congregational clean-up day for the church.  The campus was nestled in a canopy of mature southern pine trees, sheltering grounds covered with pine needles and acorns rather than pavement and asphalt.  Regularly, church members assembled to gather branches, rake needles, and trim overgrown brush amid the random sprinkling of grave stones dating back to the days of President Andrew Jackson.

Toward the end of this particular work day, I was hauling the last of the debris into the pick up truck of one of the church members, whom I’ll call Ben, so that we could haul it off to the burn pile for incineration.  Ben was a member of the Trustees and had a stern, commanding personality that educed power and attention within that small congregation.  With the truck loaded and Ben stepping into the driver’s side of the front cab, I opened the passenger’s door to sit next to him. 

“No,” Ben said, in a mumbling drawl.  “Minorities sit in the back.”

I looked at him as he turned the key in the ignition.  He looked the other way out the window.  I didn’t know him well enough to know if he was joking.  If he was, then he had an odd way of teasing someone he barely knew.  If he wasn’t, then he had an odd way of broaching a sensitive subject with the person serving as his pastor.  Either way, the last thing this young, eager-to-please preacher wanted to do was fan a firestorm with such a powerful person in the church, even if he was joking. 

So, for better or worse, I climbed into the bed of the truck with the branches. 

I thank God that there have been only a handful of times in my life that I have heard discriminatory words about my ethnicity.  But it is also significant that I can still remember those moments vividly:  the first-grade bullies who teased me mercilessly every recess until I bought their friendship by giving them a Star Wars landspeeder (to this day, I wish I had that toy back, and I think about it every time I see one); the homeless gentleman who came into the emergency overnight shelter where I was working in seminary and called me a derogatory ethnic slur after I served him his evening meal.

It is also no wonder that for the first few years at Grace and Maddy’s elementary school, I took opportunities at every conference to ask their teachers whether they were detecting any kind of harsh treatment of the girls by the other kids.  To my knowledge, the girls have never experienced that kind of bullying, just as I have been fortunate to never have a repeat experience like I had with Ben in any subsequent congregation I’ve served, including this one.

I’d like to say that our society has matured in its difficulties with race relations.  I understand that mine is a solitary voice, far removed from the much more severe barriers experienced by African Americans throughout history, Japanese Americans in the 1940s, and Muslim Americans since September 11.  Women have suffered from inequality in the workplace, gays and lesbians continue to struggle against discrimination, and even some white males have suffered reverse discrimination.  So I cannot – and will not - equate my journey as an ethnic minority with those who have suffered far greater than me, especially when I feel great pride in this country and more gratitude for what it has given me than any harsh memory that still lingers. 

I believe we are moving forward, not backward, in the way we treat one another. At least I’d like to think so. 

Tomorrow marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech in Washington, best known for a powerful, lyrical ending that was not originally part of his manuscript.  It came as prompting from those standing around him, stoking him to tap into his passion, claim his voice, and “Tell them about the dream.”  We are also still in the wake of the verdict of the trial of George Zimmerman, whose killing of Trayvon Martin became the latest Rorschach test of race relations and yet another “scapegoat” for the guilt of this country’s racial sins.  We are also part of a global community watching the horrific violence in Egypt, as a glorious ancient people wrestle with the growing pains of a nascent democracy, working to bring equality and justice among differing religions and ethnicities.

And, I’m just a week removed from watching Lee Daniel’s The Butler, a powerful film about the history of the civil rights movement, told from the perspective of two African American men:  a White House butler who suppressed his ethnic heritage to effect change with loyalty and obedience, and his son whose embrace of his ethnicity prompted a bolder life of non-violent protest.  It captures beautifully the dichotomy that many minorities must wrestle with:  confront the church member in the pick up truck and directly name his prejudice, or sit in the back of the truck, trying to win him over with responsibility and fidelity.  It’s no wonder I found myself in tears several times watching that film.

In the end, Ben and I had a good relationship.  I found him to be an earnest, hardworking, faithful member of the church and a loving family man.  I never did ask him about what he told me that day, so in retrospect I’m still not sure if I handled that situation well enough.  And because I’ve had Paul a lot on my mind lately during this current sermon series, I don’t know for sure how he would have handled that moment with Ben if he were in my shoes.  All I know is what Paul has written, and his words seem like an awfully good reminder to all of us these days:

There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  (Galatians 3:28)

Grace and Peace,

Magrey  

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

531 W. Main St.

Cherokee, IA  51012

Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org

REGULAR SUNDAY SCHEDULE BEGINS SEPTEMBER 8

We resume our regular Sunday morning schedule on September 8, with Sunday school at 9:00 and worship at 10:10.  

Paul's Greatest Epistle

August 20, 2013,

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to share an interesting archeological find from 2009:  a 1,600 year old joke book, dating back to the Roman empire.  That’s right.  Archeologists found a compendium of Roman humor, filled with funny stories and one liners.  [1]

It was quite a find, and a clear contrast to the image many of us have of stoic, stodgy Roman citizens standing around philosophizing and looking at the stars.  This joke book suggests that they actually had a fairly pronounced sense of humor, as evidenced by this little gem that follows the classic “three guys did something” formula:

A barber, a bald man, and an absent-minded professor go on a journey.  They have to camp overnight, so they divide the night into shifts so they can take turns watching over their baggage.  The barber takes the first shift, and gets bored watching the other two sleep.  So, he amuses himself by shaving the head of the professor.  When the barber wakes up the professor to start his shift, the professor feels his head and says to himself, “How stupid is that barber?  He’s woken up the bald headed man instead of me.”

(*cue the rim shot*)

Can’t you picture this joke being told by a bunch of knee-slapping, toga-wearing Romans? 

PAUL’S GREATEST EPISTLE

What is no laughing matter, however, is the epistle that Paul wrote to the church in Rome.  The book of Romans stands apart from the rest as the most important letter Paul ever wrote.  It is the most complete, methodical construction of Christian doctrine the early church would ever receive, and its impact has endured throughout time.  Consider the way that Romans has influenced some of Christian history’s most significant leaders:

John Chrysostom.  This fourth century early church father had someone read the entire book of Romans to him two times every week.

Augustine.  One day while sitting in a garden, he heard a group of children playing next door.  He then heard them say, “Pick up and read.  Pick up and read.”  He looked over and saw an open Bible on the table, the pages already turned to the book of Romans.  He was saved as he was reading it, and later reflected on the experience:  “In an instant the light of confidence flooded into my heart and all the darkness of doubt was dispelled.”

Martin Luther.  After a long period of struggling to find inner peace and the assurance of his own salvation, he read Romans 1:17:  “The just shall live by faith.”  At that moment, he experienced a peace with God and a confidence that his sins were forgiven.  He would later go on to spark a reformation of the Christian church that would lead to the Protestant denominations of today.

John Wesley.  It was Martin Luther’s commentary on the book of Romans that caused the young John Wesley to experience a heart “strangely warmed” in his pivotal Aldersgate experience in London.  Hearing Luther’s reflections on Paul’s words dispelled his doubts and gave him the assurance of God’s free gift of grace.  Wesley would later write about that moment:  “My heart was strangely warmed.  I felt that I did not trust Christ and Christ alone for my salvation and I, even I, was born again and forgiven of my sins.” 

Magrey deVega.  Whoops.  I’m not suggesting that I belong on the same list as these other spiritual giants.  But Romans was also quite formative in my own life, as a senior in my private Christian high school.  After spending the entire year studying the book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, we had only one question on our final exam:  Explain Romans.  Needless to say, the book became pretty formative in my own understanding of the Christian faith at an early age.

It was impossible for me to fully “explain Romans” writing in an exam booklet for forty-two minutes, just as it will be a challenge for me to do it justice preaching for twenty minutes this Sunday.  But no journey through the life and ministry of Paul would be complete without exploring this book that has been so important to the development of Christianity. 

You will definitely want to take some time this week reading through the book prior to worship on Sunday.  You’ll gain an appreciation for the comprehensive case that Paul builds for the human need for grace, the salvation given through Jesus Christ as the second Adam, and the faithful life expected of those who are redeemed.  As is the case for each of these Sundays, you’ll want to follow along in our daily scripture readings, which is as follows over the next several days:

Monday:  Romans 1-2

Tuesday:  Romans 3-4

Wednesday:  Romans 5-6

Thursday:  Romans 7-8

Friday:  Romans 9-10

Saturday:  Romans 11-12

Monday:  Romans 13-14

Tuesday:  Romans 15-16

Join us this Sunday for a sermon titled “Romans:  Sin and Grace.”  Let’s experience together the brilliance of Paul’s writing and the extravagance of God’s grace.  For indeed, I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers 39 or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.  (Romans 8:28)

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

531 W. Main St.

Cherokee, IA  51012

Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org

[1]  http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/mar/13/roman-joke-book-beard

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Beautiful Words?

August 13, 2013

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

This year our Church, by vote of the Congregation, added a surname and is now “St. Paul’s Methodist Church.  The question “What’s in a name?” will be answered in the coming years thru the measure of Christlike liberality in life, service, and substance with which we emulate the heroic stature of the Apostle Paul.

Rev. J.E. Feller wrote these words in his Pastor’s Report for the Charge Conference following the congregation’s vote in 1947 to change the name of the 89-year old First Methodist Episcopal Church in Cherokee to the St. Paul’s Methodist Church we know today.

I have re-read his statement several times since discovering it in our church archives last week.  It has not only inspired my preparations for this sermon series on Paul, it has kindled my appreciation for beautiful words.  Rev. Feller was among that great generation of preachers who cared for our language, balancing artistry with economy in the way they wrote and preached.  Twentieth century giants like Harry Emerson Fosdick, William Sloane Coffin, Martin Luther King, George Buttrick, and John Baillie, communicated with flourish and precision, far beyond what is commonplace in today’s Twitterized, televangelized pop-Christianity.  Would that most preachers – and public figures in general - speak and write with this kind of beauty today.

BEAUTIFUL WORDS?

Tom Long, preaching professor at Candler School of Theology, cites the following comparison of two public speakers, from two different eras. 

On December 8^, 1941, the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, a House representative from New Jersey named Charles Eaten made this speech to the House: “Mr. Speaker, yesterday against the roar of Japanese cannons in Hawaii, our American people heard a trumpet call:  a call to unity, a call to courage, a call to determination, once and for all to wipe off the earth this accursed monster of tyranny and slavery, which is casting its black shadow over the hearts and homes of every land.” 

Say what you will, that’s beautiful, Long says.  But then he continues:

A few years ago, another politician, Senator Sam Brownback, made the case for the war in Iraq this way: “Uh, if we don’t go at Iraq, our effort in the war on terrorism dwindles down to an intelligence operation, and we go at Iraq, and it says to countries that support terrorists, there are six in the world, as our definition states, that are sponsors of terrorists, and you say to those countries, ‘We’re serious about terrorism, we’re serious about your not supporting terrorism on your own soil.’”

What happened? Long asks. [1]

THE WORD MADE FLESH, IN WORDS

It’s no wonder that when John the gospel writer captured the mystery and beauty of God’s ultimate interaction with the world, he described it as the Word made flesh.  The artistry of God’s incarnation in Jesus was made visible in the vocabulary of human experience.  The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is an ode of the eternal, celebrating the one who is the “author and finisher of the faith.”

It is our job, then, to take our experience of the Word made flesh and convey it through our words.  As a full, circular response to the glory of God given to us in ordinary terms, we must be careful to use our words in ways that glorify God.  Preachers like me, when we write and speak, should choose language that incarnates the love of God with precision and beauty.  While it is true that the act of preaching should never wander too far from the vernacular, we should also resist cultural temptations to conceal our capacity for awe, wonder, mystery, and praise. 

This is a task shared by all followers of the Word.  Regardless of your calling and lot in life, take care of the words that you use.  Use words that enhance beauty in the world and in your relationships, rather than promote ugliness.  Resist the temptation to cheapen your witness in public discourse with words that are snarky and cynical.  Embrace the power of written words, choosing them deliberately and carefully, rather than relying solely on the fast-food medium of social media.  In short, love words. 

It is not just preachers that rely on words for their work.  All of us, as bearers of the Word, must live with “Christlike liberality in life, service, and substance.”  So let’s tend to our words.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

531 W. Main St.

Cherokee, IA  51012

Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org

[1]  Tom Long, Lecture, Festival of Homiletics, May 2005.

  

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY:  CORINTHIANS

We continue our journey this Sunday with a look at 1 and 2 Corinthians, the longest epistles that Paul wrote, to a community torn by conflict and division.  We learn how Paul promotes the power of the cross to heal discord and reconcile us to God andeach other.  If you are not already doing so, pick up a daily scripture reading bookmark and follow along in our preparations for each Sunday. 

For this week, the readings are:

Monday:  1 Cor. 1-3

Tuesday:  1 Cor. 11-13

Wednesday:  1 Cor. 14-16

Thursday:  2 Cor.  5-7

Friday:  2 Cor. 8-10

Saturday:  2 Cor.11-13