April 28, 2009
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
The classic game show To Tell the Truth was a little before my time, but I’ve enjoyed watching the reruns. You’ll remember that the basic premise of the show was that a panel of three guests claimed to be the same person, and had to convince a panel of celebrity questioners that they were telling the truth. At the end of the interrogation, the celebrities would decide which of the three they believed was telling the truth. And then the host Bud Collyer would say, “Will the real person please stand up?”
The show later spawned imitation programs such as What’s My Line?, I’ve Got a Secret, and, more recently, The Moment of Truth. For some reason, the American public has always found the fine art of fabrication to be strangely fascinating.
And, to tell you the truth, so does the first epistle of John, the subject of our sermon series through May. John has a fibbing fixation. The word liar is one of his favorite words, using it as many times in his five brief chapters as all the other New Testament books combined. His letter reads like one long polygraph exam, rendering the following verdicts:
· You know you are a liar if say you believe in God but refuse to keep God’s commandments (2:4).
· You know you are a liar if you deny that Jesus is the Messiah (2:22).
· You know you are a liar if you say you love God but hate another person (4:20).
· You know you are a liar if you say you believe in God but not believe that Jesus is whom the church says he is (5:10).
Harsh words! At the end you almost expect him to say that your pants on fire! No other book in the Bible puts one’s convictions and one’s ethics under such scorching scrutiny.
But there’s more. Before John gets to any of these indictments, he levies this one, the most brutally direct of them all:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his word is not in us. (I John 1:8-10)
It’s quite enough to see the self-induced consequences of our own incriminating actions. But claiming that we are better than we actually are, or denying the severity and significance of our sins not only affects us. It brands God as a liar.
The logic is as follows: If we claim to be sinless, then we undermine the very reason that God became human in Jesus to restore us and save us. And if God did all of this under false pretenses, then we basically make God out to be a liar.
How does that set on your conscience?
The only real solution is to come clean about the sin in our lives, receive the forgiveness and grace of God, and determine to live a new life through God’s strength. In short, it’s to stop living a lie, and start living in the light and love the resurrection. As people called Methodists called to be perfected in love, these words ought to ring familiar:
But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him. (I John 2:5)
Join us this Sunday as we continue our sermon series called “Bright New Day: Living in the Light of the Resurrection” based on the book of 1 John. We’ll focus on the second chapter, which calls us to live lives of honesty, purity, and love.
Now, will the real follower of Christ please stand up?
Magrey
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
A New Song?
April 22, 2009
Dear St. Paul’s family,
Dear St. Paul’s family,
O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. (Psalm 96:1)
When St. Paul’s debuts its brand new praise band this Sunday, it will seem, at first glance, to be a complete fulfillment of Psalm 96. Sing new words? No problem. There will be songs heretofore never sung in the St. Paul’s sanctuary. Sing in a new style? Check. How about a mixture of up-tempo hand-clappers and prayerful, soulful ballads? Sing with new instruments? Indeed. Thanks to a generous, anonymous gift, the praise band has been funded for the rest of the year, outfitted with brand new instruments and sound equipment.
But a new song? Hmm. Biblical scholars have run an exhaustive list of possibilities of what exactly made the song referenced in Psalm 96 a new song. Likely, this was part of a larger collection of enthronement songs that were sung by Israelites in the Temple, who celebrated God as their sovereign king. Beyond that, there is debate about whether this song was about the past, the present, or the future:
· Some believe the song they sung was the actual words of Psalm 96, constituting a new song for a new present reality.
· Others say that the new song was a reframing of the words from the past: Isaiah 42-43, which reminded people of God’s delivery of the people from slavery in Egypt.
· Still others claim that the song was a fresh reminder of their future hope, which was the restoration of God’s kingdom in the world.
· And others suggest it is all of the above - - past, present, and future.
So here’s the point. Here’s why I am looking forward to this Sunday. It’s not that we will be singing new words, accompanied by new instruments, with a new tempo. What makes this all so new is not determined by guitar vs. organ, or praise chorus vs. hymn. Rather, worship is new when it shifts our attention away from ourselves, and points us toward God. Worship is new when it lifts us out of our egocentric tendencies and freshly directs us toward the God who has, will, and presently rules and reigns in our lives. We sing a new song whenever God is the audience.
Frankly, this is nothing, well, new. It is my hope that this occurs every week, every time we worship together, no matter the service format. And I suppose that’s the point. Regardless of the labels one would use to describe the form of worship (for example, “traditional” vs. “contemporary,” whatever those words mean), worship is new, not when we move past old styles, but whenever we move beyond our old selves. And to evaluate one’s personal worship experience against one’s stylistic preferences is to miss the point entirely. Whether we sing, “O for a thousand tongues to sing, our great redeemer’s praise,” or “So, come let us sing a song / a song declaring we belong to Jesus,” the focus is never on ourselves. It is on the God who created us, redeems us, and will perfect us in love.
So come this Sunday, and be drawn into the worship of God. Clap your hands if you wish, sing along, or simply close your eyes in prayerful praise. Be lifted beyond yourself, and experience a God who is making all things new.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Risus Paschalis
April 14, 2009
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Heard any good jokes lately?
Until recently, American churches have overlooked a centuries-old tradition of observing the Sunday after Easter as “Bright Sunday:” a day of parties, picnics, humor, practical jokes, and general merriment. The custom was rooted in the convictions of early church theologians such as Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom, who interpreted the resurrection as God playing the ultimate practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. They coined the term “Risus paschalis,” or the “Easter laugh.”
Today, a growing number of churches across the denominational spectrum have “resurrected” Bright Sunday with new terms like “Holy Humor Sunday,” or “Holy Hilarity Sunday.” People gather in worship to share their funniest jokes and stories, enjoy light-hearted skits, sing hymn parodies, and enjoy people in costume (think ushers in clown makeup and choirs in bathrobes). And often, the sermons are filled with one stream-of-consciousness joke after another. Like this one:
A minister got up before the congregation to deliver the invocation, only to discover a problem with the microphone. He tapped it with his hand, blew into it loudly, knocked it a few times on the altar rail, not realizing he had failed to turn it on. While fumbling with the switch, he muttered, “There’s something wrong with this thing.”
To which the congregation responded, “And also with you.”
The point of Holy Humor Sunday, of course, is more than just jokes and laughter. It is an affirmation of how wonderful and surprising the resurrection really is. Like a good joke that catches us off-guard and puts an irrevocable smile on our faces, the resurrection of Jesus can bring lightness to life’s burdens and give our souls a lift with new hope and promise.
On a recent episode of Inside the Actors’ Studio with James Lipton, late-night comedian and accomplished humor writer Conan O’Brien was asked how much of comedy was a scientific formula, and how much was sheer spontaneity.
O’Brien responded:
“There’s definitely formulas and we all fall back on formulas. When we’re looking at a sketch and we don’t know how to end it, there’s always the seven ways that you can end it that you’ve seen before, do you know what I mean? There’s a couple [of] moves that (writers) use, and when you’re in this business long enough, you know ‘em. So you’re watching Saturday Night Live and I say, ‘Oh, what are they gonna do?’ And then they do one of the seven moves, and you go, ‘Oh, okay.’
But every now and then something happens that completely surprises you. And that doesn’t happen all the time, but you’re always looking for that crazy, random, weird ending that no one expects, that is beyond formula. You don’t know how someone thought of it. You’re always hoping to come up with one of those. They don’t grow on trees, but when they come along, it’s great. (Inside the Actors’ Studio, original airdate January 26, 2009).
It’s true: with all the jokes that we’ve heard and shared, and all the one-liners that have tickled our ribs, the Risus paschalis breaks all the rules. The resurrection smashes the formulas of life as usual, upends our expectations, and calls us to live an entirely upside-down kind of life. It is joy in a time that tilts toward sorrow. It is hope in a world preoccupied with despair. Death may be the set-up, but new life is the punch line. It’s a “crazy, random, weird ending that no one expects.” But it’s one that everyone needs.
So, enjoy this Easter in the way it was originally intended: with a big, hearty Risus paschalis. And bask in the hilarity of the resurrection.
Grace, Peace, and Laughter,
Magrey
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Heard any good jokes lately?
Until recently, American churches have overlooked a centuries-old tradition of observing the Sunday after Easter as “Bright Sunday:” a day of parties, picnics, humor, practical jokes, and general merriment. The custom was rooted in the convictions of early church theologians such as Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom, who interpreted the resurrection as God playing the ultimate practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. They coined the term “Risus paschalis,” or the “Easter laugh.”
Today, a growing number of churches across the denominational spectrum have “resurrected” Bright Sunday with new terms like “Holy Humor Sunday,” or “Holy Hilarity Sunday.” People gather in worship to share their funniest jokes and stories, enjoy light-hearted skits, sing hymn parodies, and enjoy people in costume (think ushers in clown makeup and choirs in bathrobes). And often, the sermons are filled with one stream-of-consciousness joke after another. Like this one:
A minister got up before the congregation to deliver the invocation, only to discover a problem with the microphone. He tapped it with his hand, blew into it loudly, knocked it a few times on the altar rail, not realizing he had failed to turn it on. While fumbling with the switch, he muttered, “There’s something wrong with this thing.”
To which the congregation responded, “And also with you.”
The point of Holy Humor Sunday, of course, is more than just jokes and laughter. It is an affirmation of how wonderful and surprising the resurrection really is. Like a good joke that catches us off-guard and puts an irrevocable smile on our faces, the resurrection of Jesus can bring lightness to life’s burdens and give our souls a lift with new hope and promise.
On a recent episode of Inside the Actors’ Studio with James Lipton, late-night comedian and accomplished humor writer Conan O’Brien was asked how much of comedy was a scientific formula, and how much was sheer spontaneity.
O’Brien responded:
“There’s definitely formulas and we all fall back on formulas. When we’re looking at a sketch and we don’t know how to end it, there’s always the seven ways that you can end it that you’ve seen before, do you know what I mean? There’s a couple [of] moves that (writers) use, and when you’re in this business long enough, you know ‘em. So you’re watching Saturday Night Live and I say, ‘Oh, what are they gonna do?’ And then they do one of the seven moves, and you go, ‘Oh, okay.’
But every now and then something happens that completely surprises you. And that doesn’t happen all the time, but you’re always looking for that crazy, random, weird ending that no one expects, that is beyond formula. You don’t know how someone thought of it. You’re always hoping to come up with one of those. They don’t grow on trees, but when they come along, it’s great. (Inside the Actors’ Studio, original airdate January 26, 2009).
It’s true: with all the jokes that we’ve heard and shared, and all the one-liners that have tickled our ribs, the Risus paschalis breaks all the rules. The resurrection smashes the formulas of life as usual, upends our expectations, and calls us to live an entirely upside-down kind of life. It is joy in a time that tilts toward sorrow. It is hope in a world preoccupied with despair. Death may be the set-up, but new life is the punch line. It’s a “crazy, random, weird ending that no one expects.” But it’s one that everyone needs.
So, enjoy this Easter in the way it was originally intended: with a big, hearty Risus paschalis. And bask in the hilarity of the resurrection.
Grace, Peace, and Laughter,
Magrey
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Meaning of Communion
April 8, 2009
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
It’s true what they say: children grow up to be much like their parents. One night, during a dinner with Jessica’s father, our older daughter Grace spontaneously demonstrated her impression of her preacher daddy. After receiving a freshly buttered dinner roll from her grandpa, she stood up in her chair, raised the bread into the air and spoke in the most dignified tone her toddler voice could muster:
“This is Jesus,” she declared.
Then, leaning over to Grandpa Elwyn, she whispered, “But it’s only make-believe.”
I didn’t know whether to beam or blush.
Intuitively, we know she was right. We don’t believe in a literal transformation of yeast and dough into the cellular composition of the man from Nazareth. Yet at the same time, we would never go so far as to say that what happens around the altar is pure pretense. Something real is happening. Isn’t it?
As we prepare for Maundy Thursday and the rest of Holy Week, it is always good to remember the words of Charles Wesley, the musical theologian of the Methodist movement, who offered his reflection on the meaning of communion through his hymn, Come Sinners to the Gospel Feast, which we will be singing tomorrow night. Each verse offers a different angle on the mystery of this holy sacrament:
COME: Communion is an invitation for all of us to enter the presence of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ:
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
It’s true what they say: children grow up to be much like their parents. One night, during a dinner with Jessica’s father, our older daughter Grace spontaneously demonstrated her impression of her preacher daddy. After receiving a freshly buttered dinner roll from her grandpa, she stood up in her chair, raised the bread into the air and spoke in the most dignified tone her toddler voice could muster:
“This is Jesus,” she declared.
Then, leaning over to Grandpa Elwyn, she whispered, “But it’s only make-believe.”
I didn’t know whether to beam or blush.
Intuitively, we know she was right. We don’t believe in a literal transformation of yeast and dough into the cellular composition of the man from Nazareth. Yet at the same time, we would never go so far as to say that what happens around the altar is pure pretense. Something real is happening. Isn’t it?
As we prepare for Maundy Thursday and the rest of Holy Week, it is always good to remember the words of Charles Wesley, the musical theologian of the Methodist movement, who offered his reflection on the meaning of communion through his hymn, Come Sinners to the Gospel Feast, which we will be singing tomorrow night. Each verse offers a different angle on the mystery of this holy sacrament:
COME: Communion is an invitation for all of us to enter the presence of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ:
Come, sinners, to the Gospel feast;
Let every soul be Jesus’ guest.
Ye need not one be left behind,
For God hath bid all humankind.
CONNECTION: Communion unites us as a body of Christ with Christians around the world and across time. It connects us with saints past, present, and future:
Sent by my Lord, on you I call;
The invitation is to all.
Come, all the world! Come, sinner, thou!
All things in Christ are ready now.
COMFORT: Communion affirms the constant presence of God in and among us, even in the midst of our most difficult trials:
Come, all ye souls by sin oppressed,
Ye restless wanderers after rest;
Ye poor, and maimed, and sick, and blind,
In Christ a hearty welcome find.
CONFESSION: Communion acknowledges the grace of God through the work of the Holy Spirit, prompting us toward confession and an experience of God’s forgiveness:
Come, and partake the Gospel feast;
Be saved from sin; in Jesus rest;
O taste the goodness of your God,
And eat His flesh, and drink His blood!
COMMITMENT: Communion gives us the opportunity to recommit ourselves to following Christ, so that, in the words of John Wesley, the love of God “may be shed abroad in our hearts:”
My message as from God receive;
Ye all may come to Christ and live.
O let His love your hearts constrain,
Nor permit Him to die in vain.
CONTEMPLATION: Communion helps us ponder God’s holiness and power, and reminds us of our utter dependence on God’s love:
His love is mighty to compel;
His conquering love consent to feel,
Yield to His love’s resistless power,
And fight against your God no more.
COMMEMORATION: Communion is a remembrance of what Jesus has done on the cross. It is more than mere intellectual recollection; it is a dynamic re-presentation of Jesus, making him vividly real today:
See Him set forth before your eyes,
That precious, bleeding Sacrifice!
His offered benefits embrace,
And freely now be saved by grace.
CELEBRATION: Communion express grateful thanks for what God has done, and reminds us of our future at the great banquet table of God.
This is the time, no more delay!
This is the Lord’s accepted day.
Come thou, this moment, at His call,
And live for Him Who died for all.
I invite you to come to tomorrow night’s Maundy Thursday service at 7pm and share in the gift of Holy Communion. And on the following night, we’ll join together in the solemn remembrance of Good Friday at 7pm, reflecting on the drama and passion of Christ’s great sacrifice and love. And, of course, we’ll celebrate together the joy and triumph of Easter Sunday, with identical services at 7:00 and 10:10.
Come, Connect, and Celebrate!
Magrey
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Drawing Fish Pictures in the Sand
March 24, 2009
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Recently, our older daughter Grace (8 years old last Wednesday!) was playing around with her recent discovery of acronyms. She had fun taking the letters of every name in the family and assigning corresponding descriptors for each person. I glimpsed at her sheet and saw the following acronym for my wife:
not Juicy
not Edible
So cool
Same as the one on top (again, not juicy)
Is a good teacher
Cool
Awesome
Pretty comical, I thought. Jessica thought it was a hoot. Then I saw what Grace did to my name:
Mild
Awesome
Good speaker
Really awesome
not Edible
not Yummy
I’m not sure what qualifies me as “not yummy,” but I suppose I’ll take it as a compliment.
Grace’s playful exercise reminds me that acronyms have been helpful mnemonic devices since the earliest days of human language. The example that jumps to mind is from first century Rome, in which persecuted Christians communicated to one another through a seemingly innocuous symbol. When a Christian was out in public and they wanted to determine if a nearby person was a fellow believer without drawing dangerous attention from Roman observers, they would use a stick or their foot to draw a swooping arc in the dirt.
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Recently, our older daughter Grace (8 years old last Wednesday!) was playing around with her recent discovery of acronyms. She had fun taking the letters of every name in the family and assigning corresponding descriptors for each person. I glimpsed at her sheet and saw the following acronym for my wife:
not Juicy
not Edible
So cool
Same as the one on top (again, not juicy)
Is a good teacher
Cool
Awesome
Pretty comical, I thought. Jessica thought it was a hoot. Then I saw what Grace did to my name:
Mild
Awesome
Good speaker
Really awesome
not Edible
not Yummy
I’m not sure what qualifies me as “not yummy,” but I suppose I’ll take it as a compliment.
Grace’s playful exercise reminds me that acronyms have been helpful mnemonic devices since the earliest days of human language. The example that jumps to mind is from first century Rome, in which persecuted Christians communicated to one another through a seemingly innocuous symbol. When a Christian was out in public and they wanted to determine if a nearby person was a fellow believer without drawing dangerous attention from Roman observers, they would use a stick or their foot to draw a swooping arc in the dirt.
Then, if the other person was a Christian, he would covertly respond by completing the picture.
To the Roman public, it would look simply like two nutty people drawing a fish on the ground. But to the early church, this was a symbol with deep theological meaning. Fish, in Greek, was spelled ΙΧΘΥΣ, or ICHTHUS in English. And this word was – you guessed it – an acronym. Separating the letters, one could fill in the following words:
I: Iesus
CH: Christos
TH: Theou
U: Uios
S: Soter
Translating the words into English, you get the following profound theological statement:
“Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”
The two strangers could walk away, having found their mutual connection in Christ, while escaping certain persecution and death.
Both in symbol and in sentence, the earliest Christians bet their lives on the conviction that Jesus of Nazareth was no mere human. He was more than a compelling teacher, and more than a celebrity healer. He was the promised messiah, the agent of a new kingdom, and the means to a restored relationship with God. Such an affirmation demanded sacrifice and risk from these fledgling followers , more so than anything we face today.
But we, too, are tempted to compromise our convictions for the sake of personal convenience, our devotion to God in the face of societal pressures, and our integrity and discipline in exchange for career convenience. Put most simply, it is still easier to disown our allegiance to Christ than to be fully committed to it. That’s why the season of Lent is so important. It is, itself, a mnemonic device. We remember the story of Christ’s passion with clarity and presence, and greet him with palms, eat with him at the table, betray him with a kiss, follow him to Golgotha, and experience the transformative miracle of the empty tomb. It is a story worth remembering, and ultimately making our own.
Let’s make this journey together, and:
Let’s
Experience
New
Transformation.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
UPSIDE-DOWN SERIES CONTINUES
We continue with our Lenten series with Jesus’ fascinating parable from Matthew 20:1-16. Come discover how God’s grace is the great equalizer among people, regardless of their past. The sermon is titled, “Equality: The First Will Be Last.”
EASTER LILIES
We are currently taking orders for Easter lilies in honor or in memory of loved ones. The cost is $12.00, and they will once again be provided by Rhoadside Blooming House. Contact the church office by Monday, April 6, with your order.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
This year’s VBS is called “Crocodile Dock” and promises to be the biggest and best one yet! Come this Sunday to see how you can help with donations or your time. For more information, contact Jill Chalstrom.
GIRL SCOUTS LASAGNA DINNER
Join the Girl Scouts in the Fellowship Hall for their annual fundraising dinner. Delicious Lasagna, and all the fixings, will be served for $7.00 per adult and $3.50 for children. Tickets are available at the door.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Lent and the Peltzman Effect
March 17, 2009
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Can feeling safe be bad for you?
In 1975, Dr. Sam Peltzman, a University of Chicago economics professor, argued that federal regulations designed to make automobile driving safer actually encouraged riskier driving. In an unexpected response to mandatory seat belts, crush-resistant windshields, and dual braking systems, people drove less safely, because they felt it was potentially less costly for them to do so.
The “Peltzman Effect” was evident in a later British study that measured how close drivers pass by bicyclists who wear helmets, as opposed to those who do not. The conclusion: drivers will approach those with helmets more closely, convinced that their helmet alone would lessen the potential damage of a collision.
And then there’s Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What it Says About Us). Driving in Spain, where the roads were filled with hairpin turns and few guardrails, he remembered: “I drove as if my life depended on it.” But when the roads were wider and the traffic was less, he said, “I just about fell asleep and ran off the road … Lulled by safety, I’d acted more dangerously.”
Of course, this is no argument against having such important safety precautions. But it is a reminder that nothing replaces alertness and vigilance. A false sense of security can lead to destructive errors in judgment.
I’m certain Dr. Peltzman never intended his theory to be applied to matters of faith, but the Peltzman Effect applies to our spiritual lives as well. The more comfortable we are in our faith, the more likely we are to dance on its edge. The more we rely on God’s grace to forgive us, the more likely we are to test its limits with errant decisions.
That’s why the season of Lent is so important. It calls us to strip away all of our manufactured safety mechanisms that promise comfort but angle us toward disaster:
· Our false notions of self-reliance that convince us that we are self-made;
· Our propensity towards avarice that defines our worth by our wealth, and our status by our possessions;
· Our dependence on political, economic, and military systems to offer a kind of security that only the kingdom of God can provide;
· Our feelings of self-righteousness that result from being satisfied with the shallowness of our faith, rather than pushing ourselves toward mission, self-sacrifice, and witness to others.
Preacher and author A.W. Tozer offered a pointed summary:
"The answer is that we are too comfortable, too rich, too contented. We hold the faith of our fathers, but it does not hold us. We are suffering from judicial blindness visited upon us because of our sins. To us has been committed the most precious of all treasures, but we are not committed to it. We insist upon making our religion a form of amusement and will have fun whether or not. We are afflicted with religious myopia and see only things near at hand. (A.W. Tozer, The Set of the Sail)
In faith, as in driving, comfort can lead to complacency, and feeling protected can lead to pride. The apostle Paul was right: What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?
So have you become too comfortable in your faith? Maybe it’s time to introduce some hairpin turns and narrower roads along your spiritual path. Daily disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, fasting, confession, and service will invite fresh alertness and sobriety in your faith. “Enter through the narrow gate,” Jesus said, “for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
This Sunday, join us for our ongoing sermon series “Upside-Down: How the Cross Changes Everything” as we explore the many ways that following Jesus inverts our preferred ways of thinking, behaving, and relating to others. Our journey makes a stop in the book of James, which calls us to consider trials and difficulties as opportunities for spiritual maturity and joy. If you have not done so, visit our website and download the daily scripture reading bookmark, the road map for our Lenten journey.
In the words of Mr. Vanderbilt, “Let’s drive as if our lives depended on it.” Keep awake, and stay alert.
Magrey
HELPING HANDS PROGRAM
The newly formed Caring Committee is looking for caring individuals with a desire to help folks in our church in need. We would like to match your skills and interests with those who contact us for assistance. Go to the website and click on “Helping Hands.” Print and fill out the survey and bring it to the church or contact Sheree Hausmann (LHSH50@msn.com). Thank you for putting God’s Love into Action!
YOUTH CAR RALLY THIS SUNDAY
And speaking of driving: Youth…start your engines! Join us this Sunday from 4-6pm as we criss-cross through town on a wild and crazy scavenger hunt. Drivers are needed to help shuttle kids around town. Call the church office if you are available.
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Can feeling safe be bad for you?
In 1975, Dr. Sam Peltzman, a University of Chicago economics professor, argued that federal regulations designed to make automobile driving safer actually encouraged riskier driving. In an unexpected response to mandatory seat belts, crush-resistant windshields, and dual braking systems, people drove less safely, because they felt it was potentially less costly for them to do so.
The “Peltzman Effect” was evident in a later British study that measured how close drivers pass by bicyclists who wear helmets, as opposed to those who do not. The conclusion: drivers will approach those with helmets more closely, convinced that their helmet alone would lessen the potential damage of a collision.
And then there’s Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What it Says About Us). Driving in Spain, where the roads were filled with hairpin turns and few guardrails, he remembered: “I drove as if my life depended on it.” But when the roads were wider and the traffic was less, he said, “I just about fell asleep and ran off the road … Lulled by safety, I’d acted more dangerously.”
Of course, this is no argument against having such important safety precautions. But it is a reminder that nothing replaces alertness and vigilance. A false sense of security can lead to destructive errors in judgment.
I’m certain Dr. Peltzman never intended his theory to be applied to matters of faith, but the Peltzman Effect applies to our spiritual lives as well. The more comfortable we are in our faith, the more likely we are to dance on its edge. The more we rely on God’s grace to forgive us, the more likely we are to test its limits with errant decisions.
That’s why the season of Lent is so important. It calls us to strip away all of our manufactured safety mechanisms that promise comfort but angle us toward disaster:
· Our false notions of self-reliance that convince us that we are self-made;
· Our propensity towards avarice that defines our worth by our wealth, and our status by our possessions;
· Our dependence on political, economic, and military systems to offer a kind of security that only the kingdom of God can provide;
· Our feelings of self-righteousness that result from being satisfied with the shallowness of our faith, rather than pushing ourselves toward mission, self-sacrifice, and witness to others.
Preacher and author A.W. Tozer offered a pointed summary:
"The answer is that we are too comfortable, too rich, too contented. We hold the faith of our fathers, but it does not hold us. We are suffering from judicial blindness visited upon us because of our sins. To us has been committed the most precious of all treasures, but we are not committed to it. We insist upon making our religion a form of amusement and will have fun whether or not. We are afflicted with religious myopia and see only things near at hand. (A.W. Tozer, The Set of the Sail)
In faith, as in driving, comfort can lead to complacency, and feeling protected can lead to pride. The apostle Paul was right: What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?
So have you become too comfortable in your faith? Maybe it’s time to introduce some hairpin turns and narrower roads along your spiritual path. Daily disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, fasting, confession, and service will invite fresh alertness and sobriety in your faith. “Enter through the narrow gate,” Jesus said, “for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
This Sunday, join us for our ongoing sermon series “Upside-Down: How the Cross Changes Everything” as we explore the many ways that following Jesus inverts our preferred ways of thinking, behaving, and relating to others. Our journey makes a stop in the book of James, which calls us to consider trials and difficulties as opportunities for spiritual maturity and joy. If you have not done so, visit our website and download the daily scripture reading bookmark, the road map for our Lenten journey.
In the words of Mr. Vanderbilt, “Let’s drive as if our lives depended on it.” Keep awake, and stay alert.
Magrey
HELPING HANDS PROGRAM
The newly formed Caring Committee is looking for caring individuals with a desire to help folks in our church in need. We would like to match your skills and interests with those who contact us for assistance. Go to the website and click on “Helping Hands.” Print and fill out the survey and bring it to the church or contact Sheree Hausmann (LHSH50@msn.com). Thank you for putting God’s Love into Action!
YOUTH CAR RALLY THIS SUNDAY
And speaking of driving: Youth…start your engines! Join us this Sunday from 4-6pm as we criss-cross through town on a wild and crazy scavenger hunt. Drivers are needed to help shuttle kids around town. Call the church office if you are available.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Reality Shift
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.
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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