Hello Everyone,
We are continuing our Sermon Series “We Believe”. This week’s topic will be “We Believe in Practicing Theology”. The word “theology” comes from two Greek words: “theo” meaning “God” and “ology” meaning “knowledge”. “Theology” = “Knowledge of God”. Everyone, especially every Christian, has some knowledge of God. However, knowledge in our heads should be paired with knowledge in our hearts and this knowledge is then lived out in our lives and with our hands. (I guess this makes us the 3-H and not quite the 4-H (Head, Heart, Hands, and Health).)
Our readings this week are:
2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 – Much has happened in the family of David, King of Israel, from last week’s reading to this one. The child that was born Bathsheba and David dies. Later she becomes pregnant and gives birth to another boy who is Solomon. A son of David, Ammon, rapes his step-sister Tamar. Two years later, her full brother Absalom avenges her rape by killing Ammon. David is quite upset but eventually forgives Absalom. However, Absalom usurps the throne and declares himself king so David must flee for his life. After several battles, David’s loyal army defeats Absalom’s army, which brings us to our reading. As they are winning the last battle David commands his generals Joab, Abishai, and Ittai to deal gently with Absalom. In a strange tale, Absalom is riding a donkey that goes under a tree. Absalom’s head gets wedged in a branch fork of the tree while the donkey rides out from under him. One of Joab’s men saw it but did nothing except report it to Joab. Joab went and took three spears and thrust them through Absalom followed by 10 other men who finished killing him. Eventually, David is told the news and he mourns deeply for his son in verse 33.
Psalm 130 – We recite this Psalm at all the funerals we conduct in our churches. It is the sixth of seven so called “Penitential Psalms” which also include 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, and 143. All these Psalms express the sorrow of the psalmist for his/her sins. The last two verses in Psalm 130 exude hope because of God steadfast love and God’s power to redeem.
1 Kings 19:4-8 – Elijah and the people following him have killed 450 priests of Baal. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel hear the news and Jezebel vows vengeance. Elijah runs for the hills. Our verses tell how God provided for Elijah with cake and water.
Psalm 34:1-8 – The Psalmist praises God for God’s role in saving her from her troubles. The famous line is in verse 8: “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Ephesians 4:25-5:2 – In verse 4:17, Paul tells the Church at Ephesus that they “must no longer live as the Gentiles live.” What does that mean for us today? That is a great question to ponder. Beginning in verse 25, Paul writes about what it means to live as a Follower of Christ: speaking truth; being angry but without sin; laboring and working honestly; sharing with the needy; using words that build up and give grace and not take down; not grieving the Holy Spirit; putting away all bitterness, wrath, anger, wrangling, slander, and malice; being kind, tender hearted, and forgiving. He finishes with the idea that we should be imitators of Christ, living in love. These are strong words and they remind us on how we should live the “Christian” life. So much of what I hear in the media today from some, if not many, so called “Christians” does not sound like Paul’s understanding of what it means to be a Christian. They sound bitter and angry. They often slander others and their words reek of malice. How do we live as Christians in today’s world. To do that we have to practice our knowledge of Jesus (God). A good starting point for this Sunday’s message.
John 6:35, 41-51 – Jesus, the Bread of Life, is still point-counter pointing with the Jewish leadership over the meaning of “Bread of Life” and the idea that anyone who “eats” that bread will have eternal life. Verse 51 verges on cannibalism, which will have repercussions next week.
So, how do we follow Christ? The answer is easy: Imitate Christ. Or is it?
May God bless your week ahead and may you serve God by serving others.
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Gary Taylor
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Readings for Sunday, August 2, 2015
Hello Everyone,
This week we will continue our sermon series on “We Believe”. This week the topic will be “We Believe in Christ’s Universal Church”. What does it mean to have a “Universal Church” when there are three major branches of Christianity (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant) and perhaps thousands of “denominations”, especially in the Protestant branch. What does it say about Christ’s Universal Church that some of our branches believe that they may be the one true church and everyone else has got it wrong? Does “Universal Church” have any meaning for us in the 21st Century? Reminds me of a cartoon I have shared before:
Our readings are:
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a – This is the continuation of the David-Bathsheba-Uriah story. Uriah is dead because of David’s orders. After Bathsheba observes the mourning period David brings her to his house and marries her. (11:26-27) If the story ended there then we might think that David got away with it. However, God has other plans and sends Nathan to David. Nathan tells David a story of a farmer with one sheep which was like a pet to his family and a rich man with many sheep who steals and slaughters the farmer’s sheep. David is angry and vows justice for the farmer. Nathan responds, “You the Man!” How is God holding us accountable? Is there someone like Nathan to say to us what needs to be said? At the end of our reading David says, “I have sinned against the Lord.” That, however, is not the end of the story. Read verses 12:13-23.
Psalm 51:1-12 – The superscription (the portion before verse 1) says it all: “To the leader: a Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.” ( ;-) Who is the “he” that went into Bathsheba? David or Nathan?)
OR Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 – The Israelites are complaining to Moses about their lack of food. God gives them quail in the evenings and manna in the mornings. Moses told them, “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.”
Psalm 78:23-29 – The entire psalm is about God’s redeeming acts in the history of Israel. These verses recount the giving of manna and quail to the Israelites. If you venture to read the verses around these assigned verses you will note the psalmist retelling of the times that God killed many of them. We must continue to struggle with the notion that God, in God’s anger, will kill. How do you, we, make sense of this?
Ephesians 4:1-16 – Paul turns his attention to what it means to live as a community of believers. Please remember that the letter was written to a church and “you” is plural. There are many phrases in this passage that are well known: verse 1b, 4-6, and 11-12. Paul state that there are several purposes for the followers of Christ: “building up the body of Christ”, “coming to the unity of faith”, and “building itself up in love”. This will be the starting point for my sermon “We Believe in the Christ’s Universal Church.”
John 6:24-35 – When the crowds gather around Jesus on the day after the feeding of the 5000 (see last week), they want to know how he got there, what works of God they can do, and what signs he will do like giving manna? Jesus challenges them on their presumptions and desires throughout this passage and through the rest of the chapter, which will come up the next three weeks.
May God bless you with insight and understanding or confusion and questions as you read this weeks lessons. May you live into Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by living for others.
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Gary Taylor
This week we will continue our sermon series on “We Believe”. This week the topic will be “We Believe in Christ’s Universal Church”. What does it mean to have a “Universal Church” when there are three major branches of Christianity (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant) and perhaps thousands of “denominations”, especially in the Protestant branch. What does it say about Christ’s Universal Church that some of our branches believe that they may be the one true church and everyone else has got it wrong? Does “Universal Church” have any meaning for us in the 21st Century? Reminds me of a cartoon I have shared before:
Our readings are:
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a – This is the continuation of the David-Bathsheba-Uriah story. Uriah is dead because of David’s orders. After Bathsheba observes the mourning period David brings her to his house and marries her. (11:26-27) If the story ended there then we might think that David got away with it. However, God has other plans and sends Nathan to David. Nathan tells David a story of a farmer with one sheep which was like a pet to his family and a rich man with many sheep who steals and slaughters the farmer’s sheep. David is angry and vows justice for the farmer. Nathan responds, “You the Man!” How is God holding us accountable? Is there someone like Nathan to say to us what needs to be said? At the end of our reading David says, “I have sinned against the Lord.” That, however, is not the end of the story. Read verses 12:13-23.
Psalm 51:1-12 – The superscription (the portion before verse 1) says it all: “To the leader: a Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.” ( ;-) Who is the “he” that went into Bathsheba? David or Nathan?)
OR Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 – The Israelites are complaining to Moses about their lack of food. God gives them quail in the evenings and manna in the mornings. Moses told them, “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.”
Psalm 78:23-29 – The entire psalm is about God’s redeeming acts in the history of Israel. These verses recount the giving of manna and quail to the Israelites. If you venture to read the verses around these assigned verses you will note the psalmist retelling of the times that God killed many of them. We must continue to struggle with the notion that God, in God’s anger, will kill. How do you, we, make sense of this?
Ephesians 4:1-16 – Paul turns his attention to what it means to live as a community of believers. Please remember that the letter was written to a church and “you” is plural. There are many phrases in this passage that are well known: verse 1b, 4-6, and 11-12. Paul state that there are several purposes for the followers of Christ: “building up the body of Christ”, “coming to the unity of faith”, and “building itself up in love”. This will be the starting point for my sermon “We Believe in the Christ’s Universal Church.”
John 6:24-35 – When the crowds gather around Jesus on the day after the feeding of the 5000 (see last week), they want to know how he got there, what works of God they can do, and what signs he will do like giving manna? Jesus challenges them on their presumptions and desires throughout this passage and through the rest of the chapter, which will come up the next three weeks.
May God bless you with insight and understanding or confusion and questions as you read this weeks lessons. May you live into Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by living for others.
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Gary Taylor
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Readings for Sunday, July 26, 2015
Hello Everyone,
Before I list and comment on our Lectionary Readings for this coming Sunday I invite you to read “What It Takes to Revitalize the Mainline” written by our UMC Bishop Bruce Ough and Big Waters District Superintendent Rev. Susan Nienaber. While the article title says “Mainline” the contents are about revitalizing congregations within the denominations. They have eight suggestions which I list but you will have to read the article for their full discussion. The eight are:
1. Prayer is Absolutely Essential
2. The Belief that God is at Work and Well Work to Guide and Direct Our Efforts
3. Looking for the Miracles that are Happening and Telling the Stories of Transformation
4. Developing a Clear Sense of One’s Mission as a Leader (Note: this is more than your pastor, DS, Bishop (UMC), or Conference Minister (UCC)
5. Being Willing to Color Outside the Lines
6. Being Fearless in Making Extremely Tough Decisions and Choices and Managing the Anxiety that Is Generated
7. Humbly Admitting Mistakes and Working to Fix Those
8. Always Being Grateful
This Sunday we continue with the Sermon Series “We Believe”. Our topic will be “We Believe in the Holy Spirit”. Our lectionary readings are:
2 Sam 11:1-15 – King David, Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. The whole story is told in 11:1-12:23. Several points to consider include verse 1 which reports that David did not go out to wage war as was the custom; verse 2 reports that the woman was bathing either near an open window or outside (but please note that this fact does not absolve David nor places blame on the victim); verse 4 reports that Bathsheba was purifying herself after her menstrual period (I don’t know why this had to be reported); and verses 6-13 where Uriah refuses to go home to enjoy the company of his wife.
Psalm 14 – A longer and poetic version of Paul’s “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. At the end there is hope for the deliverance of Israel and Judah (Jacob).
2 Kings 4:42-44 – From 2 Kings 4:1 to 5:19 we read about the miracles that the prophet Elisha performs: the near endless jar of oil, raising a dead boy, purifying a pot of stew, feeding one hundred men with some fruit, some barley loaves, and fresh ears of grain, and the healing of an Aramean General, Naaman, who had leprosy. The text this week is the feeding of the 100 men and was chosen by the Lectionary committee to compliment the Gospel text.
Psalm 145:10-18 – The entire Psalm is in praise of the generous goodness of God who gives to all who need.
Ephesians 3:14-21 – This will be the text that begins our discussion this Sunday of the Holy Spirit. As you may have noticed the last two weeks, Paul writes of the work of God, and Jesus, and the Spirit, often, it seems, in the same sentence. Here, Paul prays that the Father, God, may grant the church in Ephesus strength in the Holy Spirit so Christ may dwell in their hearts so they may be rooted and grounded in love. The result of this is that the church may experience the fullness of God. As we think about, read about, and talk about the Holy Spirit (or Jesus Christ for that matter) we are also thinking, reading, and talking about God and Jesus. The work of the Spirit is the work of God. The work of Jesus Christ is the work of God.
John 6:1-21 – This passage is the first of five weeks in John 6 and the “Bread of Life”. Two things happen in this passage: Jesus feeds 5000 people with 5 barley loaves and two fish and Jesus walks on the water of Lake Galilee during a storm.
Have a great week serving God and neighbor!
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Gary
Before I list and comment on our Lectionary Readings for this coming Sunday I invite you to read “What It Takes to Revitalize the Mainline” written by our UMC Bishop Bruce Ough and Big Waters District Superintendent Rev. Susan Nienaber. While the article title says “Mainline” the contents are about revitalizing congregations within the denominations. They have eight suggestions which I list but you will have to read the article for their full discussion. The eight are:
1. Prayer is Absolutely Essential
2. The Belief that God is at Work and Well Work to Guide and Direct Our Efforts
3. Looking for the Miracles that are Happening and Telling the Stories of Transformation
4. Developing a Clear Sense of One’s Mission as a Leader (Note: this is more than your pastor, DS, Bishop (UMC), or Conference Minister (UCC)
5. Being Willing to Color Outside the Lines
6. Being Fearless in Making Extremely Tough Decisions and Choices and Managing the Anxiety that Is Generated
7. Humbly Admitting Mistakes and Working to Fix Those
8. Always Being Grateful
This Sunday we continue with the Sermon Series “We Believe”. Our topic will be “We Believe in the Holy Spirit”. Our lectionary readings are:
2 Sam 11:1-15 – King David, Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. The whole story is told in 11:1-12:23. Several points to consider include verse 1 which reports that David did not go out to wage war as was the custom; verse 2 reports that the woman was bathing either near an open window or outside (but please note that this fact does not absolve David nor places blame on the victim); verse 4 reports that Bathsheba was purifying herself after her menstrual period (I don’t know why this had to be reported); and verses 6-13 where Uriah refuses to go home to enjoy the company of his wife.
Psalm 14 – A longer and poetic version of Paul’s “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. At the end there is hope for the deliverance of Israel and Judah (Jacob).
2 Kings 4:42-44 – From 2 Kings 4:1 to 5:19 we read about the miracles that the prophet Elisha performs: the near endless jar of oil, raising a dead boy, purifying a pot of stew, feeding one hundred men with some fruit, some barley loaves, and fresh ears of grain, and the healing of an Aramean General, Naaman, who had leprosy. The text this week is the feeding of the 100 men and was chosen by the Lectionary committee to compliment the Gospel text.
Psalm 145:10-18 – The entire Psalm is in praise of the generous goodness of God who gives to all who need.
Ephesians 3:14-21 – This will be the text that begins our discussion this Sunday of the Holy Spirit. As you may have noticed the last two weeks, Paul writes of the work of God, and Jesus, and the Spirit, often, it seems, in the same sentence. Here, Paul prays that the Father, God, may grant the church in Ephesus strength in the Holy Spirit so Christ may dwell in their hearts so they may be rooted and grounded in love. The result of this is that the church may experience the fullness of God. As we think about, read about, and talk about the Holy Spirit (or Jesus Christ for that matter) we are also thinking, reading, and talking about God and Jesus. The work of the Spirit is the work of God. The work of Jesus Christ is the work of God.
John 6:1-21 – This passage is the first of five weeks in John 6 and the “Bread of Life”. Two things happen in this passage: Jesus feeds 5000 people with 5 barley loaves and two fish and Jesus walks on the water of Lake Galilee during a storm.
Have a great week serving God and neighbor!
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Gary
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