The Death and Rebirth of a Dream

This Sunday, April 7, 2013, the 2^nd Sunday of Easter, I am scheduled to be at Sugar Loaf (NY) United Methodist Church. The Scriptures are Acts 5: 27 – 32, Revelation 1: 4 – 8, and John 20: 19 -31. The message is now entitled “Do You Have See To Believe?” Services are at 11 and you are welcome to attend.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on this date in 1968. Today, some forty-five years later I wonder if the dream that he spoke of, the dream of equality died that day as well.

We know that the night before Dr. King spoke of seeing the Promised Land; he also spoke, rather prophetically, of not making it with the rest of us. I tend to believe that he believed that he would die because of his actions, though I don’t believe he thought he would die the next day.

There were those in 1968 who did not like what Dr. King was saying about civil rights and his stand against the Viet Nam war. And I am sure that his expansion of the civil rights movement to include the poor and lower social classes of this country were not going to set well with those in power and those for whom economic slavery, whatever form it may take, was essentially to their wealth and status.

We were a country at war in 1968 in southeast Asia that was beginning to look like a quagmire. But we were also a country at war internally with divisions based on economic status and race becoming more and more apparent.

Now, some forty-five years later, we are still a country at war in southeast Asia and while there is talk of the war coming to an end, we are finding new ways to continue the fight. The only difference between then and now is that we sent our sons off to war in 1968; in 2013, we send our sons and daughters off to war. But whether it was our sons or our daughters, when they came home then and when they come home today, we still don’t care what happened to them and we cast them aside.

The reason that Dr. King came to Memphis in 1968 was economic, to support the garbage workers in the struggle for better pay and working conditions. Today, the gap between the rich and the poor is perhaps even greater than it was back then and it does not appear as if it will ever decrease. We are not moving towards a place and time of equality but one of inequality and forced servanthood.

Some people said that the one thing that saved 1968 from being a totally bad and terrible year was the Apollo mission around the moon on Christmas Eve. And perhaps, for one brief moment, it did offer a ray of sunshine and hope.

But while we would send some twenty-one men to the moon and twelve would walk on the moon, we no longer visit our neighbor in the sky and we have no plans to do so. Those of us who were in high school in 1968 were the beneficiaries of a radical change in science and math education, a change that quickly ended when the cost of war and greed became more than inquiry and discovery.

I look at our schools today and see nothing more than factories, factories designed to turn out workers who do not and cannot think independently. I see very little creativity in our schools today and I don’t see much change. If there is no creativity in the schools today, there cannot be much hope for tomorrow.

I have written about it before but don’t tell me that this generation of students is the most technologically advanced generation. They may have the technical tools but they really don’t know how to use them for much more that character-limited sentences. There are possibilities beyond description in the smart phones of today but the basic rule of technology still applies – no computing device (phone, computer, or otherwise) is ever smarter than the person using it.

Our students may be able to answer countless and myriad questions of educational trivia designed to show how much they know. But being able to answer a question about the past is no guarantee that we can create a future.

We saw in the churches of 1968 a moral force, a force that would make the Gospel message of Jesus Christ true and real for all mankind. Today, most people probably don’t even know what the Gospel message was or that it was everyone. The message of the church today is one in which the rich are God’s chosen few and the poor are condemned to sin and slavery. While Jesus could and did enter the Temple, I don’t think that many churches today would welcome Him, His message, or those who followed Him.

We had an opportunity forty-five years ago to make a dream a reality. It may be that we still can make it real today. But we will have to change the way we see society and make the gaps between people smaller, not bigger.

We will need to change the way we see education, not as a process that makes our children mindless robots but the creative and innovative individuals God meant them to be.

We will need to change the way we see our churches, not as sanctuaries for the rich to hide from the poor and needy on Sunday but as places of hope, hope for all that God’s Kingdom is for all.

A man was killed forty-five years ago today and with him a dream probably died. We can take the time to day to make sure that the dream did not die; it will require work and it will not be easy. But the longer we wait, the harder it will be.

Thoughts on the new Pope

Right after Pope Benedict XVI resigned/retired/quit/abdicated his position, someone associated with our local church but not a member asked me about the church’s (meaning the local church) reaction to his actions.

I pointed out that we, as a church and as a denomination, had no concern in the matter.

And I think I was right in saying that. Nothing a Pope says or does really directly concerns the actions and operations of any United Methodist Church.

But, and this was especially after the announcement of the election of Francis I, I began to think about what his election means not just for the United Methodist Church but all churches, local, denominational, and in general.

Okay, first the obvious – the guy’s old but there was a sense of being alive when you, if you were watching the proceedings Wednesday, first saw him. The one cardinal who came out and read the announcement looked and sounded really old. And then Francis stepped out on the balcony and there was a smile on his face and he just seemed alive.

I have said on it a number of occasions in the past but there is mind-set old and there is calendar old. Francis has the years but I think he has a young, or younger, mind-set.

His age is going to work against and I wouldn’t doubt that the pressures of the position wear on him very quickly. Don’t be surprised if he doesn’t resign in five years or so.

And while Francis is said to be theologically conservative, I am not sure that is a label that means as much as one thinks. His actions tell more about what may happen than guessing about how he thinks.

He lived frugally as the Arch-bishop and it appears that he has begun doing some of the same things in Rome. I read the other night that he didn’t sit on the throne or ride in the limo provided for the Pope. These actions are going to upset some people, especially those who make their living based on the power of the position. That may be a good thing in the long run, especially in terms of the bureaucracy that so dominates the Vatican.

He is the first pope from the Americas, from the southern hemisphere, the first Jesuit, and he chose a name that had never been used before. Each of these, in a small way, speaks of some change. In his election, the Roman Catholic Church is beginning to realize that their church is changing and is no longer what it once was.

I think that it is a message that we in the United Methodist Church might well listen to. We are not the church we once were and while we would like to be that church of days ago, it is the mission we must consider and not what once was.

In choosing the name Francis, this new pope honored St. Francis Xavier, one of the co-founders of the Society of Jesus, which we know better as the Jesuits. The Jesuits are, as one commentator pointed out, the intellectuals of the Roman Catholic Church and Pope Francis is saying that what we think is very important.

But he also honored St. Francis of Assisi. In his own live, we can see how or why he choose to honor this saint and it would say much about where this new pope sees the mission of the church.

And that is something that we, as United Methodists need to examine ourselves. John Wesley felt that education and intellect were as important as caring for the poor and the less-fortunate. This new pope’s name tells us that he puts an equal premium on one’s heart and mind together and neither should take second to the other.

And that is, I think, what we should take from the selection of Francis I as the new pope. In order to understand the mission of the United Methodist Church, we need to remember that we live for Christ with our mind and heart together and not apart.

“Just a thought”

I get a daily summary of science news from Sigma Xi and the end of each newsletter is a quote. The quote for March 7^th was

Scientific progress makes moral progress a necessity; for if man’s power is increased, the checks that restrain him from abusing it must be strengthened.” –Anne Louise Germaine de Staël, Swiss author

I wanted to post this because 1) I thought it was interesting and 2) I wanted to put it somewhere where I could find it in the event that I wrote a piece on that idea. And I also wanted to share it with you all.

This coming Sunday, 17 March 2013, the 5^th Sunday in Lent, I am scheduled to be at Grace United Methodist Church, Putnam Valley, NY. The Scriptures are Isaiah 43: 16 – 21, Philippians 3: 4 – 14, and John 12: 1 – 8. I have tentatively entitled the message “What Path Shall We Walk?” Services are at 10 and you are invited to attend.

On Sunday, April 7, 2013, the 2^nd Sunday of Easter, I am scheduled to be at Sugar Loaf (NY) United Methodist Church. The Scriptures are Acts 5: 27 – 32, Revelation 1: 4 – 8, and John 20: 19 -31. The message is tentatively entitled “Is Seeing Believing” and there is a possibility that the above quote will be used. 

To update things, I will not be at Putnam Valley Grace UMC this Sunday and the message that I am scheduled to give at Sugar Loaf UMC is not entitled “Must We See To Believe?”  Services are at 11 am and you are welcome to attend.

“Rut Ro Raggy!”

This is the message that Maria Busse of the Monroe United Methodist Church will present at this Saturday’s (February 16^th) morning worship at Grannie Annie’s Kitchen. We open the doors at 8, begin with the worship and then serve what some say is the best breakfast in Newburgh. You are welcome to come for the worship and the breakfast.

After hearing those verses I am sure that some of you out there are sitting there squirming just a bit…I know I squirmed when I read them myself. Immediately what came to mind was that old cartoon “Scooby-Doo, Where are You?” with the voice of Scooby speaking in dog talk to his pal Shaggy – “Rut Ro Raggy!”(meaning-Uh-Oh, Shaggy!) which surely meant that trouble was coming.

I am also sure that some of you now are thinking- “Great, now I have to sit here and listen about all the things I am doing wrong because of my sin to my flesh…Couldn’t she have picked another set of verses that won’t make me feel guilty about how I live my life? The excuses we make to ourselves may now be forming a list in your head and growing so rapidly that you are not hearing me even now. I’m here to tell you now…RELAX… because just like anyone in this room and for that matter anyone who has ever walked this Earth besides Jesus is guilty of misdeeds to the body.

So very quickly let’s get the list out of the way so that we can put it up on the shelf to be worked on at another time. Let’s all be bold and fill in the blank. In your minds I would like you complete the following statement- “When it comes to sins of the flesh-what I need to put to death is my addiction to_______.” In my research for this sermon I needed to answer my own curiosity (an addiction in itself) about how many different types of addiction there are out there. I can’t and won’t read the list now…it would take waaay too long! Here are a few I came across: Body building, applause, self-help books, coin collecting, husbands, people pleasing, X-Box and even prayer without action. I bet you thought I was going to read the usual suspects didn’t you?

Put plainly – anything that we overly do is in itself an addiction. Why? Because all addictions simply block positive energy flow to the body. Even something as harmless as coin collecting can become an obsession that leads to other negative behaviors for example- stealing to buy a rare and much sought after coin that has come on the market. ALL addictions usually start with a positive result but end up becoming a commitment in themselves. Chocolate cake? Very yummy, but if you are eating it morning, noon, night and in between, going to sleep dreaming of it- that is what we can say is overdoing it.

Paul says this in verses 10 and 11:

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

In these verses Paul says if we believe that Christ is in us then our bodies are righteous beings, living a life that is right with God. That the Spirit of God lives in our earthly bodies.

So why do we sin? Why do we sin to the flesh especially? Is it about control or is it about situations we can’t control? We try to cover bitterness in our lives with any and everything out there that might take it away. Be it drinking or smoking or overeating or promiscuity…these separate us from those around us who we don’t want to hear anyway or get no answers from. And they separate us from God who in our own self righteous need for control are not listening to anyway. There is a saying that goes like this: “If God seems far away…who moved?”

Michael Jackson, with all his afflictions, sang a song called ‘The Man In the Mirror‘. One line in it says; “I’ve been a victim of a selfish kinda love.” When we sin against the flesh that is just what we are-selfish. We think only of ourselves and forget how much God truly loves us. We forget how wonderfully we were made to be everything that our Father wants and means for us to be. We separate ourselves and forget to trust in something else Paul taught us later in Chapter 8 of The Message Bible, states it as so; and I am paraphrasing…

Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worse sins listed in scripture….None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us…Absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our master has embraced us.

Paul says that we have an ‘obligation’. That if we live to the flesh surely we will die. But if we live by the Spirit we will live. This can be a very easy thing to do when we are around those whose opinions we value and care about. But when we are alone and those old or even new, what I like to call demons show up-What do we do?

We all have what is called ‘good face’ and ‘bad face’. Good face is the bright and shining one we show to our loved ones, to our friends and family and to those in the public life who can enhance our own lives. This public face for the most part is easy to show because it gives value to our lives and uplifts us in one way or another be it love, friendship or even a paycheck.　

Bad face though turns it’s ugly face on us inward. It, through our own self-vision does not see the beauty in ourselves. It only sees our doubt, confusion, rage and frustration…leaving us defenseless, willing and able to do anything not to see what we perceive to be our true hearts. This view is not seen through rose colored glasses but with spectacles that are tarnished by hurt, self hate and low self esteem. Bad face also has a voice. This voice tells us it is O.K. to try anything that will fix our hurt. This is when the separation of our souls from God begins.

What can we do when those voices start their whispering; perhaps even building to a loud roaring voice that tears us away from those we love and most important- a God who loves us? First and foremost-pray.

Reach out and up to the God who has loved you so much since before you were born. Reach out to others to stop the isolation. Be it a trusted friend or family member. Remember- you are not alone, even if you think you are. Do all in your power, to as Pink Floyd once sang about, turn away. Turn away from the feeling that you are all alone, turn away from the coldness inside.

Lastly, I would like to leave you with the words of another song called The Words I Would Say by Sidewalk Prophets. I hope that these words fill you with hope and the realization of the Spirit of the one who lives in you. “Be strong in the Lord and never give up hope. You’re going to do great things, I already know. God’s got his hands on you so don’t live life in fear. Forgive and forget, but don’t forget while you’re here – Take your time and pray. These are the words I would say.

Amen

Catching up and planning ahead (perhaps?)

I finally posted “Removing the veil” this morning. Sorry for the delay but it got hectic over the weekend. You cannot imagine what several inches of snow does to your time frame.

This is going to be a busy week. We will be at Grannie Annie’s Kitchen this Saturday, unless, of course, the weather doesn’t allow us to do so. Maria Irish from the Monroe UMC will be presenting the message “Rut Ro Raggy!”.

On Sunday, I will be at Grace United Methodist Church in Slate Hill, NY. Service is at 10 am and you are invited to attend. The title of my message is “The Journey Begins”.

At 4 pm on Sunday, we begin the 2013 Lenten School. We will be offering courses in Basic Lay Servant Ministries and advanced courses in sermon planning, leading small groups, leading prayer, spiritual gifts, and the history and polity of the United Methodist Church. The early registration fee is $35.00; registration on the 17^th is $40.00. Ann will again provide the afternoon meal (4:00 to 4:30 each Sunday) during the school. We open the school with a worship service from ~4:30 to 5:00 and I will present the message, using some of the same thoughts from my morning message.

Registration information can be found at NY/CT District – 2013 Lay Servant Lenten School; if you have any questions, leave a comment and I will try to answer them.

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 23,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 5 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

“Top Posts for 2012″

Here are the top posts for 2012. Since I really didn’t post much new stuff this year, the list looks a lot like last year’s list (“Top Posts for 2011”).

I am not sure what 2013 will look like from a blogging standpoint. We are continuing the Saturday morning devotionals at Grannie Annie’s Kitchen and if I give the devotional, then it will be posted. (Get in touch with me if you are in the Newburgh area and want to present the devotional some Saturday).

1. The Chemistry of Bowling – July 26, 2008 (#1 in 2011)
2. Brer Rabbit and the Briar Patch – November 18, 2009 (#3)
3. What is a part per million? – February 19, 2010 (#8)
4. Why Do We Celebrate Palm Sunday? – March 13, 2008 (#2)
5. Who Cuts the Barber’s Hair? – September 15, 2009 (#5)
6. A Collection of Sayings – January 17, 2008 (#4)
7. John Wooden – A Review of “A Game Plan for Life – the power of Mentoring” by John Wooden and Don Yager– October 9, 2009 (#7)
8. What Does Stewardship Mean to Me – November 6, 2005 (#13)
9. Hearing God Call – January 7, 2009 (#12)
10. A Brief History of Atomic Theory – April 27, 2011 (#9)
11. The Dilemma of Modern Christianity – April 18, 2009 (#6)
12. The Twelve Disciples – Were they management potential? – October 3, 2008 (#14)
13. “A Child’s Book Report on the entire Bible” – November 6, 2005 (not ranked)
14. What Does It Mean To Be Called? – August 30, 2008 (#16)
15. The Difference Between Football in the North and South – October 8, 2006 (#10)
16. “A Cake Without Baking Powder” – October 8, 2006 (unranked)
17. “Just What Is The Right Thing To Do?” – June 28, 2008, (unranked)
18. “The Difference Between Republicans and Democrats” – November 27, 2008, (unranked)
19. “Describe Your Pastor” – March 11, 2008, (unranked)
20. A Scout is Reverent – February 2, 2010 (#19)

My all-time list is

1. The Chemistry of Bowling (#1 in 2011)
2. Why Do We Celebrate Palm Sunday? (#2)
3. Brer Rabbit and the Briar Patch – November 18, 2009 (#4)
4. A Collection of Sayings (#3)
5. John Wooden – A Review of “A Game Plan for Life – the power of Mentoring” by John Wooden and Don Yager– October 9, 2009 (#5)

“Notes for the 1st Sunday in Advent”

These are pieces that I have posted for the 1^st Sunday in Advent (Year A):

29 November 1998 – Neon UMC – Lay speaker

2 December 2001 – Walker Valker UMC – Bishop Lyght presented the message

28 November 2004 – presented the sermon “Time Has Come Today” at Tompkins Corners UMC.

2 December 2007 – posted the message What Is The Guarantee?

28 November 2007 – posted the message “What Season Is This?”

These are pieces that I have posted for the 1^st Sunday in Advent (Year B):

28 November 1999 – presented the sermon “The Light Begins to Shine” at Modena Memorial UMC (pulpit exchange with their pastor who gave the message at Walker Valley UMC).

1 December 2002 – presented the sermon “At What Point?” at Tompkins Corners UMC

27 November 2005 – posted the message “The Time And The Season”

30 November 2008 – posted the message “From The Darkness Into The Light” –

27 November 2011 – posted a summary of messages and posts for Year B – “1^st Sunday of Advent – 2011”

These are pieces that I have posted for the 1^st Sunday in Advent (Year C):

3 December 2000 – presented the sermon “The Hope of Promise, the Promise of Hope” at Walker Valley UMC

30 November 2003 – presented the sermon “The Tree By the Side Of the Road”at Tompkins Corners UMC

3 December 2006 – posted the message “Days of Hope”

29 November 2009 – posted the message “How Can I?” – the meaning of Advent

2 December 2012 – presented the Advent message “In Preparation” at Grace UMC (Saturday morning before Grannie Annie’s Kitchen)

“Notes for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost”

Here is a list of my sermons, messages, and posts for the 19^th Sunday after Pentecost.

This list was originally posted last year as part of the post of “To Finish the Journey” but only listed the posts for Year A as well as those posts that were based on the Scriptures. I have edited that post to be just the sermon and added a couple of posts to this list.

As I complete this particular year of posts, I anticipate shifting from the Sunday to the Scripture readings (since they are actually tied to the calendar and not necessarily the liturgical calendar) at the beginning of the new liturgical calendar year. But in the meantime, here are the messages/sermons/posts that I gave for the 19^th Sunday after Pentecost.

Sunday, October 03, 1999 (A), Walker Valley United Methodist Church, Walker Valley, NY, “The Rules We Play By”

Sunday, October 22, 2000 (B), Walker Valley United Methodist Church, Walker Valley, NY, “Ask Not What Your Church Can Do”

Sunday, October 14, 2001 (C), World Communion Sunday, Walker Valley United Methodist Church, Walker Valley, NY, “Saying Thank You”

Sunday, September 29, 2002 (A), Tompkins Corners United Methodist Church, Putnam Valley, NY, “How did we get this far?”

Sunday, October 19, 2003 (B), Tompkins Corners United Methodist Church, Putnam Valley, NY, “Serving the Lord”

Sunday, October 10, 2004 (C), World Communion Sunday, Tompkins Corners United Methodist Church, Putnam Valley, NY, Lay Speaker

Sunday, September 25, 2005 (A), Poughquag United Methodist Church, Poughquag, NY, “Who Goes First?”

Sunday, October 15, 2006 (B), Dover United Methodist Church, Dover Plains, NY, “Finding God”

Sunday, October 07, 2007 (C), What Are We Supposed To Do?

Sunday, September 21, 2008 (A), Dover United Methodist Church, Dover Plains, NY, “What Do We Need?”

Sunday, October 11, 2009 (B), Ridges/Roxbury & Springdale United Methodist Churches, Stamford, CT, “Can You?”

Sunday, October 03, 2010 (C), “What I See”

Sunday, October 23, 2011 (A), “To Finish the Journey”

Sunday, October 7, 2012 (B) – New Milford UMC this Sunday, “A Matter of Integrity”

“Notes for the 18th Sunday after Pentecost”

Here is a list of my sermons, messages, and posts for the 18^thSunday after Pentecost.

This list was originally posted last year as part of the post of “Who Shall Feed My Sheep?” but only listed the posts for Year A as well as those posts that were based on the Scriptures. I have edited that post to be just the sermon and added a couple of posts to this list. To be honest, I had forgotten that I started off listing my notes for a particular Sunday as part of the post for that Sunday and that I had included a list of posts for the readings.

As I complete this particular year of posts, I anticipate shifting from the Sunday to the Scripture readings (since they are actually tied to the calendar and not necessarily the liturgical calendar) at the beginning of the new liturgical calendar year. But in the meantime, here are the messages/sermons/posts that I gave for the 18^th Sunday after Pentecost.

“Who Can I Turn To?” – a sermon given at Alexander Chapel UMC on September 28, 1997 (Year B)

“The Final Exam”– a sermon given at Walker Valley UMC on September 26, 1999 (Year A)

“Who Shall Serve?”- a sermon given at Walker Valley UMC on October 15, 2000 (Year B)

“Meeting the Challenge”- a sermon given at Walker Valley UMC on October 7, 2001 (Year C)

“A Sense of Reward”- sermon given at Tompkins Corners UMC on September 22, 2002 (Year A)

“Fair and Balanced”- a sermon given at Tompkins Corners UMC on October 12, 2003 (Year B)

“Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”- a sermon given at Tompkins Corners UMC on October 3, 2004 (Year C)

“What Is A Person Worth?”- posted on September 18, 2005 (Year A)

“What Do We Say?” – a sermon given at New Milford UMC on October 8, 2006 (Year B)

“The Good Life” – posted on September 30, 2007 (Year C)

“The Words We Use”- posted on September 14, 2008 (Year A)

“A New Set of Rules” – posted on October 4, 2009 (Year B)

“What Is Going To Happen?” – posted on September 26, 2010 (Year C)

“Who Shall Feed My Sheep?” – a sermon given at Dover Plains UMC on October 16, 2011 (Year B)