A Woman of Valor

Following is a sermon I delivered for Mothers Day, May 12, 2013 at Pocatello First United Methodist Church.

Proverbs 31:10-31 

It’s Mother’s Day, a day when we honor women who have biologically given birth, those who serve as mothers and care for the people around them. I also have a special place in my heart for women who want to become mothers but for whatever reason have not been able to do so. We honor and love you all!

Today’s Scripture is meant to honor women, but I must admit that when I listen to it, I don’t hear the honor. I feel the burden. If this is meant as a check off list of what the perfect woman is suppose to do, how can I ever measure up? The standard seems impossible! It makes the modern idea of the “superwoman” who has it all seem downright easy! It goes along with the saying, “Man may work from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.” It sounds so … oppressive.

But I want to get back to the idea that this was meant to honor women, not oppress them. It is traditional for this passage to be recited as funerals for Jewish women. Puzzling.

I think there are two things that we need to keep in mind. One, this is a poem; so perhaps, we’re not supposed to take every line at face value. The other thing is that it is from the book of Proverbs. Most of Proverbs is made up of short pithy statements that are intended to be used as guidelines. One of my favorite passages in the Bible comes from Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” The statements are presented as absolutes, but they are not necessarily intended to be applied without thought, without Wisdom.

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What Does It Mean to Be a Disciple of Jesus Christ?

The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. However, that begs the question, “What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?”

At our church we illustrate the discipleship process to help us grow in our Christian faith by connecting with God, connecting with each other, connecting in ministry, and connecting with the world.

The foundation of that cycle is Connecting with God. How do we do that? Through prayer and worship. Prayer is talking to God. Is it that simple? Well, yes and no. Many people are familiar with The Lord's Prayer or the Our Father. While many memorize this prayer, what it is most useful for is as a guide of how to pray to God. It is a way to connection with God, and there are many other acceptable forms including just talking to him like you would your best friend.

The other vital aspect of connecting with God is through worship. Why is worship important? Why is it important to participate in it regularly? It gives us a chance to show our adoration to the Lord to express our thankfulness for creation, for our very lives, and for the forgiveness God provides through Jesus. We do it in song, in prayer, and as a group. There is a power in raising our voices together in praise of our God, a power that we can feel in the connection.

Worship is also a chance to hear back from God. As we get beaten down during the week, we can be refilled with the Holy Spirit. We can be inspired and reinvigorated. As forgiven children of God, we have a chance to feel the light of Christ within us to grow brighter.

In this Easter Season (which continues into May), I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities to connect with God through worship, not as a duty but as a joy! It is an important step in being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Peace be with you!

Serving Promises Unseen

Following is a sermon that I delivered on August 12, 2012 at Pocatello First United Methodist Church.

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

How many of you have been watching the Olympics?  Okay … I admit.  I get really excited when the United States does well, but what I find fascinating is how much I support the other athletes too.  Take a Bulgarian gymnast, Yourdan Youchev, 39 years old and at his sixth Olympics!  Who could help but root for the man, regardless of how he finished.  There was a diver who never expected to make the semi-finals. He was just happy to be there, thrilled to be a part of something bigger than himself, and the Olympics are filled with these stories.  Then, we, as we watch them from thousands of miles away, also become a part of this world wide experience.

In a way, this was what the audience of the book of Hebrews felt.  They were a part of a world changing movement, but … it wasn’t going as expected.  When Jesus ascended into heaven, they thought that he was going to return very soon. Paul in his earliest letters discourages people to marry because he thinks that the time would be so short (1 Cor 7:25-31).  But, there was a problem. The first generation of Christians were dying, and Jesus hadn’t returned yet. The author of Hebrews reminds them that our time is not God’s time.  He talks about their ancestors and how they were patient and had faith that God would fulfill his promises.

The word “faith” plays a prominent role in today’s Scripture passage. “By faith, Abraham obeyed … By faith, he lived … By faith, Sarah received …”

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Families Called to Hope

Following is a sermon that I delivered on May 13, 2012 at Pocatello First United Methodist Church.

John 15:9-17

How many of you read the newspaper today?  Watched the morning news?  Looked at headlines online? It seems that we are inundated with bad news.  The world looks hopeless. Every day there is a new crisis. A new reason to panic.

Was it always like this? Is there really more bad news than there used to be, or are we victims of a 24 news cycle, where everything is an emergency … but it will wait until the top of the hour or until after “a few words from our sponsor.”

If there is good news, it usually gets tagged onto the end, almost as an afterthought.  And yet, there are terrible things that are going on in our world every day: Financial markets just reported a 2b dollar loss at J.P. Morgan. Who can tell what will happen in Greece? Or Spain?  But that’s only money right?  What about war?  There are new reports of increasing violence in the Middle East. Unfortunately, there’s nothing surprising about that.  But, just a few weeks ago, there was a rocket test in North Korea. The good news is that it was unsuccessful, but does anyone think that they’re quitting?

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