I bring greetings this morning from your brothers and sisters at the United Methodist Church for All People (a church in Columbus, Ohio that has been a huge inspiration to the Village’s leadership) where I usually worship. I am pleased to be back at The Village. I have been here a couple of times and a few of you have actually been to my church as well.
I am following my call in ways I never dreamed of. I recently resigned from working for the United Methodist Church on the Conference level (George was one of the people who helped secure the support and funding for the Village at the statewide level - Kurt) and now work fulltime at the Church for All People, but that is a story for another day.
Today’s Topic is about Spiritual Practices : The Christian church has determined that we value our time, our money and abilities. They are gifts which we treasure. These treasures are often those things which take us further away from God as we rely more upon ourselves than God.
They can also become spiritual practices or disciplines which help draw us closer to God, closer to one another, and they can form you and me into the Disciple that God sees in us. This month you are hearing a series of sermons on Spiritual Practices.
At Church for all People we rehearse each week that God love us just the way we are, and God isn’t finished with any of us yet. Can you repeat after me...Our disciplines are one way in which God continues to work within us.
Pray with me please: We give you thanks Lord for the blessings you have given us and the gifts you have embedded into our very being. We know that no matter what we do, we can not match the gifts we have received. The sacrifice you made for us that we might have life and have it abundantly. Bless our time together this day that we might hear you more clearly and use the gifts you have bestowed upon us more boldly. Amen
For those who have been here the last couple of weeks, you know that Pastor Cheri is talking about Spiritual Practices. I was thinking about them as I read today’s Scripture… I heard loud and clear. Develop these disciplines for the right reasons. Do them because they are the right things to do and because they will draw you closer to God.
a couple of verses later in the Message Translation, Matthew says “the focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”
So what are Spiritual Disciplines: They are actions which over time invite God's blessing; They are practices which keep Christ central in our lives; When they are repeated over and over again, they enhance our lives; they transform us.
One of those practices or disciplines is Prayer. Two weeks ago Cheri talked about prayer and the power of that when you practice it daily. I wish I had heard her for I confess that my prayer life is not as strong as I would like it to be. Prayer is one way to connect with God, keep God central in my life & in my actions. What is your commitment to prayer?
Last week she talked about service and the many gifts which are represented in each one of us. If I had been here I would have told you the story of Maryellyn Dunlap and the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio.
Between 2004-2008, the number of adults in Franklin County who did not have access to needed prescription medications increased by 40%, from over 104,000 to over 146,000. According to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, 18.8% of Franklin County adults are uninsured, with 36.6% living at or below the Poverty Level
Mariellyn is a United Methodist missionary in Columbus, a church and community worker. She receives clients who do not have insurance and can’t afford their medication, screens them to see who is qualified, and then after they fill their prescriptions, she connects them with other services across the county.
In their first 6 months of operations she qualified 691 patients and filled over 6,500 prescriptions valued at more than $500,000.
If you have helped make the Village a reality, Mariellyn is your missionary and is making a huge difference as she uses the gifts and abilities she has been given. What is your commitment to using the abilities or talents you have been given?
If you are a visitor today I hope you come back and hear Cheri. You will get a better feel for a normal Sunday and hear a great preacher. Today however, we are talking about money, the spiritual practice of giving of our finances.
A number of years ago my former church had a stewardship campaign. My wife Eileen and I began moving toward tithing - one step at a time. First, we Increased our giving 2%, and received a 3% pay raise, later a 3% increase in giving was followed by a 3% pay raise. But we never got to a tithe. This was in the time when we got raises which I have not seen in the past four years.
Jennifer, our 12 year old daughter challenged us. She said “What do you mean you don’t tithe daddy. I do. I thought everybody was supposed to”. The first lesson is be careful what you tell your children, they listen. That year we leapt towards tithing, jumped to 6% and the next year we just did it.
Jennifer is now a seminary student and will graduate from Wesley Seminary this coming May. Even though she is taking out student loans to pay for school, she and her husband tithe the stipend she receives working in a nearby church. I continue to learn from the example of my children.
I am also learning from those on the margins about what it means to give out of a sense of extravagant generosity. One Sunday at The Church for All People I was counting the offering and opened an envelope with the most worn coins I had ever seen. I knew that one of our members had been walking the streets of Columbus picking up coins so that he had something to put into the plate on Sunday.
Another man, Mike lived on the streets. He had two pairs of shoes when another homeless man came in with shoes which were broken and held together with rope. Mike asked him what size he wore and then reached into his backpack and quietly gave him his good pair.
Do we lean on our own resources for security or do they help us lean on God? I thank God for the blessings of my financial income and my tithe is my gift back to God. What is your commitment to give your gifts of finances?
The Church exists in order that we might change the society we live in beginning with ourselves and our community. The mission statement of the UMC includes the words “For the Transformation of the World”. That transformation begins with you and me. When we talk about transformation we begin by asking “how are we preparing ourselves?” How can we develop our spiritual practices?
I have discovered these disciplines are avenues that God uses to continue to transform me and help me keep Christ where I said that I want Him. At the Center of my life. Thank you for being a part of the community which reminds and challenges one another to continue to grow in Christ.
Let us Pray
Almighty and most merciful God. We come together today seeking your presence in our lives. Seeking your will for our lives. Seeking your guidance that we might be your instruments. Help us to be the servant leaders you have called us to be. Help us to be faithful disciples committed to transforming our community. In Jesus name - Amen.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment