Yesterday in my sermon on the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, I said I would post on my blog a couple of things that I used. This comes from a website called Empire Remixed.com and has this introduction.
In a recent sermon at Wine Before Breakfast, Joe AC, pastoral director of Parkdale Neighbourhood Church in Toronto concluded with these modern day Beatitudes from the perspective of our contemporary, self-satisfied church culture.
The Beatitudes of Our Current Church Culture
By Joe Abby-Colborne
Blessed are the well off and those
with ready answers for every spiritual question;
they have it all.
Blessed are the comfortable;
they shall avoid grief.
Blessed are the self-sufficient;
they wait for nothing, they have everything they want,
and they have it now.
Blessed are those who are not troubled by
the injustice experienced by others;
they are content with realistic expectations.
Blessed are the ones who gain the upper hand;
they take full advantage of their advantages.
Blessed are those with a solid public image
and a well hidden agenda;
they are never exposed and see people
in a way that suits their purposes.
Blessed are those who can bully others into agreement;
they shall be called empire builders.
Blessed are those who can point to someone else
who is a worse person than they are,
they will always look good by comparison.
Blessed are you when people praise you,
give you preferential treatment,
and flatter you because they think you’re so great.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
because it doesn’t get any better than this.
This is the way our culture has always made celebrities of the best and brightest.
I concluded my sermon with a reflection I got from the Sojourner’s website that has preaching resources for using the Lectionary. On the website, it had the following introduction:
What follows is an examination of conscience and consciousness based on the beatitudes. It makes sense only if we truly believe that the teachings of Jesus have practical applicability in the world in which each of us lives and breathes. If we admit that relevance, we will find enough power in our fidelity to these counsels to renew the face of the earth.
The following is part of a larger article entitled Places Of Repentance. by Doris Donnelly. Sojourners Magazine, March 1984
1. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Do I fear being poor, in spirit or otherwise, and prefer to be rich in brains, money, or influence? Do I use the word of God to rationalize my lifestyle, or am I willing to have God's word criticize it? Do I cling to my own ideas, opinions, and judgments sometimes to the point of idolatry?
2. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Do I grieve over loneliness, despair, guilt, and rejection in the lives of others? Do I minister consolation and healing, or do I encourage people to have courage, thereby avoiding the opportunity to mourn with another?
3. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Do I understand meekness as the way to fight evil with good, and do I choose to live that way? How much are intimidation and force part of my lifestyle and of those around me?
4. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall he satisfied." Have I kept myself ignorant of important current events that impinge on the misuse of justice? Are my energies and passions focused on Christ, or are they scattered, disordered, divided? Have I decided that I will not be satisfied until justice is fulfilled in my own life, within my family, my church, my community, my world?
5. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Do I operate on a double standard of expecting mercy but not wanting to grant it? Do I prefer the strict law and order approach, or that of mercy, tenderness, and compassion? Are there places in my life where people are suffering because of me and my unforgiving attitude?
6. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Am I trusting and trustful? Do I value living without pretense, or am I constantly fearful that someone will take advantage of me?
7. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Am I eager for reconciliation, or do I antagonize and yearn for revenge? Do I think apologizing is a sign of weakness? Am I willing to be a bridge in family and community arguments? Do I support violence in films, television, or sports?
8. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account." Who are my heroes? Are there any among them who gave their lives without vengeance for what is true? Would I be willing to do the same? Do I worship security and fear costly discipleship?
9. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven." Do I live confident of the promises of Jesus? Do I surrender to pessimism and anxiety or do I perceive that there is a paradoxical victory in the cross of Jesus that breaks through power structures and conquers in peace and love?
Snow & Epiphany
I look out of my office window this late January day and see a gray sky with more snow falling on a blanket of snow that has been here over three weeks. We haven’t been pummeled with a major snow storm but it seems like we have had snow on the ground an abnormally long time. It also seems like each day has a little bit of new snow that needs to be cleared off from the drive ways and walk ways. I certainly enjoyed the beauty of the snow in the mountains of Colorado but I admit that I am getting a bit weary of the ever present snow this winter in Pandora. The present temperatures are not all that cold but it would be nice to have just a couple of days in the 50’s or even 60’s. I missed those temperatures at the beginning of this month. When growing up in Kansas, it always seemed that we would get a few breaks from the frigid weather. I remember even having a picnic in January one year. Ohio winters seem to seldom have warm weather breaks like that.
In the darkness and dreariness of winter we need a reminder of the Light that has come to our world in the person of Jesus Christ. Epiphany is the liturgical season of the church that is known as the season of light and revelation. Epiphany begins on January 6 when the magi following the light of the star are celebrated and continues until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (March 9 in 2011).
A key passage for Epiphany is Isaiah 60:1-3
In the darkness and dreariness of winter we need a reminder of the Light that has come to our world in the person of Jesus Christ. Epiphany is the liturgical season of the church that is known as the season of light and revelation. Epiphany begins on January 6 when the magi following the light of the star are celebrated and continues until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (March 9 in 2011).
A key passage for Epiphany is Isaiah 60:1-3
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Jesus is the light of the world! In this season of cold darkness, we need to remind ourselves of that fact. Even though it is dark and cold outside and it seems as if winter will never end we can walk in the light of Jesus Christ. We also can bring the light of Christ to others who are walking in darkness.
The first part of the Sermon of the Mount will be the focus of our worship services during February. After the call of the first disciples in Matthew 4, Jesus explains what his kingdom is all about in this great teaching section of Matthew 5, 6 and 7.
May the Light of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom show us the way in the darkness and gloom of this winter. May each one of us share the Light of Christ to those who for some reason or another find themselves in darkness.
A Diverse Week
This last week had a lot of diverse interesting events.
On Friday, January 14, we attended the Toledo Symphony Concert in the Toledo Art Museum Peristal. I great concert with a very animated, enthusiastic female conductor that was fun to watch.
After the worship service on Sunday morning, I got in the car to drive the 500 miles to Harrisonburg, Virginia for the School of Leadership Training for pastors at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. An inspirational speaker gave a new slant on the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of the church. The congregational singing and worship is always a highlight of events like this.
I normally attend pastor’s week at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana but decided to go East this year since my daughter is a student at Eastern Mennonite University and this would allow me to spend some time with her while at the Pastors week there. We had all our meals together at the “caf” and a number of unique restaurants in Harrisonburg. My last night there, we cheered on the nationally ranked (14th in NCAA Division III) EMU Royals basketball team to a victory over rival Bridgewater College. It was a very entertaining game and fun to be with Julia and her friends.
My return trip to Pandora was fairly slow going because of snow falling (sometimes quite heavily) for about the last 200 miles. I saw three accidents but managed to keep from sliding in the ditch or tangling with other vehicles.
Last night was the Bluffton Arts series with the Burning River Brass ensemble. Again more culture! It was a great concert as I love brass music of all kinds. They were very talented.
It has been a great week with lots of wonderful memories. I hope to reflect on these a little more in my next week’s blog.
On Friday, January 14, we attended the Toledo Symphony Concert in the Toledo Art Museum Peristal. I great concert with a very animated, enthusiastic female conductor that was fun to watch.
After the worship service on Sunday morning, I got in the car to drive the 500 miles to Harrisonburg, Virginia for the School of Leadership Training for pastors at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. An inspirational speaker gave a new slant on the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of the church. The congregational singing and worship is always a highlight of events like this.
I normally attend pastor’s week at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana but decided to go East this year since my daughter is a student at Eastern Mennonite University and this would allow me to spend some time with her while at the Pastors week there. We had all our meals together at the “caf” and a number of unique restaurants in Harrisonburg. My last night there, we cheered on the nationally ranked (14th in NCAA Division III) EMU Royals basketball team to a victory over rival Bridgewater College. It was a very entertaining game and fun to be with Julia and her friends.
My return trip to Pandora was fairly slow going because of snow falling (sometimes quite heavily) for about the last 200 miles. I saw three accidents but managed to keep from sliding in the ditch or tangling with other vehicles.
Last night was the Bluffton Arts series with the Burning River Brass ensemble. Again more culture! It was a great concert as I love brass music of all kinds. They were very talented.
It has been a great week with lots of wonderful memories. I hope to reflect on these a little more in my next week’s blog.
Tire Chains
Our hearts have been greatly saddened by the tragic shootings in Tucson. This event reminds us that we live in a deeply fallen world and that life is a gift to be lived fully each day. As we pray for the families who lost loved ones and those who are still recovering in the hospital, we also need to pray for the perpetrator who also needs God’s love and grace in his life.
This week, I am continuing to reflect on our recent trip to Colorado.
Our driving to Colorado was uneventful. (We like the “uneventful” winter trips!) The roads were clear and dry which is something we are always grateful in cross country winter driving. One of the things I like about my GPS is that it tells me the elevations. The high plains in Western Kansas are around 4000 feet with no mountains in sight. As we were getting closer to the cabin, I wanted to see at what elevation the ground was covered with snow. That mark did not come until around 8300 feet. The cabin is situated at around 9400 feet.
The drive went fine, even over snow covered roads, until about 200 yards from the cabin. There the road is quite steep and even though the road had been plowed, it was covered with packed snow and ice and we could no longer get traction with our front wheel drive. The four kids tried to push us up the hill but the road was too steep and the van too heavy to go too far. Fortunately, a neighbor came by and offered to pull us with his 4 wheel drive pick-up. It was an easy task for him to pull us to the cabin. The next day we drove down to Buena Vista, about 20 miles away, and purchased a set of chains for the front wheels.
I had never put on a set of chains on a car before and the test came that next day after we had purchased the chains and began the climb back to the cabin. It was snowing heavily this time, even down in the lower elevations. We stopped at a level place, Phil read the instructions, and we installed the chains. They worked wonderfully! They gave us that extra traction to get us going and keep us going easily up the steepest snow covered roads. We got pretty good at taking them off and putting them on as we did not need them in the lower elevations.
Sometimes we need a “set of chains” in life when we just can’t seem to get going on some things. At times when we are “spinning our wheels” we need that little extra help to get us going and keep us going. Instead of just sitting and revving the engine and not getting anywhere, we need to stop and take the time to do what is necessary to get us going. We also can be the “chains” that can help someone else who is spinning their wheels. A word of encouragement and support can give someone the traction that is needed to get going again.
This experience with the chains also reminds me of our Psalm reading for this week, Psalm 40: 1-2
This week, I am continuing to reflect on our recent trip to Colorado.
Our driving to Colorado was uneventful. (We like the “uneventful” winter trips!) The roads were clear and dry which is something we are always grateful in cross country winter driving. One of the things I like about my GPS is that it tells me the elevations. The high plains in Western Kansas are around 4000 feet with no mountains in sight. As we were getting closer to the cabin, I wanted to see at what elevation the ground was covered with snow. That mark did not come until around 8300 feet. The cabin is situated at around 9400 feet.
The drive went fine, even over snow covered roads, until about 200 yards from the cabin. There the road is quite steep and even though the road had been plowed, it was covered with packed snow and ice and we could no longer get traction with our front wheel drive. The four kids tried to push us up the hill but the road was too steep and the van too heavy to go too far. Fortunately, a neighbor came by and offered to pull us with his 4 wheel drive pick-up. It was an easy task for him to pull us to the cabin. The next day we drove down to Buena Vista, about 20 miles away, and purchased a set of chains for the front wheels.
I had never put on a set of chains on a car before and the test came that next day after we had purchased the chains and began the climb back to the cabin. It was snowing heavily this time, even down in the lower elevations. We stopped at a level place, Phil read the instructions, and we installed the chains. They worked wonderfully! They gave us that extra traction to get us going and keep us going easily up the steepest snow covered roads. We got pretty good at taking them off and putting them on as we did not need them in the lower elevations.
Sometimes we need a “set of chains” in life when we just can’t seem to get going on some things. At times when we are “spinning our wheels” we need that little extra help to get us going and keep us going. Instead of just sitting and revving the engine and not getting anywhere, we need to stop and take the time to do what is necessary to get us going. We also can be the “chains” that can help someone else who is spinning their wheels. A word of encouragement and support can give someone the traction that is needed to get going again.
This experience with the chains also reminds me of our Psalm reading for this week, Psalm 40: 1-2
I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
One final thought for today. Today (January 14) is my daughter Julia’s 20th birthday. Julia is our youngest offspring, so we no longer have a teenager in the family. In one way Julia’s birthday makes me feel quite old. In another way, it is a time of celebrating the many good experiences we as a family have had over the years. It is amazing how the years have flown by.
I have included some more pictures from Colorado.
RECALCULATING
I like travelling with my Garmin GPS on while I drive. Every time I get off the main road or make a wrong turn, my GPS tells me that it is “recalculating” to get on the right road again. Sometimes, this constant voice reminding me that it is “recalculating” is an annoyance (especially when we are just getting off the main road for gas or food or other pressing needs). Other times it is a comfort reminding me that it will always recalculate a new route to get me on my destination again.
The New Year has reminded me of some new recalculations that I have needed to make to get back on track once again. Actually my inner GPS has been reminding me to “recalculate” for some time now. I look forward to getting back on my bicycle once again (when the roads are clear of snow and ice and it is a little warmer) and reestablishing an exercise program that will help me get in better physical shape and hopefully lose some weight. I want to read and study more and watch TV less. I also want to be more regular in writing this blog to share some of my reflections on ruminations on various things I am thinking about.
Travelling the 3224 miles on our winter vacation trip to Kansas and Colorado gave me lots of time to reflect. Let me first tell you a little bit about our trip. On Monday, December 29, we loaded up our 1995 Ford Windstar with our whole family who were with us for Christmas: Dianne and I; Julia, who is attending Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia; Ryan, who is serving in Mennonite Voluntary Service in Madison, Wisconsin, and Phil and Mary, who are seminary students in Fresno, California. We travelled first to Dianne’s mother’s house in Newton, Kansas and spent a day there visiting family and friends. Then Dianne’s mother joined us in an already too full van (Windstars are not really built for 7 adults and all their stuff!) for our journey to “the cabin” which is located up the Chalk Creek Canyon, between Buena Vista and Salida about 100 miles west of Colorado Springs.
“The Cabin” has been a wonderful place for us to vacation for over 25 years. Dianne’s parents fulfilled a longtime dream to have a place in the mountains and we all pitched in to build it. It has been a place of many memories for our family as the children grew up. We have been up there many times in the summer but seldom in the winter. In fact the last time we were there in the winter was 1992. So it was high time that we see the majesty of the Rockies in the beauty of winter. We were not disappointed. But I will have to stop now and finish my sermon for this Sunday. I will continue this travelogue next week. Below are some pictures of the cabin and mountains. More pictures next week.
The New Year has reminded me of some new recalculations that I have needed to make to get back on track once again. Actually my inner GPS has been reminding me to “recalculate” for some time now. I look forward to getting back on my bicycle once again (when the roads are clear of snow and ice and it is a little warmer) and reestablishing an exercise program that will help me get in better physical shape and hopefully lose some weight. I want to read and study more and watch TV less. I also want to be more regular in writing this blog to share some of my reflections on ruminations on various things I am thinking about.
Travelling the 3224 miles on our winter vacation trip to Kansas and Colorado gave me lots of time to reflect. Let me first tell you a little bit about our trip. On Monday, December 29, we loaded up our 1995 Ford Windstar with our whole family who were with us for Christmas: Dianne and I; Julia, who is attending Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia; Ryan, who is serving in Mennonite Voluntary Service in Madison, Wisconsin, and Phil and Mary, who are seminary students in Fresno, California. We travelled first to Dianne’s mother’s house in Newton, Kansas and spent a day there visiting family and friends. Then Dianne’s mother joined us in an already too full van (Windstars are not really built for 7 adults and all their stuff!) for our journey to “the cabin” which is located up the Chalk Creek Canyon, between Buena Vista and Salida about 100 miles west of Colorado Springs.
“The Cabin” has been a wonderful place for us to vacation for over 25 years. Dianne’s parents fulfilled a longtime dream to have a place in the mountains and we all pitched in to build it. It has been a place of many memories for our family as the children grew up. We have been up there many times in the summer but seldom in the winter. In fact the last time we were there in the winter was 1992. So it was high time that we see the majesty of the Rockies in the beauty of winter. We were not disappointed. But I will have to stop now and finish my sermon for this Sunday. I will continue this travelogue next week. Below are some pictures of the cabin and mountains. More pictures next week.
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