A New Heaven and A New Earth

A sermon by Rev. Larry Fry

College Avenue UMC

November 17, 2013

Very soon our children will again lift our spirits in a Christmas program.  “A Piece of Christmas” takes place on December 15 and you do not want to miss it.  As I repeat again, our children are not perfect, and we are not perfect.  But God blesses us by our participation.  God guides us in our journeys.

Let’s watch this young man who knows the books of the New Testament in order, better than I do.   

He also knows George Strait songs far better than most.  It is always funnier if you are not the parent. 

The whole Bible is a love story about God, to us, from God.  It is in the participation that we discover it is a love letter for us.  Over and over, God makes loving covenants with us, hoping we will be faithful.  Over and over we break the covenants and God works again to restore them.

Isaiah is, in my opinion, the grandest prophet.  He presents to us a glorious vision.  It is God’s dream and one that drives us.  Isaiah invites ancient Israel, and us, to move beyond all that is broken and dysfunctional in the old world.  God is, all day long, working for good in the world, creation a new heaven and a new earth.

A new existence is to be the center of God’s future.  It is a place where all nations, all people will have access to the goodness and guidance of God.  The vision is one of the most powerful of all the Bible.  Infant mortality was a big problem then and it is still is.  Courtney Fowler has alerted us and to other to the need for better Maternal Care in Third World countries.  The Church Ladies have made birthing kits so that some far away have a better chance of delivering a baby with less risk of infection.  In more developed countries children now have the blessing of incredible health care possibilities.  Even the pain of childbirth is eased by modern methods.  Fewer will die because there will be clean water and medicines.  These are some of the ways the United Methodist Church is in mission in 1000’s of places.

Here is pictured a better communication and closeness between God and God’s people.  There can be a closeness that God will address needs even before those needs are spoken.  This intense closeness comes when we know God’s intense love for God’s people.  The vision of God is a people with greater discipleship with vitality and courage and consistency and compassion.  This is the Kingdom of God.

The people in every troubled land want the same thing: a house to call home, some land to call your own, food and water and education.

The vision is of older people living long lives.  In our day of home health care, we see people living longer lives.  We also live in a day when we are cutting services to keep people healthy.  For example Shawnee County just cut the six home health care professionals from their budget.  The older adults served by them will more quickly now enter nursing care facilities. 

I am convinced that God is calling us to join in the renewing the universe.  And we get to help with that.  Our food packing event last weekend provided over 2,000 meals.  When they get to their destination their village will know greater health and joy.  Please look at the photos on our website and see the joy in the faces of our children as they got to help, even the littlest ones. 

Our church teachers help us become new by touching our lives.  Henry Adams once wrote: “A teacher affects eternity.  Teachers can never tell where their influence stops.”  A teacher’s influence lives on in the lives of those who follow.  Joe Ott sent out a quote with his report of the Harvester’s Food Distribution:  “If you want to touch the past—touch a rock.  If you want to touch the present, touch a rose.  If you want to touch the future, touch a life.”

Just behind this magnificent vision of Isaiah are two simple tenets:

GOD CAN CREATE: EXPANDING WHAT IS ALREADY HERE….TAKING THE GOOD AND MAKING IT BETTER.

The second idea is harder for us to accept. 

GOD CAN CREATE FROM NOTHING AND BRING ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE TOTALLY UNEXPECTED.  THIS IS WHERE WE TRUST THAT IF IT IS GOD’S WILL IT WILL HAPPEN AND THE RESOURCES WILL BE THERE.

God wants us to see the kingdom of God where every village is a joy and every person is a delight.   The whole reason for our building expansion is to create a space where people get made new.

This past summer Penny and I headed to the Mississippi River hoping to see some more of Mark Twain.  When we got there we could not enjoy a river boat because the Mississippi was over its banks in some places.  Sandbagging was going on in many places.  I did read this week a Mark Twain story that fits.  My teacher Harrell Beck once told a story about Mark Twain.  He was notorious for his ability for swearing a blue streak.  His good Christian wife was not a fan of that part of his life but she put up with it for 30 years.  When they moved into a new house in Hartford, Connecticut she thought it was time to change his language.  The showdown come when he cut himself shaving and let go with a whole paragraph of serious swearing.  She walked up to him and repeated every word he said!  He was enough of a 19^th Century chauvinist that he was taken aback.  But then he smiled and said, “My dear!  You have all the words right, but you don’t know the tune!”

In a twist of understanding Harrell Beck was challenging us.  “I want to be the kind of Christian who gets the words right and knows the tune!  Because it’s the tune that the world hears.  It doesn’t matter how much you talk or show up at church, it doesn’t mater if have a fish on the back of you car---it is what people see in your lives every day.”  400 people have looked at our website and looked at the photos of the food packing event we did last week. 

I want to close with a video shown at a recent leadership conference for the Great Plains Conference.  The video is a video presentation showing Isaiah’s dream that was fulfilled in Jesus.  The world needs places where people can be made new.

The tune is Amazing Grace and several of you have commented that the only part of that song you have trouble with is the word “wretch.”  If you understand the origins of the song you know that one who wrote the lyrics was a captain of a slave ship.  He came to realize that to do so was a terrible sin, a wretched thing.  His life was changed by Jesus Christ and he eventually entered full-time Christian service.

This is the song Isaiah dreamed of and the song Jesus live and made possible.  It is our song as well.

Guiding Values Do Guide

Guiding Values Really Do Guide, Thank God!

Sermon based on the Beatitudes, Luke 6:20-31

Rev. Larry Fry, College Avenue UMC

All Saints Sunday and Harvest Sunday go together well.  Today we remember those who have gone before and then we claim our turn to live out our faith in Jesus Christ.   The definition of a saint is a follower of Jesus.  And what a gift to have the baptism of Gage!  In our baptism God commissions us to be saints…the ones through whom the light of God shines.  I am glad to be growing older because I get to know more saints.  Saints are those people who see the light of God in the world and invite us to look there too.

Matthew and Luke gather these sayings of Jesus about what it means to follow Jesus.  They are fascinating and difficult to understand.  Matthew places Jesus on a mountain offering these high and lofty guiding values so it is called the Sermon on the Mount.  It is to everyone.  Luke puts Jesus down on the plains, speaking to deeply committed disciples, putting those guiding values into daily action.  By this time disciples had enemies and people who misunderstood their commitment to Christ.   These guiding values were and are guides our living in the world.

Matthew’s version includes “Blessed are the peacemakers.”  That is easier to swallow than “Blessed are the poor.”  On the surface this sounds nuts.  Jesus is not saying that all people who are poor are blessed.  Poverty is a terrible condition.  Being poor is not a blessing.  The idea here is that someone who is following Jesus may be poor in things of the world, yet blessed with spiritual riches beyond measure.  Jesus, looking at his followers, said “Blessed are you who are poor.  Again, Jesus did not say, “Blessed all who are poor.”

I will try a paraphrase.  “Love God and your neighbor.  Don’t be discouraged if times get tough.  At least this way you know your need of God.  Not all of your friends are going to understand your Christian commitments.  Don’t give up because you are worrying about what others think.  God has not forgotten you.  God does not promise you a rose garden.  But even in the worst wilderness ever, God will help you grow a rose garden.  God will reward your faithfulness.”

Two women talked to me this week about a wilderness of a deep parental fear.

            One mother talked about the schools having safety week and how they

                        practice drills for tornadoes, fire, and active shooters.

                        When we think that our children are doing those we

                        are both grateful and we shiver a bit, praying that it will never

                        happen at our schools or any school, or airport.

I also ran into a woman who yelled out to me in the hospital.  I had officiated at her wedding and she wanted to tell me that they just had a boy.  She loved being a mom, but she was scared to death when she read about school shootings or when a child was harmed. 

God did not intend for people to be afraid when they walk into an airport.  God did not intend for any person to live in fear.  God did not intend for us to be stuck in twisted agendas and quarrelling or culture wars. God did not intend for people to be in such crushing poverty that it crushes the human spirit.  God did not intend for people whether rich or poor to be totally concerned about themselves with no compassion for others.  It is possible, says Jesus to be so into riches that it isolates you from the world.  If you are full of yourself and selfish desires…that as far as you go in life.  But all, rich and poor, can live sharing with the poor.

In Jesus’ time the Romans lived for wealth and pleasure, and kept working at it through violence, and oppression.  Jesus saw the poor crushed in poverty.  And he saw people who were rich and could help them, yet they did nothing.   He saw people putting selfish pleasure as their top guiding values and in that way their wealth became a barrier to know the Kingdom of God.

            Yet, Jesus gave to us a community of discipleship:

                        Where guiding values were very different

                        Where the joys of life were in love and sharing.

            He knew this community would not fit in and there would be struggles, but

                        new life would come in the middle of this caring life together.

One of the greatest parts of our church are committee meetings.  We have fun, we laugh, we listen to one another, we learn what God wants, we love one another, we lead the church to live out our guiding values in the world.    Instead of quarrelling, we listen and learn.

I was reading one commentary that reminded me of the Monty Python movie the Life of Brian.  Brian is delivering the Sermon on the Mount, preaching to a crowd gathered.  One woman yells from the back…”Speak up.  We can’t hear you.”  What did he say?  I think he said, “Blessed are the cheesemakers?”  What is so special about cheesemakers?  The man next to her said, “I don’t think we can take it literally…it refers to all manufacturers of dairy products.”  By this time I am silly with laughter.

In all of the silliness of that movie there is something that is very profound. The idea beyond the movie the Life of Brian is that Jesus offered truth.  It was the people who misunderstood and quarreled about the meaning.   In the Gospels, we see even the closest disciples missing the point.  The teaching is not off but the understanding and the application are off.  That is why church and small groups are so important…to maintain our life of learning and loving.  The saying of Jesus need the interpretation of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

Jesus challenged the early disciples and he challenges us to put God first and live these guiding values.  It is amazing to know that Jesus was talking about a community with the compassion that weeps when the world weeps.  Jesus presents a kingdom where all (each and every) are ultimately valuable to God.

The early Christians confounded many because they suffered and no matter how much they suffered, they somehow knew the joy of living for God now and knew have the rewards they would have in heaven.

I think of how my mom and dad, and my grandparents modeled the Christian faith for me and I am grateful.  Dad was the church treasurer and choir director for many years.  Every week he called choir member to remind them.  That was before email and you only had to dial four numbers on the rotary dial.  I remember their commitment to the budget of the church to make sure there were programs for me.  Those programs guided me into a life of faith and full-time service.  This church has met its budget and mission share for almost 30 years. 

Think of a world where lives and communities are guided by compassion and respecting the dignity of every person.  Compassion is the deliberate decision that that the wellbeing of another human being is a high priority of our lives.  No matter what they have done we still make a positive, proactive decision to do good things for them.

Think of a world where hospitality and spiritual growth were the order of the day.  Being a disciple means willing to learn and follow Christ with ever greater faithfulness.  It means to say to God, “Let me follow and learn.” 

It is my experience that the joys of discipleship are always greater than the troubles of being a disciple.   With Gage and Addison and Gavin a part of our church we now have 70 active children.  I want them to know what it means to be a saint.

I want them to know that joy that comes from knowing that God chooses us, claims us, makes us saints, so the love of God can shine through.

A Celebration of Seniors

A Celebration of Seniors

Rev. Larry Fry

College Avenue UMC

October 20, 2013

Based on 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

For any new generation to have the Christian faith, there has to be another generation or two or three to help them discover and then make that faith their own.  It has been said that any church is only one generation from extinction.  One of the most amazing things about this church is that we have multiple generations worshipping, learning, giving, and serving together.  What an incredible blessing that is for us!  Do I have an Amen?

Psalm 78 is one of my favorites:

            We will tell to the coming generation

            The glorious things deeds of the Lord, and his might,

            And the wonders he has done…..

            To teach to their children;

            That the next generation might know them,

            The children yet unborn,

            And rise up and tell them to their children

            So that they should set their hope in God,

            And not forget the works of God.

When Sarah Biles suggested this as a special Sunday we ran with it.  We want today to honor the older generation in our church, to love seniors, of which I count myself a member.   Claribel Cornford, at 104, gave Sarah a favorite phases:  “We all travel the same road; some hit more bumps that others.”   Some of the phrases like “Do unto others…” does come from the Bible.  Others do not.  But, will use them during the sermon.

Last Sunday may be labeled for all time as pumpkin day.   I wish we had a photo of George Milliken’s smiling face surrounded with a swarm of smiling faces as he gave away his giant pumpkins.  George had a masterful year with pumpkins.  Some of the vines got to be more than 20 ft. long.   He has saved the seeds and maybe next year will be a good year as well.  It is one example of how one generation inspires the next.  All week I received stories of what happened to the pumpkins.

On Tuesday it was pumpkin day as our Early Learning Center went out to a pumpkin patch and they all came back with smiling faces, pumpkins, and shoes with inch of mud on the  soles.  It is great to get out in the out-of-doors and enjoy God creations.   

To grow a great pumpkin, it helps if you have to great soil.   To grow a Christian, it also helps if you have great spiritual base.  God can grow faith in anyone and at anytime, but it helps to have a rich soil of a faith heritage and a loving community of faith.  If you are going to bloom where you are planted, it is great to have parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, Sunday School teachers, family friends, or others church members.  Parents have great influence over their children.  It has been said, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”  Attitudes, faith, and actions of a son or daughter can be a lot like their mother or father.

And if you visit the community gardens or some local gardens, you might see a fence around the garden to keep deer or other critters away.   Fences offer protection for  sprouting plants.  Children also need to be protected and today there are lots of possible dangers.  The internet poses risks, as children can access just about anything and they need protective guards and lots of conversation with parents.  As we all grow in faith we need protective guides to keep out crazy ideas and dangerous theologies.  The old phrase, “A rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.”   The means that the negative influence of one person can grow and affect others.  We also know that this kind of thinking has led some churches to trying to get rid of some people, instead of surrounding all with the loving care that Jesus demonstrated and wants us to demonstrate. 

SOUND TEACHING

The best protection of all is sound teaching.  That is great soil in which we all grow.  We are blessed in this church with great teachers who spend time preparing and leading and help us grow. 

Guidance may come from family members. 

            My uncle always said, “There is more than one way to skin a cat.”

                        One translation of that is one way does not work, try another.

                        Some family member told you “Stand up straight.”  They

                        may have said: “The measure of a person is a firm handshake.”

            When you did not make the time, your grandma may have said,

                        “Every dog has its day.”  That is you will have your chance some

                        Some day when you shine and make it all happen.

            “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”          

            Some family member may have told you to clean your plate because

                        there are starving children in China.  I would ask mom to name one.

Parents and teachers taught us: “Waste not, want not” and “A penny saved is a Penny earned.”  Parents remind you that the “Early bird gets the worm.”  If you don’t get up early and work hard you “won’t amount to a hill of beans.”

BIBLE

At this church we take the Bible very seriously.  Yet the culture does not.  There is a cartoon in the New Yorker magazine which shows a man going up to a bookstore information desk.  He has to spell it out.  “Yes, that is “B-I-B-L-E.”  The woman, looking at the computer screen says, “Yes, we still have one of those….it’s in the self-help section. 

A grandfather told recently told me about his granddaughter who is part of our church family.  He said that this was the year of her first smart phone.  Of course she has apps on her phone and one of the first apps she put on was a Bible.  And that person is Isabella Williams….way to go, Izzy. 

            I believe that as the Bible was formed, God was at work through the Holy Spirit.

            I believe that the Bible contains the Word of God. 

            I believe that the Bible offers one of the clearest pictures into the heart of God. 

            Scripture is inspired by God; scripture stimulates creativity and life.  Yes, it contains history and letters and poetry and you can see how ideas developed over the centuries.  But it is also the Word of God for the people of God to help them discover the glory of God. 

Children can get from Seniors the message that “God made us.  God loves us.  Sin distorts us.  God forgives us.  Jesus saves us.  And heaven awaits us.”

Paul is older and he wants younger to follow in this ministry.   He wants the work of Christ to continue.  So Paul calls on Timothy to take the challenge of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to world, near and far.   Any church is one generation from extinction, unless the younger generation catch the vision and guiding values.

ITCHING TO HEAR

Paul is warning Timothy that when he preaches, don’t preach just what people want to hear, to make them happy.  He told Timothy the people were “chompin at the bit,” wanting to hear words that make them happy.   The Word of God offers something much better than happiness….a God-given joy that accompanies risk-taking adventures.  And Brad and Susie Shaw and Mark Fowler are just back from helping build a church in Panama.  This week Courtney Fowler joined Bishop Jones at a leadership conference for the Great Plains Conference meeting at the new conference Lay Leader.  And she tells me she will present a workshop at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa in February.

Mark Twain once said, “I am not worried about the parts of the Bible I don’t understand.   I am very concerned about the parts I do.”  Scripture holds up a mirror so we may see ourselves reflected and to know we are not always ready to hear the challenges; we would rather hear the comfort. 

So many time when we read the Bible, we are wanting to make it into what we believe, what we agree with, what is easy.   If we avoid the temptation to hear what we want to hear and disregard the rest, the Bible suddenly changes everything.  Instead of us examining the Bible…the Bible examines us.

           

When this happens we are “chompin’ at the bit to run this race of faith, wanting to hear, strained forward to listen….

What are you itching to hear:

            Congress has made a deal to keep the government funded…thank God.

            The scores for the baseball games – Detroit or Boston.

            New stories about our grandson or even better videos and photos.

                        What is he doing?  I itch for those every day.

Seniors, help us itch for the stories of what God has done.  Then we will have itching ears for what God is doing now and we will be more ready to join God in what lies ahead.

           

Paul was saying to Timothy: don’t race after every new fad.    “All that glitters is not gold.”  Just because something is new it may or may not be what God wants. 

Thank God, for seniors can help remind us what is most important to God and not just what seems cool at the moment.

Children can see in Seniors the message that “God made us.  God loves us.  Sin distorts us.  God forgives us.  Jesus saves us.  And heaven awaits us.”

A Letter of Hope: A Sermon offered by Rev. Larry Fry

College Avenue UMC: October 13, 2013

Based on Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7:

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

I often have the privilege of visiting senior adults who have moved and downsized their belongings.  This may have been a move into an apartment or some form of residential living.  After selling or giving away so much, something treasured and kept are letters.  Letters are pieces of history you can hold in your hand, as you hold love ones in your heart.

It used to be that someone might say:  “I owe someone a letter.”  I still hear that among a few older persons.  In earlier times, you kept letters because they were treasures.  My mother recently showed me a letter written by my great-grandmother about my birth.  You kept letters.  In fact, Penny and I have saved all the letters we sent back and forth when I want in Boston and she was in Kansas.   And, no…I am not going to read any of them.  But I loved getting each one.  They had a great impact on my life. 

Letters in an earlier time were treasured much more than the emails.  With the cost of regular mail, emails are the current way to write.  Skype, Twitter, and Facebook have changed the way we communicate.  But a handwritten letter was a valuable thing.  You know that the person who wrote it out by hand had touched that letter.  You could tell some things about the writer by the handwriting.

The letter we read from Jeremiah changed the course of history.   This letter so impacted lives it is included in Scripture.   Jeremiah wrote to a people deeply distressed about their unsettled world.  Israel and Judah, the Jewish homelands had been devastated by war.  The people where going through post-traumatic stress syndrome at the very least.  Prisoners of war had been taken to the city of Babylon and were now thinking of their homes back in Jerusalem and the people they loved.  War had separated families and faith communities.  People were angry and depressed and they wanted to know how long this was going to last.

Our faith ancestors were wondering what to do in the meantime.  Seek revenge?  Try to escape.  Start fires, make bombs?  Spit at them.  Throw shoes or rocks.  Stay away from these disgusting Babylonians.  Worship God alone.  Don’t cooperate with the other side.

Jeremiah gives great advice for any age:

Do your best!

The better you make your life, the better everyone’s life will be, including your enemy.

Continue to grow!

Learn all you can and work together.

Build houses, have children, you are going to be here a while.

Even if it is for the long haul…love your enemy.

“Bloom where you are planted.”

Stay non-violent and do not seek revenge.

Seek the Peace of the City

Seek the Kingdom of God

Search for ways make the worst better too and make the best better.

Jeremiah is saying…seek the welfare of even those you hate, pray for them…for we are all in one world together.  Don’t close off the world.  Instead open your hearts and minds and doors.  Learn to grow in the midst of foreigners. 

Jeremiah had warned them over and over.  God is not pleased when the people of Judah turned their backs on orphans, widows, the poor and sojourners.  How these people are treated is what can make a nation great in God’s eyes.  But Judah did not do well in that department, so God let this happen.  You are here and you are not going home any time soon!   Jeremiah said, “God has not forgotten you.  But this nightmare will not be over tomorrow.  It is going to last 70 years…two generations.   For this time we are going to have to deal with what we brought on ourselves."

The notion of praying for the welfare of the enemy remains as controversial as ever, though the prophetic message is clear.  God intends the well-being for all peoples.

Our faith ancestors did learn from Jeremiah and they did make it through the exile.  Some of our Old Testament was written there.  After the exile was over they people did get to go back to their beloved Jerusalem.

And even today we are following Jeremiah’s advice. 

Build houses with Habitat for Humanity. 

Plant community gardens and share their produce. 

Settle down and the live the best lives possible. 

Create churches as places where people will say: God is there!

This week I have spent a bit of time with the family of Roger Johnson.  While in ICU he was to put on his wall chart goals that we wanted to accomplish.  His wife Linda and his daughters were there to help him define the goals. The first was that he wanted to learn how to swallow again.  And the second goal was to go to jail.  That means that we wants to return to his work with the literacy program at the jail, helping people with language skills.  Carol Ott does that as well.  

There are many similarities of what was happening then and now.  Many of us have felt helpless during this time of much upheaval.  We have experienced a government in neutral, divided over what is best for our country.  We have looked at Syria with enormous sadness.  80,000 doctors have fled the country and 90% of the hospitals have been destroyed.  It used to be that all soldiers tried to avoid civilians, schools, and hospitals.

Jeremiah had faith that the current circumstances, as bad as they were, did not limit what God was going to do.  Faith is the refusal to be defined by what the world may look like at the moment.  Faith is the belief that God is at work through an invisible power.

Faith is a powerful force:

Kansas was settled with the faith of pioneer settlers.

Kansas and Nebraska churches were formed through the faith of circuit riders.

There is a faith when an artist sits at the easel.

There is faith when a woman gives birth to a child.

And just marvel at the faith of a child to try new things.

Faith is that inner vision which enables a forward movement of one’s whole being even in adversity.  The Christian is one who has faith that God’s work and love are seen, not just in the past, but for now and in this place. 

Thank goodness for people on this planet like Malala Yousafzai.  She has been getting lots of publicity that inspires us all.  She was targeted by a radical and violent religious extremist group that does not believe in education for girls.  At age 12 she countered them with her belief in education as what is best for everyone, especially the city.  She found out that she was a target but thought surely they would not come for a girl.  She imagined what she would do if she confronted an attacker and she thought of throwing a shoe, but thought that then she would be no better than him.  Then she thought she would tell the attacker that education makes life better for everyone and she even wished it for his own daughter.  They did attack her and shot her in the head.  The bullet narrowly missed her brain.  After miraculous surgeries she now says she has a second life.  People have prayed to God to spare me and I was spared for a reason—to use my life for helping people.

In the midst of tragedy, we must find sources of hope.

Fredrick Buechner, one of my favorite writers, offered the following:

Is God all-powerful?

Is God all-good?

Terrible things happen.

You can reconcile together any two of those statements.  But you cannot put together all three of them.  The problem of evil is perhaps the greatest single problem of religion.  Christianity offers no theoretical solution at all.  Christianity merely points to the cross and says that practically speaking, there is no evil so dark and so obscene that God cannot turn it to good.  Jeremiah told the people that God had not abandoned them.  God is still here and there.  “Don’t give up.” 

One of the amazing things of this church is the number of people who volunteer in the community:  OFH, Shepherd’s Crossing, Flint Hills Community Clinic, the Crisis Center.  I will invite you next week to put on the registration pad the places that each of you volunteer.

In the New Testament we see faith in a family having an unexpected and divine baby, the humility of a carpenter, the poverty and spiritual wealth of Jesus, the public disgrace of the condemned, forsaken and crucified, and how he established a new kingdom without borders or walls.  We see Jesus welcoming and healing dreaded Samaritan and telling how Samaritan have gratitude and faith.

A church is a place where all ages learn of God’s love shown in Jesus Christ.  God has given us a God-size vision.  Each one of us who follow Jesus has been given a life vision and the gifts to make it happen.  Each one of us may claim our mission in life because we know that the Holy Spirit will help make that happen.

Have Any Wasabi? (Time to Add Spice to Church!): A Sermon offered by Rev. Larry Fry

College Avenue United Methodist Church

October 6, 2013

Based on Luke 17:5-6: The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you.

I love mustard…any kind: Dijon, Grey Poupon, Spicy Brown.  One of my favorites is Wasabi, a Japanese horseradish.  It goes right to your nose and I do not know why, but I love that stuff.  It is a fine spice that wakes us up.   We need something that wakes us up as the church.  If the church is going to spice up the world, we need to be spicy.

In the Bible the mustard seed is used as a symbol of faith.  You would often see a mustard as a necklace—a clear ball containing a tiny seed.  Jesus urged us to have just that much faith and amazing things would happen. 

As an example of faith, I ran across a story about a young man named James, who lived years ago in Chicago.  He wanted to sell cheese and so he rented a wagon and a pony named “Paddy.”  He delivered cheese to small stores and had developed a decent business but he was not happy.  At one point in his hard work he realized that his passion was totally selfish.  James was frustrated in relationships.  He had a talk with his pony.  He decided that his life approach was wrong because God was not even in the picture.  He decided to put God at the center and that made others’ needs more important.  Others’ concerns became central in his selling.  His business grew and grew and soon his four brothers were part.  And things were booming.

Along with his business he was a lay leader at his church and he stated once that he would much rather be known in the world as a leader in church than in business.  Both were important but his greatest joy was church.  He supported his church and many other non-profits like the arts and drama.  He was always a great supporter of education.  His name?  You have probably had some of these products: Philadelphia Crème Cheese, Grey Poupon mustard…or Maxwell House Coffee.  His true contribution was a process of producing cheese which kept it from spoiling so it could be transported.   The name is James Kraft. 

In my little Kansas hometown…there was only one cheese: Velveeta.  I was so glad to discover so many wonderful cheeses. 

Remember the commercial about the two fancy cars stopping side-by-side and through the open windows, one asking for Grey Poupon?  This silly commercial certainly became part of our thinking. 

We are to spice up the world with faith.   Faith is such a greatly needed commodity.  Every day we get out of bed with faith.  We trust that the food we eat for breakfast is safe and full of nutrition.  We trust that the seeds we plant will come up as a garden. 

Faith is….caught, not just taught.  It is caught be being around wasabi people who have faith and live it in front of us.  The church offers one of the places to get connected in life.  The church is where we may discover our passions and live them out.

Faith is not making up something to believe in.  Faith is not sticking up for something we know to be untrue.  Faith is not permission to believe something just because there is nothing else to believe.  Beliefs are part of faith, yet faith is larger still.  Faith is far more than what we carry in our minds and even hearts.  Faith is not just in the mind, it is in our hearts and souls, from which we truly live.

Faith is the positive and lively trust that something is true.  Faith enables positive behavior that show how good life is.  Faith is a willingness to commit one’s life into God keeping and to God’s purposes in life through courageous risk-taking.

Where do we get faith?  We get it in our families or from friends.  This can happen in church or at home.  Churches offer children and family a larger faith family heritage, with traditions and good things.  There is a wonderful process where faith is offered from one generation to the next.  First people are nurtured then they make that faith their own.   The church is always to value and guard this precious commodity.  But to pass it on: it needs spicing up.  And when you have have it…even then, it needs spicy up. 

On Wednesday I realized that none of us had put letters up on our outdoor sign.  So I started out with all of the letters and I looked behind me and I had 8 children following me to help.  Their “wasabi” enthusiasm made the job 100 times more fun and it all went together well.  Thank you helpers. 

Being around “wasabi” faith people wakes us up just like the fire of wasabi wakes up our taste buds.  They fire up our faith their enthusiasm and encouragement.  We all need coaches in the things that matter most.  This way we all can live out our faith in deeper and strong discipleship. 

To live out our faith we go in mission to spice up the world.  Today, walkers from our church will help fight world hunger.  We are the lead church in the community Crop Walk.  This week three of our members will go to Panama on a mission trip to help build a church.  In 2014 we will head to Sager Brown Depot in Louisiana to help the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief.  Today Tom Bennett is at the Harveyville UMC because he has helped them rebuild their church blown away by a Kansas tornado.  And today we all may celebrate faith around the world with World Communion Sunday.  Our offering will provide scholarships for ethnic and racial minorities in the United Methodist Church.  All this is “wasabi” faith lived out.

I can guarantee you that no wasabi was used in the preparation of the communion elements before you.  But this I know:  all cultures are breaking bread and pouring the cup today to remember our crucified and risen Lord.  THIS WILL SPICE UP THE WORLD…FOR CHRIST.

The Rich Man Could Have Had 6 Brothers: Sermon by Larry Fry

Based on Luke 16:19-31:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

How do you define your family?

Families are like fudge only with more nuts. 

A bunch of people who don’t always agree but eat together more than another group. Family are those you call on when you have wasp, spider, or a mouse. A place we can look our worst and still be our best. 

Family is laughing together until you have tears in your eyes. Family is feasting, being honest, and trusting. Family makes you think of a fire in the fireplace and a good movie. Family are the people you buy gifts for -- knowing that you can get away with giving something that you would like to get for yourself. 

Leonard Sweet defines family as those who get our attention when it is not convenient or easy. Families are where the greatest moments of life happen, and also where the most painful moments happen as well. Falling in love creates families, and working at love preserves them. 

God created the church family to support and guide families. When families are in crisis, the church offers loving support. One of the reasons God made the church was to make families stronger and to be a larger extended family for all. Families come in all sizes, shapes, colors, races, nationalities, tribes, and orientations. And the more churches and synagogues and mosques have the opportunity to enjoy others, the better our world will be. 

Today we are blessed with Ghanian families, Kenyan families, Iranian families, Latino families. What a blessing that we have all of those today! Church is a family, and a global family is a great blessing. 

Missy Matthews told us about an experience in another United Methodist church in Texas. A woman came from the Congo and when she got her legal papers and enough money together, she was told that when she came to the US the government would give her an apartment, a car, and a job. When she arrived and discovered that none of that was true, she stayed for a while with the only person she knew. Her life turned into a giant struggle and she considered going back. Then she attended an event at First UMC in Hurst, Texas, and was treated with great respect and hospitality. Her dignity was restored and with some church help she was able to find a job as a tailor and an apartment. And to add to all of that, now there is a ministry at the Hurst church by and with African immigrants. The Sunday School class is French-speaking and a joyful new ministry for their church. 

We do not know if the man in this scripture is married or whether he has any family. He does care about his five brothers and wants to warn them, but that is not possible. The scripture urges us to do loving things with our families now and not wait. We never know what tomorrow holds. What the scripture says is that how we treat people who are struggling is a good indication of how we have responded to the love of God. How we use our resources should reflect the grace of God given to us. 

This man was rich -- really rich -- and yet not able to become all that God intended. This man has daily feasts and dresses in purple and fine linen. Not helping Lazarus enough was an expression of how little he understood about the grace of God. 

In my first read of this story, I was convinced that the scraps Lazarus got from his servants demonstrated his total lack of caring. But my second read was something else. At least this rich man allows Lazarus to stay there in a sheltered place, receiving food, and at least some comfort. But, here is where the story gets really personal. 

How many of us would allow this man to live on our property, in our garage or on our front porch? This rich man did something that endangered his religious status. He risked religious defilement that would have prevented his participation in worship. Actually he was doing quite a bit -- and Jesus’ story tells us that it is not enough. The Pharisees would have agreed that the rich man did not do enough. But they were shocked that Jesus would say that Lazarus made it with God’s love, and not the rich man. 

Jesus is telling them -- and us -- that God most wants relationships of care far beyond the rules and regulations of the Pharisees. There is much more to life than rules that label some defiled and others good. The world does not need walls of condemnation; we need bridges of understanding and compassion. 

This is a challenge from Jesus to make personal contacts. Instead of talking about the poor, we need to get involved and talk to the poor. Hiding from responsibility and the pain of others does not have a good outcome for us, or for our nation. Health care would have a great thing for Lazarus. At least the Samaritan got the man to health care. 

Heaven is an extension of a spiritual community where the needs of others are put in high priority. It is a place of respect and relationship. What the rich man missed is the heaven of knowing what a wonderful man Lazarus was. Behind the sores and health conditions and poverty and his rejection by many, he was an amazing man who knew that he was a child of God. 

The rich man could have discovered a sixth brother in his family. The rich man offered food and comfort but he offered nothing, absolutely nothing, of himself. The moment we offer ourselves, then things change. 

Yes, we have Shepherd’s Crossing and the Manhattan Emergency Shelter and Ogden Friendship House of Hope and Habitat for Humanity. But there is more. 

We can respond much more to the grace of God in Christ. We have a savior who touches hearts. And we can respond, using our resources to build relationships. Our building expansion will open our doors and, I pray, our hearts. 

It does not work well for people to sleep on our porch…not for them or for us. But what is better is that we welcome them into our hearts. That is heaven for them and for us. God became flesh in Jesus Christ in order to be our brother helping us to heaven. And Jesus came to bring heaven to earth.

Which kind of cloud do you trust? Based on Hebrews 11 and 12 By Rev. Larry Fry College Avenue UMC August 18, 2013 The clouds in the Kansas sky can be amazing. They can be like giant puffs of cotton, or spread out on the horizon to bring a beautiful sunrise or sunset to take your breath away. I know of a man who has one who computer storage full of nothing but images of clouds. I cannot remember where I read it but one great writer said: “Whenever you see something of great beauty, that is the handwriting of God.” I agree with that. Over the years, one picture of heaven has been a place where people float on white clouds in white robes and playing harps. That image of heaven never did much for me. The world of computers has given us another kind of cloud. I receive computer messages often that want me to try the ICloud. For some time you can buy a computer that stores all of your created data on a “cloud.” I cannot manage the documents on my own computer. Having all of my stuff on that kind of “cloud” scares me. And to add to the confusion, those invitations to try the ICloud on my computer come to Penny S. Fry????? This Bible passage gives us another image is of a cloud of witnesses: that is, a large group of witnesses in heaven and on earth. These faithful Christians include all those who have gone before; it includes us and our children, and generations to come. It includes our youth who gave their powerful witness today. We are part of the cloud that goes all the way through time and history. I am going to trust this cloud for the witness of all gives me inspiration and hope. This is the cloud I trust in. I get asked to witness about what makes this church so vital. I can talk about the activities and programs. I can talk about the Harvester’s Food Distribution we do this Tuesday. But more than anything I like to talk about people, the cloud of witnesses here. Often people hear about our youth and their football parking grants reviewed in their presentation today. I would like us to think of a giant flash mob, or track meet. And we are in the saints relay race. People have been running around and around the track for years receiving the baton and passing it on to others. Those we remember from time to time passed it on to us. It is not end with them. We are participants and we the ones to carry it to the next time. We get the baton and race and we have it. We do our best. And then we get ready to pass the baton on to those who are next. Those who come after us will carry on the race. Our hope is that they too will look to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. BEING WATCHED A cloud of witnesses entered the giant new building at the corner of College Ave. and Claflin last night. The addition to the football stadium was unveiled at an open house. A cloud means a giant group, like would fill a stadium. Another term might be a mob of witnesses…a big group. A cloud of people contributed to that new portion of the stadium. Soon we will have parking on church property a cloud of witnesses, headed to watch the football games. Soon the stadium will be filled with people watching football. When the football team takes to the field for the first game and the crowd roars with approval and excitement. Thousands are watching. A witness someone who sees something. Each fan at the stadium will be a witness to what happens. WITNESSES OF THE GAME And once they leave the stadium each fan could be a witness to tell what happened. After that first game, every coffee group, every tailgating party, will tell others what happened. They become witnesses, tellers of the story. The news media will send all over the world statistics and stories about the game. Who were the most valuable players and how many yards did they carry the ball. WITNESSES WATCHING US FROM HEAVEN The book of Hebrews lists a bunch of our heroes of faith celebrating what God did through them. They were not perfect superheroes. But they contributed to the work of God for the kingdom of God. One way to look at this is like we are on the field, and thousands of people, the saints who have gone before, are looking down on us, so to speak, seeing how we do as we carry on in the Christian faith. We are the ones who are to run our race set out before with faith and courage. WITNESSES TELLING THE STORY THROUGH OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS The movie, 42: the Jackie Robinson Story. We loved it! The owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Richey, was the one who changed baseball when he hired Mr. Robinson to play, breaking the color line in professional baseball. The movie is not a baseball movie; it is story about overcoming racism and establishing justice. Jackie had to endure the racism of fans, other players, other coaches, and his own difficult days wanting to give up. We can, if we have faith in Jesus, expect some opposition and bad treatment. The world is threatened by those who do not share its values and the world around will lash out at us. And thank God for the faith helps us persevere when this comes. Jackie Robinson received death threats and a constant barrage of racist slurs. Jackie was able to persevere with courage, faith, and his love of baseball that won over his critics and fans and teammates. To decide who was going to be this first rookie, the owner chose a younger man from the Kansas City Monarchs. He was looking at characteristics that would make him a responsible player. You will be surprised that Branch Richey looked at Robinson’s denomination. (Let’s watch.) On almost every part of this movie the owner is a great witness to his Christian faith. One of the reasons he picked Jackie Robinson using his own words: “He is a Methodist. I am a Methodist. God is a Methodist.” We laughed and laughed. In several major decisions, he did biblical insights, stories, and guiding values that he learned from Jesus. I am not sure he is on safe ground in saying that God is Methodist. God may be, but God is also other denominations and faiths. I am grateful for a movie that shows faith in a very positive light, without being rigid. Another hero: “Buzz” Aldrin was on the moon 44 years ago. Many people do not know that before he left he got permission to take the Lord’s Supper on the moon. He took a small container of wine and bread. Neil Armstrong was the first one on the moon because he did not want to participate. Aldrin, who followed Armstrong out poured the leftover wine on the moon. The first liquid poured on the moon by humans and the first food eaten there were communion elements. His idea was to give people on earth something to think about. But those in charge of the broadcast chose not to air it…just a few moments of silence were aired. The silence was to invite each person listening in, wherever and whomever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours, and to give thanks in his or her own way. He read a bit of John “I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit.” The cloud of witnesses has gone far above our earthly clouds. As Christians we look to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Our goal in this race is to become like Christ. This is the race set before. I don’t care who comes in first in this race. The important thing is to get on the track, to take the baton, and do our part and pass it on to a new generation. We have a cloud of witnesses watching us and that makes us want to do our best. That cloud includes those who have gone before and now inspire us through our memories of them. There are people who have inspired us and inspire us now. Prayer Lord, help us to get rid of our excess baggage in order to travel light. Thank you for the power which sustains us. Thank you for the presence of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Who needs donuts when you have love? Based on Luke 12:13-21

Rosemary Carroll Tuesday morning Bible Study how, as a boy, her son saved his money to buy a stereo system, with a turntable and connected speakers with tweeters and woofers and everything.  After several months of enjoying his new investment which required records to play, needles to replace, and extras….he wondered: “Do I own a stereo, or does my stereo own me?”  Good question for all of us.

We all dream about things, good things, and big things: cars, houses, and vacation homes.   We must admit that in our culture, having stuff is a big thing.  Comedian George Carlin, now deceased, has a whole comedy routine about stuff.  We love stuff he said.  The meaning of life is having stuff.  We search for stuff, we have stuff, and we live in houses that store our stuff.  And when all our stuff will not fit, we rent other storage places.  Then we make arrangements to go visit our other stuff.  

Our garage is full of stuff.  This week in the middle of the night I heard a crash.  I turned on the lights on the outside of the house to scare away anyone outside, then I looked in the garage and did not see anything.  But in the morning when I checked things out, I found that a kayak I had hanging from the ceiling had fallen.  Luckily it missed the cars.  Dan Beach was able to help us get it back up.  Stuff.

DONUTS AND DONUTS

So what in the world does this Bible verse have to do with donuts?  Several weeks ago I told you about a library book that my son and I treasured in the 70’s.  Using a computer I found out that someone had paid $500 for a copy.  Now, it is back in print so I did not pay that much.  It is as much an art book as it is a story so I ordered one. 

Today, I want to go into it with a bit more detail.  A boy named Sam has dreams of lots and lots of donuts.  So one day he decides to go to the big city to seek his dream.  And sure enough he meets Mr. Bikferd who wears a paisley suit and collects donuts, stores them in a warehouse.  He is happy to have a helper.   In the midst of collecting donuts the wagon breaks down and they meet Pretzel Annie.  Mr. Bikferd and decide in an instant to marry and start a pretzel store.  That leaves Sam alone.  He is full of donuts and he doesn’t care anymore.  You would think he would head home but he has to learn one more thing.  A woman is taking an afternoon nap when the coffee factory springs a leak and floods her basement apartment.  She cannot get out and yells for help.  Sam dumps the whole wagon of donuts in and they soak up all the coffee and she is saved.  She offers to give him all of her life savings.  But he decides to head home knowing that: “Who needs donuts when you’ve got love.

The boy in the donut story has a huge warehouse of donuts and it does not mean very much.  He learns that the meaning of life does not reside in having stuff. 

A TEACHING MOMENT

Back to the story about Jesus!  He is interrupted and stopped by a heckler in the crowd.  Everyone once in a while, we see on the news a clip of a speaker being heckled.  Someone yells out.  It makes everyone feel uncomfortable and sometimes security comes to help the heckler out. 

This heckler yells out a complaint about his brother.  In that day, and in our own, inheritance disputes often bring people into the courts.  It was the law then that the younger brother gets 1/3 and the older 2/3.  But instead of ignoring him or rejecting him, Jesus uses this moment to teach a great truth to all who were in the crowd.

SO JESUS TELLS A STORY

So he tells the story of a rich man who has had a great run at farming.  And obviously he takes all the credit.  And all he can think about is himself.  He has all need and more….so he decides bigger storage places instead of a bigger heart.  He could have said, “Why do I need bigger barns.  I will keep the old ones and share my good fortune with others.”

What is wrong with eating, drinking, and being merry?   Jesus himself did that.  Our having communion today is based on the last gathering of the disciples before he gave his life.  Jesus loved to be with people around the table.  Was Jesus accusing him of relaxing now and then and having a good time?  No, Jesus did that, too. 

Jesus uses a story to remind us all that idolatry always begins with “I.” He never mentions anyone else and he certainly never mentions God, or the poor, or even his family.    His whole life is wrapped up in selfishness.  What he leaves behind are monuments to his selfishness when he could be leaving behind a legacy of generosity.  If God is in your life, people are going to notice and those in need will benefit.  And this farmer missed the life-changing joy of helping other people.

One of the great lessons here is that greed…tends to eliminate compassion and our circle of life grows smaller and smaller.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE STUFF WE HAVE WHEN WE DIE?

After the farmer is gone from earth, someone else will have his stuff.   And at the end of our lives, others will have our stuff.  You can’t take it with you.  Part of the UM funeral service is about the wisdom…teach us to number our days.  I thought of the TV show called Storage Wars.  Auctioneers sell off belongings of people who have died or have moved and no longer are paying the rent.  A bidding war decides the fate of all this stuff.  It is an amazing part of American life because we have so much stuff.

THE TRUE SECURITY OF LIFE IS IN PEOPLE, NOT STUFF

A movie called Doctor featured William Hurt as a heart surgeon who was great at surgery but not so good at people.  This doctor becomes a cancer patient and learns how vulnerable people feel when they are sick and in the hospital.  One of the best parts of the movie is where a man needs a new heart.  The doctor warns him that he may not get a heart and he needed to get his life in order.  The patient, thinking of his family, said with a smile: ”I have it all in order” and he did.  And, in the process of radiation and surgery, the doctor gets his life in order.  During his difficult journey he makes friends with a woman who teaches him a great deal about letting people in to his life.  At the end of the movie he is given a letter from her written just before she died.  Let’s watch…

We all need a place to call home, friends, family, meaningful activities, and a church family.  Our greatest security is in faith in Jesus Christ.  And our faith should be visible to others in how we live our lives.   St. Jerome in the year 400 CE tells the story of a person who did not want to store all of her money in her purse because it was not spiritually safe.  She stored some of her money in the stomachs of those who were poor and hungry.  That way, it is heavenly safe.  Some of our wealth needs to go for a loving purpose in the kingdom of God.

Someone asked me about our building project.  Aren’t we just building a bigger barn?   No, because the purpose of a church is to make disciples of JC for the transformation of the world.  If that does not happen, then we have missed the point. Yet, the more it happens, the more we discover the healing power of the Church, gathered to honor God with all we are and all we have.  There is a power in this place that gets us right with God and right with ourselves and right with others and right with creation.  What we have here is exactly what the world needs.  It is a project full of loving purpose, in service to God and others.

I just read that Congress is considering giving farmers a tax incentive to give produce to food banks?  That is good…those barns need some help. 

I just found out.  There is a new donut shop opening up in the Blue Hills Shopping Mall.  Taylor Efurd, from our youth group is going to work there.   I can’t wait to try one.   As good as they might be…they will not be as good as what you receive in communion.   Come to this table as we feast on the Spirit of the Risen Christ.  It will taste good and you let the Spirit of the Risen Christ feed you with love.