Grow Up: Life Lessons from First Corinthians (Bible Study Sermon Series)

Perhaps you’ve heard it said that “some people have just enough Christianity to inoculate them against the real thing” -- we go through our religious rituals and motions, talk religious talk and talk about religious things, but then fail to live out the faith we so passionately speak about.   Too often, we are quick to judge, slow to forgive, and quick to insist on “our way first.”  Christians in the Greek city of Corinth faced a similar challenge.  So, to help them “grow up” and “mature” in faith, the apostle Paul wrote them a letter that we today call the biblical book of “First Corinthians.” 

Join us Sundays, July 26-August 23 as Pastor Brian shares a Bible study sermon series called “Grow Up”, where we’re invited to mature in our own faith by discovering a few of Paul’s “Life Lessons from First Corinthians.”  You’ll be invited to read through the entire book of First Corinthians during this series by reading the suggested chapters (below) each week in preparation for that weeks’ sermon.  In the meantime, invite a friend to “Grow Up” with you during this inspiring and challenging new series!

July 26 – “Valuing Differences” (1 Corinthians 1:10-11; 3:1-9a)

            (in preparation read Chapters 1-4)

August 2 – “Relationships In God’s Kingdom” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

            (in preparation read Chapters 5-7)

August 9 – “Others First” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24, 31-33)

            (in preparation read Chapters 8-11)

August 16 – “The Greatest of These…” (1 Corinthians 13:1-13

            (in preparation read Chapters 12-14)

August 23 – “It’s Not About You” (1 Corinthians 15:58-16:3

            (in preparation read Chapters 15-16)

 

Faith Of Our Founders

“Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord….” (Psalm 33:12)

As we celebrate our nation's founding, it is good for us to also recall the faith of those who were our founders. As I mentioned in my sermon this past Sunday, by no means could all of them be consider stalwart and orthodox church-goers. However, most of them did espouse and presume a Judeo-Christian spiritual context for America that is often either ignored or downplayed today. For example, consider some of the writings/sayings of our founders:

--George Washington’s First Inaugural Speech (April 30, 1789): “It would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe... that His benedictions may consecrate to the... peoples of the U.S. a government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes.... No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the U.S.”

[Jared Sparks, ed., THE WRITINGS OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, 12 vols. (Boston: American Stationer’s Company, 1837, NY: F. Andrew’s, 1834-1847), Vol. XII, pp. 2-5]

--Thomas Jefferson’s SECOND INAUGURAL SPEECH (1805): “I shall need the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessities and comforts of life.” [March 4, 1805 in Saul K. Padover, ed., THE COMPLETE JEFFERSON, CONTAINING HIS MAJOR WRITINGS, PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED, EXCEPT HIS LETTERS(NY: Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1943), p. 412]]

--Benjamin Franklin: “There is one God, Father of the Universe. That He is infinitely good, powerful, and wise. That He is omnipresent. That He ought to be worshiped, by adoration prayer and thanksgiving both in publick and private. That He loves such of His creatures as love and do good to others: and will reward them either in this world or hereafter... That knowledge and learning is to be cultivated, and Ignorance dissipated. That none but the virtuous are wise, that man’s perfection is in virtue” [Leonard Labaree, ed., THE PAPTERS OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959), Vol. I, p. 213]

Some have (correctly) pointed out that statements such as these represent only pro-forma (i.e., “politically correct”) acknowledgements of religion from their authors, and do not therefore represent their personal views.  However, the fact that they were written or said at all is significant – their authors must have believed enough truth about them to write or state them, whether they believed everything in them personally or not. As historian Noman Cousins explains, “Not all of the founders acknowledged a formal faith, but it was significant that their view of [humanity] had a deeply religious foundation.” [Norman Cousins, ‘IN GOD WE TRUST: THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND IDEAS OF AMERICA'S FOUNDING FATHERS (Harper and Brothers, 1958), p. 10]

My point is that regardless of their own personal beliefs, our founders obviously recognized the truth that nations are only as strong as the moral and religious life that undergirds them, and that when that is threatened, the fabric of society begins to unravel.

So, as we celebrate our nation’s 250^th birthday, may we celebrate by also remembering the God who has made it all possible, and by each of us helping to keep firm our commitment to being “one nation, under God.”  Remember that God loves you and I do, too!

Father's Day Scriptures

As we celebrate Father’s Day, here is collection of just a few inspirational Bible verses that are especially for men and fathers:

Deuteronomy 1:29-31

“Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.’” (NIV)

Joshua 1:9

Be brave and strong... Don't be alarmed or terrified, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (CEB)

Malachi 4:6 

[God] will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. (NIV)

Psalm 103:13 

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. (NIV)

Proverbs 3:11-12

Don't reject the instruction of the Lord, my son; don't despise his correction. The Lord loves those he corrects, just like a father who treats his son with favor. (CEB)

Proverbs 10:9

The man of integrity walks securely, but one who takes crooked paths will be found out. (NIV)

Proverbs 23:22 

Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (NRSV)

Ephesians 6:4 

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (NRSV)

Colossians 3:21 

Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. (NRSV)

This Father’s Day, be sure to take time to thank God not only for your father but also for the father-figures in your life.  Remember that God loves you and I do, too!

Pastor Brian’s Reflections on Uncivil and Misleading Facebook Post

“Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person” (Colossians 4:6)

I am purposefully not on Facebook, but while on vacation it was brought to my attention that this past Saturday, some very disparaging remarks were posted there by a disgruntled community parent about both our church and its recent Vacation Bible School (V.B.S.) program.  While I believe people certainly have a right to think and say what they feel, this post was so wildly inaccurate, uncivil, and unChristian that I felt led to offer a few reflections about it here.  

After being shown both the original post and its responses, let me first say how proud I was of the grace-filled way our church members and many friends responded online.  Despite the vitriol of the author’s words, you did not sink to his level in your responses but instead responded with grace.  Thank you - you truly reflected the character and dignity of Christ!

Next, to expand on some of the comments already made, let me remind us of the biblical focus of this year’s V.B.S. from Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (NRSV).  To further illustrate this theme, each day our children learned a different Bible story of courage, hope and/or endurance (from Genesis 40, Esther 3, Matthew 26 and Acts 3).  Yet, despite this biblical focus, the post’s author instead fixated on clothing that someone was wearing on stage during Friday’s closing worship -- clothing which, at least to him, resembled a rainbow.  He then jumped to the presumption and the accusation that this represented the promotion of an LGBTQI “agenda” by the V.B.S. program and our church itself.   

First, to reduce an entire weeks’ worth of Christian programming down to the colors of someone’s clothing is incredibly naïve, presumptuous and judgmental.  But then to assume that the perceived wearing or display of a rainbow presumes the advocacy of an “agenda” reveals a perspective informed more by modern, secular culture than by the Bible of Christian faith -- the rainbow is, after all, originally a biblical reminder of the promise and presence of God (Genesis 9:13).

And while we as Christians are called to speak truth, we are also called to speak it in love (Ephesians 4:15).  This means that what we say (or write, even on social media) should be shared with honor and respect even for those with whom we may disagree, just as scripture teaches:  “Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person (Colossians 4:6); “Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say.” (Ephesians 4:29).

At the same time, when reading/hearing the words of others, let me encourage us all not to be deceived or misled by inflamed and eccentric rhetoric.   Intentional or not, mean-spirited “scare tactics” like this one are commonly used today to spread misinformation and misunderstanding, beguiling often “innocent” readers/hearers into believing falsehoods and pressuring them to pass judgement without ever bothering to fact-check.  Instead, remember the caution of 1 John 4;1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”  For this discernment, Jesus himself explained that we will “know them [meaning true Christians] by their fruit” (Matthew 7:15-19), and scripture teaches that the greatest “fruit” of all is the love shown towards our fellow humankind (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Finally, in response to incidents like this, the greatest need is for us all to PRAY…. 

--Pray for our author-friend, that he may truly  discover the truth about Gods love and grace which helps each of us to overcome our (often unconscious) fears of people who may seem different from us in any way.  

--Pray for ourselves, that we would not be misled either by the misinformed words of others OR by the selfish inclinations or self-righteous indignations of our own hearts (and that we would accept God’s forgiveness when we do!). 

--But we should also pray for others in our world, that the brokenness and divisions of our Christian witness would not be a stumbling block for them to be able to find the power and healing of Jesus Christ in and for their own lives.

As always, please remember that God loves you and I do, too (despite any differences of opinion that we might have!) 

Cruise Ship Christianity

"Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit...” (Acts 8:17

There once was a widowed woman who more than anything wanted to experience the enjoyment of just one, single cruise aboard a luxury cruise ship before she died. So, she saved up her hard-earned savings and finally bought a ticket for a trip on a famous cruise line.

The day arrived for her departure, so she got on board and the ship set sail. Once seaborne, however, the woman never left her cabin. She ate food that she had smuggled aboard, and entertained herself in the cabin with games she had brought. All of this she did thinking that because she’d spent all she had on the cruise ticket, she wouldn’t be able to afford the high cost of the ship's meals or entertainment. What the woman didn't understand was that the price of her cruise package already included all these things. Consequently, she was living like a miser when she could have been “living-it-up” like a queen.

All too often, we Christians are like this: living life in our OWN strength and power, all because we aren't aware that when we “purchased our ticket to heaven” by accepting Jesus, the Holy Spirit was already included “in the package.” The Spirit is imparted to each and every Christian in order to give us the strength and power and wisdom to actually help us to LIVE our Christian lives.

Sometimes we need special experiences to help us understand, acknowledge, or “actualize” His presence, but it’s not like he’s never been within all the time -- when we become a Christian, we automatically receive the Holy Spirit. The question then becomes NOT “Do we have the Holy Spirit?” but “Does the Holy Spirit have us?” That is: have you allowed the power and presence of God’s Spirit to have free reign and access in your life? Or are you just skimping along, trying to live your Christian life and faith in your own strength and ability (and most often failing)?

Well, this past Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, the day we celebrate that part God’s Holy Trinity who we all too often hear little about, but who is absolutely indispensable to our spiritual life. He is, after all, that part of God’s being whose constant presence helps and empowers us to be God's people. So, my prayer is that each day, you’ll remember and celebrate His power and presence within you and within each of us! Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

Who Are We?

Recently, our church launched a new brand logo -- an outward symbol of something much deeper: our shared identity as a Christian community of faith. But what does that identity truly mean? What does it include? And how does it shape the way we live each day?

Join Pastor Brian from April 28–May 17 for a new worship series, Who We Are, as we explore these questions together. Through scripture and reflection, we’ll be reminded of who God calls us to be, and encouraged to live more fully into that calling as we move together into God’s future for us.

            April 28 - Remember… (Revelation 2:1-7                                                and 1 Peter 4:8-10)

            May 2 - Gratitude (1 Peter 4:8-10                                                            and 1 Chronicles 16:8-13)

            May 9 - Compassion (1 Peter 4:8-10                                                        and Luke 10:29-37)

            May 17 - Service (1 Peter 4:8-10                                                                and Matthew 25:31-40)

He Came Singing Love

“Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; There you will see him, just as he told you” (Mark 16:6-7).

Just as we read in Mark’s account of the resurrection, inherent in the message of Easter itself is the call to each of us to “go and tell” others that “[Jesus] is going ahead of us” and will meet us wherever we are and through whatever we experience in life, good or bad.  In the words of an anonymous Christian poet,...

“He came singing love. 

 He lived singing love. 

 He died singing love.

 He arose in silence. 

 If the song is to continue,

 WE must do the singing.”

You see, as glorious and joyful as our celebrations of Easter are, we’re not supposed to keep the good news of Jesus’ resurrection and life to ourselves.  Instead, we’re to share it with others through our words, our deeds, and our care. 

I invite you to join me this Easter season as we not only celebrate our risen Savior, but also as we share that good news with others: our friends, our relatives, our neighbors, workmates, and schoolmates.  Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

24 Hours That Changed the World

If you knew you only had 24 hours of your life left, how would you spend them? In his final day, Jesus faced total betrayal, crushed trust, and a brutal end. Yet, those 24 hours flipped the script on history, sparking a movement that billions follow today. What was it about that one day that carried so much weight? Join us as we explore how Jesus’ final 24 hours didn't just change the world -- they can change my life and yours, as well!.

February 22 -- The Last Supper (Mark 14:22-25)

March 1 -- Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42)

March 8 -- Accusation and Denial (Mark 14:43-46, 61-62, 66-72)

March 15 -- Jesus, Barabbas and Pilate, Oh My! (Mark 15:1-15)

March 22 -- The Passion of Christ (Mark 15:16-21)

March 29 -- Crucifixion and Death (Mark 15:22-39)

April 5 (Easter) - The Resurrection (Mark 16:1-6)

 

Prayers for Minnesota

Please join me in praying for the people of Minnesota in the light of the recent tragic shootings there.  Regardless of the political views any of us may hold, violence in the name of law enforcement is a practice that must be employed very carefully, lest it become brutal oppression. 

Throughout history -- including in Jesus’ own day and time -- violence has been used by those in power as a suppression tactic to silence those who disagree.  As examples, one need only reflect on the military violence used by the British government to “suppress" the “radical” patriots during the American Revolution, or the enforcement of "Jim Crow" laws in the late 19th and early 20th century against black Americans, the violence used both by protestors and law enforcement during the American race riots of the 1960s, of the crackdown and killing of protestors by the Soviets in Czechoslovakia in 1968, or the brutal violence used by the Chinese government in Tiananmen Square in 1989 to suppress the Democracy movement there.

Yet, our American nation was built on the right of its people to protest what they feel is unlawful, unjust and/or immoral.  So, whether or not we agree with what is being protested, both violence used in protest and violence used simply to silence those protests is un-American and un-Christian.  At its core, our Christian faith is based on Jesus’ teachings and practices of non-violence (for example, read Matthew 5:9 and 38-48, Luke 22:47-53, and others), and non-violent protest movements such as those of Mahatmas Ghandi in India in the early 20^th-century and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in America in the 1960s are faithful examples of this.

Speaking against the oppression of the Nazis in Hitler’s 1930s Germany, pastor, author and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote this now-famous challenge to people of Christian faith, “Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak Christians are doing too little to make these points clear rather than too much. Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now. Christians should take a stronger stand in favor of the weak rather than considering first the possible right of the strong.” (cited from https://brianmclaren.net/more-on-violence-from-bonhoeffer/)

I’m not asking you to agree with me about all (or any) of this -- unlike much of today’s world, you and I can choose to be civil and “agree to disagree,” if needed -- but I do hope and pray that you will join me in praying for peace in Minnesota and anywhere in our nation or world where violence is being used to either to protest or enforce any “law.”  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers for peace!