That is the title of a song by Chris Rice. In the song, he talks of how difficult it can be to hear God's call. He says that sometimes trying to find God is like "trying to smell the color 9 ... 'cuz 9's not a color, and even if it were you can't smell a color." Last week, we focused on the high glorious moments when you first realize that God is calling you.
This week, I want us to consider, what happens next?
The call "follow me" seems so simple and easy. And yet, the more we try to follow God exactly, the more difficult following becomes. Who is proclaiming the right message to follow? How do you know which path to take?
You have the desire to follow, but not always the direction. Faith can be difficult. And yet, we believe and proclaim that God guides us. We believe that God leads us. We believe that God can really "be our vision."
So, the question for this week is, how do we find God in our busy, chaotic world?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Follow Me
In last week's sermon we discussed how Jesus called his disciples. Out of the blue, (or so it seems) Jesus walked by the lake and called the fishermen. And, as incredible as it may seem, "immediately" they left their nets and followed Jesus.
This story is a powerful one, that asks the question, how is Jesus calling me?
I shared the stories of John Wesley, John Newton and Corrie TenBoom. These are some of my favorite stories of people who were faithful to God's call. We looked at their stories to see that no matter where you are, God can call you to follow. The important part is not how you were called, but how did you respond?
So, my question to you is how did (or how are) you respond(ing) to God's call in your life?
This story is a powerful one, that asks the question, how is Jesus calling me?
I shared the stories of John Wesley, John Newton and Corrie TenBoom. These are some of my favorite stories of people who were faithful to God's call. We looked at their stories to see that no matter where you are, God can call you to follow. The important part is not how you were called, but how did you respond?
So, my question to you is how did (or how are) you respond(ing) to God's call in your life?
Monday, January 5, 2009
A New Year, A New You
"A New Year, A New You" is the common theme on morning talk shows in January. We see and hear and spend time thinking about new resolutions. And we think about how this new year might be different than the last one.
With the thought of making the transition from old to new, our text this week is Joshua 1:1-9 and Mark 1:1-13.
In Joshua the transition moves from Moses to Joshua. God boldly tells Joshua,
"as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you."
This transition of leadership happens much like it might in a monarchy handing power from one leader to another.
A similar occurance happens in Mark. John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus, so that people might recognize who he is and what he came to do. When Jesus is baptized, again, we hear God's reassurance:
"this is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
We are people who are also living in a state of transition. Soon we will have a new president. You are still getting used to a new pastor and a new District Superintendent. We are already at the beginning of a new year. New jobs, new hopes, new dreams surround us.
So, we must ask ourselves, what are we doing to prepare ourselves for the transitions in your life?
How is the presence of God seen more clearly during transitions?
What can we do to rely more fully upon God's strength in the midst of changing times?
With the thought of making the transition from old to new, our text this week is Joshua 1:1-9 and Mark 1:1-13.
In Joshua the transition moves from Moses to Joshua. God boldly tells Joshua,
"as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you."
This transition of leadership happens much like it might in a monarchy handing power from one leader to another.
A similar occurance happens in Mark. John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus, so that people might recognize who he is and what he came to do. When Jesus is baptized, again, we hear God's reassurance:
"this is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
We are people who are also living in a state of transition. Soon we will have a new president. You are still getting used to a new pastor and a new District Superintendent. We are already at the beginning of a new year. New jobs, new hopes, new dreams surround us.
So, we must ask ourselves, what are we doing to prepare ourselves for the transitions in your life?
How is the presence of God seen more clearly during transitions?
What can we do to rely more fully upon God's strength in the midst of changing times?
Catching Up
It has been several weeks since I last posted an entry. But, just because the posting on the blog has been slow, it does not mean that things have been boring or slow here at the church.
We still have had services every Sunday. The last Sunday in Advent we talked about God's peace -- even when it comes in surprising ways.
Then there were two Christmas Eve Services.
Then another Sunday with a sermon called "Moving from the Manger to the Temple." Where the focus was how to transition from the high excitement of Christmas back to "regular life."
And then last Sunday, the focus was on the Wise Men. I re-told the story written by Henry van Dyke called The Other Wise Man. The story is one of a fourth wise man who was unable to travel with the other three. He searches long and hard to find Jesus, but is thwarted at every turn. Nevertheless, every time that he is delayed or sidetracked, he stops to help others in need. At the end of the story, we hear the words from Matthew 25, "in as much as you have done it for the least of these, you have done it unto me." This story reminds us in our journey to see Jesus that we need to continually remember the least and the lost.
We still have had services every Sunday. The last Sunday in Advent we talked about God's peace -- even when it comes in surprising ways.
Then there were two Christmas Eve Services.
Then another Sunday with a sermon called "Moving from the Manger to the Temple." Where the focus was how to transition from the high excitement of Christmas back to "regular life."
And then last Sunday, the focus was on the Wise Men. I re-told the story written by Henry van Dyke called The Other Wise Man. The story is one of a fourth wise man who was unable to travel with the other three. He searches long and hard to find Jesus, but is thwarted at every turn. Nevertheless, every time that he is delayed or sidetracked, he stops to help others in need. At the end of the story, we hear the words from Matthew 25, "in as much as you have done it for the least of these, you have done it unto me." This story reminds us in our journey to see Jesus that we need to continually remember the least and the lost.
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