Worship at 11:00

Homecoming Sunday - September 12.  Welcome Home To Aspen Hill Christian Church

Quotes

“A genuine leader doesn’t reflect consensus, he molds consensus.”
(Martin Luther King Jr.)
“Never preach your doubts; men have enough of their own”. (Unknown)
“Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser” (Leo Durocher)

If you go to my Facebook Page (I’m the only Maryland Bob on Facebook) you will see the quote from Martin Luther King on it. Facebook provides a place for people to put a quote or a statement that in an encapsulated form reflects something of who they are or how they see themselves or maybe even who they want to be. It’s a good idea. Whether we choose to write our own “snapshot idea” that is central to our self understanding or quote someone else who said what we believe in having the clarity of such a statement not only presents a snapshot picture of ourselves but gives us something we obviously value and want to live up to.

The quote that I provided about “doubt” has been on the back of office desk for years. Well, it was until somehow it got old and crumbly and apparently fell off and landed in the trash can somewhere along the way. I went to quote it for this article and it was gone. It might be gone from my desk but it’s still very much present implanted in my heart. I looked it up on the web and couldn’t find it so while I don’t remember who originally coined it; I still value its message. I try not to preach my doubts, although I have them because like the quote says, I figure you have enough of your own. It’s a good reminder to preach what we believe in – not what we doubt.

The current quote I treasure so much is from Martin Luther King Jr. I believe he said it precisely and well. “A genuine leader doesn’t reflect consensus, he molds consensus”. How true it is. One of the banes of modern culture (or more precisely what passes for culture) is the idea that we don’t have leaders, we have people who simply guide discussions or lick their finger and put it up in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. I have done my best to be a genuine leader – not a phony vote taker. It goes to the core of what I believe to be leadership. There are times when I have been woefully wrong, but other times when I was right, no matter what the vote was. Being a leader means being willing to risk making mistakes, or being wrong – but always acting with courage. I hold myself to that standard, not being a vote taker.

The third quote, well I’ll leave that one alone but it reflects my desire to work hard, play hard and be tenacious in life. We don’t have to be “bad” losers but we have to love winning. It’s the mark of every successful coach or athlete or person I ever knew.

What two or three quotes would reflect what you believe in? What sums up your greatest values? What statements become not only your goal in life but your measuring stick as well?

Not a sermon – just a question!

There is always someone to complain, gripe, groan, and criticize anything and everything we do.  The Lord calls us to do our best to do the right thing, to be the right people and to go on doing our best in His name.

Luke 13:10-17 (New International Version)

A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath

 ¹⁰On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, ¹¹and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

 ¹⁴Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

 ¹⁵The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? ¹⁶Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

 ¹⁷When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Introduction…

It sure seems like you just can’t please some people.

No matter how hard you work it’s never enough.

No matter what you do – or don’t do – it’s the wrong thing.

No matter what you say – they’ve got a something to say about it.

One of the first lessons every Student Intern we’ve ever had has to learn is that no matter what they say there is always someone who will critique it, correct it and criticize it.  You just can’t please some people – no matter who you are.

Chris Hobgood used to say there is always someone in every congregation

• who thinks they can do the job better than the minister
• and someone else who thinks they know the scripture better than the minister
• and someone else who thinks they can lead worship better than the minister. 
• And someone else who thinks they can preach better or write better than the minister.

Just goes with the turf.

Of course the good Lord didn’t have it any better so I always try to remind myself, painful as it may be “why should I be any different?” 

Have you ever felt that way?

I’ll bet you have.

Have you ever sat down with your hands in your head and just plum wanted to give up with all the complaining, criticism, second guessing, Monday morning quarterbacking and backbiting that goes on in your job?  I think we all have.

Maybe a good scripture story will help us connect with I’m talking about today.  In the 13^th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, beginning with the 10^th version we read a most interesting encounter that Jesus had.  Let’s listen.  Close your eyes, try to picture the scene.  When I’m done reading the scripture open your eyes again.  Oh yeah, someone reminded me last week that I had committed the cardinal sin of speaking – I told you to close your eyes without telling you open them again.  Of course, what I really said is “close them for a few seconds, - I wasn’t implying to keep them closed forever – course everyone figured out on their own – I figured you would.  At least, I don’t think any of stayed here for the past week, with your eyes still closed – if you did I sure apologize.

Anyway…

The Bible lesson for the today:

Luke 13:10-17 (New International Version)

A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath

 ¹⁰On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, ¹¹and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

 ¹⁴Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

 ¹⁵The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? ¹⁶Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

 ¹⁷When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

This is the last time that we ever hear of Jesus being in a Synagogue, and it is clear that by this time the authorities were

·         watching His every action,

·         Recording His every word,

·         Waiting to pounce on Him whenever they saw the chance,

·         Looking for something to criticize in Him all the time.

Jesus healed a woman who had been crippled for 18 years. 

Then the president of the Synagogue had something to say about it.

He didn’t even have the courage to speak directly to Jesus.  He addressed his criticism to the waiting people, although it was meant for Jesus.  Have you ever noticed how cowardly some people are in their criticisms?

Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; the synagogue president was absolutely correct – in a certain sense.  Healing was not permitted on the Sabbath.  Jesus had broken the Sabbath law.

But they had missed the wonderful, beautiful, miraculous thing that had happened.  In their quest to focus on the law, in their desire to be critical of Jesus, in their closed and little minds they had seen the little but missed the big!

To make matters even worse Jesus pointed out to everyone how filled with hypocrisy the critics were.  The Rabbis abhorred cruelty to dumb animals so even on the Sabbath it was perfectly legal to take an animal from their stall and water and feed them and to remove an animal from a ditch if it happened to have the misfortune of falling into one on the Lord’s holy day.

The religious leaders were furious with Jesus.  He had spoken the truth.  He had exposed them for who they really were.  He had shown them up and they didn’t like it one little bit.

But the people loved Him.  The people saw who was centered on the right things, the right ways and the right behavior.

Funny, funny, funny it was.  The religious leaders who knew the most about religion and were intent on telling everyone else how to live like God wanted them to live missed the amazing miracle that had just unfolded before their very eyes, while the poor, less education, ill informed everyday people saw it and stood in awe as it unfolded before their eyes.

Same miracle:  different experiences: I guess it all depends on what was in each person’s heart doesn’t it?

Does this wonderful story say anything to us about our own faith?

Does this miraculous healing have anything to add to our own Christian character?

Does this amazing turn events hold the mirror up to us and reveal anything about us?

I think it does.  What do you think?

I.                   The first lesson from the scripture lesson for today is that in the first place we have to decide what kind of people we want to be.

·         Are we the critical, scowlers of the day looking for anything and everything with which to be offended by?

·         Are we the fault finders looking for everything we can find fault said or done to focus on?

·         Are we sitting in the pews, standing on the corner, hovering in the back like spiritual raptors looking to swoop in and find something to disagree with, something to find fault in, and anything to criticize?

OR,

·         Are we the happy people looking for what went right rather than what went wrong?

·         Are we the positive people focusing on was said and what was done that was helpful rather than wasn’t so helpful?

·         Are we smiling and grinning and waiting for the Lord to do something good with us before the day ends?

I guess the choice is OURS isn’t it?

It should be noted, most of us aren’t ONE or the OTHER – we are BOTH – AND the other.  There is a part of me that is critical, argumentative, looking for what I disagree with and find offensive in anything and everything I take part in and there is another part of me that is graceful, happy, positive, loving, looking for what I like and find joy in – which part comes out and which part is pre-dominant is really up to me – the real battle is most usually if not always internal not external.

Who do want to be?

How do you want others to think of you?

Which side of yourself are you most happy being?

I learned a long time ago whenever someone new would come to our church and begin by telling me how terrible their last church was, how bad their last minister was or how glad they are to out of that terrible place I have found that usually it won’t be long before they feel the same way about this church and about me and this place.  Conversely, whenever someone tells me they came from a good church, loved their previous minister and was sorry to leave I find that they find this a good church, love me and connect here just as positively and happy as they did where they came from.

It’s usually about the person – not about us.  It’s most usually internal, not external.

– Who do you want to be?  Who are you? How do you see yourself – do others you respect and care about see you the same way?  Are you sure? 

The choice is yours!

II.                 The second lesson from today’s Bible encounter is that we see either miracles or messes – it’s all up to us. 

·         Don’t miss all the beautiful and wonderful people while you lose the joy of life focused on the critical and unhappy ones.

·         Don’t miss all the beautiful and wonderful moments that life brings standing in the back griping, complaining, finding fault with everything.

·         Don’t look for what you didn’t get out of today’s service – look for what you did get out of it.

·         Don’t look for the mistakes – look for the right things,

·         Don’t focus on the wrong answers – look for the right answers,

·         Don’t spend your time precious and limited time in life with the negative, complaining people – but rather the happy, joyful people.

·         Don’t focus on what you didn’t like out of life – focus on what you did like.

When Jesus performed his miracle there was two kinds of people in the crowd.

·          Those who saw a miracle, those who witnessed one of the grand experiences of a lifetime… and

·         Those who saw the law broken those who witnessed something to complain about.

Same story, same scene, same healing, same miracle – different “take home” depending on each person and what they saw in life, what they wanted to see, what they believed in, what they wanted to believe in.

The point is pretty clear – we get to be the kind of person who either sees the miracles or responds in awe or we get to be the kind of person who misses it all – while we complain and grouse.

III.              The last lesson in the healing of the crippled woman for today is that if we are to be the kind of people who enjoy life, if we are to be the kind of people who enable miracles we have to do what is right in the eyes of God, not men and we have to connect with the other positive, happy, miracle workers in our life – and let go of the constant gripers, complainers and people who miss the glory of the sunrise because they saw a distant cloud in the horizon.

·          Jesus did what he thought God wanted – not what he thought the leaders of the synagogue wanted.

·         Jesus followed what was possible with God – not what was impossible with men.

·         Jesus performed miracles and left it to each person to decipher for themselves what they saw and what they wanted to see.

·         Jesus didn’t get side tracked or de-railed with the negative, griping, complaining, small minded Pharisees in the crowd.

·         The lesson is we can’t afford to surrender to the nay sayers in the crowd.

·         The lesson is we can’t afford to surrender to the negative within ourselves.

·         Don’t waste life’s precious and limited energy on worrying about all the people who want to see none of life’s miracles unfolding before them. 

·         Don’t turn in your miracle worker’s card because someone else wants to point out everything that is wrong.

·         The lesson – let God work through you with what is right and what is possible rather than let the devil hold you down and keep you out because of what someone will inevitably point out you did wrong.

Closing

1.       Decide on what kind of person you are and what kind of person you want to be in life – one who sees what is right and focuses on that or one who sees what is wrong and focuses on that.

2.       Either look for and see all the wonder, all the joy, all the wonder, all the miracles of life or miss them because you are paying attention to the something else or the lesser things or the wrong things.

3.      Don’t let the ones who are negative and always complaining, always looking for what went wrong mess you – go ahead and be the kind of person God wants you to be – a miracle worker who sees the needs of people and puts them first in life.

Sometimes, I get discouraged at how we have one of the happiest, most positive, wonderful churches anyone could ask to be a part of and some people act so ungrateful and so negative they just don’t get it.

Look at the average size of the average Disciple church in the Capital Area, look at their membership, look at the lack of any young people, any youth, any growing, life giving program, as they just barely hang on and then look at our church and how can you miss the point?  Yet, some do.

Look at the countless churches who can’t pay the bills, who can’t do miracles in people’s lives, who don’t have the ability to do all the wonderful outreach projects, offer all the Sunday School classes, have all the vibrant and happy worship services, and enjoy all the other ministries we have and tell me again how you see the wrong number of the hymn typed in the bulletin, or not as much growth as we would hope for, or whatever it is that you want to focus on. 

Don’t be one of the people who misses the wild flower blooming along the roadside because you were busy looking at all the pieces of trash that someone thoughtlessly threw out the window.

Don’t be one of the people who fails the see the beauty of the sunrise because you’re focused on how much you have to do during the coming day.

Don’t be one of the people who is always looking for everything they don’t like, for every little word mis-spelled, for every dot out of place or T that wasn’t crossed.

Don’t be one of the people who missed the message because you were busy noticing how the light bulbs were flickering or some other less important thing.

Don’t be one of the people who sees a miracle and complains because Jesus broke the Sabbath law.

Don’t miss the joy of today because you are focused on the things you don’t like.

            Don’t miss the beauty of the music because you think the singer was slightly of key.

                        Don’t miss the joy of worship because your heart was in the wrong place.

Just as the Lord healed the crippled woman because of her infirmity let him heal us of spiritual problems.

Blessings, life is too short to miss the miracles of life – it’s up to you.

Dedicated to Stan Musial and all of the great people who are in the cloud of witnesses in my life.

Hebrews 12:2

All of us were guided, shaped, influenced by a great cloud of witnesses, people from the past, many of whom may be gone but who played a major role in our lives.  Remembering them and thanking God for them is not only good for the soul but reminds to be among another great cloud of witnesses who are blessed to guide, help, shape and influence other’s lives.

Introduction…

• “Once dubbed baseball’s Perfect Knight, the greatest Cardinal of them all played his entire career with quiet brilliance and boundless goodwill.   Today the Man remains a vibrant, vital part of baseball in St. Louis and a model of grace for the game”.  (Sports Illustrated, August 2, 2010 p49)

As I was growing up Stan Musial was my favorite ballplayer.  Although I grew up in Senator’s territory and followed the Senators to a lesser degree, I was a huge fan of the St. Louis Cardinals.  My dad had grown up in southern Illinois and it was only natural that I followed him and a long standing Chance family tradition of being a died in the wool Cardinal fan. 

 As noted in the August issue of Sport’s  Illustrated, Stan Musial was not only one of the greatest players to ever play the game but he was as special a human being as they come.  In terms of baseball only Hank Aaron had more total bases than Musial.  Using Bill James’s formula only Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds created more runs.  He made the big leagues in 1941 at age 20.  He retired after 22 seasons with seven batting crowns.  He had a lifetime .331 average.  He signed autographs without fail and actually like the fans and related to them in ways young kids could only imagine today.  He loved people and was a humble man who made a huge impact on the game of baseball and in people’s lives.  He had un-dying grip on the hearts of all Cardinal fans.  “Stan Musial,” his teammate Bob Gibson says, “is the nicest man I ever met in baseball.”   He has lived a life of small kindnesses, quiet dignity and absolute professionalism.  His greatness was the bold stuff of action heroes of today but of constant, consistent, faithful presence in the lives of countless fans.

To my knowledge there has never been a best-selling biography of Stan Musial.  There has never been a movie about his life.  There are few legendary stories about him.  Recently, ESPN called him “perhaps the most underrated athlete ever”.  He wasn’t a showboat.  He took seriously being a role model in kid’s lives.  He played the game like he loved game – and he did love the game.  Once, after getting a big raise for a successful season he had a terrible season and he went to management and asked for and got a cut in salary – “I didn’t perform” he said.

Somewhere in the dusty boxes of my childhood memorabilia I still have the old AM radio I laid awake at night and listened to Cardinal ballgames; the one with the hole in the top of it, where I banged it with my hand so many times to get the reception to come in better.  One of my prized possessions is a Stan Musial autographed baseball that Amy gave to me much later in life. 

Stan Musial was not only one of the great ballplayers of all time but he played a huge role in being an inspiration and guide in my early life.  He inspired me, he showed me something of what it meant to be a man, he never knew me yet he was a role model in my young life. 

The Bible talks about a great cloud of witnesses who are always with us, always shaping us, always having a beautiful presence in our lives, even long after they are gone or we have moved on and are in a different place.

 ¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.   (Hebrews 12,1-2 NIV)

Theme:  All of us were guided, shaped, influenced by a great cloud of witnesses, people from the past, many of whom may be gone but who played a major role in our lives.  Remembering them and thanking God for them is not only good for the soul but reminds to be among another great cloud of witnesses who are blessed to guide, help, shape and influence other’s lives.

I.                    Remembering some of those who have meant so much to me in my own life.

·         Ewell  & Evelyn Arrasmith in the Bethel Church

On the last Sunday of July, 1968 I began my ministry in Christ.  I knew nothing about ministry; I knew little about the Bible, even less about the church and absolutely nothing about church politics.  At only a few weeks away from turning the ripe old age of 22 I suddenly became the minister of a small little rural church in far away Bethel, Kentucky.  I would begin graduate school in a month but and little by little begin to learn both the art and the science of ministry.  My seminary (LTS) would play an immensely important role in my spiritual and professional development but the wonderful people of the Bethel Christian Church would take an equally important role.  They took a young, green “minister to be” and helped guide, shape, lead and work with me until little by little I began understanding more and more of what it meant to be a minister in chaotic times of the late 60’s. 

Some of the men and lots of the ladies were patient, forgiving, always guiding, always helping, always standing up for me as I learned about what it meant to be a minister. 

Evelyn and Ewell Arrasmith were like grandparents, taking the young preacher and his wife under their wing.   I remember one time I had the wonderful idea of putting a flag pole in the front of the church yard, right there on Highway 11, where all the world would see that we were a faithful and patriotic church supporting our country.  It was at the height of the Vietnam War and I thought there could be nothing controversial about putting a flag pole up.  Boy, was I wrong.  After running into a storm of head shaking and resistance (little did I know that nothing was ever done without months and months and months of discussion) I was flustered and wondered if you can’t put up a flag pole how you could possibly do anything of real substance and change.  Did I say “change”?  How was I supposed to know that “change” and “Bethel” didn’t go in the same paragraph?  I’ll never forget going down to talk with Mr. Ewell  about it.  I sat down on the back steps of the beautiful old Arrasmith house on Wilson Avenue feeling dejected, frustrated, and angry.  By the time I got up and left to go back to the parsonage a patient and gentle old Kentucky farmer had schooled me on the art of change and the beauty of patience in achieving our goals.  We never did put up a flag pole.  After a few weeks of pondering it I decided it was such a great idea after all and the world went on just fine.

Ewell and Evelyn would become one of many of the great cloud of witnesses in my life.  Ewell’s gone now, I miss him a lot but yet he is always with me. 

·         Irene  and Herschal Thornsburg in Bethel, Johnny Fox in Augusta would later join this great cloud of witnesses who are always with me, always in my heart, always inspiring me, always helping to heal the hurts and sorrows of life, always teaching me about love and forgiveness and patience and joy.

·         In our own church the list of people in the great cloud of witnesses is immense.  Jean & Winnie Hockman , Virginia Hammes, Harriet Ashmore, Hal Rummel, Ralph Hockman to name just a few are among the people who have played an immense role in my life.  How fortunate I am to have known and shared the journey of life with these and lots of others who are always with me, always in my heart, continuing to inspire me and show me something of what I can and ought to be.

Of course, not all of the people who have helped shape my life and walked with me on this long, incredulous journey have come from within the church.  Johnny Wade was a stone mason and construction friend who lived across the street.  I’ll never forget his iconic wit, his ready smile and his love of life.  I can still get a tickle laughing at his goofy jokes, or smiling as I remember  at his not too shabby singing of country songs of the 50’s and his presence is ever with me.

Dan Watkins from the world of Scouting passed away a year and a half ago but I’ll love him and his irreverent, loud, sometimes outrageous persona.  Once, when I pointed out to Dan that some of his email (on NCAC official email programs no less) could leave him vulnerable to criticism for improper use of company email he bellowed, “The heck with em – if they don’t like my jokes just tell me and I’ll take them off my list”.

My first “boss” was a huge old Civil Engineer named Charlie Menard and I’ll never forget some of our sagas pre ministry days when I l was a junior grunt on the survey team with Charlie and Don and Norm.

·         Most of them (not all of them) are gone now.  A great cloud of witnesses indeed.  There are others; lots of others; too numerous to name them all. 

II.                 There are always people in all of our lives who influence us in good ways, who show us something of what can only be described as Christ like, of people who guide us, influence us, love us for who we are, aren’t trying to always remake us but always making it possible for us to be so much more.   Peter speaks of them as “that great cloud of witnesses”.

·         They are always with us – long after they are “gone” from this old world.

·         Who are they in they your life?

·         How did they influence you?

·         Think of them.  Remember them.  See them.  Hear their voices, see their faces.

·         Remember the place they occupied in your life, close your eyes, and think of them.  Then thank God for them.  You are blessed.

III.              More than just celebrating who the people are in our cloud of witnesses it’s important for us to remember that God calls each of us to be in the cloud for others.  He invites us to share deeply and personally in the lives of others.  He wants us to influence, shape, guide, inspire and, plays a role in the lives of others as well.

·         Seems funny that he chooses someone like us doesn’t it?  We’re not perfect.  We’re not even all that good.  Yet, it seemed funny to the people who were in the great cloud of witnesses in your life too.

·         God uses the unlikely, the “not most likely to be selected” by the committee choosing.

·         God invites all of us alike to play a role in the lives of others, each our own way.

·         God wants us to be in the great cloud of witnesses.  He will bless us when we answer his call.

·         Not in a “saintly” way or artificial way, not by being super religious or superficially churchey but by just being ourselves and letting Him work through us. 

·         It’s not like an acting role.  We can’t “read for the part” and then fill some kind of artificial role in the lives of others.  We simply have to be ourselves.  We can have a great role in the lives of others by simply living daily with them, by loving them, by inspiring them, by walking with them through the ups and downs of their daily lives.  Funny thing is, we become a part of the great cloud of witnesses by stepping outside of our own selfish needs, our own wants and simply entering the daily business of sharing life fully with one another.

·         God is calling every one of us to have a positive, helpful, encouraging, supportive place in the lives of those with whom we are honored to share life with today.

Closing…

As the years have passed I think more and more of the people, who have shaped me, guided me and loved me along the way.  Sometimes I feel more than a little embarrassed that I didn’t thank them properly and even let them know how much they meant to me.  Yet, I don’t get melancholy or self loathing about it because they weren’t playing a role to be recognized or applauded.  They were simply living their life, naturally and wonderfully intersecting with and leaving their presence with me as I led my life.

I’ve never met Stan Musial in person.  He wouldn’t know me if he were with us today.  He has no idea of how inspiring, how important, how significant he was to a young boy growing up 800 miles away who never even saw a Cardinals game in person until long after Stan was retired from the playing field.  I wonder  who is in the great cloud of witnesses for Stan?  His mother?  His father?  Aunts, uncles, other family?  I wonder.

So it often is…we never know whose life we have influenced, or who would think of us as being in their great cloud of witnesses.

Whenever I go back to Bethel and stand in the back of the sanctuary there is a feeling of awesome sacredness in my heart.  I stand and I remember.  I see and I smell.  Suddenly the room comes alive with my memories of who sat where, of what each person looked like and how they impacted my life.  The same could be said of here.  We stand on holy ground.  We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who though gone and some of whom are still very much with us cheer us on for what remains of the race that is not yet complete.

Both remember those who are in your own cloud of witnesses and renew your commitment to being ever present in the lives of those you are privileged to share life with today. 

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.   (Hebrews 12,1-2 NIV)

The Simple Pleasures of August

August is such a wonderful month.  Even in hectic, overstressed, busy Washington D.C. life slows down a little bit.  The searing heat requires us to slow up a bit.  People being gone on vacation means we can’t get hold of everyone, all the time, instantly.  Government takes a holiday too.  Life just seems to slow down, although I confess that vacations can be pretty hectic and stressful too.

August is a month of many cherished memories for me.  Growing up we rarely went on what we would call vacations like I do today but somehow we always found time to go somewhere for a long weekend or whatever.  Of course, with my birthday coming in August I have lots of memories of going to dinner and having a birthday celebration.  My folks did a pretty good job at trying to make everyone’s birthday a special day.  I have memories of playing baseball, in spite of the searing heat.  I get a good laugh out of remembering our old playground rule when it came to choosing teams.  “If you get Chico, we get the next two players”.  Chico was bigger and older than the rest of us and he was worth two of any of the other players.  August brings lots of fond memories for me, no doubt about it.  I hope it does for you too.

The other day on my way to the church I was reminded of something else special about August.  As I waited at an intersection I saw a patch of ground covered with Queen Anne’s Lace and Chicory.  The white and the blue flowers made a beautiful picture.  I just love the flowers of summer.  It’s a little soon yet for them to be in full bloom but soon the Joe Pye Weed will be in full flower and that’s another beautiful wild flower of the dog days of summer.

It’s a good time to slow down.  It’s a good time to be reminded of all the natural beauty that surrounds us.  The amazing thing about the Chicory and the Queen Anne’s Lace is that you can even see it growing in the most pavement covered inner city portions of the landscape.  It’s a good time to reflect on what truly matters in your life and what is most important to you.

Perhaps you’ve been too busy for church lately.  August is a good time to be un-busy and find your way back to God’s house.  Perhaps, you’ve been over stressed.  August is a good time to get “un-stressed” and come back home to church.  Perhaps you’ve been running too hard.  August is a good time to slow down, sit a spell and enjoy the beauty of the day.

Blessings,and we look forward to seeing you at God’s house – this coming Sunday, 10:00 a.m.

Conversation with a Neighbor

On my way to the office one day this week I saw a neighbor walking with his wife. I stopped to say “hello” and our conversation got around to church. He shared some concerns he had about his church and I said to him that the problems he was describing were common, much the same everywhere and similar to ones that we face. My neighbor’s church is a United Methodist congregation and all of the so called “Mainline Churches” are facing the same issues. If there is one thing I have learned in over 40 years of being a pastor it is that most the issues we face are “global” or “cultural”, external to what we do or don’t do within our own congregation. Cultural forces are at play.

My neighbor mentioned attendance was down below a 100 and he could remember back in the 1960’s when they were setting up chairs in the aisle with great expectations of growing. The growth went backwards. Unlike our congregation they are smaller, much smaller than they were in the past and unlike our congregation they face a huge mortgage each month putting lots of pressure on them with finances.

During the conversation there were several common experiences that I want to share. One of the issues we shared in common is that attendance is a problem exasperated by sports clubs and youth teams now scheduling events, games and leagues on Sunday morning. It seems like parents increasingly make the value choice that basketball games or soccer practices or football games or swim club or whatever the current sport of the season is takes precedence over church. I’m reminded of the time when our then eight year old daughter Beth was in a select Cross Country program and had lots of meets on Sunday morning. I asked her if she knew what that meant and she said “yeah, I’m going to be missing a lot of church”. I told her “no, it meant she was going to miss a lot of meets”. I can’t make the choice for our parents but if sports takes precedence over church I think we cheat our children out of the best for something of much less value. It’s a poor bargain when we give our kids sports over faith, teaching them value choices they will make the rest of their lives. And this is coming from someone who loves sports, has participated in sports all his life and found much to love in sports. But, when all is said and done, I know what it means when sports comes into conflict with church – it means my children are going to be in church.

What’s your choice? It’s your call; but, just remember - It’s your children’s hearts and souls.

When It Rains It Pours

Three straight days of nothing but rain and suddenly the flat roof of the church started leaking like a sieve.  A whole deluge of problems suddenly emerged.  The flat portion of the church roof has long outlasted its life expectancy and we were already in the process of raising the funds to pay for a new roof and securing bids for the work when the whole process escalated with the week’s events.  The roof reached its end quickly.  From one or two leaks that were springing up occasionally to suddenly dozens of them,  life went south in a hurry.  Ceiling tiles were being saturated and crumbling all over the floor.  Drops of water on the copier and on the computers, phones and other sensitive electronic systems were bad news waiting to happen.  Decisions had to be made quickly, bids finalized and a contract signed to replace the roof.  Several thoughts come to mind about the whole mess.

First, when stuff happens people step up and do what they have to do to recover.  Joel Owen, Mary Chance, Chad McCabe and Roberto Lopez came over on dime’s notice and climbed up on the roof to put down an emergency plastic covering.   We are all thankful to have people in our lives who will respond when calls for help come their way.  Knowing that we have people to help us when the rainstorms come into or lives is a gift from God.

Secondly, it’s never as bad as it seems.  When the rain was coming down in droves and leaks were popping through all over the office area and all I wanted to do was eat my lunch and get my work done life was feeling terrible.  When my back was hurting and I was grousing about being up on the roof of the church and the rain was miserable I was feeling pretty disgusted.  Today, it’s a better day.  Today the sun is shining, a contract is signed, the letter borrowing the money has gone out and we’re getting ready to invite people to pay for the roof and  it feels like a new day.  It’s never as bad as it sometimes seems in life.  No matter what the problem there is always a new tomorrow, always someone to help us through the crisis and we are never far from God’s love and care.   It’s worth remembering that when the rain is coming down that the sun is always going to shine again. 

There are other lessons, lots of them but the last one I’ll mention is how people serve as role models, inspirers, examples to one another.  I didn’t’ want to go up on the roof but Joel was my example.  I couldn’t leave him up there by himself to deal with the problem.  I had to go up and join him.  Chad offered to help and he went up as well.  He too was a great example.  When Mary arrived and insisted on climbing up there too I knew the examples being set left me little choice.  Roberto came at the last minute on no notice.  We are examples to one another.  Others see our commitment or lack of it and respond accordingly.  What kind of example do you think you are?

Now, we will be asking you to be rays of sunshine as we try to come out from under the umbrella and pay for this new roof.  And, we hope that you will be the right kind of example in your responses for support in the future; not just for paying for the roof but for all the ministries, all the missions, all the care and attention the church needs to be faithful to its call.  See you on the roof!

The Church and Facebook 

Facebook is the rapidly expanding and ever popular social networking site.  You can do a lot of cool things on Facebook but the main thing is an activity called “friending” people.  It’s easy to find people on the site that you knew growing up or long ago from the many different parts of your life. 

Of course younger people gravitate to it much more than older people.  When you find someone you know you can send a request to be “friends” with them.  They then get the opportunity to either “confirm” or “ignore” your request.  I’ve always felt a little hoity or something ignoring a “friend request” so rarely do so.  I ignored a friend request today because it was from a little baby and I didn’t even know the baby.  Strange things can happen on Facebook.  I was amused or maybe chagrined to learn that you can “un-friend” someone as well.  They don’t know, at least not directly that they were un-friended.  You simply delete them from your friends list and you are removed from theirs as well.  It doesn’t take any mutual action to be un-friended.  I guess we un-friend people in real life too, only it requires some overt action and more mutual interaction to un-friend someone.

I mention all this because I’d like to suggest that the church is like Facebook - only it’s the real thing.  People are hungry for relationship.  Facebook is a site that supposedly offers relationship and connection but what it offers isn’t the same as real relationships.  It’s a substitute.  It can present the illusion of relationship or caring but not the real thing.  I’ve had people friend me on Facebook and never contact me again and I wondered why they wanted to be my friend. 

People are always looking for connections.  We need to connect however with real people and find real relationships.  The church is a great place to connect; both with real people and with God.  The church is a great place to find and to build on the kind of relationships that help us to be better people ourselves.  The church is like Facebook - only in depth.

Connecting with people at deep and significant levels can be joyful, troubling, good, bad, happy and sad but always real.  Connecting with people can be messy, complicated, and often our relationships take surprising turns, but again it’s real and when we connect through the spiritual dimension and with God at the center it is always better than on Facebook.  It requires more in the church.  It calls for more from me.  It takes more out of my heart.  But, then it always means more, lasts more, accomplishes more and yes, I’d just have to say - “like Facebook - only it’s the real thing!”  See you in church Sunday.

Let Her Be…

John 12:1-8

D. Robert Chance

The story of the extraordinary encounter between Mary and Jesus in which Mary pours expensive perfume on Jesus and is then reprimanded by one of Jesus’ disciples reminds us to accept people’s gifts as they are intended and to be more gracious and less judgmental in our attitudes toward one another.

John 12

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

 ¹Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ²Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³Then Mary took about a pint^[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

 ⁴But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.^[b]” ⁶He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

 ⁷“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

 ⁹Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

Introduction…

There are many scholars who believe that certain parts of John’s gospel have become displaced and that some of the chapters and verses are out of order.  There are some who suspect something is amiss in this chapter. 

By the point of Jesus’ life we are in the scripture today it was coming very near to the end of his ministry for Jesus.  The very fact that he had come to Jerusalem for the Passover was an act of great courage, for the authorities had made him into an outlaw and would use his coming to their own means.  So great were the crows that came to the Passover that they could not all obtain lodging within the city of Jerusalem?  Bethany was a small village just outside the boundaries of the city and people who couldn’t get or couldn’t afford room in the city of Jerusalem itself often found room in Bethany.  Jesus was staying in Bethany.

When Jesus came to Bethany they made him a feast.  It must have been in the house of Martha and Mary and Lazarus.  It was certain that Mary’s heart was filled with love for Jesus.  She had a pound of very precious ointment.  Both John and Mark describe the oil by the adjective pistikos (Mark 3:3) No one seems to know what the word means.  It may mean “genuine” or it may mean “liquid”, or it may have been a trade name.  It may have something to do with having been made from the pistachio nut.  In any event it was a very special and very valuable.  It wasn’t the kind of perfume that could be purchased at the department store. 

With this expensive and valuable perfume Mary anointed Jesus’ feet. As extravagant and out of place for Jesus and his disciples to have been, it was a simple act of love.

It was an impulsive thing to do.  Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus were good friends of Jesus.  They knew him well and they were honored and delighted to have him staying with them.  The oil was highly valued and could have been sold for enough money to feed a great many hungry people.

Judas mad that point.  Jesus scolded Judas for his negative reaction and he complimented Mary and expressed gratitude to her for her action.

In Luke it is Mary’s sister, Martha who scolds Mary and it is Martha whom Jesus scolds.  The story is told in all four Gospels.  To be sure there are differences in the accounts in each of the four Gospels but those differences don’t matter - the point is always the same.

Something happened when a woman, Mary, in John’s version poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet.  Something so important happened that all four of the Gospel writers chose to include the story in their Gospels.

What was that something?

Why was it so important?

What is the point in our discipleship that the Gospel writers want us to grasp?

I   First, some things never change.  There are always those who are critical and carping of what we do.  There is always someone to be judgmental and critical of what others do.

There is always some to criticize what we try to do. 

There is always someone to second guess our motivations. 

There is always someone to look for the rain in a sunny day. 

There is always someone who knows better. 

There is always someone to take issue with us.

 There is always someone who has something to say. 

There is always someone to make lemonade out of cherry soda.

 There is always someone raining on the parade - no matter how grand and glorious the parade was.

I’ve experienced myself, I’m sure you have to.

I remember times over the years when I genuinely and sincerely tried to do something for the good of the church or the good of the Lord or because I thought it was the right thing to do only to have received in the worse possible light and to be criticized by someone or some group.  The examples are endless.  I best stay away from remembering them lest I get all discouraged and down trodden again.

There are always people to see the worst in our actions.  There are always people to see the bad in our attempts at good.  There are always people waiting in ambush for us to say the wrong thing, or to misspell something.  I remember a dear friend who became an un-merciful critic of my spelling.  The funny thing is that person had their own misspellings.  The sad thing is I always wanted to say “but did you get the point I was trying to make?” 

I remember one time when Hal Rummel who loved children and was so good with the children told a story in Sunday School.  The story was told pure Hal, which is to say it was freewheeling, fun, and full of fact and fiction freely inter-mixed.  The children were enthralled.  I loved seeing the smiles on their faces, especially two little girls that went by the name of Amy and Beth.  After the program I heard someone criticizing Hal because his English was bad.  I thought “give me a break”.  Yes, he his English was less than perfect but the real point was the children were touched. 

I think one of the sad commentaries of being a minister is that all ministers learn quickly that there is always someone to criticize your every thought, your every action, your every phrase, your spelling, your looks, your spirit, your children, the choice of ties you wear.  What does it say about we the church, about people of faith that we learn quickly to be on guard when dealing with others in the church?

More importantly than recognizing there are always those who criticize and judge and carp and complain and see the worst in everything we need to know that there is something of that in us as well.  It’s far more damning to know those tendencies within ourselves than it is to see them in other people.  As Pogo used to say (if you are too young to know who Pogo is ask someone older) “we have met the enemy and he is we”.  We always to face the danger of being too much like Judas and not enough like Mary.

Mary had used, OK, let’s be honest, “wasted” expensive perfume.  Yes, the money could have been better spent on the poor.  But in being ungracious and unkind and mean spirited Judas and Martha had committed a worse sin.

II. We are not to be like Judas in our attitudes, our response to one another, our behavior.

•  We each have to resist the urge to focus on the wrong things in other people and miss the right things, the good things, and the more important things.
• We all have avoid being so much like Judas that he looks like our twin brother.
• We all have to resist the urge to judge.
• We all have to resist the urge to criticize.
• We all have to resist the urge to see the worst in others.
• We all have to leave the carping, the backbiting, and the small mindedness at home.

It’s not easy, never has been.

There seems to be something in our DNA that wants to judge others by our standards.  There seems to be an in-built call to criticism and hardness of heart. 

Do you know what bothers me about this story?  It’s that I could easily have been the Judas in it. 

Do you know what bothers me about someone focusing on Hal’s grammar?  It’s that the same thought occurred to me.

To be as Jesus wants me to be.  To be as Jesus wants you to be is to recognize the danger of being critical and harsh and ungracious within our own hearts and to do our very best not to be so.

In a positive way the point of this story isn’t just about what we aren’t to be but more importantly about what we are to be.

III.  Jesus responded by showing Mary the kindness and the graciousness of accepting her act as it was intended and so doing we see how we are to respond to one another and treat one another - with graciousness and kindness, rather than criticism and negativism.

•  We are to give one another the benefit of the doubt when things are said and take them as kindly and graciously as possible.
• We are to accept one another’s gifts as they were intended even the good intentions didn’t quite work out as planned.
• We are to be more loving to one another rather than judge one another.
• We are to look for the good in one another and in situations rather than the bad.
• We are to forgive rather than to hold on to grudges.

The expensive oil was highly valued and could have been sold for enough money to feed a great many hungry people.  Judas made that point.  Martha judged her sister in the same way.  But Mary’s act was an act that was wildly exuberant.  Jesus understood that.  He scolded Judas and Martha for their negative, judgmental reactions and compliments Mary and expressed his gratitude to her.

Had Mary asked Jesus first he might well have suggested Judas’ preference but he took her act as she intended it.  He respected Mary.  To have criticized her or rejected her act of kindness would have deflated her completely and embarrassed her. 

Does this story tell you something about how Jesus wants us to act?

Does this tell you something about how Jesus wants us to treat one another?

Sure it does.  Jesus wants us to treat one another with respect and kindness and accept one another’s gifts as they were intended.

There is a bit of Judas in all of us.  We all have a tendency to be judgmental and critical.  We all have a “criticism” gene or two or three in us.  In following Jesus part of the call is to transform ourselves to be more like Mary and less like Judas ourselves.  Being a Christian is meant to be a transforming process.  Little by little, day by day we hope to become more like Mary and less like Judas.  It’s a long journey.

Closing…

This is the call of the Gospel lesson for today.  This is what Jesus wants us to see.

Be kinder.

Be more accepting.

Be more forgiving.

Be more loving.

Be more compassionate.

With God’s help and most certainly his blessing may we each strive to treat one another and receive one another’s gifts and spirit as Jesus received Mary’s act of pouring out her expensive perfume on him. 

It’s not about what could or couldn’t be used for the poor.

 It’s not about whether the poor will always be with us or not. 

It’s about being rich and extravagant in our spirit rather than poor and cheap.

It’s about how we treat one another.

It’s about transforming the way we see one another and becoming disciples of Christ.

 ⁷“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Luke 19:28-40

Dr. Robert Chance

Palm Sunday, 2010

Theme:  Discovering and Re-discovering over and over the sheer joy of Palm Sunday helps to remind us to be joyful, enthusiastic and happy in our faith.

Introduction…

I have fond memories of my dad and mom taking my brother Steve and me downtown to parades when we were very little.  The memories are very dim but they still seem to register bright in my heart.

All I remember is that my dad worked at the time as a young lawyer to be for an outfit called Lawyer’s Title.  He worked in an office “downtown”.  Not sure what “downtown” was or where the office was located in “downtown” but wherever it was it had to have a view of one of the main avenues in the heart of Washington D.C.  We would go up to a high office and watch the parade from the windows.  Sometimes, we didn’t go to the offices at all but stood along Pennsylvania Avenue or Constitution Avenue and watch up close as a parade went by.

Funny thing about all this is I have no idea what so ever of what the parades were for or who was in them or what was in them.  What I remember is the sense of joy, the feeling of joy, the excitement of being there and of taking part in something so big and so exciting and by definition so important that I was happy, sheer happy to be there.  Watching a parade on television can hardly do the experience justice.  The important thing to note is the absolute sheer joy I remember from these trips to the parade.  I was little.  I have no idea of what the parades were about, they were 55 or more years ago, yet the feeling of joy and happiness remains in my heart.

First:   The Bible tells us that when Jesus entered Jerusalem and a parade broke out. 

The road from Galilee to Jerusalem goes from the shores of the Sea of Galilee, through Jericho, along the Jordan River, through the hot and arid desert and eventually starts to winds up from the valley floor not far from the Dead Sea to the peaks of Jerusalem.  One of the last little villages Jesus went through, before reaching Jerusalem was called Bethpage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives.  As he got closer to Jerusalem Jesus send two of disciples ahead of him telling them they would find a colt tied which no one had ever ridden.  They were told to untie the colt and bring for Jesus to ride the remainder of the journey on.  If the owners of the colt were to ask them what they were doing they were to tell him that “The Lord needs it.”

They did as they were told and upon returning to Jesus they threw their coats on the back of the colt and put Jesus on the colt.  As they rode into Jerusalem people began spreading their coats along the road.  When Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully praising God in loud voices and shouting “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord, Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

The people were expecting something different and they didn’t really understand who Jesus was and the kind of king he was but none the less they were joyful.  They were happy.  They were excited to be part of the day.

I can only imagine what little boys and little girls must have seen, what they heard, what they smelled and who they internalized it all.  Like I remember from my own experiences of going to parades the people and especially the children it must have been a wonderful day, a day full of excitement and meaning, and a day of great joy!

Second:    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had that same sense of joy and celebration and excitement not only here today but throughout our experience of the joy of being a Christian and being in church?

·         That’s what we are trying to re-create here today.  

A lot of work and a lot of effort have gone into making our day joyful, special, and wonderful. 

We work hard at re-creating that sense of a grand and glorious celebration, a parade of note. 

We want the children to remember this day.  We want to implant in their hearts the joy and happiness of being in church and of being a part of something grand and important.

·          Sometimes I get the feeling people come to church because they have to. 

Sometimes I get the feeling being in church is like being in the penalty box in Hockey – it’s a place we are sent to time out and cool our jets, to get over something wrong we’ve done in the game of life.

Sometimes I get the feeling of drudgery and duty and obligation from people more than joy and happiness and celebration.

·          Yet, being in church and being a Christian is meant to be joyful.  It’s meant to be happy. It’s meant to bring a smile to our face, a dance to our feet and a joy of joy to our hearts.

Being a follower of Jesus is a happy and joyful thing.

Being a follower of Jesus is meant to bring happiness and thrill and joy to our lives.

Being in church to worship and to celebrate is meant to be a joyful and happy time for us.

·          We aren’t here because we “have to be here”.

We aren’t here because of duty – although there is an element of duty to all we do.

·          We are here because we “get to be”.

We are here because we want to be.

We are here because it bring great joy and hope and meaning to our daily lives.

·          Today reminds me that I wish that we would all rediscover the …

o   The sense of joy of being in church.

o   The sense of happiness of being a disciple of Jesus.

o   A smile upon our face and a shout of joy from our voices.

Third:   The difference would be immense if we could rediscover something of the joy and celebration in our faith.

·          If we had more joy and happiness in our faith more people would be drawn to want some of it. 

·         If we had more joy and happiness in our faith being in church would be a happy and joyful experience and we would get more out of it because we would be more open.

·         If we had more joy and happiness in our faith we would make a bigger difference in the world around us and especially in the lives of those closest to us.

·         If we had more joy and happiness in our faith we would by definition bring more joy and happiness to a world of people who are …

o   Hurting,

o   Lonely,

o   Sad,

o   Left out,

o   Looking for something deeper and more important than all the fluff in their lives to attach themselves to.

·          If we had more joy and faith in our lives we would come to every Sunday with a sense of excitement, a sense of expectation that something good was going to happen to us and by golly it would happen – because we were ready for it to happen.

There is so much unjoy out there in the world.

There is so much unhappiness out there in the world.

There is so much grief and sadness.

The joy of the Lord is the antidote that overcomes all the unhappiness in the world.

The joy of the Lord is what so many are looking for it but don’t know how to find it, don’t know how to keep it, don’t know how to integrate it into their hearts and souls.

The joy of the Lord is my strength,

The joy of the Lord is my strength,

The joy of the Lord is my strength,

The joy of the Lord!

Closing…

All week long I kept trying to think of something new to say this year.

All week long I kept hunting for some new insight, some new point to make, and some new way to get people to respond.

Then it hit me.  I was riding on the metro and while half asleep and half awake and fully exhausted a little boy sitting the seat across the aisle let out a wild and wooly whoop.  WHOOP!

Of course his mother sat on him like a lightning bolt striking the ground.  A few people looked around at the boy and let their stern faces express their displeasure.  This little guy, with all the wild enthusiasm and energy of a four year old had just expressed pure, unbounded, unbridled, wild joy.  Riding in the Metro was exciting for him.  As others grimaced I smiled, felt my heart fill with joy and I said to the mother, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all enjoy the ride so much?”  I’m sad to say she didn’t understand English very well and I think she thought I was criticizing her.  But I reassured her with a smile that I thought it was all pretty cool.

That’s the moment I remembered all the joy and happiness I used to feel going to parades when I was the little guy.  My heart was flooded with warm and joyful memories of time spent with my mom and dad and brother Steve.  It was a great moment for me. 

I realized I had my Palm Sunday Sermon.  I realized something I had overlooked all these years of Palm Sunday – the sheer joy of the day and the importance of remembering to be joyful in my own life.

Yes… that’s it.  Let me say one more time.  That little boy was filled with pure, unbounded, unbridled joy that brought a “whoop” to his voice.  Wouldn’t it be something if we could rediscover and bring that same sense of pure, unbounded, unbridled joy to our lives as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and as church members today?  And not just today, but every day, every place we go, everywhere of our lives. 

What a difference it would make. 

What a joy life would be.

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord”…

            To bring joy and happiness to our lives which we in turn can bring to everyone else on the train with us1