FOUNDATION TALK

      Even as a child, I remember being intrigued by the parable Jesus tells at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. In his sermon, Jesus tells about two ways and two endings to human life as represented by two gates in verses 13, 14 of Matthew 7, and the two fruits in verses 15-20. Jesus concludes his sermon by speaking of the two foundations constructed by the two builders. One of those builders was wise and other, Jesus says, was foolish.

      Now, what stands out in my mind in this story is the fact that both houses received the same violent forces from nature. The high floods, the strong winds, and the movement of the earth around each house were the same for both. The difference between standing in the face of diversity and pressure from situations and falling down and being swept away, is the design and location of the foundations. 

      We all know how important foundations are when building houses, large buildings, dams, and bridges. Those structures must be firmly placed on bedrock in order to stand the forces of nature and the process of ageing.

      From this point, we can easily make an analogy of the necessity of early moral and spiritual rock-solid foundations in the lives of our children and grandchildren. However, many times those foundations are missing in our own lives. Perhaps, we realize that those foundations have not been cared for, and are in need of repair. Maybe, at some point, the foundations of our lives need to be reinforced or rebuilt. 

      Joanna Weaver, in her book, “Having a Mary Spirit, Allowing God to Change Us From the Inside Out,” has some important suggestions for building up weak foundations. Weaver says, “First of all, invite the Inspector. Give God permission to take you on a tour of your life. Let him look in all the rooms of your home. Unlock them all. He can give you wholeness if you give him control.”

      The next step is to shore up the foundation by establishing and maintaining a strong relationship with Jesus. This is critical, and according to Jesus, a step that cannot be skipped.

      With God’s help, “reinforce your structure by investing in the primary relationships of your life. Good marriages do not just happen: they are built. Strong friendships take time, and growing godly children requires wisdom.” We must work at life with Christ at the center.

      Weaver suggests that we have flexibility in our lives, bending and giving on non-essentials, while standing firm on the essentials of our faith. Do not ignore the warnings and dangers signs that may signal “destructive thoughts, new temptations, or disintegrating relationships.” These are God’s way of warning us of an earthquake.

     “It really isn’t a matter of if you’ll have an earthquake, but when. Christ, the Rock, will absorb the shock, and though you may sway, don’t be afraid. God will help you stand.”

      Let us claim Psalm 46:1-2 as our “foundation” promise.

Rev. Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 15, 2013

FROM GOD OR FROM ME?

     Have you ever wondered whether that wonderful idea, or maybe an answer to a decision you have struggled to make, or even an unfulfilled vision is from God, or maybe just a desire you have to make something happen? We all may at different times, even after deciding a particular path to take, second-guessed our decision by thinking, “Is this really God’s will, or is this mine?”

      If we are seeking to understand and practice the gift of discernment, maybe we can examine what Ruth Haley Barton calls “the building blocks of sound discernment practice.” In her book, “Pursuing God’s Will Together,” Barton begins by defining spiritual discernment as, “a process that takes place through the Trinity.” We must have the basic belief that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so that we can understand the teachings of Jesus and the deeper things of God, while we sort out his will for our journey. 

      The second building block, according to Barton, is the desire to respond to Christ through Jesus’ spirit. This means we move beyond intellectual reasoning and human effort to a dependency on spiritual intervention in our decision-making. “We begin to rely on the Spirit to help us learn to distinguish between willingly asserting our own wishes, to willingly surrendering to God’s desires.” 

      We also must believe deeply in the goodness of God, so deeply that we can “trust God with the things that are most important to us.” This building block allows us to hold the things we love the most, loosely, in an open hand that is outstretched to God. We must practice the belief that we say we have, that God is good; that what he says in Jeremiah 29:11 is true in the deepest part of our soul. “I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for your harm.”

      Another basic building block for the practice of discernment Barton says “is the conviction that love is our ultimate calling—love for God, love for self, love for others, and love for the world. We know that this, for sure, is the will of God.” As we seek to know God’s will, it is important to keep what love requires in front of us and foremost in our thinking.

      And finally, when God’s will is revealed to us, we must be committed to carrying out that will. This may be the most difficult step to take in the discernment process. However, Jesus says in Matthew 12:50 that if we do his will, we join his family becoming his brothers and sisters.

      Why is discernment so important to a disciple of Jesus? When we seek and obey God’s will, we are forming an intimate relationship with Jesus. We are providing the Holy Spirit a channel to work grace and transformation in us and through us into a world that is desperate for hope and a new beginning. When our will becomes God’s will, God begins to shape us into the disciples and the church he intended from the very beginning.

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 8, 2013   

A NEW SPIRIT

      We might describe the beginning stage of a person’s development as a disciple of Jesus, as that person’s basic belief in God as creator and sustainer of all life, including his or her own. This stage could be called the “getting acquainted” step in a growing relationship. In the next stage, we begin to become “friends” with Jesus by learning about him, accepting him as our Savior, and following him as the ultimate example for a changed life. At this stage, many of us want to stop, confident that we have “arrived” at the place that God wants us to live out the salvation story.

      However, Jesus speaks of another stage in our spiritual growth and continued relationship with him. This step involves another Person of the Trinity, the Spirit of Jesus, and leads to becoming “intimate friends” with Jesus. Jesus said in his farewell conversation with his disciples, and us, in John 14:16-17 that he would give us his spirit, the spirit of truth. That spirit would live in us and transform us into who we really should be as a disciple of Christ.

      In order for the spirit of Jesus to live and manifest himself in our lives, our old spirit must leave. We find the disciples struggling with this repeatedly as they followed Jesus during his ministry. They could not seem to give up their old selfish spirits so that Jesus’ spirit could control their thoughts and actions.

      One example, found in Luke 9, particularly stands out as a demonstration of the disciples’ self-absorbing spirit. We find that the people in a Samaritan village had rejected Jesus and the disciples. So at this point, James and John angrily wanted to call down fire to destroy the people. But Jesus said patiently, “Just look at your spirit. I didn’t come to destroy people, but to save them.”

      I hear this story and wonder, what kind of spirit do I exhibit toward others and toward God? Do my old selfish behaviors and attitudes push aside the Christ-like spirit of love, patience, and compassion? I find myself asking, “Just look at yourself, what kind of spirit was that?”  When we are living carnally, or in the “flesh,” the spirit we show does not come from Jesus, but is what 1Corinthians 2:12 speaks of as the “spirit of the world.” This is certainly not the spirit that an “intimate friend” of Jesus would have.

      So we cry out like David did in Psalm 51, “Create in me a new heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” We realize that we cannot change the old spirit ourselves, instead, we must invite the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and transform, truly change our way of living. We can be saved, not only from our sins, but from ourselves and the old spirit that keeps us bound up. We can be delivered from our lousy attitudes, our me-first thinking, and even our stubborn self-deception. We cannot do this work on our own, but God can transform us as he did the disciples at Pentecost, by filling us with Himself.

      When Jesus breathed on the disciples in John 20:22 and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he invited them and us to a personal Pentecost. That invitation, if accepted, will lead to a new spirit, a new life, and holy living.

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 1, 2013           

HUNGER AND THIRST-DIVINE DISCONTENTS

      There are very few of us who have actually felt the deep, gnawing pangs and the dry, stomach-wrenching desire of real hunger and thirst. Prisoners of war, those lost at sea and the unforgiving wilderness, and the ones around the world who go to sleep each night without nourishment, day after day, can tell us about the realities of hunger and thirst. We may have missed a meal, or worked too long on a hot day without a drink, feeling the slight effects of deprivation, but even at that, only a short-lived taste of what it means to be really hungry and thirsty.

      Scripture speaks to us about spiritual hunger and thirst. I believe that at the very moment of creation, God placed within the heart and soul of human beings an insatiable desire to know him intimately and to imitate him absolutely. We find that even the presence of sin and the separation from God that sin brings, does not quench our hunger and thirst for restoration into the person God intends for us to be. There is a drawing toward God, even if we cannot identify the source, as God.

      Perhaps, this gift of the desire to know God more fully is the greatest gift that God could have given us. It is a divine gift of grace that allows us to see our need for forgiveness and a changed life. It is God’s intention that the longing for intimacy with him should intensify the longer we walk with him. The more we have of God, the more we want.

      The writers of the psalms are very clear as to the direction in which our desires should be focused. Psalm 84:2 tells us, “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” And yet another Psalm 119:145 makes this plea to God, “I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O Lord.” Jesus, in Matthew 5:6, even pronounces a blessing on those who hunger and thirst after God’s righteousness.

      This desire for the presence of God, his life changing holiness of daily living, is not limited only to personal experience. God can give us a desire to look around our churches, families, workplaces, schools, and communities for those who need the bread of life and living water. The needs are great, the harvest is ready, yet, so many times the workers are few.

      Too many times, we are content to feed our own souls, sit comfortably in our pews, with only an occasional thought about the spiritual condition of our brothers and sisters within and outside the walls of our churches. It may be time that we ask God to make us uncomfortable, to show us the places in our communities that cause him discontent, and to give us a vision to make things right in a world that has gone so wrong. Maybe we should ask God to identify to us the things that cause him “divine discontent” so that we can share those things with him.

      Are we hungering and thirsting after personal righteousness? And have we turned our attention to the hunger and thirst that others may have? Are there concerns in our community that cause us “divine discontent,” things we can help change? Let us cry out with all our heart to the living God.

Rev Tim McConnell Long’s Chapel UMC August 25, 2013

 

OUR YES AND GOD’S YES

      There is a story from the Old Testament that will point to our belief that God is a healer and forgiver who wants his people to be restored in his image. In the book of Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 we find the story of a letter written by the prophet Jeremiah to the exiled Jews in Babylon.

      Jeremiah’s letter reminds them that their captivity would last for seventy years. They were there for the long haul. They were to make the best of it. Yet, God gives them hope, and while they are in exile, they are to pray for the ones who have enslaved them. The exile of the Jewish people will be a test of their faith and an affirmation that even in such unfavorable conditions, God will not forget them. The story can be divided into two parts; the Jewish exile into Babylon, and God’s desire to bring them back to the Promised Land; forgiving and healing, and the promise of restoration.

      Now we can lay the Jeremiah story beside another story found in Luke 17. Jesus physically heals ten lepers. As soon as they were healed, they left Jesus, their leprosy gone. That is the first part of the story. However, we find that one of the lepers, a Gentile outsider, returned to give thanks and worship Jesus. That is the second part of the story. The one who returned received something even more powerful than physical healing. He received a second blessing---the gift of salvation, because of his faith in the one who had healed him and his gratitude for new life. Again, we see God busy healing forgiving, and restoring.

     Maybe the lesson from the two stories is that Jesus is a healer. He healed the Jewish people from their sin and brought them to a safe place, even if it was Babylon. Jesus also healed the lepers from their disease, which is a symbol of their outward sins. But Jesus is more than a healer, he is also Lord of our lives, Master, Teacher, and Sanctifier. So in our first story God says to the Jewish people, “I have forgiven your past sins. I have healed your souls and have given you an opportunity for a new life. The second part is up to you. Even though you are in a dark place in your life, you can be an example even to those who oppose you. You can grow spiritually, you can be a witness for me in your persecution, and you can strengthen your faith and trust in me by praying for those who are in opposition to you. I will bring you back, a changed people.”

      Can you hear God saying the same words to us today? “You are forgiven, healed from your past. Now I have much bigger things for you to do, and I want to turn you into men, women, boys, and girls whom you never thought you could be. I want you to grow spiritually, and in spite of your dark valleys, I will lead you to a holy life, a completely changed person. I will give you boldness and passion to be my witnesses”

           And then, there is the second story—the story about the ten healed lepers. Can we find ourselves somewhere? Jesus is saying to them and to us, “I forgive you and heal you from the things you have done—those selfish things which separated you from me, but I want to do much more. I want you to come back to me and ask for healing and cleansing from inside sin. I want you to worship me and give yourselves to me as the one Gentile did. I do not want you to be satisfied with just part of your salvation. There is more, much more and I want you to have full salvation.”

      Jesus has said a big “yes” to our forgiveness and healing. He has said a big “yes” to his willingness to change us into holy, completely surrendered people. In so many ways, Jesus has said “yes” to us. He is waiting for us to say “yes,” our “yes”to his eternal “yes.”

 Rev. Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, August 11, 2013

THE KEEPER OF THE SPRING

      I recently read a story told by Peter Marshall and adapted by Joanna Weaver in her book, Having a Mary Spirit.

      High in the Austrian Alps, surrounded by beautiful forests and alpine peaks, a quaint little village lay. It was the perfect place for tourists to get away from the city life. In the middle of this town was a crystal-clear pond created by a stream coming down from the mountains, a stream fed by an ever-flowing spring of pure water. The town with its pristine pond seemed to be paradise to those who lived and visited.

      One day the town, while reviewing the budget, decided to cut the position of the Keeper of the Spring. They reasoned that this might be an area where money could be saved. Besides, no one was really sure what the job description of the Keeper of the Spring involved. So the old man, who cleaned the spring, was no longer needed.   

      After a month or so, the pond was not quite as clear as before, but no one really paid attention. But by the following spring, the ducks and geese did not return and some folks began to comment about the yellowish-green tint to the water. Tourists, who had crowded each summer into the town, stayed away.

      Finally, one day a group of curious townsfolk hiked up to the spring high in the mountains. They found the spring clogged with leaves and debris. Rocks and forest litter had fallen into in the once clear water, turning the pure water of the life-giving spring into a dead mud hole. It was at this point that everyone agreed that no one is as important as the Keeper of the Spring.

      We all know how important pure water is to the quality of life and life itself. We have read that thousands of people, especially children, die in places around the world every few months from the lack of good clean water. Our grandson, John Howard, seems to like drinking “wa wa” more than any other liquid. Water is required by every cell in our bodies, making it essential for us to exist. There is no substitute for water.

      Jesus knew this as he taught and demonstrated the thirst-quenching qualities of water. We have the example of water baptism, the outward symbol of the washing of the sin from our lives.

      Jesus also used natural water to symbolize the spiritual water that he could give each of us to satisfy the thirst for wholeness and healing. When the priest poured out the water during the Feast of Tabernacles, John 7:37 tells us that Jesus cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me…streams of living water will flow within him.” Jesus offered himself as the source of life. This is radical even to us today. Then in John 4 Jesus takes a side trip into Samaria to give the woman at the well, “…water so that she would never thirst again…a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

      Jesus wants to be the Keeper of the Spring that is the source of our well being and our faith journey. Perhaps, we have replaced Jesus with other things and people who are incapable of keeping the living water flowing into our lives. It may be time for us to realize that the Keeper of the Spring is the most important person in our lives. Without Jesus, our spring, the source of everlasting life, will become clogged and impure, producing water that is unhealthy and deadly to our walk and growth as disciples.  

      Let us make sure that Jesus is in charge of all that flows into our lives, wellsprings of living water.

Rev. Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, August 4, 2013-07-30

DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE DRAGONS

      In the story The Voyage of the Dawn Trader, C.S. Lewis creates the character of a boy named Eustace Grubb. Eustace is extremely obnoxious, selfish, and certain that everyone on this voyage is against him. In the story, the ship Dawn Trader stops on an uninhabited island for repairs. It is on this island that Eustace finds real trouble; his greedy, selfish behavior meets serious consequences. As he wanders off alone, Eustace finds a huge pile of treasure in an abandon dragon’s cave. He stuffs his pockets with as much of the treasure as he can carry, then falls asleep in the cave. While Eustace sleeps, dark dragon-like thoughts fill his mind and heart. When he wakes, he finds that he has become a dragon.

      Ashamed, dismayed, and repentant, Eustace tries to be different, to change back into a boy, not the same boy, but the boy he knows he should be. However, trying as hard as he could, Eustace could not change himself from the dragon he had become into the boy he now longed to be.

      Then one day Eustace meets the great lion king Aslan, who offers to help remove the dragon skin that holds Eustace captive. In the story, Eustace describes the pain as Aslan tears off each layer of dragon skin, revealing a new boy, a new life, and a transformed personality.

      I think we all know where we are in this story. You see we all need to be de-dragoned, not just one time, but daily. Our lives have become encrusted with layers of behaviors that are keeping us from being the person God intends for us to be. Those behaviors, attitudes, thoughts need to be peeled away by the action of Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah.

      The psalmist writes about this awesome transformational process in Psalm 51: 2,10. “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a right spirit within me.” I pray, along with a repentant King David, for the washing of transformation, a clean heart, and a right spirit, the spirit of Jesus.

      We must lay aside this notion that we have the power to change ourselves, the power to shed the dragon skin that enslaves us to sin. Our efforts at self-improvement will only result in feeble attempts to remove one layer only to discover another underneath.

      Maybe this is why Paul writes in Romans 12 to offer ourselves “as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” When we offer ourselves, Jesus will prepare us for sacrifice.

      Just as Eustace trusted the lion king Aslan to peel away the layers of dragon skin, you and I can trust King Jesus to take away all those layers of sin that keep us from being the person he wants us to be.

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, July 28, 2013