The evidence is unassailable. People , in growing numbers, are becoming unchurched. Despite substantive research by social scientists, seminary professors, and anxiety ridden clergy, no clear set of causal factors for this phenomenon has been conclusively identified. However, one thing is certain. People, in this age of rampant consumerism, seem to be searching for the “ perfect” church. That gathering place on Sunday mornings that exudes hospitality and generosity of spirit. That sacred space that features flawless musical performances, state of the art audio-visual technology, and programs for every age category. Not to mention, brilliant sermons that inspire, and comfort but rarely challenge. Unfortunately, there is no perfect church. Churches are human institutions. All the foibles, idiosyncrasies, personal and collective baggage that are part of the human community rise to the surface in those institutions we call churches. We need as new mind set. What if we understood church as a place where people in need of grace came to worship a perfect God. There is no perfect church. But there is a perfect God, revealed in Jesus Christ, and brought into each of our lives and into each of our churches by the power and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Now that is genuinely Good News. Blessings, Pastor Tom 1 Corinthians 3: 9-11 You happen to be God’s field in which we are working. Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. With those storied words, author Eric Segal began his best-selling novel, Love Story. In striking yet poetic phrases, Segal unveiled the tragic tale of a love story interrupted by the exigencies of life and the mystery of death. Real love stories are not the emotionally charged, dynamic affairs we see in the movies or on the pages of novels. Authentic love stories are penned by God’s hand. Two people coming together to love, nurture, and sustain one another amid the tumult, uncertainty, and unpredictability of life. In the coming days, our Salem family will celebrate love stories that found life through the touch of God’s hand. Nest week we will recall with great joy and gratitude the over seven decade love story of Emma and Jess, Grandma and Grandpa. This Sunday we will all witness Sharon Anderson and Dwight Boyd enter into covenant with one another and God to live as husband and wife. These are love stories that will never make the best sellers list, win an Oscar, and be memorialized in popular culture. No, these love stories have and will reveal God’s grace as lived out and witnessed in very human yet very blessed lives. Now that is genuinely Good News. Blessings, Pastor Tom John 2: 1-11 Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.” Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.” She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim. “Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did. When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!” This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him. We talk a lot about being disciples of Jesus Christ. Every pastor has a ready inventory of sermons exhorting the faithful to follow the pathway of discipleship. Sadly, we forget one essential element. Discipleship is built upon faith. That may sound overly simplistic. However absent a true faith, discipleship becomes little more than mere volunteerism. Make no mistake, the voluntary sector of our economy is essential to the work of building a strong, prosperous and compassionate nation. Discipleship is much more than that; it is faith turned into concrete action, and action, turned into carrying the presence of Christ to the world, It is a sacred servant hood that can transform the world. Now, that is genuinely good News. Blessings, Pastor Tom Matthew 14:24-33 Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared to death. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror. But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come ahead.” Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!” I, for one, miss the old church pews. Those time worn vestiges of an earlier age firmly bolted to sanctuary floors. Sadly, modern church sanctuaries resemble movie theaters. Cushioned seats that neatly recline spaced to ensure that the faithful are appropriately separated. Make no mistake, wooden pews can be exceedingly uncomfortable. Given a long-winded preacher or an organist intent on singing all 18 verses of the original Charles Wesley Hymn, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” the experience can be quite discomforting. Perhaps God’s Spirit was sending us a message in those hard wooden pews. Church is not about sitting down and listening. It is about leaving the pew to witness and proclaim the Good News. In those uncomfortable pews, disciples were nurtured, and prepared to be sent forth. Today, we rest in our comfortable chairs; we need to rediscover that “pew mentality.” Now that is genuinely Good News. Blessings, Pastor Tom Matthew 28:16-20 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally. Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” |
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October 2022
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