Violence at Christmas

Matthew 2:13-16  ¹³ Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."  ¹⁴ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt,  ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."  ¹⁶ When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.

What can we say in another day marked with senseless violence.

God always comes to us in the very midst of the worst of our human sinfulness. Throughout the Scriptures we see the violence and God’s call for resisting evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. Whether evil’s name is Pharoah or Herod or a school shooter in Connecticut God brings Light.

John 1:4-5   ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Our response to evil must not to return evil with evil but to testify to the light and teach the ways of unconditional love that might save those so lost in hate and fear that they act in violence.

Come Sunday we will listen to the chancel choir tell the story of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us and we will also confess our brokenness and recommit ourselves to a different way of living; the Way of Jesus in our community.

Do Good

“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” – John Wesley

We move in our church’s study of the three simple rules from “Do No Harm” to “Do Good.”

It’s harder than it may seem. What does it mean to take the 2^nd vow of baptism seriously and accept the freedom and power God gives us to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?

It is not enough to refrain from evil. We must actively resist evil and proactively do good. Come Sunday we will reflect on those random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.

Do No Harm

The first step in learning to live into this rule is awareness of what it means to do harm.

Where is harm being done in your household or circle of friends, your family, your church, your community, your city, state, nation world?

More specifically:

•  Who is being harmed?
• What harm is being done?
• Who is doing it or causing it? (The “who” may be one or more people, groups, corporations, institutions, states, or nations.)
• Why is it happening?
• How is harm being done?

 (these questions are from Jeanne Finley's study guide)

If you’re following the study on your own reflect on these questions and maybe post a comment on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/epworthkalispell

Sunday’s worship will center around the difference between THOU SHALT NOT and ‘do no harm.’ Are we just following rules and restrictions or are we intentionally following the Way of Jesus?

As we dig deeper we examine the unintentional harm we do and the harm we don’t do directly but are complicit in. It is a fascinating journey. It is the way of Discipleship.

Will Jesus approve our message?

I woke up this morning to the news of the attack on the Libyan embassy on 9/11. Initial reactions include the sadness of the violence of our world. I had wondered Tuesday morning of there would be some attack somewhere to play on our emotions of 11 years ago.

I prayed for the peace of Christ to reach out to our world.

Then my sadness turned to despair as I listened further and heard that it wasn’t just a 9/11 reminder but a response to a film produced by a California filmmaker who identifies himself as both American and Israeli. The film was being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian [emphasis mine] campaigner in the United States. Excerpts from the film dubbed into Arabic were posted on YouTube.

I can’t imagine God adding the tag line to this whole affair, “I’m Jesus the Christ and I approved this message.”

James 3:5-6  ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!  ⁶ And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3:8-10   ⁸ but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  ⁹ With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.  ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.

As Christians we are the ads people see and hear every day. We can’t control all people who claim to speak for Christians but we can control our own words, actions and responses to those with whom we disagree.

Join us Sunday as we consider how we can have “holy conversations” about tough issues – in church and beyond.

Peace,

Steve Hermes

Continually creating an inclusive and accepting family of God by modeling our lives after Jesus the Christ.

Have a prayer concern? Fill out this Prayer Request form and we will lift you up through our prayer ministry.

Blood, Sweat & Tears *(with a bit of Grace)

A week ago at this time I was in Paradise looking forward to a sweaty week of getting the ranch pretty for a wedding. The next day I was in a helicopter over Flathead Lake. Not much sightseeing on a life flight however.

Blood

Not much use in going over the gory details. X-rays of the compound fracture will be kept for the scrapbook but my mental image was of a Far Side cartoon called the Boneless Chicken Ranch with my foot draping over at a strange angle. (For the younger generation; think of Harry Potter in need of Skele-Grow)

  

Sweat

I had already invested a lot of sweat into making the ranch look pretty for the upcoming wedding. If asked if I would be ready on time I would say ‘no sweat’ knowing that things have a way of working out. I sweated out anesthesia chemicals in the days following three surgeries and would love to attend Fred and Alice Nicol’s sweat lodge again for some extended healing.

Tears

Physical pain is a lot easier to deal with than emotional pain. My primary tears once I knew I would survive were for the attention I would be drawing away from my Son’s wedding and the real possibility that I would miss the ceremony. Tears still are coming easily. They vary from self pity to gratefulness for Chris’ ongoing support. (today is our 30th anniversary)

Grace

It’s not my head. Actually that is among a list of things that I am grateful for in light of the fall but it not what I mean by Grace. I mean the Grace by which God fills our human suffering with divine presence.

Certainly I practiced prayer over many years but was presently surprised how quickly and effectively I could call on those centering meditative prayers to manage pain and maintain perspective. I have no real fears of the future. This incident is just that little pebble in my shoe that dares me to walk a broader path.

Watch me walk

And when we both have had enough
I will take him from my shoe, singing
"Meet your new road!"

Then I'll take your hand
Finally glad
That you are here (you are here)
By my side 

Search me, O God, and know my heart

Psalm 139:1-3  O LORD, you have searched me and known me.  ² You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.  ³ You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

I know you!

Print fails to capture the variety of ways people can hear that simple statement.

It could be a joyful reunion tone:

·         I know you – its good to see you – let’s reconnect and get to know each other better

It could be an accusatory phrase:

·         I know you – I know what you’ve done in the past and how you are likely to repeat those mistakes.

Or the unconditional love:

·         I know you in your strengths and weaknesses. In some ways I know you better than you know yourself

Psalm 139:3-4  ³ You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.  ⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.

Come this Sunday and reflect with us on why we are so afraid to let people know us and why sometimes groups like Al-Anon do a better job of being the church than the church does.

Peace,

Steve Hermes

Continually creating an inclusive and accepting family of God by modeling our lives after Jesus the Christ.

Hear recent sermons and check out our church web page at: http://tiny.cc/epworth-umc

Have a prayer concern? Fill out this Prayer Request form and we will lift you up through our prayer ministry.

Greater Ministry of The United Methodist Church

This week I am away at our United Methodist church’s

2012 Yellowstone Annual Conference

Crowne Plaza, Billings

“Here are The Keys-God’s kingdom is on your doorstep”

While some of you are participating in Kalispell at PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT June 7 & 8 at the Samaritan House Building across from Petersen School –  at Annual Conference we are also beginning our time doing mission work in the local community of Billings where the conference is being held.

Over the next few days we in Billings will celebrate the common work of our churches and plan for continued ministry in the years to come.

If you would like to lean more check out the Yellowstone Conference web page and check it for updating stories.

Breath of the Spirit

A baby is born – you slap them on the behind (do they really do that or is that TV myth?) and they take their first independent breath and maybe even a howl and cry. As time progresses that first breath moves beyond cries to words and as we learn and grow and are inspired by the Holy Spirit the words become prophecy.

Acts 2:16-18  ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:  ¹⁷ 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.  ¹⁸ Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.

The Spirit dares us to dream dreams and to be the voice for the voiceless that the Realm of God may be lived among us.

Come hear the voice of God through today’s disciples; young and old, male and female.

Open yourself to the word of God still speaking today.

Peace,

Steve Hermes
Continually creating an inclusive and accepting family of God by modeling our lives after Jesus the Christ.
Hear recent sermons and check out our church web page at: http://tiny.cc/epworth-umc

Take Time to Unplug and Be Holy

Technology is a two-edged sword. As much as I love email and cable TV, Xbox and cell phones – Ok so I’m not too big a fan of cell phones – I recognize that being plugged in often means I tune people and nature out. One of the disciplines for Lent we need to practice in our generation is to unplug and simply take time to be holy.

Matthew 11:28-30   ²⁸ "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Shut down your computer. Turn off your cell phone. Stop the constant emailing, texting, Tweeting and Facebooking to take time to notice the world around you. Connect with loved ones. Nurture your health. Get outside. Find silence. Avoid commerce. Give back. Eat bread. Drink wine. Practice the spiritual practice of HERE in the presence of God.

Transfiguration Sunday

Mark 9:2-6  Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,  ³ and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 

The Pew Center reports that 50% of Christians claim to have experienced significant, even extraordinary religious experiences of self-transcendence.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning: “Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes. The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”

There are a great variety of religious experiences ranging from the simple experiences of awe and wonder associated with a starry night in the wilderness to a dramatic personal call that can include visual or auditory incidences.

Don’t think you have to justify your faith with ecstatic visions. The only really important call is “Do you love me? Then feed my sheep.”

Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

John 20:27-29   ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe."  ²⁸ Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"  ²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Who

Sorry BBC fans this Sunday will not be about The Doctor (Jesus may be the Lord of Time but he is not a time lord). However, the Doctor or the Lamb of God or the Light of the World or any number of titles might help describe and understand Jesus.

Acts 17:23  ²³ For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

How we name God says much about us and our relationship with the Divine.

O Lord, who are you? O Lord, who am I? Who are we together?

We are glowing fire in a burning bush.

We are master and apprentice.

We are lover and beloved Giving birth to a better world together.

We are artist and work in progress.

We are vine and fruitful branches.

We are partners in this mission.

We are builders of a brighter future.

We are wind in swaying treetops.

We are mother and her child.

We are friends in conversation.

We are dancers who move to joyful music.

We are wide blue sea and leaping dolphin.

We are warm spring sun and growing seeds.

We are poet and living poetry.

We are singers who fill the earth with harmony.

Mclaren, Brian D. (2011-03-15). Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words (p. 47). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this place

As members of this congregation will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, you gifts, your service and your witness?

A sanctuary is any sacred or holy place. Most commonly we think of the sanctuary as the place we gather for worship on Sunday mornings.

But surely the presence of the Lord is with you in all places – from the burning bush to a winter backyard.

This Sunday by revisiting the spiritual practice of “HERE” we will learn to honor the vow of Presence in more ways than attendance at worship. Any place can become a Sanctuary when you bring into awareness the presence of God.

“A fish cannot drown in water,
A bird does not fall in air.
In the fire of creation,
God doesn't vanish:
The fire brightens.
Each creature God made
must live in its own true nature;
How could I resist my nature,
That lives for oneness with God?”
― Mechthild of Magdeburg, Meditations from Mechthild of Magdeburg

HERE can also mean declaring your presence to God – “Here I am … use me!”

Epiphany

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me …

Permission to throw out that old tree.

Our church year is designed to spend the weeks before Christmas in a season (Advent) of preparation and waiting and then focus in on Christmas and the meaning of Incarnation.

In our American consumer society, however, we have had the decorations up in the stores since October and in our homes since Thanksgiving and we’re tired of them. Even in the church we did all the good Christmas songs early. The Sunday after Christmas is often the lowest attended service of the whole year.

Still, it wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t sing “We Three Kings” on the closest Sunday to Epiphany (January 6^th, the twelfth day of Christmas) and indeed, this week we will reflect in worship on the gifts of the Magi and the star that still guides our journey to wisdom.