Both King and Common Man / Based on Matthew 25:31-49 / Delivered November 26, 2017 to CCH

Both King and Common Man / Based on Matthew 25:31-49 / Delivered November 26, 2017 to CCH

Hymns: Crown Him with Many Crowns, Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us, They’ll Know We Are Christians

Matthew 25:31-46

25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

25:32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,

25:33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.

25:34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

25:35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'

25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?

25:38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?

25:39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?'

25:40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

25:41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;

25:42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,

25:43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'

25:44 Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?'

25:45 Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Happy Sunday to you.  My name is Darci Strutt McQuiston and I am one of the Lay Speakers of the United Methodist Church just up the hill from here.  It’s my honor to be with you.  Today is known as “Christ the King” Sunday.  It is the final Sunday of the church year.  Next Sunday we enter in to Advent season and welcome Christ as a tiny babe.  I’m going to pull a few verses from the companion lectionary scripture in Ezekiel and Ephesians, and read the Matthew lesson as our main focus.

Today’s lesson from Matthew reminds us he is our Lord, one who has the right to judge us.  He is also our shepherd, one who protects us.  He is also that human baby we will begin to wait for next week, one who fully understands what it is to be a common man.

The three ideas I hope to bring out from our lessons today are:

The kind of King Jesus is

How to respond

Be faithful

The kind of King Jesus is

Paul spells out the power of Christ as King in his letter to the Ephesians.

1:20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.

1:22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,

1:23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

In our lesson from Matthew he is both King and shepherd.

25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

25:32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,

25:33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.

He is truly a servant King, and that is God’s expectation for all who are in leadership.  A righteous leader uses his power and might to care for all of those under them.  Jesus is above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and he reached out to heal and care for those who were searching for help.  King of kings, and yet put on a towel to wash the feet of his disciples.  A righteous king doesn’t judge his success by the size of his wealth, but by the health of his kingdom. 

How to respond

Jesus is clear about what behavior is appropriate toward one another.

25:34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

25:35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'

We are instructed to love as Jesus loved.   Based on the laws of the Old Testament, the expectation is to share from your abundance. 

Lev 23:22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.’”

Gardeners know that part of the harvest is based on their own labor, and part is based on the sun, wind, and rain which is out of our hands.  When a year is particularly good it tends to be a gift.  God is saying we are to share the gifts He gives us with those in need.

This scripture reaches me on both sides.  I see it as instructing me how to help others, and I also have memories of when I depended on others to help me.  When I became a single mother of three small children I was in very rough shape financially.  My brothers reached out to loan me money.  They weren’t wealthy either, but they offered what they could and trusted me to repay them.  My parents gave me a gift of money.  Without their aide I most likely would have lost our home.  Most in my church family embraced me in love.  People helped by picking up my kids after their school activities and brought them to youth group for me while I was still at work.  They helped them feel loved and welcomed.

I also am a believer that we are called to see each other as one body.  Would you cut off blood supply to your foot because you didn’t feel like sharing?  Of course not.  Jesus said we are to think of our interdependence with one another as tightly as the workings of our body.  Cells don’t take extra just in case they decide they want seconds later.  They take what they need from the flow of nutrition and the flow moves on to the next cell.  However, there are times of serious infection that we do remove a part of the body to protect the rest.  I know any analogy breaks down eventually, but it helps me to think in this way.  We are connected.

We look forward to being reunited with God when we leave this earthly life, but God is within us now.

25:40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

Jesus didn’t say, “it’s LIKE you did it to me.”  He said, “you did it to me.”

Jesus promised he would send the spirit.  We understand that to be God within us, but this scripture makes it a two-way street.  We also have been made part of God.

Be faithful

I don’t know about you but I have a hard time with scripture like this.

25:41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;

There are some scholars that say the sheep represent those who confess faith in Jesus and the goats are those who do not believe, but surely God isn’t basing our salvation on works after Jesus won our souls by grace!

I can hear the spirit within me saying, “Darci you are missing the point!  Focus on the behavior that is desired, not on the discipline.”  I didn’t appreciate the times my parents disciplined me as a child, but looking back can see that they were teaching me through those uncomfortable times to be a better person.  I am grateful to have that mentoring.  The lesson for today is that type of mentoring. 

I believe we are in eternity now.  We are making each moment a part of heaven’s peace or part of hell’s torment by the choices we are making.  We find peace and joy in our lives when we serve others.  We find pain when we hoard wealth over relationships.  This parable serves as our warning and our instruction on right behavior.  We are to remain faithful to God’s call to serve one another following Jesus example of serving those around him.

Thanksgiving dinner was just a few days ago.  When I was handed a serving plate from the kitchen I didn’t fill my plate and then let it sit in front of me, but instead I picked what I thought I could eat and I passed it on.  God is asking the same of us.  He gives us a serving plate and invites us to take what we need, but then expects us to pass on the plate to others.  It is poetic that some of those at our table filled their plate with more than their body needed and as a result they felt over-full and were miserable.  That is a lesson to remember.

Focus on the instruction within this lesson today.  Jesus, as king and shepherd, loves us all.  God’s gifts are meant for his entire flock.  Sometimes the gifts we are given are meant to be a serving plate.  We are blessed to be a channel for His love to flow to others.  I know I have work to do here.  I am grateful for God’s grace and patience as I work to be faithful.

I’m closing with a ukulele song based on today’s scripture.

https://soundcloud.com/darci-strutt/im-really-hungry

This is the way we’re supposed to be

To love like Jesus loved

He’ll thank such folk and welcome them

To his heavenly home above

I’m really hungry – Here have a snack

I’m thirsty too - There’s some water in my pack

I’m new around here – Please come on in

It’s a little cold – Here’s a sweater from the bin

A way to act that makes him sad

Is to be unkind you see

I sure hope I don’t run into them

If the person that’s hungry is me

I’m really hungry – I’m too busy for you

I’m thirsty too – What’cha want me to do

I’m new around here – Ya, you don’t look like me

It’s a little cold – So move to the south sea

If Jesus was the one who asked

For clothes, friends, drink, or food

You’d sure jump to help him out

Otherwise you’d sure feel rude

I’m really hungry – Here have a snack

I’m thirsty too - There’s some water in my pack

I’m new around here – Please come on in

It’s a little cold – Here’s a sweater from the bin

Thoughts / Based on Philippians 4:1-9 / Delivered on October 29, 2017 to CCH

Thoughts / Based on Philippians 4:1-9 / Delivered on October 29, 2017 to CCH

Hymns: His Eye Is on the Sparrow, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, May the Mind of Christ My Savior

Philippians 4:1-9

4:1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
4:2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
4:3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
4:8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

4:9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Good morning.  I am Darci Strutt McQuiston, a Lay Speaker from the United Methodist Church up on the hill.  It’s my pleasure to be with you here today.  Since you encouraged me during my last visit when I shared a song based on the scripture I’m going to do it again today.  It is another children’s Christian song I wrote in 2011 that is based on the passage from Paul’s letter to the Philippians we’re reading today.

The passage of scripture speaks to me.  The three ideas I’m pulling from the lesson are:

Relationships are important

Thoughts are powerful

God’s work comes first

Relationships are important

Paul’s closing statements to this church starts with a request.

4:2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
4:3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Paul doesn’t say it explicitly, but we can assume these two women are leaders within the congregation at Philippi.   Paul pleaded the members in Chapter 2:2 to be “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and in one mind.”  His letter was general in his advice until now when he names names.  It is too important to the success of the church to let these two leaders argue. 

In the past year, in particular, I have seen people take a stand for what they feel is the right way to do something and fight with their friends and family until relationships break apart and they go their separate ways.  What breaks my heart is often the two people have the same goal, just not the same idea of process.  In the Philippian church they had “struggled beside” Paul in the work of the gospel.  They believed in the importance of sharing that good news.  Sadly it seems they had differing opinions on how that work should be done.  The problem was they raised their desire to be right higher than their desire to succeed in the work.

I have no doubt that there are times you do need to take a stand and that there are times relationships are not healthy.  However, the desire to be right, personal pride, and protecting the ego are not more important than acting loving toward others and protecting relationships.

Thoughts are powerful

Paul was not writing from a resort.  He was writing from prison.  He was writing to a church that was experiencing struggle.  Still his advice was to rejoice.

4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

Rejoicing was a decision.  They were to rely on God for their strength.  One preacher called this to be in non-anxious prayer constantly.  Let the anxiety go.
4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I fall into anxiety traps.  This happens most often at 2:00 AM when I wake and can’t fall asleep.  Sometimes thoughts fill my head of what may happen in the future and my body responds as if it is happening now.  That would be lovely if they were happy thoughts, but in my case, they more often are anxious thoughts.  Then I go into a spiral worrying about worrying.

There are times when we need to think about future possibilities, so we can make plans to help prevent negative things from happening.  This is not what I’m talking about.  I’m talking about letting a movie of a possible negative future run through your head.  Your body doesn’t know this isn’t true and so responds as if it was real not imagined.  Paul says – don’t do that!  Take it to God, even the little things, take everything to God in prayer.  Then look for God’s peace.

Watch your thoughts and that peace will stay with you.
4:8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Thoughts are powerful!  They run your body.  Your perception of reality makes your personal reality.  What you believe to be true dictates how you interact with others.  Guarding our thoughts is not easy but it is what brings us to God’s peace.

God’s work comes first

Paul was dealing with a church suffering from internal conflict.  Their members agreed with the end goal of sharing the gospel message and doing God’s work, but they took their focus off their goal and put it on their own ideas.

When I was in corporate life and there was a conflict, often the way to ease the tension was to bring both parties up a level to the greater goal.  In most cases they both agreed with the higher goal, just not with how it was being achieved.  Once they realized they both agreed they wanted the same outcome it became easier to partnership.

The work God calls us to do must be central in our minds.  The church at Philippi had been doing the work beside Paul.  He exhorted them:

4:9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

This passage speaks to my heart clearly today.  Maybe you can see part of your own struggles here too.  We long to do what is right, but sometimes forget the bigger picture when we’re feeling our pride has been hurt.  Relationships are worth more than our pride!

We spiral down an anxiety sinkhole often not because of real circumstances, but because of thoughts.  We forget that we are loved children of the creator of the universe.  His eye is on the sparrow, and we are valued more than many sparrows.

Remember to keep the goal your focus, and allow others to partner with you in different ways to reach that goal.  We have brothers and sisters with us on this journey and we each have an important part to play.

Finally, here is the song I promised.  It is a reminder of the power of our thoughts.

Think About the Good Things

Music and lyric by Darci Strutt, 2011 

I thought I saw a monster - it gave me quite a scare

My heart it went a thump thump thump but a monster wasn’t there

My face was flush my palms were wet just from a thought you see

It’s amazing what thoughts can do when they are inside me

Refrain

Think about the good things like God our Father’s love

Think about the good things like praising God above

I saw a real sad movie about a puppy who had died

I knew it was just a story but I sat in there and cried

Tears ran down I blew my nose it was even hard to see

It’s amazing what thoughts can do when they are inside me

Refrain

Be careful what you think about, the Bible says it’s true

‘cuz what you think on the inside comes on the outside too

When my thoughts are pure and lovely that’s the world I’ll see

It’s amazing what thoughts can do when they are inside me

Refrain

Pressing On / Based on Philippians 3:4b-14 / Delivered on October 8, 2017 at CCH

20171008 Pressing On

Pressing On / Based on Philippians 3:4b-14 / Delivered on October 8, 2017 at CCH

Hymns: We Are Called, Because He Lives, I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

Philippians 3:4b-14

3:4b If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more:

3:5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

3:6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

3:7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.

3:8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.

3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,

3:11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

3:13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Good morning and Happy Sunday to you.  My name is Darci Strutt McQuiston and I am one of the Lay Speakers from the UMC up on the hill.  I’m pinch hitting this morning so you will be getting me twice this month. 

I’m pulling in some of the ideas from the Old Testament lesson Isaiah 5:1-7, and the Gospel lesson for today Matthew 21:33-46, as well as Paul’s letter to the Philippians. 

Isaiah and Matthew are both stories about a vineyard and the owner of that vineyard.  In Isaiah, the land owner prepares the perfect spot and does all he can for the vines but at harvest time he only finds rotten fruit not the produce he worked for.  The land owner represents God, and the vine represents the people of Israel who have not been faithful.  5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!

In Matthew Jesus tells a parable of a landowner that hires tenants to take care of his vineyard but when harvest time comes and he sends servants to collect the grapes from them they refuse to give them, and go as far as killing the owner’s son with the assumption that then they will be the owners of the vineyard.  The land owner is again God, the vines are the people of Israel, and the added character, the tenants, are the religious leaders.  21:45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.

The ideas I’m pulling from these scriptures are:

Don’t get stuck

Be fruitful

Recognize the prize

Don’t get stuck

Our passage from Paul’s letter begins with his resume’.

3:4b If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more:

3:5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

3:6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

He was an A+ student of the law.  Perfect score.  But then Christ knocked him blind and he understood he had missed the point.

3:7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.

3:8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.

He had been prideful in his adherence to the law and saw it as the way to earn God’s favor.  Christ taught that the love of God was not something you could earn.  This isn’t to say the law has no value.  Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Jesus came to help us understand that relationship to God and your neighbor was the goal.  The law could help you understand how to live in right relationship, but the relationship was what was important.  Paul was stuck in the classroom with the law being his textbook.  He and the other religious leaders saw the law as the goal.  The Pharisee only cared about the report card of what laws you obeyed.

The word Paul used in verse 8 is translated as “rubbish” but a truer translation is closer to “excrement”.  His judging of people by their adherence to law needed to be flushed away.

To remain focused on adherence to the law as the end goal was like being stuck in school.  School is important and study is important, but eventually you need to move out into the world and start working and using what you learned in productive ways.

Be fruitful

3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,

3:11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Paul wanted to follow Christ totally, from suffering through resurrection, in response to Christ calling him personally.  He gives us the model of response God is hoping for.

The two parables of the vineyard make it clear God is looking for a response to his love and care.  In Isaiah God wished for justice and righteous living.  In Matthew Jesus says, 21:43 “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.”  The Pharisee were self-righteous, not righteous, and there is a big difference there.  They cared about their appearance, not their fellow Israelites.

I don’t think this is falling back into a “saved by works” situation.  “We love because he first loved us.” We aren’t earning God’s love by acting in a certain way.  We are responding to God’s love.  As Paul said, “Christ Jesus has made me his own” and that is why he is pressing on.  God wants us to be his partner, his bride, and that requires us to join him in his work of love.

In the parables of the vineyard, the vine is surrounded by the love and care of the owner of the vineyard.  We are those vines.  We have God’s love and care.  He has provided what we need to thrive.  The decision to respond is ours.

Recognize the prize

As I meditated on the scripture and thought about what hymns to pick to support it I was drawn to Easter hymns.  Paul could have written “because he lives I can face tomorrow”.  Paul’s response is to the knowledge in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The prize is to be in loving relationship with God for all eternity. 

3:13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

One of my study resources had an interesting statement about the work of the church.  He said the work of the church isn’t about making bad people good or good people better, it is about bringing the dead to life. 

We are called to new life in Christ.  We are called to help others wake up and know that life.  God has committed His love to us.  Can we commit our love back?  It isn’t easy.  Paul referred to it as “straining forward” like in a foot race.  There is no first or second place ribbons in this race, there are just finishers and non-finishers.

I wrote a song based on this verse from Philippians and want to sing it for you.

I haven’t crossed the finish line I have a ways to go

Sometimes I feel I run real fast sometimes I’m a little slow

I keep on looking straight ahead toward that finish line

‘cuz if I look back at where I’ve been I’d fall on my behind

Each day I can get better if I keep my goals in sight

I know that God is with me and I trust in his might

I want to be like Jesus and feel God’s love you see

Even before my race is done he’s made me family

I haven’t crossed the finish line I have a ways to go

Sometimes I feel I run real fast sometimes I’m a little slow

I keep on looking straight ahead toward that finish line

‘cuz if I look back at where I’ve been I’d fall on my behind

I pray we all press on together.

Amen

Unmerited Favor / Based on Matthew 20:1-16 and Jonah 3:10-4:11 / Delivered September 24, 2017 to CCH

Unmerited Favor / Based on Matthew 20:1-16 and Jonah 3:10-4:11

 / Delivered September 24, 2017 to CCH

Hymns: Softly and Tenderly, Amazing Grace, We Are Called to be God’s People

Matthew 20:1-16

20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

20:2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

20:3 When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace;

20:4 and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went.

20:5 When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same.

20:6 And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?'

20:7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'

20:8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.'

20:9 When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.

20:10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.

20:11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,

20:12 saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'

20:13 But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?

20:14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.

20:15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

20:16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Happy Sunday to you!  My name is Darci Strutt McQuiston and I am one of the Lay Speakers from the United Methodist church up on the hill.  It’s my pleasure to be with you today!

I’m going to lean heavily on the gospel lesson from Matthew but also pull in the lectionary reading from Jonah. 

I’ve read the Matthew parable.  A few things happened in the Jonah story before today’s lesson.  He had been asked by God to go and preach to the people of Nineveh but didn’t want to because he feared God would be merciful and he wanted to see them burn so he went in the opposite direction.  He was swallowed by a big fish, and after he had time to rethink God’s request, he was spit out.  He relented and delivered God’s message, no doubt without a lot of enthusiasm.  Miracle of miracles – the people repented.  This is where the scripture for today starts.

Jonah 3:10-4:11

3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

4:1 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.

4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.

4:3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."

4:4 And the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

4:5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.

4:6 The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush.

4:7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered.

4:8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, "It is better for me to die than to live."

4:9 But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?" And he said, "Yes, angry enough to die."

4:10 Then the LORD said, "You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.

4:11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?"

The thoughts I’m pulling from today’s lessons are:

Our definition of “fair” is different from God’s

God has a spot for us all

Grace makes no sense

Our definition of “fair” is different from God’s

20:9 When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.

20:10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.

20:11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,

20:12 saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'

20:13 But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?

20:14 Take what belongs to you and go;

Jonah wanted a city full of people to be destroyed because that seemed fair to him.  The workers in the field wanted more money for working more hours because that seemed fair to them.

We have a sense of fairness.  Work should be reward by dollars per hour.  Evil people should get the punishment they deserve.  We want justice! 

God’s actions didn’t take anything away from the complainers.  The workers received what the landowner had negotiated from the beginning.  They thought that was fair in the morning.  The root of the problem with Nineveh was their evil ways, and they changed their behavior when they understood God’s word to them.  All worked out well, yet our human side says, “why did he get more per hour” and “why did they get away with bad behavior”.

Our inner world revolves around ourselves.  We work hard at listening to God and being good people.  God’s judgement sees the needs of those that couldn’t find jobs until late, and the 120,000 who were uninformed, “didn’t know their right hand from their left”.  We are all God’s creation, whether we like each other or not, and God loves us all.  My favorite definition of grace is “unmerited favor”.  It isn’t something worked for and earned.

God has a spot for us all

20:2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

20:3 When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace;

20:4 and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went.

20:5 When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same.

20:6 And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?'

20:7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'

I was raised in a Christian home and baptized as a child.  I was taught about Christ from a young age.  Not everyone gets that kind of start in life.  There are some that don’t hear the Good News until they are adults.  Then there are some that don’t experience the revelation until their final moments.  I used to doubt some of those were deserving because of how little of their life was devoted to God.  I believe the workers waiting in the market all day wanted to work, and would have been happier had they been hired in the morning.  They probably felt helpless to provide for their family nearly all day.  It gives me a different perspective.

This passage reminds us that God returns to call us to serve him over and over, right up to the last hour.   It is never too late.  There is still room for us to serve God even in the final moments.

Jonah wanted his enemies destroyed.  God wanted them to repent.  God is a full of second chances.

Grace makes no sense

20:14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.

20:15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

20:16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Or God’s response to Jonah

4:11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?"

We ask, “God why do you do what you do?”  His response it this case is, “Because I choose to.”

Jonah knew it in advance as we see from verse 2 in the Jonah story.

4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.

That’s whining, “Could you be a little less loving and merciful to those I don’t like God?”

How silly that sounds!  We depend on God’s love and grace for our life.  Others also depend on it, whether we like them or not.  We find comfort in scripture like Matthew 10:29-30, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” 

But like Jonah, we think there are others God should punish because of how they have treated us.  Guess what?  God still loves them.  In fact, God wants us to help them understand that He loves them.  Then it gets to be our “fault” when they are saved.  My interpretation of “the last shall be first and the first shall be last” is that they are equal.

God’s grace pours out both for us and for our enemies because they are God’s concern too.  God loving others doesn’t diminish His love for us.  Jonah had it right.  God is abounding in steadfast love.

So it is true.  None of us get what we deserve.  Instead Psalm 103:12 says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”  His call remains working at our hearts and the Holy Spirit continues to whisper His truth, for as long as we have breath.  Grace makes no sense, it isn’t fair, you can’t earn it, and it is amazing.

Praise God!

Amen

Being a Living Sacrifice / Based on Romans 12:1-8 / Delivered on August 27, 2017 at CCH

Being a Living Sacrifice

Based on Romans 12:1-8

Delivered on August 27, 2017 at CCH

Hymns: Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart, Open My Eyes That I My See, Take My Life and Let It Be

Romans 12:1-8

12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect.

12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,

12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

12:6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;

12:7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching;

12:8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Good morning, I am Darci Strutt McQuiston, one of the Lay Servants of the United Methodist Church up on the hill. It is my privilege to be here this morning.

I’m going to take the reading from Romans in reverse order.  The lessons I’ve pulled out of this reading are to:

Accept who you are

Listen for God’s will

Respond with your whole self

Accept who you are

Humans are competitive animals.  We want to know our place in our tribe.  We give out ribbons for first, second, and third to cross the finish line or be judged as superior.  Our pay scales reflect how we value the talents of others. 

God doesn’t see it that way.  Each of us has a unique gift or talent that helps us fulfill our unique purpose, and that is combined with the gifts and talents of others to create the whole.  We aren’t meant to be solo stars.  We are meant to be in community.

12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,

12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

Paul reminds us not to be prideful, but I believe it’s also important not to think you are of no value.  You are not ‘better than’ or ‘less than’ – you are who God created you to be.  God does not have pay scales. 

1 Corinthians 12:14-19 details what Paul means when he says we are one body in Christ.

“Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.  Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact, God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?”

As I was thinking about that it made me smile at how we put the number zero at a high level of importance when we celebrate birthdays.  A birthday with a zero behind it is a big deal.  Should the number three feel bad, or less important?  The thought made me laugh.  Of course not!  We need them all.

12:6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;

12:7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching;

12:8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

We have gifts and talents given to us by the grace of God.  We have a reason for being here.  We are best ready to serve God when we accept who we are.

Listen for God’s will

The world would love to control how you use your talents.  Money makes the world go around.  The marketplace isn’t concerned about you making money but it is quite focused on getting you to spend it.  The world will always have one more thing for you to buy or do that isn’t in line necessarily with God’s will.

1 Timothy 6:10-11 gives us a warning

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

That is the message Paul is giving in verse 2.

12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The will of God for us equates to our reason for being here.  He graced us with talents to further his kingdom.  We need to get our job description from God, not the world.  Mark Twain said, "The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why."

We find that “why” for God when we stop listening to the pull of the world and focus instead on the guidance from scripture and the Holy Spirit within us.  To follow Christ means your thoughts are transformed.  The world focus is temporary and more often driven by fear.  God’s will takes an eternal view and is based on love.

Respond with your whole self

Now we get back to where the Apostle Paul started in today’s reading; to live out our purpose for God.  Paul advises us to give our all.  So much so, that it is like a sacrifice that is burnt upon the alter, yet one that keeps that level of devotion while continuing to live.. 

12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Paul’s appeal isn’t that we give part of our time and ability as we feel like it.  It is much more than being involved in church work.  It is a call for full commitment.  My favorite quote that explains the difference is from the tennis player Martina Navratilova, “The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.”  A burnt offering is committed.

Here’s what I hope you take away from this scripture.   

Accept and embrace who you are.  You are loved and valued by God, and have been graced with talents that will make a difference to the work of his church.  You are not better than anyone else or less than anyone else.  We are each God’s favorite.  We need each other but you have a part to play.  We are one body with many members.

Take time to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit so you can use those talents wisely.  There is a reason we are together here on the planet together.  Find your own “why”.  Consider that the work God has is for us as a community of believers.  If you feel a nudging that you know you can’t do by yourself, know you are not called to do it by yourself.  Listen to that inner voice that speaks for God.

Lastly, we are who we are by the grace of God.  Our act of worship is to be faithful with the gifts we have been given.  D.L. Moody said, “The problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar.”  That’s where God’s grace comes in yet again.  We will metaphorically “crawl off the altar” over and over.  When we notice we have turned away, we can seek forgiveness, and return to faithful service. 

Thank you for being here today.  I needed this message, and just maybe you did too.  May God be with us as we continue this journey of faith together.

Amen.

Wheat and Weeds / Based on Matthew 13:24-30 and Romans 8:12-25 / Delivered July 23, 2017 to CCH

Wheat and Weeds

Based on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 and Romans 8:12-25

Delivered to CCH on July 23, 2017

Hymns: He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light, When We All Get to Heaven

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

13:24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field;

13:25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away.

13:26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.

13:27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?'

13:28 He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?'

13:29 But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.

13:30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field."

13:37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

13:38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one,

13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

13:40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers,

13:42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Romans 8:12-25

8:12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh --

8:13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

8:15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!"

8:16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

8:17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

8:18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.

8:19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;

8:20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope

8:21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;

8:23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

8:24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?

8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Good morning!  My name is Darci Strutt McQuiston and I am one of the Lay Speakers from the United Methodist Church up on the hill.  It is my pleasure to be with you here today.  As I reviewed the scripture that is in the lectionary today I found two that blended for me so you get them both.

I’m going to take some artistic license with the Gospel lesson.  The parable made it sound like all or nothing; you were all good seed or all weed.  I sense within myself that I am the ground and have a mix of good and bad I’m fighting with. 

Here are the three thoughts I’m hoping to present from the scriptures today. 

Final judgement belongs to God

Our inner garden depends on daily decisions

God’s in control of the timing of the harvest

Final judgement belongs to God

The weed in the gospel lesson, translated in some versions as “tares”, is thought to be the bearded darnel.  Its roots surround the roots of good plants which makes it difficult to pull out without damaging the plant you want to protect.  It also looks identical to wheat until the seed forms.  For both these reasons, the owner of the field wanted the servants to wait until harvest time to separate them.

Within our communities, and churches too, we have a mix of those who create good, and those that seem to zap you like energy vampires.  Whatever is going on there are some that support and enliven the activity and others that pull it down. 

I had a coworker that use to constantly say “Your idea to fix “insert problem here” won’t work and here’s why.”  He never had a plan of his own to make things better.  He was just quick to point out the faults in everyone else’s plans to improve things.  We attempted to create solutions, and he was the anti-creator.  He seemed as depressed as the donkey Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh stories.  A different coworker used him as a Devil’s Advocate.  He knew his negativity had to be taken with a grain of salt, but by chatting with him, he could identify some parts of the plan that needed shoring up as we continued moving forward.  Even then he needed to be careful or the Eeyore would cause discouragement.

The term “Devil’s Advocate” is aptly named.  Jesus calls the enemy out in his explanation.

Verse 37-39, “He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”

We need to pay attention to who is doing the harvesting.  There are times when the Bible advised the people to remove those behaving badly from the community, but in this case Jesus is teaching the judgement does not belong within the community.  We may not be able to tell the bad from the good accurately from our vantage point.  Or, like my coworker, a Devil’s Advocate could be useful in small doses to identify something that does need to change.

Our inner garden depends on daily decisions

I said at the start I have some work to do within myself, and I’m betting you do too.

The passage in Romans cautioned them to follow the right spirit.

Verse 12-16, “So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh --for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.  For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.

Are we living in fear or living in hope?  Are we faithful to God above all?  Only you can answer for yourself, but I can admit I struggle.  The cartoon image of an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other can capture my thoughts at some moments.  If that rings true for you, know that we are in good company.  Even the apostle Paul struggled.  He said earlier in Romans 7:18-20, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

The roots of good and evil are tangled up within each of us.  It is a daily decision to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit that keeps us on the path of love.

God’s in control of the timing of the harvest

The workers in the parable were anxious to pull out the bad, but the land owner stopped them. Verse 30, “Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

That need for patience is echoed in Romans.  Verses 19-23, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”

Waiting is not a passive word in the New Testament.  We wait like the servant watching over the owner’s house while he’s gone.  The servant keeps it protected from thieves and running smoothly so when the owner arrives all is well.  So, we patiently wait, and continue doing the work Jesus taught us to do.

In a nutshell, this is what I believe the scriptures tell us today.

We are called to love each other and let the weeding be done by God.  This gospel lesson reminds us we may not be the best of judges as to what is good or evil.  We have the responsibility to choose which way to live our lives – to the flesh or to the spirit.  That choice is made moment by moment as we grow in our faith.  Lastly, we are called to be patient and trust God’s timing as we actively wait for our inheritance as children of God.

Amen