Sunday worship service 2-14-10
Scripture readings Psalm 96   1John 4:7-12      Luke 9:28-36

Pastor Mark began by saying that he might be taking an unconventional look at Luke's passages.  SURPRISE!

About eight days after Jesus foretold His death and resurrection he took Peter and John and James and went up on a mountain to pray.  Mountains are represented in most religions as sacred.  Not so many, though, talk about the journey up to the mountain.  It's as if everyone on the way up is preoccupied with the 'mountain-top questions' and doesn't take time to experience the journey.  We must be careful that our spiritual journeys aren't just waiting for  mountain-top experiences or for the Kingdom of God to arrive and that we attend to our thoughts and emotions all the way up.

A common way of looking at God's creation and humankind's place in it is that, ever since being expelled from the garden, God has been trying to save mankind and bring us home.  Some believe that plan included Jesus going to the cross.  God planned it and Jesus fulfilled it.  What if God's plan wasn't that well thought out?  What if the cross was but one of many possibilities.  What if Jesus said no?  Game over or would God have found another way?  Could Jesus say no to the cross?  If God gave all mankind free will surely he would have given the same to His only son.  If Jesus had to say yes to the cross then why did Satan test and tempt him?    Pastor Mark thinks that Jesus was being tempted from his ministries, that he was being tempted to use his power to save himself and forgo the rest of us.  If Jesus had to say yes then what was the purpose of temptation?

Pastor Mark suggests that Jesus went to the mountain-top with Peter and John and James because he had some questions.  Jesus may have wanted a conversation, wanted to talk things over.  After all, who arrives when he gets there?  Moses, the law-giver and Elijah the prophet.  What if, in Jesus prayers, in his conversation with God, Moses, Elijah, he was asking about His journey ahead?  After all his next stop was the beginning of the end/beginning.  What if this was an unchronicled foreshadowing of Jesus prayers in Gessemine?   Could they have been in a plenary meeting considering options for mankind's salvation?  Were decision tree's provided that included the 'tree' at Calvary?  What are your conversations with God about?  Do you face trials ahead?  In addition to conversations with God with whom will you consult?

Jesus doesn't stay on the mountain-top.  I don't think he wants us to, either.  Peter is so moved by the transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of the Law Giver and the Prophet that he wants to mark the place with three tents.  Their tents weren't just for camping and moving around they were also for worship, they were sanctuaries.  When Peter suggests this God interrupts him with a formal introduction of Jesus.  Some say that this was to announce Jesus as an element of God so that he not be confused with mortals, powerful as they may be.  Another idea about rejecting the tent idea is that when people stop and make a tent-place, a sanctuary, they may be tempted to stop and stay.  They may quit moving forward or finding other mountains.  Their spiritual journey might end.  The phrase "leap of faith" is attributed to Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish theologian, philosopher, and psychologist.  In one of his stories a leap of faith from a cliff is required for one to continue on his journey.  Also in the story is the idea that those who don't make the leap of faith stay and build churches.  Do you want to stay in your cozy church as presently constructed or is a leap of faith ahead in your life?

Blessings from Ken Rhea

Last Sunday the Reverend Richard Johnson preached.  He also preached the first sermon at Mesa Verde 50 years ago.  Spend a moment with him and you can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Reverend Johnson began by saying that belief and faith are personal choices.  One is free to choose or decline.  One of faith might say that this choice is God given, since He created man.  A God given choice that includes not choosing God.  Ideas for another time.

If one chooses to believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh on earth then what does Jesus want from us?  Reverend Johnson started with three basics:  Believe in Me; follow Me; trust Me.  Do you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh on earth?  Do you believe in the resurrected Jesus?  If you believe these things then how does your life change?  Believing without a life changing orientation seems like it might be lacking something.  If one believes then one's life should be enriched and reflect that enrichment, don't you think?

Jesus wants us to follow Him.  Not just to track His movements or to quote His parables but to walk with Him.  To follow Jesus as a believer is different than to follow Him as an interested party.  What does following Jesus mean to you?  What would it look like for you to be a real follower?

Trust Jesus?  What might that mean to you?  Trust that He is God in the flesh? Trust that He walks with us today?  Trust that you can see Him as He was seen on the road to Emmaus? If you trust that Jesus is who He says He is then how does that belief change your life?  Do you then believe that Jesus is in you, cares for you personally, answers your prayers?  If you trust Jesus then that means you can inherit the Kingdom of God on earth.  What do you say?  Will you believe?  Will you follow?  Will you trust?

Blessings from Ken

Recent themes and an idea for reflection.

A recurring theme from Pastor Mark is that God can show up at any time and he can use anyone as a spokesperson for Himself.  Mark advises us to pay attention and to look for 'God moments'.  These are moments when everything seems 'right'.  We are with the right person, saying or hearing the right thing, and we have a profound sense of being.  Have you had such an experience?  A familiar association to which most of us can relate is the feeling of being in love, or a swoon.  That experience can happen with Jesus/God also.  Look for it, pay attention.

Pastor Joseph has been sermonizing on creation; that which is Spirit and that which is created - including us.  He told us that there is no word 'spiritual' in the Hebrew language.  He also taught us some Hebrew words in Genesis and the creation story.  Powerful, emotional words that when spoken we can feel in our bones.  To the Jews everything is spiritual.  Nothing could be labeled spiritual for everything, everything in all of creation is spiritual.

An idea.  In very simple terms (the ones I can articulate), the view of reality from subatomic physics and astronomy looks like this:  Physical reality is not composed of building blocks of matter, but of fields of energy which comprise the universe.  Subatomic physics, in its search for fundamental building blocks, has found them to disappear and change into mutating patterns of energy best understood through field theory.  Matter becomes, then, a temporary condensation or density of a field of energy.  Spirit to created matter?

In the beginning there was the Word, and the Spirit of creation, and God.  In the beginning there was Spiritual Energy.  There still is.  IT can take any form and, as God, can show up in anyone, at any moment.

Blessings from Ken Rhea

Worship service December 20, 2009

This Sunday in the liturgical ca lander is sometimes known as Christmas Sunday or Mary's Sunday.  Protestants don't have the regard for the Virgin Mary that Catholics have.  For Catholics Mary is the intimate connection with God.  Remember, Jesus still hangs on the cross in Catholic churches.  It's difficult to make an intimate connection with Christ while He's hanging on the cross.  Mary makes it easier.  Protestants have an empty cross and so can connect intimately with Christ Himself.   

In worship service this Sunday Pastor Mark suggested that Mary and Joseph were in contrast with Eve and Adam.  Eve and Adam had the hubris to believe that they were not just caretakers of the garden.  They elevated themselves to the level of Creator and therefore got themselves expelled.  Mary and Joseph, however, humbly accepted God's choice for them.  Mary and Joseph said yes to God when He asked them to bring Him into the world and bear Him in the flesh.  Humility doesn't mean denying your God given talents but recognizing your place in relation to God. 

Angels spoke to Mary and Joseph but Pastor Mark suggested that Gad may use any  of us to be His voice.  He urges us to be alert to how God may be at work in our lives and that anyone out of anywhere may speak for Him.

Blessings from Ken Rhea

Blessings to all.
I've been off-line.  Sometimes life takes hold and wrestles us around like the electric dust storm that surrounds brawling cartoon characters.  Maybe that's appropriate for the season as, I've been told, the world was in darkness and the people had lost their way before the Christ Child was born.  Advent is the season of expectation preceding the promise.  It is the season of hope preceding hope delivered.  Advent doesn't always come with angels and guiding stars.  Pastor Mark is encouraging us to look for signs and symbols (you know the difference) that God is at work in us and around us.  You might see Christ coming in the expectations of happy children (forget Santa for a minute), something you see in the clouds, or an  unexpected kind word from  someone.  God is revealing the coming of Christ to us.  Look and let your senses come alive with hope and promise.

Peace be with you,

Ken Rhea

Worship service Sunday Nov. 8, 2009

The Collection

Paul was talking to the Galatians.  This may have been twenty years or so into the life of the early church.  The church in Jerusalem was failing.  They were no longer able to help the widows, orphans, and the poor.  The system of Deacons had fallen apart.  

Paul was talking to gentiles.    He was making an appeal for money for the church in Jerusalem.  Pastor Mark thinks this might be the first recorded effort of one group being asked to help a group it had never met; with members no one knew but for a purpose that all understood.  This may have been the first church wide offering and what has come to be known as 'The Collection.'

Even though Paul was appealing to a group with a poor economy the collection exceeded all expectations.  The outpouring was staggering.  The church in Jerusalem was once again able to serve one of its intended purposes.  Paul had asked the Galatians to trust in God's plan.  To give in trust alone that their money would go to the right people for the right purpose. 

We do the same with our apportionment giving to the United Methodist Church.  We give, trusting that those who administer the funds will use them to purposes of which we approve.  When we give we don't know exactly where the money will go but we trust it will serve God's plan.

Pastor Mark told us that Paul believed that God was, at His heart, generous.  When he bestowed a blessing or made a covenant with people He never went back on His word.  Thus, any act of generosity is a Godly act.  When you are generous remember you are performing an act of God.

Blessings,

Ken

Bible Study November 4, 2009 Luke 9:18-27 'Peter's confession of Christ'

Discussion follows Scripture

 18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone the disciples were with him; and he asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets has risen.” 20 And he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21 But he charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
 23 And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
 

Pastor Mark tells us that Luke's version of this story is somewhat different from the Gospel of Mark.  Mark's Gospel has the beginning of this story in the middle of his.  Mark builds to the question, "Who do they think I am?"  Luke starts out with the question.  Mark puts much more emphasis on this section of the story whereas in Luke it's just part of the story.  It's interesting that Vs. 19 uses the exact language used by Herod in the last story when Herod was asking, 'Who is this guy?'.  There was common confusion about The Son of Man.  Peter responds to Jesus' question by saying  that Jesus is the Christ of God.  Jesus acknowledges his correctness by describing the prophecy. 

To the people of that day the collective thought was that the Messiah would 'throw the Roman chains off of God's chosen people', the people of Israel.  The Israelites thought that the Messiah would return Israel to the glory days.  God, coming as Christ, had a different version of saving humanity.  God chose Israel as an example, as a model of how Love will bring good to the world.  One model can fit all people and all cultures.  God chose Israel for the Christ to do His work. Maybe the Israelites had let this idea go to their heads.  Maybe they had become God's 'arrogant people' and lost sight of God's purpose for Man.  Humility is one of Christ's lessons.

There is another fundamental and basic message for us in this story.  Anyone who follows Jesus will have some kind of experience on the cross.  That, in the name of Jesus, of love and goodness and right, one have an experience of suffering at the hands of others. 

Vs. 27 reminds us that we may have 'Kingdom of God' experiences before we go to our eternal reward. We do not have to wait for the Hereafter to experience God's Kingdom. 

"The earth shall be filled with the glory of God.  According to the Bible, that is the meaning of all the promises.  Jesus, come in the flesh, what is his will?  Of course, nothing else but the honor of his Father on earth." From Thy Kingdom Come, a Blumhardt Reader, edited by Vernard Eller.

Blessings,

Ken