Friday, March 27, 2009

That Horrid Event

Recently, I heard a comment from a concerned person, "I think the crucifixion of Christ is too graphic for my children." This of course is not the first time I heard this type of comment. Our liturgical calendar leads us through Lent and into Holy Week where we hear more and more about the suffering, crucifixion of Christ in preparation of the Resurrection event.

I still remember how hard it was for Marlane and I to share the reality of Jesus' suffering and death with our children...yes, it would definitely be a PG14 or R rating for some of the accounts and surmises of the this horrendous event that changed the world. Yet, that did not stop us from sharing it with our children. If our children could ask the questions, and they did, they deserved the answers.

It is pretty interesting how we as adults, and even some of our children sitting with us, have no problem with viewing CSI shows, reality TV, horrendous horror stories concerning murder, death, suicides, and the like. Yet, when it comes to the suffering and death of Christ, we want to avoid as much as possible, and gaze upon the empty cross only. We want to avoid any mention or thought of what Christ has done for the world. We definitely want to jump from the Hosannas of Palm Sunday to the Hallelujahs of Easter Sunday, and sidestep the passion of Christ.

But that is not what God would want us to do. God wants us to know and understand what God's sacrifice of His Son meant for us. God wants us to imagine and experience what Jesus went through to bring meaning to our celebration of Holy Communion, Jesus' body and blood given for the forgiveness of sin. God gave it all...and we should teach it to other adults and to our children.

Yes, the Passion is a terrible and horrid event in the life of Christ, but the event was for us. If others or our children as questions about the suffering and death of Christ, we should be prepared and readily give an explanation, and give them the rest of the story toward the Resurrection. Let's not avoid the reality. People love "reality" shows and we have a true reality that transforms lives and the world. Don't be afraid of the passion of Christ, but embrace it with a humble spirit and share it with others.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

ReTHINKing Church

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'” Matthew 25:34-36 (NIV)

Our economy has been a bit shaky over the past several months and it affects all of us to some degree. Many of us concern ourselves over how the economy may affect us directly, i.e., being laid off, companies or people not needing our services. Yet, God calls the church to be a verb and not a noun, especially in these times. What if we answered that call to be a church of action? What if we were more than a building that houses people for a weekly holy huddle? What if we did church in our community throughout six days of the week and then on Sundays, we celebrated with God what the church did in the previous days? What if…?

One opportunity to answer the “what-if question” for FUMC to be a verb, a word of action, is through financially assisting indigent people in time of need. During these down times of our economy, we receive an increase in viable requests for assistance in the community. Two local entities, the Whitesboro Ministerial Alliance (WMA) and Your Neighbors’ House (YNH) try to assist people in need. The Ministerial Alliance provides minimal assistance to people with gasoline vouchers, prescriptions, food vouchers, and occasional one night stays at Victorian Inn. However, the rules of the ministerial alliance are very stringent due to the availability of funds and ensuring that people do not abuse the system. Furthermore, Your Neighbor’s House assists with food needs on a once per month basis. As a church, we contribute $100 per month to Your Neighbors House. Both the WMA and YNH do a wonderful job with their limited resources and parameters of assistance.

These organizations’ subsistence helps many people, but is insufficient in some cases. Persons become unemployed through layoffs or medical difficulties and need help with rent or utility bills. Since the WMA and YNH does all they can do, we believe FUMC is called to go the extra mile and further assist those in need.

Janice McKee is assisting Finance and our church office with guidelines to provide additional assistance through our designated “Benevolence Fund.” In the next several weeks, details will be published, but the next Communion Rail Second Mile Offering (Sunday, April 5th) will go towards the designated “Benevolence Fund” to begin to assist qualified, indigent people of Whitesboro.

Bottom line, our reaching out to the community needs is what Jesus calls us to do in the scripture text above. The bottom line will allow us to be accused and convicted of being benevolent. Our mission outreach in our own back yard is one way we transform the word church from a noun to a verb – reTHINKing church!