Guns & Jesus

It becomes increasingly obscene to balance the American desire to cling to guns with the message of Christmas. We observe a holiday centered in the birth of a powerless and vulnerable child who lived a life of nonviolence. He chose weakness over power, love over force, sacrifice over self-will. How this life squares with the insistent demand to own weapons without restrictions is beyond me.

And while today’s church is obviously made up of human beings who live in the “real world” of the 21^st Century and not first century Palestine, trying to square the message of Christmas holiness with the “God-given” right to arm ourselves grows increasingly offensive.

We are confronted with two stories to live. There is the “American” story that offers violence, force and self-protection at all costs and that clamors for our rights as means to our salvation. And there is the story of Jesus Christ, one who was born in vulnerability and lived in trust. That story insists that ultimate victory belongs to “the lamb who was slain” by the violence of the world. That story insists that our responsibilities trump our rights, that community trumps self, and that forgiveness trumps retaliation.

Only one of these stories is true and worthy of our commitment. We cannot have it both ways.
 

Pastor Larry

Grace in the Twinkling of an Eye

I had a minor outpatient procedure this week, one that involved anesthesia for a brief time.  (Actually, I wasn’t planning to say “colonoscopy” here at all. But it’s an opportunity to say to you:  Please do not neglect this!  If you’ve never had one or are overdue, it’s no big deal – and it could save your life.  I’ve done too many funerals to believe otherwise. Go. You are too precious to God not to.)

Okay – now back to Tidings.  The most wondrous thing about this to me was the experience of the anesthesia.  I said it’s really a form of time-travel:  One second you’re in this room; the next second you’re in another room and an hour has gone by.  Zip!   It’s that immediate – and that amazing.  So many of you have had the same experience, maybe more often and for longer than mine.

But it got me pondering.

I give God great thanks for the gift of anesthesia and God’s trained practitioners. I also wondered if the gift of death is anything like this experience.  Your eyes close involuntarily.  Consciousness drops away. You lose any conception of earthly time.  You trust others to take care of your body. You are not in pain. You awaken in another location, seemingly immediately and yet much later.  You’re beckoned by soft voices that welcome you into a different reality from the one you left.

I take this as a glimpse of the mercy God has prepared for us. I know the reality is probably far more complex.  I believe in a time of judgment, for example (which this experience didn’t include).  But even in preparing for that moment we’re urged to remember that the One who judges us most finally is the same One who loves us most fully.

Christmas is obviously about the birth of Jesus, not his death. But our final encounter with Jesus can come at any moment.  A lot of us have lost family members over these past weeks, too, so any musing about death is always timely.  

So Paul writes to the Corinthians: 

Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye… and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Cor. 15:52)

Amazing things happen in the twinkling of an eye. Much to give thanks for.

Think Small

The opening verse of our Scripture reading for Sunday is a word of hope from Isaiah:

            A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

          and a branch shall grow out of his roots.   (Isaiah 11:1)

Odd words, aren’t they?  There’s a lot of hidden metaphor in that verse.  Jesse was King David’s father.  His “family tree” had come to an end.  Jesse’s clan was no longer the “royal family” – David was gone, his sons were dead or disgraced – and the prophet Isaiah likens his once-great family tree to a stump.

But Isaiah is saying that the longed for Messiah – God’s special chosen one who would lead Israel back to glory – would be a descendant of David nonetheless. He would come from this stunted family tree. The dead stump would send out a shoot.  Hope would peek out like a small bud or a twig or tendril.  This tentative growth would develop into a branch, and that branch become the lineage of the unexpected Messiah.

Notice the littleness of this new beginning.  A small shoot of new growth. A tender bud. Fragile, barely noticeable, easily overlooked. These are the ways of God. The world of commerce constantly shouts and screams; it tries to shock or dazzle or outrage.    But God enters quietly.  Jesus is born in a hidden stable, far away from the royal power brokers of the capital city.

That’s why Jesus constantly says, “Watch.” Hope will be born in your midst. 

You just have to think small.

 

Pastor Larry

Don't Believe Everything You Think

I saw another thought-provoking bumper sticker this week:  Don’t Believe Everything You Think.

It speaks on several levels, doesn’t it?  Don’t Believe Everything You Think. 

It could mean Don’t Close Your Mind, Stay Open to Truth. The things we think we know for sure always need to be tempered with humility.

It could mean Give the Benefit of the Doubt.  You may think you understand the whole situation, but the odds are very good you don’t.

And it could mean Watch What You Let Into Your Mind.  Modern culture barrages us with advertising, celebrities, bad news, and trivia. We need to control what comes into our inner world.  It’s incredibly hard to keep your view of the world from growing cynical in 60 minutes once a week (at best). Worship alone isn’t enough.

I’m not striking the stereotypical anti-commerce “Feel guilty for buying Christmas presents” note here. Just a reminder that if you’re not intentionally devoting time to Jesus, you’re more susceptible to the junk all around you. You may find yourself believing everything you think.

Take time for quiet.  Find times and places of solitude.  Read the Gospel of Luke, or the Psalms, or devotional books, or anything reflective and uplifting.  Make time for music (such as Handel’s Messiah here Sunday morning) and for worship. Pray, no matter “how bad” you think you are at it.   Hold on to all that is good and holy and true this season. Believe the good news of God.

 

               Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,

so that you may discern what is will of God – good, acceptable and perfect.

                                                                 (Romans 12:2)

 

Pastor Larry

I’ve always sort of been a sucker for reunions.  I’m the rare bird that enjoys high school reunions. If I’m invited back to a former church, I like seeing and hearing how peoples’ lives have unfolded in my absence. I dream about former homes and past communities.

This week a group of my former classmates is attending a Yale Divinity School 35^th Cluster Reunion.  I went 5 years ago and hope to go in another five, so I decided to sit this one out.  But I’ve enjoyed reading Facebook updates from old friends and classmates and remembering how my faith was shaped by those years in New Haven.

My “conversion experience” happened through the teaching of Robert Johnson in systematic theology, where sin was first explained in a way that I said, “Oh, that’s me.” And once I saw that, I knew that Jesus came for me as well, and that the Christian story was my story too, and … well, all sorts of things began to click into place after that. Thank you, God, for Robert Johnson.

My spiritual life grew under the guidance and friendship of Henri Nouwen. While I was first visiting the school, this unknown man with the heavy Dutch accent welcomed me to his apartment for tea and conversation. I had the privilege of getting to know him in worship, in the classroom, and even at the movie theater.  (He loved “Star Wars.”) Thank you, God, for Henri Nouwen.

Joan Forsberg taught me that being interrupted by people wasn’t a distraction from my ministry, it was my ministry. Abraham Malherbe and Marvin Pope opened the Scriptures to me in a vivid and life-changing way.  Bill Muehl’s wisdom in preaching has helped me prepare to preach almost every single week since.  Thank you, God, for them all.

Each of these people has passed away in the intervening 35 years.  And one aspect of heaven that captivates me powerfully is the notion of an eternal reunion.  I want to see my Dad and his parents and Cousin Ellen and so many others – but I know I’d be blessed by seeing these wonderful teachers again too.  I’d say Thank You – and I’d ask what they’ve learned since they came to heaven that they could pass on!

Celebrate the people – and don’t lose contact with those – who’ve shaped your life.

This Sunday we get to be reunited with a living teacher and friend to Burke UMC.  The Rev. Dr. Justin Allen, son of Randy and Gail, influenced numerous youth when he worked here as a youth pastor years ago.  Justin is now the Dean of Spiritual Life and Director of the Institute for Church Professions at Shenandoah University in Winchester. 

I hope you’ll come to welcome and hear this dynamic young church leader, one who himself will be remembered by hundreds of students in the years to come.

Pastor Larry

Families

Murphy's Laws for Parents   1. The tennis shoes you must replace today will go on sale next week. 2. Leakproof thermoses -- will.   Family life – it’s rich and fulfilling; it’s exasperating and challenging; it’s funny and frightening; it’s sometimes ugly, frequently upsetting, and nearly always unpredictable.  It’s also a reflection of God’s glory in all of its facets.   The Bible says, It is not good for one to be alone.  And elsewhere we are assured, God settest the solitary in families.   3. The chances of a piece of bread falling with the grape jelly side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet. 4. The garbage truck will be two doors past your house when the argument over whose day it is to take out the trash ends.   Our ability as human beings to live together well is determined in large part by our experience in families. And while the earliest years may be the most crucial, our identity is also heavily shaped by our own adolescence – and living with adolescent children.  My sons are now in their mid-20’s, and Bev and I are learning new ways to parent and to be together as a family.   5. The shirt your child must wear today will be the only one that needs to be washed or mended. 6. Gym clothes left at school in lockers mildew at a faster rate than other clothing.   That’s why I’m so glad to be beginning our Third Thursday program, which starts tonight.  It’s a time for families to come together for a simple meal, then to choose among a number of opportunities for conversation and growth. We’ll do this every Third Thursday (except December 20) through the year.   I especially want to encourage you to attend the monthly sessions on Family Life, led by Francine Ronis.   7. The item your child lost, and must have for school within the next ten seconds, will be found in the last place you look.   Francine is a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Center for Pastoral Counseling (CPC) of Northern Virginia.  She holds Masters degrees in both Counseling and Development, and Early Childhood Education, and has been working with families and individuals in the Northern Virginia area for more than ten years. She specializes in working with children and families experiencing relational problems, behavior difficulties and attachment issues, and with new parents (birth and adoptive) around issues of bonding, positive discipline, and changing family dynamics.   Tonight’s Theme is “Relating to the People I’m Related To.” We’ll discuss the concepts of emotional intelligence with Francine.  You’ll learn more about how you can improve relationships in your family with some simple skills, knowledge, and understanding.   8. Sick children recover miraculously when the pediatrician enters the treatment room. 9. Refrigerated items, used daily, will gravitate toward the back of the refrigerator.   Join us this evening – October 18, beginning with dinner at 6:00 and programs at 7:00 – and every Third Thursday this year for the opportunity to strengthen our lives as members of a family.    10. Your chances of being seen by someone you know dramatically increase if you drive your child to school in your robe and curlers.

 

                Pastor Larry

New faces here ...

News about New Faces here at Burke UMC: 

Last Saturday evening we gave thanks and blessings to Kishore Carey, our LifeSign Music Director.  Kishore has served in this capacity for the last year or so, but in recent months he’s found his plate filling up rapidly with work, other ministries, family obligations, and some personal dreams as well.  Kishore felt it was time for him to step away to pursue these other callings, plus carve out some Sabbath for himself in his very full schedule. We thanked him with a gift, prayers, and a potluck supper, and we continue to pray God’s blessings upon him in the days ahead. Thank you, Kishore!

Stepping into this role as Interim Music Director will be Tommy Webster.  Tommy is a gifted keyboardist and contemporary worship leader currently employed as the Director of Music at St. George’s UMC on Ox Road. (He also happens to be the husband of Katie Webster, our Director of Christian Education.) Tommy’s influences will undoubtedly bring a new approach to the LifeSign service, so whether or not you’ve attended a LifeSign service before, come check it out soon.  We worship at 5:00 pm Saturdays.

If you have children in our nursery, you’ll soon see some new faces to replace long-time assistants Shelly Neely and Harriett Dershewitz.  We thank them and bless them for their years of faithful service, and we likewise pray God’s blessings upon Shelly and Harriett in their new ventures.  We have already welcomed the delightful Lisa Poppalardo into the nursery staff rotation, and undoubtedly you’ll meet others. We’ve been emphasizing excellence in hospitality, love and safety for our littlest ones, and that emphasis will continue!

A soon-to-be-familiar face will be Francine Ronis. Francine is a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Center for Pastoral Counseling (CP) in Northern Virginia.  She will be a monthly presenter at every Third Thursday Dinner & Program that begins this month. Francine will focus each month on some aspect of family life that will be applicable for families of every sort and age.  On October 18 she’ll explore how the concept of Emotional Intelligence can improve love and communication within your family. You’ll enjoy Francine’s spirit and approach a great deal.

In my devotional reading this morning I re-read Paul’s brief autobiography in Galatians 1-2.  He states there that God … had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, [and] was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him…. (Gal. 1:15-16)  Paul found an amazing sense of ‘rightness’ when he began doing what he believed God had put him on this earth to do. In the same way, when you and I are living God’s dream for our life, it’s a strengthening, joyous feeling that evokes our gratitude for life.  I had that conviction this morning in prayer about my life.  I hope you do too.   

If you don’t, Burke UMC can help you name your gifts and discern God’s guidance in your life. Please feel free to call me or Pastor Morgan – or anyone on our staff – and it will be our joy to listen with you for God’s true claim upon your life. 

 

With love,

 

Pastor Larry

 

 

This Could Be the Best $100 Ever Spent

This past Sunday in worship, we lifted up Sadie Mae Lauer in prayer.  Sadie, you may know, is the 2-year old daughter of Ethan & Erin Lauer who’s been fighting childhood cancer.  Sadie’s parents had gotten distressing news of elevated numbers in one of Sadie’s tests, and they were quite anxious.

Katie Buethe highlighted the work that Anna Lauer, age 7, has been doing to help her younger sister.  Anna staffed a lemonade stand in her neighborhood that brought in over $1400 – and she is helping to organize a CureSearch Walk on October 14. (See http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sadiemaelauer.) The devoted love of Anna for Sadie Mae was – and is – deeply touching to all of us.

I learned after the service that someone in the congregation gave Katie an envelope to hand to Anna.  When the envelope was opened, Anna learned that an anonymous friend and co-worshiper had given her a $100 bill! Can you imagine the awe that a seven-year old girl felt holding a $100 bill? Anna kept saying, “I can’t believe it!”  She then decided to take the final $6.00 in her own piggybank and add that to all the donations.

So, Generous Giver, the remainder of this note is to you.

I’m thankful to you, Generous Giver, for several reasons. First is your immediate response to the Holy Spirit that nudged you.  Christians, as we say, don’t have good ideas, they get promptings from the Holy Spirit. You listened and you acted.  You were attentive and obedient to that inner voice of extravagant generosity. God bless you.

Another is your anonymity.  As far as I know, the $100 could have been a gift from anyone in the church.  I love knowing that everyone I see here could be you, and that this congregation is full of people who could be the doer of what you did.  I hope I don’t learn who you are, Generous Giver.  I like it better this way.

I’m thankful that you directed your $100 gift directly to Anna.  She is a remarkable girl.  I know I still feel a little bit of awe when I hold such a large bill, so I love imagining what Anna felt.  Your putting that smile on her face and that giddiness in her heart shows your love for children as much as making the donation for Sadie Mae itself. 

And I’m grateful that you have placed this witness of what the church can be in Anna’s heart – and in her parent’s hearts too.  Generous Giver, this becomes part of how these girls will think about the church of Jesus Christ for the rest of their lives. This is a wonderful legacy.  When they each hear people scoff at, or denigrate, or ignore Christianity, I feel sure they’ll say, “Not so fast.  Let me tell you what the church is about.”  And they can tell the story of what happened last Sunday.

You have strengthened our witness for Jesus Christ for years to come.  The Lauers will never forget it, and they’ll tell others.  And it all started with a whisper in your heart!

You’ll be pleased to know, by the way, that the high numbers were the result of a lab error.  Sadie is still cancer free!  But thousands of other children need the love and support you gave.  Thank you.

I’ll look forward to seeing you this Sunday, G.G.  And since anyone could be you, and you could be anyone –

I know I will!

 

Pastor Larry

Jesus is My Candidate

When the program staff and I began thinking of our September sermon series many months ago, we spent a fair amount of time discussing the phrase “Jesus is My Candidate.”  We wanted to lift up the name of Jesus in the midst of an overwhelmingly divisive political season. We also wanted something ‘edgy’ that would attract attention but that also fit the character of the Burke community. We ended up believing that “Jesus is My Candidate:  I Vote for Him Every Day” worked well.

We’re at the half-way point of the Sunday sermon series itself, though we hope the ‘campaign’ will continue in other ways:  social media, road signs, buttons, bumper stickers, and so on.  But the social media response has been surprising.

We purchased the domain name www.jesusismycandidate.com and linked it to our Burke UMC home page.  So far over 30 people have “Googled” the phrase “Jesus Is My Candidate” and arrived at that site; over 500 visitors have come there through other routes.  On that site you’ll find a list of creative and thoughtful ways that people around the world “vote for” Jesus every day of their lives. 

Those who go on to our church’s website visit 3-4 other pages on average, obviously interested in the life of the church in more depth.   This has given our website three times the amount of traffic than usual! People are learning about Burke UMC and its ministries.

Morgan and Katie have also led the visibility of Jesus is My Candidate on Twitter.  As of mid-day today (Thursday), over 500 “tweets” have been posted using the hashtag #jesusismycandidate.  This hashtag #jesusismycandidate has “trended” in areas all over the country – and Great Britain and Japan, among other places – and has even appeared among the Top Ten trending tweets in the US.  Today Morgan was invited to write for the Huffington Post on “Jesus is My Candidate.”

All of this is saying that people find the phrase and the idea compelling.  They want to know more. Sure, it can be misunderstood, criticized and rejected out of hand.  Christians know about that.  Christianity would not exist if Jesus had buckled under that fact.  But it also encourages us to remember.  Remember that politics will not save us. Remember that we are all one in Christ Jesus. Remember that more unites us than divides us. And remember that our deepest allegiance is never to a political party or an economic system, but always to the Kingdom of God.

We’ll conclude our campaign on Election Night, November 6.  We invite you to a Service of Holy Communion that evening at 7:00 pm.   Together we will, as one people, pray for and celebrate His victory.

Pastor Larry

This week’s events in Libya and Egypt are yet another reminder why the proper religious responses to interfaith conflict are respect and humility.  We can be devout believers and still honor sisters and brothers who belong to different faith traditions.  Saying as much is neither an apology, nor a sacrilege, nor treason.

As believers, we’re certainly entitled to a passionate commitment to the truth of our own belief system.  For example, I believe that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact, not a subjective decision. But it’s by an act of faith that I believe it’s a fact.  Others don’t share that faith.  I also believe that the God Muslims call Allah is the same God Christians and Jews worship, but I don’t believe that the Qu’ran is revelation from our shared God, despite Islam’s claim.  But that’s also my belief by an act of faith.  And as long as faith is a matter of faith, humility before God remains faith’s necessary companion.

There is some significant misunderstanding over the timing of the Cairo Embassy’s statement condemning religious intolerance.  But there ought not to be argument over its wisdom:  The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims — as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions.

Amen.

Many of you know some of the interfaith threads that weave through my own life:

  ·         My grandmother’s grandmother was Jewish.
  ·         My two longest and closest friends are both Jewish.  We met when we were 6 years old and have been friends for over 50 years.
  ·         In my brief college journey out of Christianity I delved into Hinduism.  My path back to Jesus Christ and the ministry was encouraged by my Hindu professor, Dr. Seshagiri Rao.
  ·         My younger brother was in a long-term relationship with a devout Muslim who joined us frequently at family gatherings.
  ·         My older brother has married a Jewish woman and since converted to Judaism.
  ·         (No deep connections with Buddhism other than reading, but my son met his wife in a college Zen Buddhism seminar.  That’s got to be worth something!)

Interfaith respect isn’t just a position I take on an issue.  It’s God’s gift to my life, borne by the lives of people I love.

That’s why I’m honored to be a speaker this Saturday afternoon, September 15, at a Celebration of Interfaith Solidarity at the Rajdhani Mandir Auditorium, 4525 Pleasant Valley Road, Chantilly.  The event is from 4:00 – 6:00.  It is sponsored by the United Hindu & Jain Temples of the Washington DC Metro area and will feature various religious and political leaders from Northern Virginia. It’s open to the public, and I would be delighted if you can come.  Please join me and many religious leaders of our community in supporting the deep faith commitments of the human spirit.

Pastor Larry

Jesus Is My Candidate

Conventions can be exciting events and make for good TV watching.  As a young teenager I discovered books by Fletcher Knebel and read his political novels Dark Horse and Convention (and, of course, Seven Days in May) avidly.  Most of the suspense has gone out of conventions nowadays, but it’s still a spectacle of color and energy, along with moments of high drama and low drama (e.g., Bill Clinton and Clint Eastwood; choose your order).

Ezra Klein wrote recently in the Washington Post that “Parties, and the platforms they produce, often matter more than the candidates.” He argues that party platforms contain the political vision that each party aims to govern by.  The great oratory of one candidate or the fumbling speech of another matter much less than the political philosophy of the party itself. 

The Apostle Paul said much the same thing.  He acknowledged to the Corinthians that he was “untrained in speech” and that others found his oratorical skills “contemptible.” Yet his message was the gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected, the power of salvation and the full revelation of God.  Now that was a platform! 

Similarly, I believe that one of the key planks in the platform of Jesus Christ is the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), especially the Beatitudes (5:1-12).  Here is the vision of life in the Kingdom of God.  Here is the shape of the community that God is bringing into being. Blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers.  Blessed are those who mourn and open their hearts to the pain of the world. Blessed are those famished for the realm of God’s righteousness. You shall be filled!  God will win.  And God’s governance will triumph. 

That’s one reason why Jesus Is My Candidate.  He outlines the way to life that far transcends partisan campaigning.  Arthur Boers reminds us, “A Christian’s first loyalty is to God’s Reign, and when that erodes we are in deep, deep trouble.” 

So let’s stay out of trouble.  Join us at any service in the month of September, and help make Jesus your candidate for the highest office in every land. 

 

Pastor Larry

A Deadly Silence

Before our summer sputters to a close, it’s worth noting how often illegal guns were involved in numerous tragedies.  The summer’s news included:

·         On July 20 in Aurora, Colorado, a single gunman killed 12 people and wounded 58 in a movie theatre.

·         Less than 3 weeks later, on August 5, a lone gunman with a 9 mm handgun shot and killed 6 people and injured four others in a Wisconsin Sikh temple.  Among the wounded were police officer Lt. Brian Murphy, shot 8-9 times at close range.  The gunman eventually shot himself.

·         On August 7, Jared Loughner pleaded guilty to shooting and killing 6 people and wounding 13 in Tucson in January 2011.

·         On August 12, 67 family members of the Virginia Tech massacre victims wrote President Obama and Governor Romney, pleading with them to break their silence and present a plan for gun control.

·         On August 24, a lone gunman shot and killed 2 people and wounded 9 near the Empire State Building in New York City.

·         Earlier this week, more than a dozen survivors and family members of the 2011 Tucson shootings outlined for Attorney General Eric Holder their campaign to stem gun violence. Their petition had over half a million signatures.

Every day in the United States, 34 persons are shot and killed by guns.  This is more than a Virginia Tech massacre every single day.  The national death rate by handguns would compare to the entire population of Fairfax being obliterated every two years.

I’m sick of hearing this sort of news week after week.

The petition that the Tucson and Virginia Tech families are proposing is available at www.demandaplan.org.  It calls upon both President Obama and Governor Romney to move beyond “a moment of silence” and propose a plan to curb handgun violence.

The petition doesn’t outline or advocate one specific set of solutions.  In that sense it’s intentionally non-partisan.  Rather, it pleads with both men – one of them surely our President for the next 4 years – to break their deadly silence on this most deadly issue.  We’re not well-served as a nation by allowing our leaders to ignore this problem altogether.  Yet that’s what both men aim to do.

That’s why I’ve signed the petition and posted it on Facebook.  I invite you to do the same.

My candidate, Jesus Christ, said, “Those who live by the sword will perish by the sword.”  And Lord, we are perishing!

Demand a plan.

Pastor Larry

Gas Up!

Any car that starts out on a road trip makes one essential stop before hitting the highway.  The gas station.  You need a full tank before you begin your trip.  The metaphor is pretty apparent:  As this new season of your life begins, do you have the fuel?       What’s in your tank?

 

I just read the story of John Sage and Greg Forsythe, two friends leading a creative business venture whose profits went to help street children in Costa Rica.  Greg, their chief financial officer, was an experienced executive who brought tremendous business skill and mentoring wisdom to the company.  Unexpectedly, Greg was invited to come to Houston to interview for the Number Two spot at Jiffy Lube.  John knew his company could never match that offer financially, but he drove Greg to the airport.

As Greg was getting out of the car, John said, “Just remember the Jiffy Lube slogan.”  Greg looked puzzled.  John continued, “I saw it on TV last night.  Their tag line is, ‘We don’t want to change the world, we just want to change your oil.’” He then wished Greg good luck.

When he returned two days later, Greg had rejected the Jiffy Lube offer.  He returned to their company for a fraction of the pay. Greg realized that his life couldn’t be about the money, it had to be about the meaning.

That’s what fills our tanks – the conviction that we’re doing something important with our lives. Your job may bring you that fulfillment.  You may also want to make more of your life, to add more meaning, to live your life more fully. 

We’re a congregation full of people like Greg.  Our fuel is meaning.  So we teach children, we sing in worship, and we mentor youth.  We go on mission trips, study more intentionally, and give generously. As we grow, we learn to recognize God’s opportunities when they appear.

 

This fall you'll have two opportunities to "fill your tank" with an understanding of the Bible.  Disciple 1 classes will meet Tuesday morning and Tuesday evening. This is the best gift you can give yourself and the world you want to change for the better.

The Apostle Paul praises the God “who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:23)  Why not make God your first stop this fall?

Pastor Larry

A Prayer for the Big Picture

I was looking for the word to describe why I’m going to do what I’m going to do this weekend. I discovered it:  multivocal.  (It’s actually pronounced mul-TIV-o-kul.)   From the basic interpretation of “many voices,” it denotes something having different meanings of relatively equal validity. 

Scripture is multivocal. Rarely does a Bible passage have a point. Rarely can we determine the meaning of a word or sentence. The richness of God’s word to us is that it can say different things to us at different times.

This weekend I plan to preach on the same passage that Morgan preached on last week:  Ephesians 3:14-21. I have no quibble with his excellent sermon and no reason to correct what he said. Rather, as our Monday evening RE-Focus group pondered this passage and Morgan’s sermon, we found ourselves going down a different path – one that I hadn’t yet taken from this passage before.   

Paul offers here what I call “A Prayer for the Big Picture.”  He prays these things for his hearers:

·        That they may be strengthened inwardly                               (v. 16)
·        That the love of Jesus Christ will dwell in their hearts          (vs. 17, 19a)
·        That they will grasp the immensity of God                             (v. 18)
·        That they will be filled with God’s fullness.                            (v. 19b)

This can be another way of grasping the Big Picture called Why Am I Here?  When life is fragile and short, what marks time on earth well-spent?  When life is long, what matters most?  When we dwell in the valley of the shadow of death, what do we focus on? 

Paul points us in this prayer to the Big Picture. We’re not here to figure life out – to answer some cosmic question – or just to “do the best we can.” The quality of human life is measured by our capacity to open our hearts to God and experience love.

This is Paul’s prayer for Ephesian people and for you.  How well is your life responding to this prayer?  Do you know the inner strength of God that enables you to be patient – forgiving – thoughtful – and kind?  Do you know you are loved with a love that surpasses all human understanding?  Are you ever bowled-over and awed by the hand of God in the world?  And are you growing in love?  Is your heart becoming fuller as you age, or emptier, or more apathetic and cynical?

Scripture is multivocal.  Familiar passages, read again, will yield new meanings.  I’ll invite you this weekend – at Saturday LifeSign and at Sunday services – to listen again to this familiar prayer.  See if it helps you see God’s “BIG Picture” for your life in a new light.

Pastor Larry

Bishop Young Jin Cho

I understand that for many of us, the identity of the Bishop of United Methodists in Virginia is too far removed from us to make much of a difference. The head of your particular division or company may be more important to you than to your neighbors.

But since we have chosen to affiliate with Burke United Methodist Church, since we are all members of this Body of Christ, and since the nature of the person “at the top” influences the culture and direction of the body as a whole – I want to say a word about our new Bishop.

Young Jin Cho reminds us of the power of the worldwide church – and the global character of United Methodism. He is the first Asian Bishop in the Southeastern Jurisdiction of United Methodist churches and the first non-Anglo / person of color ever to serve as Bishop of Virginia. If we ever despair of the world not changing much, here is proof that that’s not true.

Young Jin served for 22 years as the pastor of the Korean United Methodist Church of Greater Washington in McLean.  Under his leadership the church bought a smaller United Methodist church with cash, successfully completed three building projects, and guided it to become the largest worshiping congregation in our Conference (over 1000 people in worship each week). I would venture to say that more people have been sent into ordained ministry in the last 20 years from KUMC than from any other church in the Conference.

Young Jin became the Superintendent of the Arlington District in 2006.  This means he has offered spiritual and institutional guidance to roughly half of all UM churches in Northern Virginia, and his influence has been widely felt as well.  I had the privilege of working with him for several years prior to my arrival here at Burke.  Young Jin believes that in every aspect, the church’s vitality depends on its strong prayerful connection with God through Jesus Christ.  When we attend to our spiritual identity, then other measures of growth and fruitfulness will appear.  When we ignore the disciplined spiritual life, everything else is hollow.

Young Jin begins his duties on September 1. Because of our mandatory retirement age, he will only be able to serve as Bishop for one four-year period.  Since it takes any new Bishop (or pastor) about two years to get to know a new community, Young Jin’s assignment anywhere else would have severely limited his ability to make a difference for Jesus Christ.  Since he knows Virginia and vice-versa, his assignment here offers a unique opportunity for both continuity and re-focus.

I hope to welcome Young Jin here at Burke UMC in the near future, as his schedule permits. In the meantime, I invite your prayers that his leadership will indeed deepen our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our ministries in His name.

Grace and peace, 

Pastor Larry