Fathers' Day Message

John 14: 1-14 Sermon by Michael R. Martin First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Jesus, the Way to the Father - John 14:1-14 (NLT)

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

I should start out by saying I have no unique perspective on fathers or being a father. I am a father, of course, but as I reflect back in my changing role as father to my two children, in their early twenties now, I only understand that what it means to be a father will continue to change. For me, now, it's a lot less changing diapers and a lot more "can I have some money?"! Being a father is trying at times, especially since we are usually placed in the role of the disciplinarian, and there is a certain age range when your children definitely don't want to be seen with you. But it is all worth it for those memories of special times spent together and those unexpected moments when your child shows his or her love for you.

I also reflect on the fathers in my life - my biological father, who raised me, but also those men in my life who had a major impact on who I am as a person and father.

My father was in the armed forces and was a fairly strict disciplinarian. But he also had a wonderful sense of humor and taught me how to fish. My best memories with him are of fishing for smallmouth bass in Crystal Lake.

My grandfather, Grampy, who was a carpenter. He was a quiet man and I spent a lot of time with him in his garage, watching him build things.

A Baptist youth minister who led me to Christ when I was a teenager.

My high school science teacher was someone who helped me get beyond being a teenager and see the potential in life.

My Uncle George who took me in for a week each summer at Newfound Lake, where he was the State Park Manager. It was there with him that I made the decision to become a lake scientist.

A local man who was instrumental in our moving to the Adirondacks. He helped me to grow as a businessman and served as a wonderful role model on how to be a father.

The bible doesn’t provide much direct guidance specific to being a father. Most of its mention of "father" is in reference to God the Father. There is, however:

Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged. Colossians 3:21 NLTse

The Book of Proverbs is full of advice to children regarding their father, but again there isn't much direct guidance imparted to us as fathers. There are such pearls as:

Listen to your father, who gave you life, Proverbs 23:22
A foolish child* is a calamity to a father; Proverbs 19:13

Or the ominous:

If you insult your father or mother,
your light will be snuffed out in total darkness. Proverbs 20:20

We do, however, have Proverbs Chapter 4: A Father's Wise Advice

My children,* listen when your father corrects you.
Pay attention and learn good judgment,
for I am giving you good guidance. Don't turn away from my instructions.
For I, too, was once my father's son, tenderly loved as my mother's only child.
My father taught me, "Take my words to heart.
Follow my commands, and you will live.
Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
Don't forget my words or turn away from them.
Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
Love her, and she will guard you.
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
Embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
she will present you with a beautiful crown."
My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life.
I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths.

Being a disciple is much like being a father. We plant a seed, nurture it and pray that it grows well and fruits productively. The advantage for the father is he gets to see the fruits of his labor, while the disciple may plant a seed that takes root at a time and place beyond his or her knowing. Nonetheless, we should continue to plant those seeds.

As fathers, we are a link in the chain of life, father to son, father to son. A father starts out providing maintenance: helping to feed and clean and nurture the young child. Later, a father provides discipline, a framework of right and wrong. Then, the father becomes the mentor, teaching by example and sharing life lessons. And, hopefully, if you've done everything well enough, a father becomes a refuge, a safe haven. Being a father therefore is much like our relationship with God, our Father. There are trials and tribulations. But great rewards.

So it is with our Father God. Before we know Him, He provides prevenient grace, guiding us, waiting for us to grow, feeding and nurturing us. Through disciplines of study, worship and prayer, we come to know right and wrong, how to live our lives. We are thus mentored and grow. And we continue that cycle, passing Him onto others.

I will leave you with this short verse:

Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?* Hebrews 12:9 NLTse

Happy Father’s Day.

Michael R. Martin – June 15, 2014 First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

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Ministry Matters™ | Blog | Don't Give 'em What They Want

Ministry Matters™ | Blog | Don't Give 'em What They Want

Shane Raynor offers this interesting insight into church "Strategies"

Mysticism

Jesus’ teachings were never popular, simplistic, repetitious verses to be mumbled weekly as a means to satisfy an unapproachable and unknowable deity. Rather, His teachings challenge each of us to make friends with the Spirit within each of us so that we might experience the living eternal presence of a loving God. Jesus message was clear: each of us has a personal connection to the creator of the universe who wishes us to call Him Father. If we will but move past the things of earth, past the illusion that we are at home here, and that we can have both the things of earth and the joy of heaven, our souls will lead us to higher levels of communication with God. God speaks to each of us who intentionally opens a channel of communication with him. Mysticism is nothing more than shutting out the world long enough to listen to God—high voltage prayer.

Christ's disciples were the first Christian mystics because they followed the discipline Jesus taught them. All but one of Jesus’ disciples was martyred for their determination to spread his teachings; however, their voices were so impassioned and their “truth” so authentic, they changed the world. Converts to the disciples’ metaphysical message began to communicate with a holy presence which could not be understood or seen by people who maintained their allegiance to the world. Nonetheless this presence was real and tangible to these followers who fell in love with and gave their lives for Jesus and his Father.

Saints of every time period are those who take themselves out of the world in order to hear God. It is called a life of contemplation. Many of our well-known saints—Saint John of the Cross, Saint Theresa of Avila, Saint Francis, Hildegard of Bingen, Mother Theresa, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and Thomas Merton are all well known Christian mystics. Mother Theresa, Teilhard de Chardin, and Merton were all mystics of the twentieth century. Like the prophet Elisha who ran from the world to live in a cave, these people shut themselves off from the world in order to hear “the still small voice of God.”

If anyone thinks this is an easy life, try sitting patiently until God speaks to you. Most of us can’t even quiet ourselves long enough to watch a rainbow or sunset from start to finish or to stay with a fire long enough until the embers die, let alone to sit long enough to not only recognize God’s voice but also to slog through our skepticism and disbelief. Can you imagine anyone announcing to his or her spouse, church, or community, “I have decided to become a Christian mystic.” We would immediately be pummeled with questions like: how will you buy bread? If we answered “Man does not live by bread alone,” clearly we are following our Lord’s teachings; even so, our friends and neighbors would think us mad just as they did Saint Francis a thousand years ago.

There was a time in human history when being “one who communicated with God” was considered a holy calling and those who accepted the call holy people. Jewish rabbinic communities supported men who devoted their lives to study. In early Christianity, monasteries became places for people to leave the world behind and to devote their lives to contemplating the nature of God. Almost all cultures have had medicine men, saints, and holy lepers. These cultures valued men and women who were willing to receive God through the really hard work of self-surrender and meditation because with that commitment miracles, healing, and faith grew among the people. Christian mystics brought not only God’s word but also often supernatural and unexplainable acts to the physical world. Why then has Christianity become less and less accepting of this evocation? My thought is that often the voice of God is frightening to those who have not committed themselves to receiving Him. Religion comforts the worldly with rote sayings and oaths that make a personal relationship with God impossible for many.

When Michael and I first talked of collaborating on a book of meditations, I readily agreed to do so because I enjoy creative worship projects. Before long, I realized that Michael was transmitting God’s desire to be God With Us in his poetry. Michael was being led to a whole different level of Christian writing. He was literally transcribing messages from the Holy Spirit as have other mystics through the ages. There have been moments when I read one of Michael’s poems that my eyes sting and my body burns; my heart lays heavy with a grief for being away from heaven. I “get the power” of Michael’s words, but I can’t hold onto them. They aren’t so easily absorbed and categorized into my thought process. I have to sit as he has with the idea that my soul needs to be in communication with God and that communication is not so easy to come by. It takes practice. It takes commitment. It takes desire to say as Saint Francis did “My God and my all.” How we will proceed with this work is beyond my imagination and Michael’s control. Clearly, his soul has found a way to adore the Father with such wisdom that both Michael and I are simply audience to his work. I am reminded of the scripture “You don’t have because you don’t ask and you don’t ask because you don’t know how to ask.” In Michael’s striving to know God, he has apparently asked the right questions because the floodgate’s of Heaven are open to him. These writings are not for the spiritually immature who think their tradition will save them; it is for the spiritually hungry who know they are missing something their religion isn’t giving them. Those who resonate with Michael’s writing should see them as a stepping stone to their own inner wisdom, their own God within.
_______________
Introduction by Maggie McCary to "Soul Insights: Christians Bridging the New Age" - http://ChristiansBridging.com

Your Reward

I wrapped you in my loving arms
More than you received, you gave that love to others
Knowing you would always be filled up with my love
You held my hand through times of great tribulation
You stood with the great truth at your side
And now this shall be your reward

Go forth in life and accept the goodness I shall lay in your path
__________________________
from Soul Insights: Bridging the New Age for Christians
by Michael R. Martin, CLS
with Maggie McCary

____________________
Posted using BlogPress app on my iPhone

The Addict's Prayer

You woke me up
To this new day
Clean and sober
With thanks I pray

You gave me life
And when I stumbled
You brought me here
To make me humble

Brothers and sisters
Who've been there, too
It's death or life
And I chose you

So thank you, Lord
For this new day
Clean and sober
These things I pray.






copyright (c) Michael R Martin 2011
____________________
Posted using BlogPress app on my iPhone

The Trinity

In our lives, think of the Trinity in terms of Christian action:
Father, Son & Holy Spirit = Head, Hands & Heart

Father: Study the scriptures – don't read but truly study them, dig around. Use your head to come to know God

Son: Like Jesus, give your life, your hands to the service of God

Holy Spirit: Give your heart to God so that you might bring light and love into the world around you.

My Farewell and Hello

As i led my last service at the United Methodist Church in Saranac Lake, the scriptures gave me strength and led me to know I was on the right path. I have been suffering by ignoring my call and holding back. That is done.
________
Isaiah 49:3-5

He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel,
and you will bring me glory."
I replied, "But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the LORD's hand;
I will trust God for my reward."
And now the LORD speaks—
the one who formed me in my mother's womb to be his servant,
who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.
The LORD has honored me,
and my God has given me strength.

Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Psalm 40:1-4
I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the LORD.
Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9
I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
_______

My Farewell

"After 10 years as voluntary praise service music minister for the First United Methodist Church in Saranac Lake - and at a time when I'm told there would only continue to be a Praise Service if it is run voluntarily and entirely unsupported by the Church - I have decided to accept a position as Music Minister at a non-denominational service held every Sunday 10AM at St. Joseph's Addiction Treatment & Recovery Center in Saranac Lake. St. Joe's was founded by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement and is Roman Catholic. The service, however, is non-denominational and INCLUSIVE, under the Roman Catholic Womanpriests initiative (http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/). The worship is being led by ordained Christopher Courtwright-Cox and is offered for St. Joseph in-patients and open to the outside public.

I welcome this position as an opportunity to pursue my calling in music and ministry in an open, supportive environment. I've served as guest minister at St. Josephs on several occasions, so I know the power of the Holy Spirit moving in a room of souls crying out for a greater closeness with God. It is regrettable that for most of the years I served the First UMC, the Praise Service was rarely treated as a legitimate part of this Church's ministry. Nevertheless, I took my role seriously, spent many hours each week preparing for each service, and maintained a high standard as a UMC CERTIFIED LAY SPEAKER. While some may think that certification is just a title, it represents a certain level of discipline and study undertaken by the individual, as well as a vote of confidence by one's home church and peers.

I value the friendships I have made, and the experience gained while serving. I wish you all well. I hope that you will take the time to come check out our service one Sunday. Perhaps, too, I will be back as a guest musician or minister at YOUR church some time in the future. And, lastly, this might be an opportunity for this Methodist Church to examine its priorities and actually develop a coordinated worship plan. I'd be happy to participate in such an effort."

We shall (can) all prophesy

Acts 2:17-18 (AMP)
And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [*telling forth the divine counsels] and your young men shall see visions (^divinely granted appearances), and your old men shall dream [^divinely suggested] dreams. Yes, and on My menservants also and on My maidservants in those days I will pour out of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy [*telling forth the divine counsels and ^predicting future events pertaining especially to God's kingdom].

*G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon
^Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon

A Message for the Season: Love Fulfills God's Requirements

Romans 13:8, 10 (NLTse)
Love Fulfills God's Requirements

[8] Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.
. . .
[10] Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law.

Romans 13:8, 10-14 (MSG)
Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along.
. . .
You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.

But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

The Providence of God

"He saw also that the providence of God is a circle of loving and giving, God serving His poor through the bounty of His rich, and His poor offering up their thanks to Him."

From "My God and My All: The Life of St. Francis of Assisi" by Elizabeth Goudge, P. 56

Christmas Prayer (or Pastor's Lament)

I lay me down, not sure the reason,
For I can't sleep in Christmas season
When all around me, here and there,
Apathy hath filled the air.
Come Christmas Eve or Christmas morn
Its not about the Savior born
Fellowship? Good News spread?
That egg nog's gone right to your head!
Good pastor, you this Church must grow
But don't disturb the status quo
(Especially the Christmas Show,
It's very special, don't you know?)

Good Christians all (I'm pretty sure)
Come walking weekly through our door
And rush to chat up the rare new face
That finds its way into God's place
Did I say God? Oh, heavens me!
What I meant was Church Trustee.
But just for now I simply pray
That God will grant another day
That I might use to do His will
And grant me sleep, that's better still!
I'll take His testing 'round the clock
For the privilige to guide His flock.

Life of Christ Glass Slides

The images in this slideshow are scans of painted glass slides used for projection shows in the late 1800s (?) and early 1900s. The nearly complete set was found in a wooden box marked "Life of Christ" in our church, The First United Methodist Church of  Saranac Lake. They would have been used in a special projector - early multimedia! I have been told that at  one time there was a big old projector in the church but it is no longer anywhere to be found. The titles are from paper labels on each slide.

Cedar Eden - The Blog: Religious TV Today - There should be a WHOLE LOT OF SMITING GOING ON!

Religious TV Today - There should be a WHOLE LOT OF SMITING GOING ON!

So I am unwinding after my early Praise Service and decided to flip through the religious channels on DirecTV. There are a lot of choices at 10:30AM EDT. Every one - EVERY ONE - but two asked for money within 2 minutes of turning to the channel. And MOST within 30 seconds or less. It is wrapped up in false Christianity - don't you know the Lord WANTS you to have EVERYTHING you want. Wow! Such crap, such false teaching.

Here are the networks and the shows:

• Fox - Hour of Power (ready to start a new life with God, call now!)
  
• Inspirational Channel - Turning Point (get books and stuff with your gift - "order today")
• God TV - Missions Week - (a new season of giving for a new level of media ministry)
• World Harvest TV - (my favorite, God's diet plan!)
• Daystar - Ed young TV (i want you to connect with us/partner with us)
• The Church Channel - Medina Pullings (buy Dr. Pullings book)
• TBN - Pastor Ed young, Sr. (come to their Holy Land Experience Theme Park!)
• Word - Armor of God - come to our revival
  

Only TWO aren't direct marketing:

• EWTN - Faith and Culture (analysis of various religious views); One World Praying (leading the world in prayer - today it is Catholics and The Rosary) - I;m going to take down my Rosary and learn about Fatima
  
• BYU TV - Brigham Young University network (well, they are pushing just THEIR version of Christianity and THEIR University
  

Isn't ANY wonder that the unchurched are turned off? Think about it. This is probably the ONLY religion that many people are exposed to, and only as they quickly turn to and say "Oh, see, there they go again. Just asking for money."

Imagine the Heavenly Host looking down and tuning in. . . .

• It makes a pretty good argument for their IS NO GOD!
• There should be a whole lot of smiting going on!

Expectations • January 25, 2009

Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:5-12l; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Expectations

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (32-35) (NLT)

29 But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. 30 Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. 31 Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.

32 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 34 His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

Paul urges believers not to regard marriage, home, or financial security as the ultimate goals of life. As much as possible, we should live unhindered by the cares of this world, not getting involved with burdensome mortgages, budgets, investments, or debts that might keep us from doing God's work. A married man or woman, as Paul points out (1Co 7:33,34), must take care of earthly responsibilities — but they should make every effort to keep them modest and manageable. (from Life Application Study Bible.)

1 Corinthians 7:17 (NLT)

17 Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

In our reading from the Old Testament, the book of Jonah, a story of a minor prophet’s personal struggle with God over a mission on which he had been sent. In what is sometimes referred to as The Gospel of Second Chance, we have Jonah finally deciding to be obedient to the Lord, after running from him, then praying for him from within the great fish. The job Jonah was asked to do was decidedly not an easy task, or one that one would readily accept – to bring a message of doom to one of the most powerful cities in the world. Hence Johan’s Reluctance led to Disobedience, submission, obedience

Jonah 3:1-5, 10 (NLT) Jonah Goes to Nineveh

1 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”
3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

And in our Psalm, we have a centering prayer focused on God

Psalm 62:5-12 (NLT)

5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

Interlude

9 Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air.

10 Don’t make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life.

11 God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you;
12 unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done.

The Psalm reminds us that, although it is tempting to use honor, power, wealth, or prestige to measure people, and we may even think that such people are really getting ahead in life, on God's scales, these people are a "breath," a puff of air.


And our gospel reading tells of Jesus, following his baptism and temptation by Satan, walking the shores of Galilee and looking for a few good men – the first disciples.

Mark 1:14-20 (NLT)

14 Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. 15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

The First Disciples

16 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 18 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Expectations

When people first met Jesus, I wonder if they really knew what to expect. At some point, people began to see him as the promised Messiah, and so they had the promises of the Old Testament prophets to guide their expectations. But when Jesus first started his ministry, when he walked along the shore and called out to a few fishermen, what did those fishermen expect. When the crowds began to gather everywhere he went, what were they expecting to hear? When the poor, the lame, the sick began to press in around Jesus, just to see him, be near him, maybe touch his robe – what did the expect?

There is who you are, who you want to be, who people think you are, who you try to be for people. There is what other people see in you, what you do or see in yourself. There is what people tell you to do, there is what society tells or compels you to do. There is your conscience, which may be right or wrong.

We like to pigeonhole people. So to Marlene I am a husband; to my children, a father; to colleagues, a lake scientist; to my fellow Whompers bandmates, a musician and fellow Whomper; to you I am a certain kind of musician, perhaps as Pastor Al at Mooers UMC calls me – a gospel singer. Maybe to you I am a preacher, or just a fellow Christian, or a man with a message.

We can’t be all things to all people. Some days it feels like we can’t be anything to anybody. And some days we don’t feel like being anything to anybody.

If you could be one thing, relinquishing all other things, what would you be?

But people, men and woman, you and me – we aren’t one thing. We are many things with a whole lot of potential piled on top. 

Expectations can limit us, make us inflexible, resistant to change, to new ideas. Expectations can become very negative when we begin to expect anything from someone just because you think that is the way things should be. We limit ourselves, we limit each other.
As United Methodists, we have learned to accept that pastors come and pastors go. Such change may be a good thing, introducing us to new ideas, new ways of thinking, new ways of doing things. But it also can make us close ranks and cling to our old habits and rituals. We expect things to be the way we expect them to be – the times of our services and Sunday school, what room our pastor uses as an office . . .
We develop closed hearts, closed minds, closed doors – the very antithesis of the UMC global mission.

8946. The "Perfect Pastor"

After years of research, the profile of the "perfect pastor" has been developed. The perfect pastor preaches exactly fifteen minutes. He condemns sin, but never embarrasses anyone. He works from 8:00 A.M. until midnight and is also the church janitor.
He make $60 a week, wears good clothes, drives a new car, and gives $50 a week to the poor. He is twenty-eight years old and has been preaching for twenty-five years, is wonderfully gentle and handsome, loves to work with teenagers, and spends countless hours with senior citizens. He makes fifteen calls daily on parish families, shut-ins, and hospital patients, and he is always in his office when needed.
If your pastor does not measure up to this profile of the perfect pastor, simply send this description to six other churches that are tired of their pastor. Then bundle up your pastor and send him to the church on the top of the list.
In one week you will receive 1,643 pastors. One of them should be perfect.

So, IF we are many things, and IF we can’t be all things to all people, what then, are we to do?

 What does God expect of us?

What makes us human, makes us Christian, is our ability to focus, to rise up, when we see a need, a challenge, a crisis in the life of another human being.
And when we do that, we are doing what God expects of us. It isn’t what we want, what our spouse wants, what our kids, our parents want – it is precisely what God expects.

And in return, we can expect the One Truth, the Good News. We can expect to receive all of God’s grace and love, ALL of it. And, yet, there is still enough for everyone else to have it all, too.

Michael R. Martin – January 25, 2009
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

Sunday November 30, 2008 – First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 64:1–9; Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19; 1 Corinthians 1:3–9; Mark 13:24–37

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Calendar
We begin a new church year. November 30 is the first Sunday in the liturgical year and lectionary cycle B of the Christian calendar.
November 30 is also United Methodist Student Day, with a special offering designated.
December 1 (Monday) is World AIDS Day.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for the First Sunday of Advent, Year B (November 30, 2008) (Purple or Blue)

• Isaiah 64:1-9: The prophet calls for God to appear decisively, to "tear open the heavens" so the nations would tremble. He also confesses the need for such decisive intervention -- the utter sinfulness of humanity, even of those who are part of God's covenant. Finally, he changes metaphors -- from earthly catastrophe to remaking pots, begging God to be merciful when God comes.
  
• Isaiah 64: God's appearance is so intense that it is like a consuming fire that burns everything in its path. If we are so impure, how can we be saved? Only by God's mercy. God is the Potter, We are the Clay
  
• Psalm 80: 1-7, 17-19 (UMH 801). The people cry out for restoration from the midst of exile. "Restore us, Lord God of hosts. Shine the light of your countenance upon us, that we may be saved!"
  
• Psalm 80 [Theme:] A prayer for revival and restoration after experiencing destruction. God is our only hope for salvation. Life Application Study Bible.
  
• 1 Corinthians 1:3-9: In the midst of offering a greeting to the Christians in Corinth, Paul points to the end -- the coming Day of the Lord -- to call them to continue to grow and be faithful in using their spiritual gifts.
  
• 1 Corinthians – Paul gives thanks to God
  
• Mark 13:24-37: Jesus' description of the end and his clear instruction always to be on watch for signs of it.
  
• Mark 13:24 – Jesus tells about his return
  

Isaiah 64:1-9 (NLT)

1 Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence!
2 As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame!
3 When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked!
4 For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!
5 You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved?
6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
7 Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.
8 And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.
9 Don’t be so angry with us, Lord. Please don’t remember our sins forever. Look at us, we pray, and see that we are all your people.

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (NLT)

3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul Gives Thanks to God

4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 6 This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 9 God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mark 13:24-37 (NLT)

24 “At that time, after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
28 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door. 30 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!

34 “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. 35 You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. 36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37 I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The entire thirteenth chapter of Mark tells us how to live while we wait for Christ's return: (1) We are not to be misled by confusing claims or speculative interpretations of what will happen (Mark 13:5,6). (2) We should not be afraid to tell people about Christ, despite what they might say or do to us (Mark 13:9-11). (3) We must stand firm by faith and not be surprised by persecutions (Mark 13:13). (4) We must be morally alert, obedient to the commands for living found in God's Word. This chapter was not given to promote discussions on prophetic timetables, but to stimulate right living for God in a world where he is largely ignored.
Life Application Study Bible.

Mark: These verses refer to the Second Coming of Christ.
• It was a common belief that the appearance of God would disturb nature (verses 24-25). This was seen in an incident in Exodus, where the appearance of God was accompanied by thunder or fire on the mountain and great fear.
• Verse 30, which says that this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place, was particularly disturbing to members of the early church who expected the Second Coming of Christ to take place during their lifetime.
• Verses 32-37 remind us all to remain alert and vigilant because no one knows the exact day or time when Christ will come again.

(Mark 13:37) Watch (gregoreuo): to keep awake, to stay alert, to be watchful and sleepless, to be vigilant. It also includes the idea of being motivated, that is, of desiring, of holding and keeping one's attention (mind) upon a thing. Watching also has the idea of being alert at the right time. It is at night that one really needs to stay awake and watch for the thief (cp. 1 Thes. 5:4-9).

"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1 Cor. 16:13).
"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thes. 5:6).
"But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry" (2 Tim. 4:5).
"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer" (1 Peter 4:7).

Matthew 26:41 (NLT)

41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
Mark 13:33-34 (NLT)
33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! 34 “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.
Mark 13:36 (NLT)
36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.

What is Advent?

(Wikipedia)Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming") is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus, in other words, the period immediately before Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western Christian year and commences on Advent Sunday.
Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used in reference to the Second Coming. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure as they await the second coming of Christ.
The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as Saviour, and to his second coming as Judge, special lessons are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent.

Advent was formerly penitential, hence the traditional alter color is Purple as in Lent, but there is a growing interest in and acceptance of the color blue as an alternative. The United Methodist Book of Worship of 1992 identifies purple or blue as appropriate colors for Advent (224, 226, 238). The genesis of the introduction of blue into the liturgical colors comes from continued reflection on the calendar of the Christian year, particularly on the season of Advent. Here is how the reasoning goes: Advent is a season of preparation that anticipates both Bethlehem and the consummation of history in the second coming of Jesus Christ. Since this anticipation is characterized by hope -- in contrast to the repentance characteristic of Lent -- the color for the season should not be purple, with its mood of solemnity and somberness, but blue with its hopefulness. Admittedly, there is a some subjectivity in linking colors with certain moods.

An appropriate epistle for any Advent Sunday is Romans 13:11-14 (NLT)

11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

The first Sunday of Advent is November 30 this year, and we move into Year B of the lectionary. During this year of the three-year lectionary cycle, we will read through Mark's gospel, engage the stories of David's family, and spend considerable time in the epistles of Ephesians, Hebrews, and James.

But during Advent in particular, we focus on endings to come that bring the hope of new beginnings. And during Year B, since we are working with a gospel that has no stories about the birth of Jesus, the focus on endings is perhaps the most insistent, and in December in North America, perhaps the most difficult to manage against the "Christmas" practices and expectations of culture and many a congregation alike.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Second Coming

The biblical doctrine of the end times (called eschatology, from Greek eschata, “last things”) refers to the time and events of the consummation of God’s redemptive activity. Holy Bible, New American Standard.

It involves the “last” or “latter days” (e.g., Isaiah 2:2), the Day of the Lord (e.g., Amos 5:18-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:2), the “age to come” (e.g., Ephesians 1:21; Hebrews 6:5), the “last days” (e.g., 2 Timothy 3:1), the “last time” (Jude 18), and the “last hour” (1 John 2:18). Holy Bible, New American Standard.
The Second Coming of Christ (a phrase not found in the Bible) is expressed by the apostles in the following special terms: (1) "Παρουσία, Parousía" (parousía), a word fairly common in Greek, with the meaning "presence" (2 Cor. 10:10; Phil. 2:12). More especially it may mean "presence after absence," "arrival" (but not "return," unless this is given by the context),The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

Repeated Promises Of Coming
Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with promises of the Second Coming of Christ. There are 1,845 references to it in the Old Testament, and a total of seventeen Old Testament books give it prominence.
Of the 260 chapters in the entire New Testament, there are 318 references to the Second Coming, or one out of 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. The four missing books include three which are single-chapter letters written to individual persons on a particular subject, and the fourth is Galatians which does imply Christ's coming again.
For every prophecy on the First Coming of Christ, there are 8 on Christ's Second Coming.
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.

Matthew 24:27-31 (NLT)

27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. 29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

Revelation 22:7 (NLT)

7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

Revelation 22:12-13 (NLT)

12 “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Purpose of Second Coming

Matthew 16:27 (NLT)

27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.

Matthew 25:31 (NLT)

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.

1 Corinthians 4:5 (NLT)

5 So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

Preparation for Second Coming

Matthew 24:44 (NLT) (readiness)

44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

Luke 12:35-36 (NLT)

35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.

1 Corinthians 1:7 (NLT)

7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:5 (NLT)

5 So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT)

23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Titus 2:12-13 (NLT)

12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

1 Peter 1:13 (NLT)

13 So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.

1 John 2:28 (NLT) Living as Children of God

28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

Why Hasn’t Christ Returned?

Matthew 24:36 (NLT)

36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.

2 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT)

8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

Biblical Details about the Second Coming Of Christ

• We do not know when Jesus will return (Matthew 24:36)
  
• Christ’s return will be unmistakable (Mark 13:26-27)
  
• Christ’s return will be joyous for those who are ready (Luke 12:35-40)
  
• The Second Coming will be a time of judgment on unbelievers (John 12:37-50)
  
• At Christ’s second coming we will be with him forever (John 14:1-3)
  
• The promise of Christ’s return (Acts 1:10-11)
  
• Believers will be resurrected and given glorious bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-57)
  
• Christ’s return will be visible and glorious (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
  
• At Christ’s return, Christians who are dead and alive will rise to meet him (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
  
• Continue to serve God as you await the Second Coming (1 Peter 4:7-8)
  
• Patiently await Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:8-13)
  
• Jesus is coming soon (Revelation 22:20-21)
  

The Events of Christ's Return

1. Christ will return visibly, with a loud command.
   
2.  There will be an unmistakable cry from an angel.
   
3. There will be a trumpet fanfare such as has never been heard.
   
4. Believers in Christ who are dead will rise up from their graves.
   
5. Believers who are alive will be caught up in the clouds to meet Christ.
   
6. While Christians have often disagreed about what events will lead up to the return of Christ, there has been less disagreement about what will happen once Christ does return.
   

Life Application Study Bible.

What Does This Mean to Us, Today?

• Matthew 24:3 (NLT) How Should We Live
  

3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?”

• We must be preparing ourselves so we will be ready for the second coming of Jesus.
  
• We should be aware of the signs of the Second Coming, but realize that these signs are easily misread.
  
• We are to continue to do the important work that needs to be completed before Jesus returns. (discipleship)
  
• We can be sure that Jesus' return will be universally unmistakable.
  
• We keep working, realizing that we don't know exactly when Jesus will return.
  
• We remain prepared, realizing that each day is the possible day of Jesus' return.
  
• 2 Thessalonians 3:6 (NLT) 
  

6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.

• We are to keep busy because neither Jesus' delay nor his imminent arrival should be an excuse for idleness.
  
• John 12:48 (NLT) What Will Happen
  

48 But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.

• Jesus' second coming will have a different purpose than his first coming. The purpose of Jesus' first mission on earth was not to judge people, but to show them the way to find salvation and eternal life. When he comes again, one of his main purposes will be to judge people for how they lived on earth.
  
• John 14:2 (NIV) 
  

2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

• At Jesus' second coming, we will be with him forever.
  
• 1 Corinthians 1:7 (NLT) 
  

7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• At Jesus' second coming, we will fully experience the reality of our salvation.
  
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NLT) 
  

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

• Jesus' second coming will include the resurrection of believers who have died.
  
• Jesus' second coming will signal victory.
  

I want to wrap this up with a little reflection. When I was a teen, I went to a Baptist Youth Group on a regular basis. I went there out of my interest in God, but also out of my interest in a certain girl who also attended. My bible from that period is chock full of underlined verses, in a multiverse of colors. I can remember my girlfriend used to pass me love notes, saying things like “See you in the rapture.” I don't think we really knew what that meant.

Just recently, my wife and I went out to a restaurant to attend a surprise 50th birthday party of a good friend. We arrived early, since my vehicle is quite distinctive and we wanted to be able to park it somewhere out of  sight. As we waited, more and more people arrived and we all waited, talking excitedly in small groupd scattered around the room. The appointed hour of my friend's arrival came and went. Folks began to get antsy after about 15 minutes, and still no birthday boy. Well, he finally arrived, only about 25 minutes late and a good time was had by all.

But that got me to thinking. What if it had taken an hour, two hours, three hours, a day, for my friend to arrive. How many would still be waiting? And if anyone was still waiting after a day, a week,  a month, how EXCITED would they still be about the anticipated arrival. I suspect it would take far less than a day for everyone to drift away and get on with their lives.

That is what it is like waiting for Jesus. We've been told he is coming. It could be soon. Two thousand years later, how excited are YOU?

Michael R. Martin – November 20, 2008
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

As The Farmer Scatters Seed . . . • July 13, 2008

Genesis 25:19-34; Psalm 119:105-112 or Psalm 25; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Matthew 13:1-9 (NRSV)

The Parable of the Sower
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!"

The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 "Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

We have entered in our readings into the “season of parables.” Now, there is no such thing as a season of parables on any clerical calendar that I am aware of, but our readings over the next weeks will re-introduce us to many of these teaching stories. This parable of the farmer sowing grain onto four soils is the first of Jesus’ many parables recounted by Matthew. It takes place on the shores of Sea of Galilee. It is said in some gospel translations that a boat was always kept ready and waiting, and here Jesus takes to the boat perhaps that he might better be seen and heard by the immense crowd that had gathered. Keep in mind that this parable is shared at time when Jesus faced opposition. Parables, like satire and other relatively obscure forms of speech, are frequently used when straightforward speech could be life threatening. Parables are still used today as a rabbinical teaching tool (in Hebrew, parables are often called meshalim). I would say that there are two main questions for you to keep in mind as we explore these parables in our readings in the weeks to come:

• First, what is the main point of the parable?
• and most importantly, how does this parable speak truth to you, today, in our time, in your life?

I often wondered if Jesus decided to use this particular parable first as a lesson in parables – he certainly spells this one right out for us; or perhaps Matthew chose it as something easy to cut our teeth on. It is a simple, straightforward story. It was very applicable to the agricultural life of the times, so it was accessible to the people – they could easily understand the imagery, as I think we still can today. Who here hasn’t at one time or another broadcast grass seeds over the soil, or perhaps fed chickens by broadcasting feed, as pastor Linda used to love to recount? So we can identify with that farmer, sowing seeds.

Just in case you have never sowed seed or fed chickens, I have a modern day equivalent parable for you – recount the hydroseeding out in front of our house. Road construction nearing completion, some areas top soil, some still stony sandy soil, some areas pavement, some concrete curbing. Nowadays, road crews use hydroseeder to sow seeds over large expanses. . .

So, in front of our house, some of this mixture was sprayed onto our paved driveway, some was sprayed onto the sandy rocky subsoil, and some was sprayed onto the clean, rich loamy topsoil. Yesterday it rained. Yesterday it rained a LOT. Most of the seed mixture on the driveway washed away, but some is stuck in little cracks where the pavement meets the concrete curb. The seed mixture stuck pretty well on both the sandy soil and top soil. The sun will come out, the seed will sprout – what do you suppose is going to happen to the grasses that start growing? The grass stuck on the pavement will grow, tucked into the spray mixture, but the roots will have nowhere to go, and soon the sun will wilt them and they will die. The grass mixture on the sandy, rocky subsoil will also sprout, the roots will take hold, but the sand will hold little moisture. So although these grasses will grow, they will not thrive. Ah, but the seed that landed where it was meant to land, on the rich loam, it will sprout, the roots will reach down into a soil that holds moisture for it and the grasses will do well here.

So, there is the parable, for the old-time farmer or modern soil conservationist in you. But the easy thing about this parable – it’s a pretty short hop to see how this story can relate to God’s word and our mission as disciples. Believe me, some of the parables are not so easy to decipher, to relate to our own lives. But here, we have God’s Word -- the seed, and God’s disciples – the farmer, and the people of the world – the soil. We are not the seed, YOU are not the seed. The Good News is the seed! And although you and I are in the world, we are not the soil, WE are not the soil. We are among God’s chosen people, YOU are among God’s chosen people. God has nurtured your life from before you were born, and made you who you are, and led you, to this very here and now. God’s seed has been planted and tended and taken root in your heart and soul. YOU, my good friends, are farmers. Or, if you’d rather, you are the person directing the nozzle of the hydro spray truck – it IS after all a heck of a lot more efficient!

"Precision Farming" In Millennium

As we enter the millennium, a new system of crop management called "precision farming" is bringing agriculture into the Information Age

Precision farming is based on the idea that no two clumps of dirt are alike. The "modern" agriculture of the last 50 years has tended to treat whole tracts of land, from back porch to fence post, as great, homogenous plots of potting soil. Some areas end up overfertilized; other don't get enough herbicide. Still others get the wrong seed variety, so costs soar and crop fields suffer.

Precision farming delivers more personalized attention. As Daney Keppel of the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultant says: "If you spoon-feed each plant based on what it needs, it'll probably do better."

The technique employs such innovations as Global Positioning Satellites (GPS), computer mapping systems, and a Star Trek-like crop monitor that uses beams of light to get a reading of "plant health." The technology is allowing farmers to collect and absorb unprecedented amounts of data about their fields and crops, and to tailor their husbandry to the findings.

Lasers measure field topography—the hills and valley—and multiple soil samples are analyzed for fertility, salinity, pH and a dozen more obscure properties. Satellite images are used to pinpoint problem areas in the fields. Every sandy patch, strand of Russian thistle and shortage of phosphorus is recorded with GPS locators and plotted out on maps so that the same area can be monitored year after year.

At harvest, electronic yield monitors built into combines automatically log the weight and quality of the crop.

As any farmer knows, you have to have two things first and foremost to grow a crop. . . good soil and good seed. Our mission, then, is to tend to the soil so that it is ready to accept seed, and plant seeds wherever and whenever we can. The nice thing about being God’s farmer is that you don’t have to do it all. You may never know the fruits of your labor, but perhaps that little bit of soil you cultivated in someone was just the planting bed needed for the next farmer that comes along. And after that farmer, someone did a little watering, then someone took out a hoe and did a little weeding. And before you know it, we’ve got another honest to God farmer on our hands!

I’ll reiterate what I said a few weeks back. We sit in this church at a time of incredible opportunity and challenge. We are by and large not happy with the way things are going, we have an inspired church council willing to evaluate change, and we have a new pastor who comes to us loaded with experience and energy and ideas. None of us is here by accident, nothing that has come before is wasted. I want to see this church bursting with farmers who come eagerly in each Sunday to get a little well deserved watering and tending so they can take it right back out their into the fields.

Can you IMAGINE what that would be like? How exciting that would be?
I know I am preaching to the choir here, or auctioning to the farmer, or whatever. I wish I could teleport our entire membership into this room right now and give them the same story. If I could teleport our membership here, I suspect we’d have mixed company -- farmers of all types and soil of various qualities -- but that’s ok, too. The body of Christ is made of many parts, each with a special purpose.

I am blessed that I can come here and worship with you, that you come here and worship with me, that we can worship together as often as we do. I am ready to do more.
I won’t ask for a show of hands, but if you are ready to do more, pray with me.

Heavenly Father, Creator God, continue to keep our church under your careful guidance. I praise your glory and am ever thankful for the gifts you have given me. I offer myself to you, Lord, in service. Guide me, Lord, that I might give what is most needed, where it is most needed, when it is most needed. Continue to water those of us gathered here with your blessings, Lord, that we continue to grow in your love. And, as always, I ask that all things be your will, Lord, not mine.

Amen

Michael R. Martin – July 13, 2008
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM & 10AM

Weeds & Waste Places • July 20, 2008

Genesis 28:10-19a; Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (NLT)

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds
24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained
36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Jesus explained that the kingdom grows quietly and abundantly, yet evil still exists in the world. Jesus gives the meaning of this parable in 13:37-43, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seeds are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil." That the enemy came while everybody was asleep does not indicate neglect on anyone's part; that he went away does not indicate his absence. Instead, these details merely highlight the stealth and malicious intent of Satan (the enemy, "the evil one").

The "weed" Jesus referred is generally considered to be darnel, AKA darnel rye-grass or cockle (Tare in old bible translations) (Lolium temulentum), a weedy plant that looks very much like wheat in the early stages of growth, but becomes distinguishable when the heads of the wheat appear. The seed is not poisonous but it is often infected by a fungus which is very toxic. Darnel is a member of the rye-grass family and occurs throughout the US, where it is generally considered a noxious weed. The plant stem can grow up to 1 meter tall, with inflorescence in the ears and purple grain. It grows plentifully in Syria and Israel. It usually grows in the same production zones as wheat and is considered a weed. The similarity between these two plants is so extensive that in some regions cockle is referred to as "false wheat." It bears a close resemblance to wheat until the ear appears. The ears on the real wheat are so heavy that it makes the entire plant droop downward, but the "false wheat", which ears are light, stands straight. Interestingly enough, this weed is related to perennial rye grass, which is heavily planted as lawns and ground cover.

Jesus' hearers would have understood how no one would have noticed the weeds until the plants came up and bore grain. Only then would the weeds appear. A heavy infestation of darnel (indicated by it being "sowed" among the grain) would cause the roots of both plants to become entangled. To sow darnel in a person's wheat field was punishable by Roman law. This was a known practice in ancient warfare and feuds—destroy a nation's (or person's) agricultural base and his military might would also be destroyed. The presence of Satan's children among God's people would also serve to weaken them. Because no one recognized the weeds, both grew at the same time. This real-life situation gave Jesus' hearers a picture of God's kingdom growing and thriving alongside evil in this world.

On Noxious Weeds

Because of my work in lake management and county soil & water conservation districts across the United States over the past twenty years, I have become quite familiar with weeds. A weed is simply a plant that grows too abundantly where it is not wanted. Most distressing to the environment is the non-native invasive species. These are plants that don’t normally grow in the US and grow so well that they quickly overtake native species, disturbing and sometimes destroying the natural environment once they get introduced. Many weeds were introduced in the 1800s, when enthusiastic botanists brought to the US examples of new plants found in Europe and Asia. Plants such as Eurasian milfoil, which chokes lakes, ponds and waterways across the US, including most of NY and a number of popular lakes here in the Adirondacks. One small fragment of this plant can start a whole large colony within a year or two and entirely take over a lake in less than five years. This plant is a perennial, and is so hardy it even continues to grow under the ice.

One invasive plant, purple loosestrife, can produce up to 2.7 million seeds per plant yearly and spreads across approximately 1 million additional acres of wetlands each year, with an economic impact of millions of dollars.

A terrestrial plant, the giant hogweed, is a member of the carrot family, related not only to that favorite food of cartoon rabbits, but such common roadside plants as Queen Anne’s Lace and yarrow. Looking much like a giant Queen Anne’s Lace 2 ½’ in diameter, the plant grows 8 – 15’ high, with a 5’ wide deeply divided leaf. : Hogweed is a public health hazard. Giant hogweed produces a clear, watery noxious sap that causes severe photodermatitis in humans and animals, meaning the skin becomes so sensitive to ultraviolet light that skin contact followed by exposure to sunlight produces painful, burning blisters that may develop into purplish or blackened scars. This can be long-lasting, even permanent. Contact with the eyes can cause temporary or permanent blindness. This plant is known to occur in fields and waste places in New York. My baby sister had it growing in her garden in Laconia, NH.

Some high percentage of what we consider wild flowers are what we botanists call naturalized escapes. In other words, someone planted them in their flower garden and they spread into the wild and became established there. The percentage may be as high as 80 – 90 percent. Read any good botanical guide, such as Newcomb’s wild flower guide or local reclusive genius Michael Kudish’s Guide to the Flora of the Adirondacks and you’ll begin to realize just how many wildflowers are indeed escapes and naturalized plants. The other thing one quickly learns is that many of the common, meaning abundant, plants grow in what botanists call disturbed and waste places. This doesn’t mean trash dumps, but anywhere the earth has been disturbed and the natural plant community destroyed. Examples are railroad beds, edges of parking lots, abandoned farm fields.

This is a good lesson for us, if we consider God’s master creation, the human, to be like the plant community. Many people are naturalized escapes, growing in places where they find themselves. A high percentage are weeds. Unlike the Wheat and Weed parable, which spoke of a specific weed, not all weeds are bad. Many are pretty to look at – in fact, if it weren’t for the “weeds,” including the naturalized escapes, we wouldn’t have a very diverse population – of humans or wildflowers. But some of the weeds are very bad.

Here we have another parable where Jesus through Matthew provides an interpretation. Jesus spoke this words while at the sea. There he spoke publicly to the crowds. Jesus' movement back into the house signifies a movement away from the crowds and to private discussion with his disciples. Jesus described the identity of the important parts of the parable of the weeds recorded in 13:24-30. Jesus explained to his listening disciples that the good seeds are believers, sown by the Son of Man in the field of the world. In this world also existed those who were not children of the kingdom; thus, they were children of the devil, sown by him into this world. At the end of the age, the angels would come and the harvest would begin.

GOD DOES THE WEEDING

Jesus' reference is to the kingdom of heaven and is not limited to the church. However, the church is in the world as well as in the kingdom of heaven, so the truth also applies. There are good seeds and bad seeds, children of God and children of Satan, in the church. At first glance, the works of each may be difficult to distinguish. Jesus appealed to us to be appropriately inclusive (we should avoid exclusiveness and arrogant separatism). We should strive for unity with others even when it may present the risk of "weeds." The work of judgment is God's. Yet we must not be naive. Satan has a strategy and his children are at work.

The young weeds and the young blades of wheat look the same and can't be distinguished until they are grown and ready for harvest. Weeds (unbelievers) and wheat (believers) must live side by side in this world. God allows unbelievers to remain for a while, just as a farmer allows weeds to remain in his field so that the surrounding wheat won't be uprooted with them. At the harvest, however, the weeds will be uprooted and thrown away. God's harvest (judgment) of all people is coming. Make yourself ready by remaining faithful to Christ and obeying him.

13:40-42 "Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

At this harvest, God will separate his people from Satan's people. As the harvesters collect the weeds into bundles to be destroyed, so Satan's works and Satan's people will be thrown into the furnace of fire. According to the Life Application Bible, the "furnace of fire" is not a name for hell but is a metaphor for final judgment. Jesus often used the term "weeping and gnashing of teeth" to refer to the coming judgment. The "weeping" indicates sorrow or remorse, and "gnashing of teeth" shows extreme anxiety or pain. Those who say they don't care what happens to them after they die don't realize what they are saying. God will punish them for living in selfishness and indifference to him. Jesus, who has already identified himself as the Son of Man, revealed that he will inaugurate the end of the age and the final judgment.

TRAGEDY OF EVIL

Followers of Jesus do not fear God's final judgment, but we must respond to it with

• tears, for the separation and suffering that will fall upon evildoers. We must never gloat over or feel indifferent to the fate of those facing judgment. God mourns over lost souls, and so should we.
• sharing the gospel, since many need to hear and all who respond in faith will be saved from judgment. Christians ought to always be witnessing people.
• lifelong service, because no matter what your job, profession, or education, all you do should be dedicated to God. God uses your work to advance his kingdom and overcome evil.

13:43 "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!"NRSV Reflecting words from Daniel 12:3, Jesus described the final glory of the righteous: "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever" (NIV). Those who receive God's favor stand in bright contrast to those who receive his judgment. The "kingdom of their Father" is another name for the kingdom of God and heaven. Heaven will be a glorious place! The message is vitally important, so anyone with ears should listen!

Michael R. Martin – July 20, 2008
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

On Love • August 31, 2008

Exodus 3:1-15 Psalm 105; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

We have a selection of good lectionary readings for this week.

In Exodus, we have the story of Moses and the Burning Bush

In Matthewm Jesus predicts his death (“From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!””) and says those immortal words tos Paul: “Satan, get thee behind me!”

And Romans is about love. When I first started working on this week, I figured love would be an easy topic to tackle. But Nooooooo!

Romans 12:9-21 (NLT) – Love

        9Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
        14Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
        17Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
        19Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
        “I will take revenge;
        I will pay them back,”
        says the Lord.
20Instead,
        “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
        If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
        In doing this, you will heap
        burning coals of shame on their heads.”
21Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

In this reading from Romans, Paul exhorts the Christian communities at Rome to live out together what it means to be one body in Christ -- loving one another, respecting and forgiving one another, loving and reaching out in care to enemies, and blessing even those who persecute them. Even as Christ overcame the power of sin and death in his incarnation, life, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection, so his body, the church is called to overcome evil with good.

The New Living Testament entitles this passage “Love” and starts out “Don’t just pretend to love others.” The New Revised Standard Version calls it “Marks of a True Christian” and begins “Let love be genuine.”

In my approach to this topic, I first located a definition of love, in Wikipedia:

Love represents a range of emotions and experiences related to the senses of affection and sexual attraction.[1] The word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure to intense interpersonal attraction. This diversity of meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, even compared to other emotional states.

As an abstract concept love usually refers to a strong, ineffable feeling towards another person. Even this limited conception of love, however, encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love to the nonsexual. Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts.

Next, in my approach to understanding the subject of love, I collected a diverse group of quotations and reflecdtions on the subject.

The Persian (Iran) viewpoint:

Even after all this time
The sun never says to the earth "you owe me".
Look what happens with a Love like that!
- It lights the whole Sky. (Hafiz)

and

The children of Adam are limbs of each other
Having been created of one essence.
When the calamity of time afflicts one limb
The other limbs cannot remain at rest.
If you have no sympathy for the troubles of others
You are not worthy to be called by the name of "man".

From the Greeks, we learn about special types of love. Much like the Eskimo is said to have numerous words for snow, the Greeks covered love. But I focused on the purest form of love, agape.

Agape (ἀγάπη agápē) means love in modern day Greek. The term s'agapomeans I love you in Greek, and sounds quite romantic. The word agapo is the verb I love. It generally refers to a "pure", ideal type of love rather than the physical attraction suggested by eros. However, there are some examples of agape used to mean the same as eros. It has also been translated as "love of the soul".

In the New Testament, agapē is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. It is parental love seen as creating goodness in the world, it is the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that Christians aspire to have for one another. I was exposed to this special selfless love on my Walk to Emmaus and was further warmed by agape as a servant on a number of Emmaus teams.

Christians believe that to Love God with all your heart, mind, and strengthand Love your neighbor as yourself are the two most important things in life (the greatest commandment of the Jewish Torah, according to Jesus - c.f. Gospel of Mark chapter 12, verses 28-34).

Paul the Apostle glorified love as the most important virtue of all. Describing love in First Corinthians in a poem made famous by so many weddings, Paul wrote,

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres." - 1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NIV)

John the Apostle wrote these words, popularized at football games and sports arenas around the world,

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." - John 3:16-18 (NIV)

John also wrote,

"Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)

Saint Augustine said that one must be able to decipher the difference between love and lust. Lust, according to Saint Augustine, is an over indulgence, but to love and be loved is what he sought for his entire life. He even said, “I was in love with love.” Finally, he did fall in love and was loved back, by God. Saint Augustine said the only one who can love you truly and fully is God, because love with a human only allows for flaws such as, “jealousy, suspicion, fear, anger, and contention.” According to Saint Augustine to love God is “to attain the peace which is yours.” (Saint Augustine Confessions)

Christian theologians see God as the source of love, which is mirrored in humans and their own loving relationships. Influential Christian theologian C.S. Lewis wrote a book called The Four Loves.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote his first encyclical on God is love. He said that a human being, created in the image of God who is love, is able to practice love: to give himself to God and others (agape), by receiving and experiencing God's love in contemplation (eros). This life of love, according to him, is the life of the saints such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is the direction Christians take when they believe that God loves them.

Some Love Quotations:

"Attention is the most basic form of love; through it we bless and are blessed." - John Tarrant

"Love stretches your heart and makes you big inside." - Margaret Walker
"Love has no awareness of merit or demerit; it has no scale... Love loves; this is its nature." - Howard Thurman

"Love is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day." - Nicholas Sparks

"To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven." - Karen Sunde

"Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence." - Erich Fromm

"In the final analysis, love is the only reflection of man's worth." - Bill Wundram, Iowa Quad Cities Times

"Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile." - Elizabeth Browning

"To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down." - Woody Allen

"The more I give to thee, the more I have.'' - William Shakespeare

"Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love.'' - Mother Teresa

The key ingredient in interpersonal relationships is love—God's love (agape). This kind of love is a self-sacrificial love, a love that cares for the well-being of others. All the gifts that are exercised in the body should be expressed in this love. This love is the most accurate indicator of spiritual health in the body of Christ. To the Ephesians Paul wrote, "Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV). Believers have God's love within because "God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (5:5). For our love to be different from most of what is called "love" in the world, it must be genuine—without hypocrisy, deceit, falseness. Sincere love is genuine love. Jesus was referring to this kind of love when he said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35 NIV).

Agape received a broader usage under later Christian writers as the word that specifically denoted "Christian" love or "charity" (1 Corinthians 13:1–8), or even God (1 John 4:8, Theos ein agape, "God is Love"). The New Testament provides a number of definitions and examples of agape that generally expand on the meanings derived from ancient texts, denoting brotherly love, love of one's spouse or children, and the love of God for all people.

The Christian usage of the term agape comes almost directly from the canonical Gospels' account of the teachings of Jesus. When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said, "'Love (agapao) the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love (agapao) your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-41)

At the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

You have heard that it was said, 'Love (agapao) your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love (agapao) your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?

GENUINE LOVE

Most people know how to pretend to love others—how to speak kindly, avoid hurting their feelings, and appear to take an interest in them. We may even be skilled in pretending to feel moved with compassion when we hear of others' needs, or to become indignant when we learn of injustice. But God calls us to real and sincere love that goes far beyond politeness. Sincere love requires concentration and effort. It means helping others become better people. It demands our time, money, and personal involvement. No individual has the capacity to express love to a whole community, but the body of Christ in your town does. Look for people who need your love, and look for ways you and your fellow believers can show your Christian love to others.

Romans 12:10a
• NIV: Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
• NLT: Love each other with genuine affection.

I am a bit of a poet and a songwriter, although I don’t really demonstrate those talents here on Sunday mornings. Most of my stuff is a little dark – the pain of lost love or unrequited love. Romantic love can be quite painful. The most powerful love I ever felt was when my daughter was born, our first child. My wife experienced a extremnely prolonged labor with our daughter two weeks overdue. She tried to accelerate the process by mowing the lawn on a hot summer day. We went to see the movie Terminator, thinking that a scary movie might kick something into gear. After several attempts to induce labor, my daughters heartrate began to drop precipitously, and so she was born by Emergency Cesarean Section. Perhaps all other parents can empathize how the first time I saw my little girl, the first time I held her, I was filled with a powerful, overwhelming love that penetrated ever fiber of my being. I can still call upon that earth-shattering, life-changing moment. I know that when my son was born 18 months later, I was again filled with the awe and wonder of it all, but I don;t remember ever feeling so overwhelmed with love as I was the day Emily took her first breath. 

Imagine if we could generate that kind of agape love - powereful, unearned and unconditional - for strangers, for our enemies. In the words of that great R&B hit composed by Herb Alpert, Sam Cooke and Lou Adler and performed by Sam Cooke, “What a wonderful world it would be.”

Michael R. Martin – August 31, 2008
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM