July 3, 2005

Genesis 24:34-38,42-49, 58-67; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

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

Romans 7:15-25 (NLT)

I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. [16] I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. [17] But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.

[18] I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. [19] When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. [20] But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.

[21] It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. [22] I love God's law with all my heart. [23] But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. [24] Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? [25] Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

This passage always strikes a little too close to home for me. It reminds me of my youth, growing up. There is a certain age in a boy’s life -- at least in my life and I see it on occasion in my son – a certain age when you know doing something is wrong, but you can’t help but do it anyway. Or worse yet, you do something just to see what might happen, not knowing whether it is right or wrong. When I was young and we were living on Cape Cod, my father had a workshop in the basement of the house where he kept his tools and I would watch him for hours, working on this or fixing that. For some reason, the house had several electric meters and they were located in the basement. The meters were the old glass kind with the spinning wheel inside, sealed with a tag to prevent tampering. One day, I decided to see what would happen if I took a hammer and smashed the meters open. Needless to say, it caused a little bit of a stir at the Martin household.

Life is full of these kind of learning experiences. Generally, we are still a species that learns by doing, as well as by example. When Paul laments his inability to rid himself of a sinful nature, he is not talking about those innocent things we do because we do not know any better. He is talking about those frustrating times when we know right from wrong and we still struggle to make the right choice.

7:15 Paul shares three lessons that he learned in trying to deal with his old sinful desires. (1) Knowledge is not the answer (Romans 7:9). Paul felt fine as long as he did not understand what the law demanded. When he learned the truth, he knew he was doomed. (2) Self-determination (struggling in one’s own strength) doesn’t succeed (Romans 7:15). Paul found himself sinning in ways that weren’t even attractive to him. (3) Becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life (Romans 7:22-25).

Being born again takes a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. Paul compares Christian growth to a strenuous race or fight (1 Cor. 9:24-27; 2 Tim. 4:7). Thus, as Paul has been emphasizing since the beginning of his letter to the Romans, no one in the world is innocent; no one deserves to be saved—not the pagan who doesn’t know God’s laws, not the Christian or Jew who knows them and tries to keep them. All of us must depend totally on the work of Christ for our salvation. We cannot earn it by our good behavior.

7:15 This is more than the cry of one desperate man—it describes the experience of any Christian struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help. We must never underestimate the power of sin. We must never attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have an amazing ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin with human willpower, we must take hold of the tremendous power of Christ that is available to us. This is God’s provision for victory over sin—he sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and give us power. And when we fall, he lovingly reaches out to help us up.

7:23-25 This inward struggle with sin was as real for Paul as it is for us. From Paul we learn what to do about it. Whenever Paul felt lost, he would return to the beginning of his spiritual life, remembering that he had already been freed by Jesus Christ. When you feel confused and overwhelmed by sin’s appeal, follow Paul’s example: thank God that he has given you freedom through Jesus Christ. Let the reality of Christ’s power lift you up to real victory over sin.

I have a riddle for you this morning:
Question: What happens when you don't pray?
Answer: Nothing!

This riddle works for the atheist and the Christian alike. The atheist believes in nothing, so if you don’t pray, nothing happens. It is meaningless. The Christian believes in the power of prayer, so if you don’t pray, nothing happens. The bible instructs us to pray – not so God will know our needs, but so God will know our love for Him, our commitment to Him.

So if you are ever troubled by sin, unfortunately a natural human condition, take it to God in prayer. What happens when you don’t pray? Nothing. What happens when you DO pray? God listens, God gives you strength, God answers prayer.

Amen

Michael R. Martin – July 3, 2005
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

PRAYER

Almighty God, ruler of all nations:
we pray for our nation and its people, and for our leaders.
May we be mindful of your favor and obedient to your will.
Forgive our shortcomings as a nation,
and purify our hearts
to know the truth that alone can make us free.
Save us from injustice and oppression,
from pride and arrogance,
and from greed and self-centeredness.
Increase our concern for people beyond our own boundaries
and for the poor and afflicted in our own land,
that we may be a blessing and an example to all nations.
Bring us at last to that day
when the whole world shall know peace and blessedness,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Father’s Day • June 19, 2005

Genesis 21:8–21; Psalm 86:1–10, 16–17 or Psalm 17 (UMH 749); Romans 6:1b –11; Matthew 10:24–39

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

Prayer for Families • Celebrations & Prayer

Gracious God, you created all of humankind and showed us the importance of relationships with one another. We commend to your care all the families of this congregation, community, and world. We pray that each home may be a home where love is felt. We pray for homes where, instead of love, there are households of hurt and abuse and suffering. We pray for children, youth, and adults, recognizing the importance of and the gift of every age as we grow. We pray for parents, stepparents, and foster parents. We pray for those who are single and for those who are married. We pray for those in loving relationships. May your grace be present to all. Grant us wisdom to know where there is no love, courage to act out of love for others, and peace to rest in your mercy. Help the commandments of love for you and love for others be our goal for life together. Amen.

Father’s Day Prayer of Petition, BOW 441 (invite congregation to add their own silent prayers between each petition)

End with Prayer for Homes and Families, BOW 437

Father's Day is a cultural holiday in the United States and serves to honor all fathers. It was first observed in 1920 in Spokane, Washington to honor William Smart. William’s daughter, Sonora, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909 because she wanted a special day to honor her father. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Sonora's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Sonora became an adult, married and Mrs. John B. Dodd that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.

The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all honored on Father's Day.

Our first teachers are our parents. We pray for them in a special way this day. And on this Father’s Day, let us ask ourselves that difficult question that has been around for a very long time: "Was he a good father or was he a bad father?, Are you a good father or a bad father?" On one occasion when Jesus wanted to describe his understanding of the love of God for us all, he used the love of a father for his son. "Is there a father among you who will offer his son a snake when he asks for fish, or a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you, then, bad as you are, know how to give your children what is good for them, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:11)

The final test for parenting - the final test for fathering -- whether "good" or "bad"-- does not come with the cherished affirmation of a Father's Day card, but when two adult human beings who were once parent and child -- one young and one now old -- are friends. Good friends for life.
The relationship between a father and his children is based in great part on shared experiences and shared interests. It is a relationship built on specific moments -- moments that build a memory. Kite-flying and fishing, playing catch in the backyard, watching sports together. If you ask adult men or women to speak about their fathers, they are likely to talk first about experiences rather than feelings, about memories rather than attitudes or emotions. While I have many memories about my father, my best memories those hours spent fishing on Crystal Lake in Gilmanton, NH.

Matthew 10:24-39 (NIV)
²⁴"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
²⁶"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. ³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
³²"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. ³³But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
³⁴"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— ³⁶a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
³⁷"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

I find a lot of interesting and challenging language in this passage. One could develop many a sermon or message from this one reading, nearly a sermon per verse. I want to focus right now on one particular verse, verse 24, from the New Revised Standard Bible, the one you’ll find in your pew:

A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master. It is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. We, disciples, know that we are beneath the stature of Jesus, but our goal is to learn as much as we can from him and to absorb into ourselves his wisdom and ways of loving. The goal for us Christians is to be like Christ, to embody the wisdom and ways of Jesus into our being.

The United Methodist General Board of Disciples spends a lot of time in thinking and talking about what it means to make disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world. In so doing, they come up with a paper entitled “[*]Fifty Characteristics of Disciple-Making Congregations.” I am not going to read all of them here but will give this copy to our Church Council chair to copy and share with the council. If you have access to the internet, you can go to GBOD.ORG and type “FIFTY CHARACTERISTICS” in their search box. Or, if you’d like, I can run and make you a copy after the service. But its definitely something we need to read and incorporate into our lives individually and as a congregation.

Speaking of the Church Council, I am pleased to say they have been reading and absorbing a good book entitled “44 Ways to Increase Church Attendance” by Lyle Schaller. The book focuses on ways to increase church attendance by increasing the frequency of attendance by “church regulars and members,” attract first-time visitors, and increase the probability that first-time visitors will return the following Sunday. Let me read a short passage from the book:

Read from 44 Ways to Increase Church Attendance here, marked passages on (p. 14 – 17)

I want to end with a quick look at verse 39: Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. This reminds of the popular thing in I believe the 1970s, going to find oneself. “I’m going off to find myself; Oh, she’s found herself.” So often it meant leaving most everything behind and focusing only upon one’s self – in retrospect, this was a very selfish practice. Perhaps that was what Jesus was referring to when he said “Whoever finds his life will lose it.” For Jesus taught that the self was of no value except in what it could do for others: love your neighbors, love your enemies, go forth in the world and proclaim the good news.

I believe we are facing a time of great and necessary change in our church, a time when we need to stop focusing inward and start looking outward, a time to reexamine why we are truly here – not to serve our needs but to bring Christ to others as disciples. We, as individuals and as a body of Christ, can no longer afford to sit on the fence and settle for status quo. We, as individuals and as a body of Christ, have a lot to offer to the world, blessings to share. So let us stop keeping the Good News selfishly to ourselves before we find ourselves very alone. You can start by making a pledge to come to worship regularly and a commitment to come to church council meetings and participate.

Michael R. Martin – June 19, 2005
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

[*] http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=11831&loc_id=17,

A Franciscan Blessing • Dismissal

(invite congregation to say “Amen” after each line)

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. Amen.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. Amen.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.

May the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.

Life's Foundation • May 29, 2005

Genesis 6:11-22; 7:24; 8:14-19; Psalm 46; Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-28 (29-31); Matthew 7:21-29

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

Matthew 7:21-29 (NLT)
²¹ "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as `Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.
<sup>22</sup> On judgment day many will tell me, `Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.'
²³ But I will reply, `I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.'
²⁴ "Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock.
²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash."
²⁸ After Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
²⁹ for he taught as one who had real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.

This parable ends the Sermon on the Mount. The bible often speaks metaphorically of God or Christ as a “rock.” The Holy Land is known for its torrential rains that often cause disastrous floods, so the parable about building a house on rock or stone had some relevance then, as it does now.

Over here we have a library full of books. Imagine that you could read all of these books and remember everything in them. You would really have a lot of knowledge, wouldn't you? You would have a lot of knowledge, but you wouldn't necessarily be wise. Do you know the difference between knowledge and wisdom? If we have knowledge, it means we have it up here in our head. If we have wisdom, it means we know how to put all of that knowledge into practice in our daily life.

Some people know a lot about Jesus and they put his teachings into practice in their daily life. Jesus said that those people are very wise. He said they are like a wise man who builds his house on the rock. The storms come, the rain falls, and the wind blows, but their house stands firm because it is built upon the rock.

There are other people who also know a lot about Jesus and his teachings, but they do not put this knowledge into practice in their life. Jesus said they are very foolish. He said they are like a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand. The storms come, the rain falls, and the wind blows and the their house falls flat.

I’ll bet for most of us, when it comes to our living Christ-like, we are sometimes the house built on rocks and sometimes the house on sand, sometimes the wise and sometimes the unwise. We strive for the best, but live in a world of distractions – work commitments, family commitments, health issues, television, internet.

On what is your “house” built? Do you want to wait until the day of judgment to discover whether the subsoil was rock or sand? How might we determine the texture of the soil? Consider the following questions to test what really are our inner beliefs and why we might hold them.

1. What is worth dying for? For what would we sacrifice our life? To save our children, our country, to recover a million dollars from the ocean floor, at the possible cost of our life?
2. What is worth killing for? When is killing another human justified? Self-defense? Defense of family, or property? It is proper to kill to uphold certain principles, such as liberty or capitalism?
3. What is worth working for? What is worth dedicating your life to, in service and labor? To become a star? To become a millionaire? To be a successful politician? Is it a worthwhile life to be nothing but a mother and raise a family? What kind of goals makes the sacrifices acceptable?
4. What is worth living for? What makes life worth living? What is that thing or things that you must have or life is meaningless, and that if you have it, life is satisfactory, no matter what else you must endure? True love? If you are loved and love in return, is that all that matters? Are your children the end purpose of your life? Is a good family life meaningless if you never achieve success in your chosen career? Do you need to accomplish something in science, politics, sports, or the art world or else life isn’t satisfactory? For what is life worth living?

Some of these questions are extremely hard to pin down. Maybe we don’t want to be pinned down. Most of us are like bees in a flower garden. We move from one flower to the next always believing that the next flower will be “it”, whatever “it” is!

Your answers to these questions will probably tell you what the subsoil of your life is, and it will tell you a lot about what the Lord is going to say to you on “that day” when all will be revealed. Is he going to “know you” or want you to go away, because you are an “evildoer”?

Putting into practice the words of Jesus is the basis of a sure foundation, but our world is full of temptation to ignore the words of Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, much is said. For example, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.” But I have heard it said that that is a lot of nonsense because it destroys what a man is all about!

“You are the light of the world!” People should look to you for moral & spiritual guidance – Jesus is counting on you. Many may hope that is not true – to much pressure, not enough opportunity to do whatever you want. “Love your enemies.” It is said that is just one of those impossible morals which no one can follow. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth.” But our whole economic system is built on the reverse of that one! “Do not be anxious about your life.” Who can stop worrying? “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” If I have time, I’ll think about the king and the kingdom.

If hearing the words of Jesus and putting them into practice is not the foundation of your house, then what is? And what will be the result?

Life is full of storms. Jesus wants us to follow his words, to build our lives and our families on these words. He wants us to be ready for the inevitable storms of life –economic downturns, pension defaults, war, depression both mental and economic, relationship that fade, death of those who love us and whom we love, devastating illness, protracted disease, doors shut to advancement, being so foolish as to end up in serious trouble of any and every sort. Yes, even weather related events—hurricane, earthquake, drought, famine—they all may come. Will we stand, having built our present and our future on Jesus?

Jesus, Lord and Savior of us all in all times, is the rock. Following him and what he says is the beginning of wisdom. Jesus, we want to know what you taught, but more importantly, we want to have the wisdom to take what you taught and put it into practice.

Read your bible, study the scriptures, enhance your knowledge. And you would be wise to put it into practice in your daily lives!

Michael R. Martin – May 29, 2005
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

Mother’s Day • May 8, 2005

Seventh Sunday in Easter • Mother's Day • Festival of the Christian Home

Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John 17:1-11

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

Christian Home Month 2005: Families Called to Love

• Develop and strengthen faith in the home.
• Celebrate and support families in their faith journeys.
• Lift up love in the family. As God intended, the home is a place for living in the light of God's love and daily practicing the Christian faith.

The 2005 Christian Home Month theme is "Families Called to Love." Read Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.). Here we are reminded to love God and to keep God's words throughout the day in visible ways. Through Jesus' words in John 13:34 ((NLT) So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.), we hear the commandment to love one another. As we are called to show love individually, we are called as disciples to show love in our homes and with those we call family.

Prayer for Families

Gracious God, you created all of humankind and showed us the importance of relationships with one another. We commend to your care all the families of this congregation, community, and world. We pray that each home may be a home where love is felt. We pray for homes where, instead of love, there are households of hurt and abuse and suffering. We pray for children, youth, and adults, recognizing the importance of and the gift of every age as we grow. We pray for parents, stepparents, and foster parents. We pray for those who are single and for those who are married. We pray for those in loving relationships. May your grace be present to all. Grant us wisdom to know where there is no love, courage to act out of love for others, and peace to rest in your mercy. Help the commandments of love for you and love for others be our goal for life together. Amen.

Mother’s Day

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter*), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.

During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration . People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.

In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.

In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia. Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
~~~~~

Proverbs 31: 25- 31 (NLT) She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!" Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

• wise & loving counselor
• blessed: one who enjoys happy circumstances & from whom joy radiates to others.
• fear of the Lord: a loving reverence for God that includes submission to his Lordship & to the commands of his words.

Michael R. Martin – May 8, 2005
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM