This year my church had a "Kidmas" service on Christmas Eve, and I was lucky enough to get to be a part and help serve communion. All the kids had a bread roll to share and I held the cups of grape juice. There was one little girl who came with her mother, grandmother and brothers. She was probably about 3 and hadn't taken communion too many times before. As the family approached I heard the mother whispering to the daughter instructions on what to do. As she approached me the mother told her to "drink the juice and say "thank you Jesus."" As the little girl received her cup her eyes looked up at me and she was silent for a moment. Then, still with her eyes fixed on me she turned and said to me, "thank you Jesus."
(I'd like to make it clear that I definitely realize I'm not Jesus, but hear my point.)
For those who have not heard the love of God and do not have a church home, where will they see Jesus? How will you bring the Jesus you know out to them in their own language, and who will see Jesus through you?
Isn't that what church is about, and why we need to rethink it?
I'm gonna think and let think.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Please and Thank You
Today Rachel's Challenge came to our school and held an assembly and a workshop for the school. The message was to start a chain reaction of kindness, because you never know how much you can impact somebody. In a world where we are told we are small, today I was inspired to know that God HAS given me the ability and means to make an impact much greater than I can fathom. We were challenged to share with 5 to 7 people how much of an impact they made on our lives. Here I want to touch on just one of those.
Mrs. Schmidt was probably one of the kindest, craziest people I know. She never met a stranger, and I'm pretty sure she was capable of being in two places at once. One of my earlier soccer memories was of when she was coaching our 1st grade team (we were the Vipers.) I came to practice one day just to find myself learning how to kick a soccer ball correctly...the whole time. For what seemed like an eternity our parents held the balls as we kicked the soccer balls in place repeatedly. That was my earliest memory of Mrs. Schmidt, and I'm not sure how it fits in to this post. All I know is that she was at that practice because she cared about us.
She didn't stay our coach forever but she didn't disappear. I can't count the number of times I rode with her to a game or stayed with her and Maria during a tournament. Mrs. Schmidt brought us snacks even when it wasn't her turn on the roster, and she was the one who brought enough for everybody. One of the best parts of soccer season was going to the pool party after the last game, and guess who hosted that?
I remember on the way back from a tournament we stopped at a shop that had authentic Mexican food so Mrs. Schmidt could buy some stuff. Did I mention she was the best cook ever? She was Catholic, and she could make the best meals even on a Friday in Lent. And if you didn't know Mrs. Schmidt, she didn't look Hispanic, and that's probably because she wasn't. However, growing up around the culture she was fluent in Spanish (and she was after all, a Spanish teacher.) So as her and my mom went in there, she put the workers into shock as she all of a sudden began to speak perfect Spanish. It wasn't above her, she was just speaking to people the way they spoke. She was a friend to them, and she considered them her friends.
As I finally got into high school I got the opportunity to have Mrs. Schmidt as a teacher. What she displayed outside the classroom was what she taught inside. She would repeatedly tell us, "I want you to learn a little Spanish, but what I really want you to learn is to be good people." That she strived for everyday as she shook our hands as we entered the classroom, as she arrived at school before dawn to tutor any student that asked, as she stayed until dark to do the same. Anyone who needed Mrs. Schmidt for anything could call on her at anytime. On the tests she gave us, she never failed to put on the end of the directions that started out "Please..." the simply two words of thank you.
A final story of Mrs. Schmidt also happened in her classroom that year. I had been having a bad day, and as I went to Spanish second period she noticed. As we worked on the computers something about conjugating verbs really set me off and I had a meltdown. Now I am one of those that is known for crying, in fact I used to get a prize if I didn't cry the whole day. This wasn't abnormal. However, Mrs. Schmidt took me outside and gave me a hug and said "aren't you glad that this happened when you were with me?" And truth is I was.
No other teacher knew me like Mrs. Schmidt, and no teacher had made it so obvious a point to show the genuine love and compassion that she had. Today as we talked about making kindness happen and setting goals for ourselves, I decided that I want to be someone that people know they can come to and trust, like Mrs. Schmidt was for me. She's not here for me to tell her that, or that I think she looks a little bit like Lucille Ball, but what I do today and how I act tomorrow is what counts. I challenge you as I challenge myself to find who you want to be and to go for it. "You never know when you might start a chain reaction."
Mrs. Schmidt was probably one of the kindest, craziest people I know. She never met a stranger, and I'm pretty sure she was capable of being in two places at once. One of my earlier soccer memories was of when she was coaching our 1st grade team (we were the Vipers.) I came to practice one day just to find myself learning how to kick a soccer ball correctly...the whole time. For what seemed like an eternity our parents held the balls as we kicked the soccer balls in place repeatedly. That was my earliest memory of Mrs. Schmidt, and I'm not sure how it fits in to this post. All I know is that she was at that practice because she cared about us.
She didn't stay our coach forever but she didn't disappear. I can't count the number of times I rode with her to a game or stayed with her and Maria during a tournament. Mrs. Schmidt brought us snacks even when it wasn't her turn on the roster, and she was the one who brought enough for everybody. One of the best parts of soccer season was going to the pool party after the last game, and guess who hosted that?
I remember on the way back from a tournament we stopped at a shop that had authentic Mexican food so Mrs. Schmidt could buy some stuff. Did I mention she was the best cook ever? She was Catholic, and she could make the best meals even on a Friday in Lent. And if you didn't know Mrs. Schmidt, she didn't look Hispanic, and that's probably because she wasn't. However, growing up around the culture she was fluent in Spanish (and she was after all, a Spanish teacher.) So as her and my mom went in there, she put the workers into shock as she all of a sudden began to speak perfect Spanish. It wasn't above her, she was just speaking to people the way they spoke. She was a friend to them, and she considered them her friends.
As I finally got into high school I got the opportunity to have Mrs. Schmidt as a teacher. What she displayed outside the classroom was what she taught inside. She would repeatedly tell us, "I want you to learn a little Spanish, but what I really want you to learn is to be good people." That she strived for everyday as she shook our hands as we entered the classroom, as she arrived at school before dawn to tutor any student that asked, as she stayed until dark to do the same. Anyone who needed Mrs. Schmidt for anything could call on her at anytime. On the tests she gave us, she never failed to put on the end of the directions that started out "Please..." the simply two words of thank you.
A final story of Mrs. Schmidt also happened in her classroom that year. I had been having a bad day, and as I went to Spanish second period she noticed. As we worked on the computers something about conjugating verbs really set me off and I had a meltdown. Now I am one of those that is known for crying, in fact I used to get a prize if I didn't cry the whole day. This wasn't abnormal. However, Mrs. Schmidt took me outside and gave me a hug and said "aren't you glad that this happened when you were with me?" And truth is I was.
No other teacher knew me like Mrs. Schmidt, and no teacher had made it so obvious a point to show the genuine love and compassion that she had. Today as we talked about making kindness happen and setting goals for ourselves, I decided that I want to be someone that people know they can come to and trust, like Mrs. Schmidt was for me. She's not here for me to tell her that, or that I think she looks a little bit like Lucille Ball, but what I do today and how I act tomorrow is what counts. I challenge you as I challenge myself to find who you want to be and to go for it. "You never know when you might start a chain reaction."
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Church vs. God
I'd like to think I'm a cheerful person who is pleasant to be around.
But sometimes I don't like people.
A few weeks ago my friend made the comment to me that I needed "to stop doing so much stuff" with my church. They didn't mean this in a bad way but it could be taken that way. My friend was just trying to say that I spent a lot of my time there, and I take that as a compliment.
Lately I've been kinda busy, and probably not too fun to be around. I'm always talking about SLT or the Methodorks that I don't get to hang out with my other friends.
One of my favorite Sunday School teachers once taught me that the church is not God. It is a great way to God, but it can also serve as a distraction. Sometimes we get so caught up with what we're doing and adding more and more to it that we forget why we do it and just go through the motions.
So am I about to resign from SLT or stop teaching my Intermediate Worship Birds? You've got to be kidding. But maybe I need to refresh myself on why I love doing it so much, and keep the focus.
The church helps me get to God, and I want to keep it that way.
But sometimes I don't like people.
A few weeks ago my friend made the comment to me that I needed "to stop doing so much stuff" with my church. They didn't mean this in a bad way but it could be taken that way. My friend was just trying to say that I spent a lot of my time there, and I take that as a compliment.
Lately I've been kinda busy, and probably not too fun to be around. I'm always talking about SLT or the Methodorks that I don't get to hang out with my other friends.
One of my favorite Sunday School teachers once taught me that the church is not God. It is a great way to God, but it can also serve as a distraction. Sometimes we get so caught up with what we're doing and adding more and more to it that we forget why we do it and just go through the motions.
So am I about to resign from SLT or stop teaching my Intermediate Worship Birds? You've got to be kidding. But maybe I need to refresh myself on why I love doing it so much, and keep the focus.
The church helps me get to God, and I want to keep it that way.
Thanksgiving in a Whale
"But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’” -Jonah 2:9
This verse was the inspiration for a lesson on Jonah and giving thanks.
So I'm under a table that's covered in blankets, the belly of a whale if you will.
4 8ish year-old girls sitting comfortably there, just talking about old Jonah.
So we talk about how gross it would be in a whale.
And how Jonah just kept messing up.
I get to the part about how even though all the yucky stuff was happening to Jonah, he still gave a prayer of thanksgiving. And then I witnessed them get more involved in a lesson then ever before.
"Thanksgiving? How long was he in the whale for?"
"He ate Thanksgiving in the whale?"
"How did Santa get Jonah his presents?"
Great. They always say you're going to get asked questions you don't know the answer to, but I wasn't expecting this.
"Um, this is old Testament, Santa wasn't born yet."
I thought it was a good answer.
"What? No, Santa was ALWAYS born!"
"Yea!"
"Yea, Santa never dies!"
Good to know they'll fight for what they believe in.
The lesson went in a bit different direction then I planned, but that's okay. I can give thanks that I learned many lessons about Jonah, myself, and what not to say in front of little girls that day. There's always something to give thanks for, and probably more than we can even think of.
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’” -Jonah 2:9
This verse was the inspiration for a lesson on Jonah and giving thanks.
So I'm under a table that's covered in blankets, the belly of a whale if you will.
4 8ish year-old girls sitting comfortably there, just talking about old Jonah.
So we talk about how gross it would be in a whale.
And how Jonah just kept messing up.
I get to the part about how even though all the yucky stuff was happening to Jonah, he still gave a prayer of thanksgiving. And then I witnessed them get more involved in a lesson then ever before.
"Thanksgiving? How long was he in the whale for?"
"He ate Thanksgiving in the whale?"
"How did Santa get Jonah his presents?"
Great. They always say you're going to get asked questions you don't know the answer to, but I wasn't expecting this.
"Um, this is old Testament, Santa wasn't born yet."
I thought it was a good answer.
"What? No, Santa was ALWAYS born!"
"Yea!"
"Yea, Santa never dies!"
Good to know they'll fight for what they believe in.
The lesson went in a bit different direction then I planned, but that's okay. I can give thanks that I learned many lessons about Jonah, myself, and what not to say in front of little girls that day. There's always something to give thanks for, and probably more than we can even think of.
The Fumes Have Gotten to Me
Preach every sermon as though it someone's salvation depended solely upon it, but with enough grace to know it doesn't.
Put everything you have into your work, knowing that everything you can do will never amount to enough, but that grace will cover it all.
By putting everything you have into your work so that there is nothing left you leave no choice but to have God's grace take over.
It's like using all your gas and depending on the fumes to get you home. Except these fumes last forever.
Put everything you have into your work, knowing that everything you can do will never amount to enough, but that grace will cover it all.
By putting everything you have into your work so that there is nothing left you leave no choice but to have God's grace take over.
It's like using all your gas and depending on the fumes to get you home. Except these fumes last forever.
The Differences Between
Spiritual gifts are great.
The body of Christ wouldn't function without them.
It's that part of you that you've surrendered to Christ completely, allowing Him to control you so that people recognize the works you do as Him.
Could we strive towards every part of us being surrendered to God?
Isn't our life a gift driven by the Spirit?
While we work on to perfection, on towards completely unifying ourselves with God, we begin to create these alliances initiated by our differences.
We focus on what we do best and why it is great.
And while we should focus on those things that we're really good at (letting God take control of,) we let it separate us.
Rather, let us use our stronger point, our likeness, our faith in Christ to unify us with each other so that we can work as the body of Christ.
I guess what I'm saying is that we have to not put aside our differences but use them in order to work as a church and Christ's body. God's just awesome enough to work it out like that for us.
The body of Christ wouldn't function without them.
It's that part of you that you've surrendered to Christ completely, allowing Him to control you so that people recognize the works you do as Him.
Could we strive towards every part of us being surrendered to God?
Isn't our life a gift driven by the Spirit?
While we work on to perfection, on towards completely unifying ourselves with God, we begin to create these alliances initiated by our differences.
We focus on what we do best and why it is great.
And while we should focus on those things that we're really good at (letting God take control of,) we let it separate us.
Rather, let us use our stronger point, our likeness, our faith in Christ to unify us with each other so that we can work as the body of Christ.
I guess what I'm saying is that we have to not put aside our differences but use them in order to work as a church and Christ's body. God's just awesome enough to work it out like that for us.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Smelly Jesus and Disney World
Freshman year I got the opportunity to travel to Disney World with the band, but it was a long process getting there. A year before I was running around town selling millions of boxes of cookie dough so I could raise money. I worked concession stands, sold wrapping paper, even one of my lungs so I would raise enough money.
The trip was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I'm not one for amusement parks, but the "magic of Disney" certainly caught on. I enjoyed just about every second of it and hope to go back one day. However I don't know that I ever will. The price, security checks, little things like flash passes and IDs were rituals that hindered my enjoyment, and I don't really want to deal with that if I have to meet all these qualifications just to get in.
What if it was free to get into Disney World? What if we didn't have to worry about remembering our ID or flash pass? What if I didn't have to go through numerous security checks to make sure I was adequate, wouldn't that be great?
Truth is, the lines would get really long and everyone might get tired of the park. However, there is a place where you don't have to get bored...
Yes, church is free, and as long as we're looking, it'll never get boring. But for some reason we tend to put up barriers that keep others from wanting to come. We get caught up in our same method (yea, I'm a UM) of church that we don't keep our eyes open to how others view the church-going bunch.
Dressing up for church, for example. If you dress nicely for church, go ahead. But if that is high on your priority list, I ask that you rethink your values. Sometimes we're late because we're too busy getting an outfit together or fixing our hair, but how often do we spiritually get ready?
Do you think Jesus got dressed up nicely before he preached? NO, Jesus was a smelly homeless man who preached to prostitutes in dusty streets! If that statement can be said about the Lord, there is obviously something more to true worship than the physical aspects. We've come to think that our physical features reflect our attitude towards worship, when in fact it is our heart.
In turn, visitor began to see the physical. People who yearn for Jesus do not want to have qualifications to reach Him- have we forgotten the Grace we have been given?
The trip was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I'm not one for amusement parks, but the "magic of Disney" certainly caught on. I enjoyed just about every second of it and hope to go back one day. However I don't know that I ever will. The price, security checks, little things like flash passes and IDs were rituals that hindered my enjoyment, and I don't really want to deal with that if I have to meet all these qualifications just to get in.
What if it was free to get into Disney World? What if we didn't have to worry about remembering our ID or flash pass? What if I didn't have to go through numerous security checks to make sure I was adequate, wouldn't that be great?
Truth is, the lines would get really long and everyone might get tired of the park. However, there is a place where you don't have to get bored...
Yes, church is free, and as long as we're looking, it'll never get boring. But for some reason we tend to put up barriers that keep others from wanting to come. We get caught up in our same method (yea, I'm a UM) of church that we don't keep our eyes open to how others view the church-going bunch.
Dressing up for church, for example. If you dress nicely for church, go ahead. But if that is high on your priority list, I ask that you rethink your values. Sometimes we're late because we're too busy getting an outfit together or fixing our hair, but how often do we spiritually get ready?
Do you think Jesus got dressed up nicely before he preached? NO, Jesus was a smelly homeless man who preached to prostitutes in dusty streets! If that statement can be said about the Lord, there is obviously something more to true worship than the physical aspects. We've come to think that our physical features reflect our attitude towards worship, when in fact it is our heart.
In turn, visitor began to see the physical. People who yearn for Jesus do not want to have qualifications to reach Him- have we forgotten the Grace we have been given?
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