October 19-25 2014

This week, the question “What inspired me this week” is what will guide my reflections. 

Men of Integrity magazine had a set of reflections this week from Rick Bezet, Be Real; Because Fake is Exhausting. The theme was forgiveness. Its basis was Matthew 18:21ff, where Jesus tells a parable about one person who the king forgave a large debt and the person then not giving the small debt owed by another servant. He discussed myths of forgiveness. Although forgiveness is an essential part of restoring a relationship, it is not sufficient to heal a broken relationship. Failure to forgive will lead to bitterness and sarcasm coming out an inappropriate times. It can also lead to a failure to mature, because one gets stuck in terms of personal, emotional, and spiritual growth. Forgiveness leads to freedom. What struck me this time was that we, who sin against God and have the assurance of forgiveness from God, will not forgive others who do something wrong to us. The discussion on this led me to think of the importance of developing a forgiving way of life or spirit.

            My physical health continues improving in terms of my right shoulder. It still hurts. I have continued with P90x2 yoga and cardio, the total gym, and some time at Anytime Fitness.  

            On a personal note, we saw a movie (Suzanne’s fault) Best of Me, the worst movie I have seen in my life. However, I balanced that with Gone Girl, likely the best movie I have seen in a long time. If you like crime thriller’s, this one is excellent. One inspiring thought was the exchange between two officers. One says that often the simplest answer is the answer. The other responds that she has never found that to be true. The simplest answer was decidedly not the correct answer in this movie. The Book Thief was inspiring in that it showed life in Nazi Germany from the perspective some average Germans. It was slow and a little depressing, but it ended well. It had some interesting insights in the voice-over from “Death,” who encouraged us to relax when our times comes. We also completed watching Bones, season 9, which had a wonderful and surprising final episode. What I find inspiring here is the relationship between Bones and Booth, two people who are so different, and yet have such profound love and respect for each other.

Here is a picture of two beloved members of the household.

            Worship was inspiring for me, and I hope for others as well. Music was wonderful in both services. Good response throughout the morning. Think Orange was wonderful, as was the Youth Small Group in the evening. I worked on the sermon plan for November and December, and that always is an inspiring time. The Finance Committee was longer than normal. Many matters to discuss. Triple S is always inspiring to me, this time s we worked out way through John 6. We had a few computer issues to consider this week. I spent some time reflecting on my appointment form. I also filled out a willingness to serve form on the Annual Conference web site to be a delegate to General Conference. In terms of personal study, I have been working my way through Church Dogmatics by Karl Barth a second time, focused on III.2/3. Although this is not easy, I find it inspiring. I found III.2 to be a masterpiece of how to do a theological anthropology, combining sharp biblical insights with a good reading of psychology and philosophical anthropology. His discussion of providence in III.3 is also inspiring, stressing the parental care of God, that we are always in the friendly hands of God, even when it does not look like it.

Septeber 26-October 4 2014 Reflections

Men of Integrity magazine had some reflections from John Siebling around the theme of honoring God from his book Momentum. We are to honor God above all, of course, but we can show this honor by honoring God with our money, by honoring the house of God, and honoring all people as made in the image of God. He reflects on Matthew 15:1-20. Next Saturday, we will begin our men's group that will reflect on this devotional book. I have found the readings consistently good to read and to discuss.

Last Sunday, a special moment was to have Alyssa Luching, soon to go under the banner of the Peace Corps, to a nation in Africa for a couple years. We surrounded her at the altar for prayer and anointing. It was a privilege to be a part of this.

Staff meeting, Staff Parish, and Nominations were all this week. All of this meant some administrative work. We are ready for Charge Conference at Main Street UMC on October 14, 2014. Cass County Clergy Association met at West Side Diner. Worship Design team met and we discussed making some changes that will start on Sunday for the second service.

I had some visits at Memorial Hospital with a family. Very meaningful. The wife of one of the families of the church was in a car accident that totaled the car. She was shaken but OK. She went back to work the next day. Good talks on the telephone with them.

Visited shut-in persons for communion with Mellie. Always a privilege.

We completed Upward Soccer on Saturday and had a banquet on Friday night. Sly did a wonderful job leading us through the awards part of the program.

We also had B-Shoc, a Christian rapper. His testimony was wonderful. Part of it related to a series of messages I will give in October. Christians tend to make things complicated. He wanted to keep his message simple in that Christian life is about letting people see the Jesus in us. Let it be so. I like hearing how people incorporate their faith into their artistic performance. As I understand it, some 31 people stood up to make their first profession of faith in Christ, and about 11 were parents. It was a wonderful evening.

In other news, I have continued my physical exercises, still with Yoga and Total Gym. I ran last week once for five miles. It was not easy.

Suzanne and I are wanting to get away for an evening once a month. We stay on the north side of Indy. We went to Kona Jacks for seafood. Then, we went to Apres Jacks for live entertainment, Orvis and Friends. We had the privilege of sitting with a wonderful couple, the woman attending North United Methodist Church in Indy on 38th Street. She knew Dick Hamilton, Richard Lancaster, Joe Emerson, and Bill Schwein. The group was wonderful, featuring London Grace, her stage name. She was awesome.

I have been on a path of revising in order to shorten my reflections on Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics. It has been a way of reviewing the positions of Barth as well. I am also going through Wolfhart Pannenberg to see what he has to say about various portions of Church Dogmatics. Thus far, I have concluded by review of Volume I.1/2, his prolegomena that focuses on his view of the Word of God.

Here are a few Scriptures I will be pondering this week.

Psalm 106

¹ Praise the Lord!

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever.

 

Philippians 4

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to everyone.

 

Philippians 4

⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 

Philippians 4

⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Philippians 4

⁸ Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Matthew 22:1-14 (NRSV)

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. ⁴ Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ ⁵ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ ¹⁰ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, ¹² and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.”