Love your neighbor

It is my job this Sunday to preach a sermon about "The Good Samaritan" story found in the Gospel of Luke.

UGGGGH!

My heart is so heavy and broken thinking about what it means to care for the "man in need on the side of the road". I feel so limited, cynical and fearful to really say anything profound about reaching out to "someone out there".

Jesus is clear, love your neighbor as yourself.

We are called to reach out to those in need.

Just this afternoon I received two phone calls back to back.

One was a continuation from an event yesterday.

Our doors are locked for the security of 125 preschoolers. I know it is not ideal, but it is also a ministry to keep those children safe. So, someone needing gas money comes to the door and is offended because he is not "greeted at the door like a human being".

Okay, so maybe we don't have the "Open Doors, Open Minds, Open Hearts" completely down.

But can I just be really honest. We wouldn't need doors locked if people didn't come to the door in a belligerent manner and send fear through the building. (I talked to the guy on the phone, he was scary. I am a little worried about those leaving the building over the next few days). That is where the fearful part of the feeling in my heart comes.

How do we reach out in a society that is full of such anger, which creates fear?

So we fail to "love your neighbor as yourself". Ugggghhh!

However, in between the door visit and the phone call accusing me of personally "not having gas money, but you have a really nice sign out there" (If he only really knew about that sign...),

I got another phone call.

During that phone call I found God speaking to me in incredibly moving ways.

I was reminded that "the church" is suppose to be a place where people can be safe to be "the work in process" that we all are.

No, we don't always do it right and to be honest (again) we probably never will always get it right.

John Wesley believes we are all just moving onto perfection - I agree.

Yet, we can still have open hearts and receive another broken heart's words and desire to take this journey together.

In the Gospel, the Samaritan who helped the man on the side of the road, put the man on his own animal and traveled with him to the inn. He didn't send him ahead, he took the journey with him.

We may pass by sometimes without even noticing.

We may even have locked doors.

And yes, we may even get it right, with the Holy Spirit guiding each word.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas discussion questions

Campbell at the Movies is taking place all through July. On Wednesday night, July 8th we watched The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. If you would like to consider some questions for discussion, check out below and post a response.

see you at the movies!

Discussion questions for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

1. Prejudice is an attitude while discrimination is a behavior. Explore • these differences?

2. What is a stereotype? Why do people stereotype groups that are different from them? How does the movie depict Nazis stereotyping Jews?

3. When the mother learns that Jews are being exterminated at the camp, she questions her husband. “How can you?” she asks. He responds: “Because I’m a solider.” How do these two perspectives contrast?

4. Why do you think Gretel believes the viewpoints of Lieutenant Kotler, the tutor Liszt, and her father about Jews. Although Bruno is younger than his sister, he questions their viewpoints. Why?

5. One the early turning points for the mother in the movie is saying thank you to Pavel for treating Bruno. What has changed for her at this point? Why do you think she seems open to considering a different perspective?

6. At times, the father is shown as a loving parent and husband. How is this possible given his role as a Nazi officer giving orders to treat people in humanely?

7. How does Bruno justify continuing his friendship with Shmuel despite what his father, sister and tutor said about Jews?

8. The barbed wire fence is a physical separation between Bruno and Shmuel. What other types of separation does the fence represent in this story?

9. Neither Bruno nor Shmuel really know what is going on at the concentration camp. Why is that, and what allows them to keep their innocence?

10. What events and experiences lead Bruno to gradually give up some of his innocence and see things differently?

ministry moments

I missed the ministry moment, I was a half an hour late. The details are not as important as the simple lost moment. I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit to move sooner and instead I leaned back in my chair of comfort (okay, not that dramatic, I was in a meeting). This fact is resting heavy on my heart. Thirty minutes on the clock remind me bitterly how "inadequate" I am at doing God's work sometimes. 

This is the conversation God and I were having when I returned from my evening walk (gotta get the 7,000 steps) when I noticed the message light blinking on the answer machine. The message is "a heads up" about a ministry need. 

Any other time, it would have waited for tomorrow. "I don't know the number, it is in the office". "I have 12 billion pages to read for my upcoming class". "I just started eating this mint ice cream sandwich" (that one is real). Several excuses for putting off the "uncomfortable" can come to mind quickly. 

However, this time I was not going to let my "inadequate self" or a mint ice cream sandwich get in the way of a ministry moment. I knew in my insecure heart of hearts that God was giving me another shot. A chance to get "God's work" right this time. 

I often question God's plan for humanity to serve humanity in ministry. There has got to be a more efficient way for God's people to feel God's love. Donald Trump would not leave his "business" up to a group of broken misfits like God does. (No matter what you think of Joan Rivers).

However, as pastors we get this incredible opportunity to be used by God in the most precious of moments.  And I think that is why God uses those of us that miss the ministry moment every once in awhile. So, when we do "get it right" we know how completely humbling and an honor it is to be used by God.

I was reminded in a very tangible way that I serve a God who is all about second chances, redemption and following the heart. 

In tender moments of life, God allows me to step in under the name of Christ. What is that about? I mean, God really knows me. The resume God sees is not typed on fancy paper and only includes the shining highlights of my career. My true resume shows those missed moments, those "foot in the mouth" experiences and the trip-ups. 

Except that really isn't the resume in which God sees. For, Christ's blood is spilled all over my resume. It is all seen through the blood of Christ.  

Yes, even the missed moments of ministry are covered.  

It is not about me. It never has been. It is about God, who never misses a ministry moment. Especially those when I learn the most. 

What does love have to do with it?

I have this theory that I have expressed often when it comes to living life together. I think how we merge in traffic says something about how we live life. To merge from James River Expressway onto Highway 65 without smashing up your car, you have to be aware of those around you. You have to understand when someone needs you to speed up or slow down, to move over or to stay put. Some people merge well, some do not and seem to escape the auto body shop by the skin of their teeth. There are times in our lives when we merge well and sometimes we are just going to crash.

To live life well, we must be aware of others. We must look around and take into consideration another’s needs.

I found a new analogy this past Sunday. At lunch in a busy restaurant, one where you order first and then find your seat, all the tables were taken. We planted ourselves with our drinks by a booth to spy out an empty table. Nearby set a man with his newspaper spread out and his full glass of ice tea and his empty dishes. The employee cleared his dishes and he got up…to get a cookie. With no plan to depart anytime soon, he unwrapped his sugar cookie and nestled in for some refreshing alone time.

I really can’t blame him. Though there were many awaiting an empty table. He was completely unaware of the need that existed all around him for his four-seat booth. He probably doesn’t merge well in traffic either.

We are several weeks into our sermon series “Amazing Love” as we walk through the book of 1 John. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for loves comes from God”. I know I don’t always love well. I know if you were honest, you would have to admit the same. Sometimes we merge well in traffic…sometimes it is best to stay off the road. However, God does not leave us there. God is love and the more time we spend with God the better we love.

Here’s another analogy. Several, several years ago my driver’s education teacher took me driving on the highway for the first time. I can guarantee I did not merge well in traffic. I didn’t drive well (period). I almost hit my driver’s education teacher’s garage once. (Good story, though not as good as Mary’s tulip story!) I did hit my parent’s garage (a couple times). However, I drive much better now. I haven’t hit a garage in decades. I currently merge into traffic with great ease. Why, because I have spent some years behind the wheel of a car learning how to drive.

God is love. When we spend time with God, we love better. 

Seems rather basic to me.

abiding in love

I know when I have been spending time with God. And I have to admit, so do the people around me. I am more loving. 

We are in the middle of a sermon series on God's amazing love and in a couple weeks we will be looking at the Scripture on "God is love". It seems so simple, doesn't it?

God is love. Spend time in God's presence and we will know how to love. 

However, the world has a way of getting in between us and God...love. 

And before we know it, love is not something on our heart or mind. 

It can be a big thing, it can be a little thing, it can be a little thing that we make a big thing. 

I don't know what it is for you. I don't know what it will be for me tomorrow or the day after. 

Yet, I know God says, spend time with me and you will love because I love you. 

It doesn't say, we will love because everything is going right.

It doesn't say, we will love because everyone is nice.

It doesn't say, we will love because we have gotten all the sleep and fruit and vegetables we need. 

It doesn't say, we will love because everyone we are frustrated with "gets a brain and figures out what an idiot they have been".

You get my point. 

We love because God first loved us. We love when we abide in God.

So how we love has little to do with our state of mind or heart or the world's state. It has everything to do with our state of spending time with the Lord. 

So, on my list of things to do this week. I have added, spend time with God. 

I hope you notice.

Sheets, tulips and Easter

I have just spent the last half an hour attempting to cover my plants and flowers for the upcoming 20 degree weather. I have pulled all the sheets I have out of my linen closet and sprawled across flowerbeds to cover flowers that I could replace for a couple dollars in a few weeks. Yet still my fingertips are a little numb from wandering around in the cold weather securing the Harry Potter fleece. 

Do you think the tulips thanked me? No, actually the rose bush pricked my fingertips.

However, if I was to be completely honest, I have to admit I would probably rig a heater out to the front yard to save my bleeding heart. Relax, I am not going to do it...fire hazard. 

These are my flowers. I dug around in the dirt and planted those bulbs last Fall. I replanted that bleeding heart from a friend's house. I have watched that rosebush survive three seasons of those stupid Japanese beetles and way too many of these weird April cold fronts. I would do about anything to save them...

Save them...

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they. Matthew 6:26

Sunday is Easter. Not a day to celebrate Cadbury chocolate eggs (though that is a blessing from God). It is more about this week, Holy week. The week that we consider the journey Christ took to the cross. What Jesus did to save us. 

The betrayal, the beatings, the blood. 

All to save humanity from ourselves, really. 

You and me, sinful fools. 

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. John 3:16-17

Isaiah 40:28-31

I really appreciate a Scripture that talks about soaring. 

However, I don't know how much soaring I have been doing lately. 

Some days I feel more like the only eagles I have seen...the ones in cages and their wings are clipped.

I sure have been doing my share of waiting on the Lord. 

And that is okay. I can sometimes be an little impatient, so this is a great lesson for me to be learning. 

I heard a Bible Study teacher recently pointing out this Scripture is not about waiting on an "event", but waiting on the Lord. Waiting to be renewed by God. Not waiting for that event, moment or action to take place in our lives. Waiting on the Lord. 

Not an easy task. 

Sometimes I can wait for something to happen to be renewed. Depending on this or that to take place before I feel like soaring. 

But the truth is...we soar when we hope, wait, depend on the Lord. 

So, I have been praying this Scripture a lot lately. 

Thought you might need to be reminded yourself that God desires for us all to "not get weary". Be renewed...wait on the Lord.