What should we say?

The "Occupy" campaigns have been gaining strength and publicity. Over the past few weeks religious leaders have been speaking out about these demonstrations. Some in support, some more critical but seldom on the same page. So, should the church be speaking out about these campaigns or should we remain silent?

Maybe before we talk about "Occupy" we should talk about Jesus. Jesus was one who rocked the boat, he challenged authority and if there was injustice he was never shy to let the offenders know about it. Jesus spoke up for those who did not have a voice. He spoke up for women and the outcasts. He reached out to the marginalized and cared for children. Would Jesus be sitting Zuccotti Park?

I read an article from a religious leader who does have some strong opinions about these demonstrations. (You can read that article here: redletterchristians.org/a-devotion-for-wall-street). Two of my favorite quotes from this article are:

‎"...there is enough for everyone’s need, but there is not enough for everyone’s greed."

and

"It does make you wonder what to do about 401k’s and pensions. But it seems pretty clear that Jesus isn’t a big fan of stockpiling stuff in barns and banks, especially when folks are dying of starvation and preventable diseases."

Regardless of your stance on "Occupy: Wall Street" there is injustice in the world and the church is too often silent when others are hurting. We are too often silent when we can do something to help, but instead we do nothing. Our faith needs shock us, it needs to wake us up to the needs of our brothers and sisters, those who are in our backyards and those who are across the world.

How is your faith challenging you to change? How is Jesus challenging you?

See you in church,

Chris

Video

In preparation for November 6, I've put together a video. Please check it out. Master's Plan Video
Let me know what you think!

As an added treat to the special celebration on November 6, we will have present all the artists who contributed pieces for the sermon series, "Connect the Dots," and whose works now hang in the Gallery. They will be there during the potluck lunch to answer any of your questions.

Peace,
Pastor Scott

November 6--One Service Time (10:00)

It's going to be a great celebration!

On Sunday, November 6, come to worship at 10:00 either in the Sanctuary or Spirit Hall. It should be packed, so come early (in one car!) After the sermon, we will exit the seven different doors leading outdoors and all 1000 of us will meet at the new building site to wrap up worship with communion, a recommitment to The Master's Plan, a blessing of the ground and a remembrance of the saints. Afterwards, we will continue the celebration with lunch.

In preparation for this special celebration, bring a couple of things. . .

1. A heart filled with anticipation

2. A renewed pledge card for The Master's Plan. We need to increase our combined pledges from 6 to 8 million dollars. That's a one third bump. We need everyone to get on board for these remaining two years.

3. A white flag for All Saints. We will pass them out on October 23 and 30. Please take as many as you would like home with you, decorate them for a favorite person who has died, and bring them on November 6 to help us outline the perimeter of the building.

4. A cold salad, side dish or dessert to share for lunch

As a congregation, we voted to go forward with The Master's Plan on October 2. However, in doing so we realize that we build upon the work of the saints who have come before us. So help us honor their memory with worship and a renewed commitment to move forward, trusting that God is leading the way.

Peace,
Pastor Scott

Hilarious Giving--October 16

Do you write out your offering to the church "cheerfully?"

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul wrote, "Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Interesting, the word for "cheerful" here is "hilaros," from which we get the word, "hilarious." In other words, God wants there to be something between a giggle in your heart to an all out belly laugh when you make your offering. When is the last time that happened?

Of all the "bills" I write out every week, my offering stands out in two ways. First, it is the second largest check I write next to my mortgage payment. Second, it is the one that gives me the greatest delight in writing.

I want to remind you to bring in your pledge card this Sunday, October 16. Do it with a smile, do it with a giggle in your heart, do it not because you have to but with the joy that God desires from a cheerful giver.

Laughing all the way to the offering plate!

Pastor Scott

Is faith about having all the answers?

Last night I "attempted" to teach The Holy Trinity. I say "attempted" because The Trinity can be a challenging concept to grasp if we attempt to understand it on our terms. When we talk about The Trinity God's math doesn't add up like ours does. Three equals one and one equals three? Now I do not consider myself a math genius, and I am not embarrassed to admit that my third grader's math homework frequently challenges me more than it should, but I am pretty sure that 3 typically does not equal 1 any more than 1 equals 3. What if The Trinity is not so much about understanding and explaining but about experiencing. What if we felt OK admitting that we don't fully understand this one. What if we were comfortable saying we don't have all the answers.

We live in the age of professionals. Many of us are professionals in our own fields and quite often people come to us seeking advice, clarification and answers. Now when one of these professionals does not have the answer we are looking for this surprises us. After all they are professionals and this is what they do. I may carry the title of pastor and I may have studied theology in college and seminary for nearly a decade but that does not mean that I have all the answers because faith isn't about answers. Faith is about peace, hope and family. We may go to a family member or a parent for some advice and we certainly appreciate their wisdom but their value to us goes far beyond answers. They are our family because we share our lives with them, they share theirs with us and they are a part of our journey.

It is OK to admit you don't have all the answers because faith is not about answers. Our faith is a life long journey and we never cross that finish line until the day we transition from this world to the next. And that journey is enriched because of those that we share it with. Not because of their intelligence or wisdom but because they are a part of our lives.

Enjoy the journey.

See you in Church.

Pastor Chris

Forward with Permitting!

It was the fastest congregational vote in all of recorded church history. It took all of one minute and fifteen second for this congregation to vote unanimously to move forward with the permitting for the new building. As I write this blog, David Bigham, our church administrator, is delivering the check to the builder to bring along with the plans to the county permitting office.

Thank you!

For the next 4-6 weeks, the county will tweak and comment on the plans before approval. Once this approval is secured, the builder will put the plans out for bids to the subcontractors. And then, if everything goes as planned, we will have another congregational vote in December with the contract to build.

This is really going to happen!

This has been years in the making through countless meetings for number crunching, designing and sharing information. Several councils have rotated through, each one advancing the cause a little at a time. Thank you for your patience in letting us get it right. Thank you for your generosity towards The Master's Plan. And thank you for the trust that you have placed in your leadership these many years to make the right and faithful decisions.

Thanks be to God!

Pastor Scott

Being New

Over the next two Sundays we will welcome some new members into our church family. Some have been a part of our community for a few weeks, others a few years. They have spent two Sunday afternoons with Pastor Scott, Gretchen, the staff and myself and this Sunday at the 11:15am service and next week at the 8:45 service we will introduce them to you. Now what?

How long ago did you join the church? Do you remember attending a new member class and standing in front of a group of relative strangers? What happened next for you? I am hoping "what happened next" was someone came up to you and invited you out to lunch or met you for a cup of coffee. I am hoping someone invited you to a small group or asked you to join them for a play date at the park with your kids. I am hoping someone reached out to you and made you feel a part of this family.

Now it is your turn. Joining a church can be a bit of a stretch for some people. Joining a church requires you to put yourself out there a bit and let others in. We need you to reach out to these new members of our family and make them feel welcome. We need you to invite them to lunch or buy them a cup of coffee. Their kids need to meet your kids so they can find a connection here. At one point you were a new member and someone reached out to you and the rest, as they say, is history. Now it is your turn to do the same thing, to invite them to be a part of our family.

See you in church,

Pastor Chris