All Things Considered Series: Every summer at The Way, we take time to consider your requests—those unanswered faith questions, those difficult scriptures, those spiritual musings and wonderings of yours. This is always one of the most varied and fun worship series of our year. Consider being a part of “All Things Considered” this summer!
July 20 The Psalms, Rev. Carolyn Bullard preaching
July 27 The Psalms, Rev. Carolyn Bullard preaching
August 3 What’s the Story? Contradictions and Challenges in Scripture
August 10 What about Sin? If God made us, then why do we sin?
(due to unforseen complications the previous 4 sermons are unavailable for download...sorry!)
August 17 How Beautiful (Is the Body of Christ): Diversity and Community
August 24 Wake Up! An Open Letter to the Church at Sardis (and in America)
August 31 Sacrificial Atonement and Salvation
Monday, July 14, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Take a Risk
Well, Mama Duck died. Of all the potential disaster scenarios with these ducks that I obsessed about over the past two months, I never once considered the possibility that she might die. This is not how I wanted my Great Duck Adventure of 2008 to turn out. One day I noticed she was behaving strangely, and by that night she was dead.
I had to bury her by myself the next afternoon because Lindsay was out of town again. I’ve never buried an animal before. I had no idea how hard it is to dig a grave. It took me two hours. (Clearly I need to work on my upper body strength. Or maybe I just need better tools. I’m going with the tools—it’s easier on the ego.)
By the time I finished digging, I was hot, sweaty, tired, and emotionally drained. And I felt like a fool. Why was I so upset over a duck? She wasn’t even a pet, but here I was, a blubbering fool. The answer came to me fairly quickly: I was so upset because I allowed myself to get involved. I took a risk—gave of my time, my energy, my resources, my heart. I took a risk to care, and that means I took a risk to feel.
It is much easier to go through life without caring, without feeling. It is much easier to stay aloof, distant, detached. It is much easier, but it is not what we are called to be. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to be like Christ. “Christian,” after all, means “little Christ.” Jesus wasn’t aloof. He wasn’t distant. He wasn’t detached. He was one of us; he was one with us. That is incarnation.
When Jesus interacted with others, he took time to see them, to hear them, to be with them. We, on the other hand, tend to rush through our days with barely a glance at those around us—even those closest to us. Well, it’s past time to change that. We’ve got to slow down and take the time to see, hear, and be with those God has put in our lives. That’s what it means to be the Body of Christ.
My neighbors and I have bonded over these ducks. Before, I knew their names but that was only because I was careful to write them down when we first moved into the neighborhood. I knew their names, but I would not have recognized their faces. That all changed with the ducks. Now we have been in each other’s homes, we have shared food, we have shared time—and we’ve even shared a few tears over Mama Duck. (At least I’m not the only emotional one on the street!) We have created community, and dare I say it, we have started to care about each other.
Lindsay and I moved into this neighborhood almost exactly one year ago. Two pastors who should have known better remained aloof, distant, and detached from our next-door neighbors. Only now have we become connected. Only now have we gotten involved. Only now have we taken the risk to let someone new into our lives. And maybe now, with God’s help, we can finally be a true reflection of Jesus Christ to our neighbors. All because of one family of ducks. Thanks be to God!
Copywright 2008 J. Churchman
I had to bury her by myself the next afternoon because Lindsay was out of town again. I’ve never buried an animal before. I had no idea how hard it is to dig a grave. It took me two hours. (Clearly I need to work on my upper body strength. Or maybe I just need better tools. I’m going with the tools—it’s easier on the ego.)
By the time I finished digging, I was hot, sweaty, tired, and emotionally drained. And I felt like a fool. Why was I so upset over a duck? She wasn’t even a pet, but here I was, a blubbering fool. The answer came to me fairly quickly: I was so upset because I allowed myself to get involved. I took a risk—gave of my time, my energy, my resources, my heart. I took a risk to care, and that means I took a risk to feel.
It is much easier to go through life without caring, without feeling. It is much easier to stay aloof, distant, detached. It is much easier, but it is not what we are called to be. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to be like Christ. “Christian,” after all, means “little Christ.” Jesus wasn’t aloof. He wasn’t distant. He wasn’t detached. He was one of us; he was one with us. That is incarnation.
When Jesus interacted with others, he took time to see them, to hear them, to be with them. We, on the other hand, tend to rush through our days with barely a glance at those around us—even those closest to us. Well, it’s past time to change that. We’ve got to slow down and take the time to see, hear, and be with those God has put in our lives. That’s what it means to be the Body of Christ.
My neighbors and I have bonded over these ducks. Before, I knew their names but that was only because I was careful to write them down when we first moved into the neighborhood. I knew their names, but I would not have recognized their faces. That all changed with the ducks. Now we have been in each other’s homes, we have shared food, we have shared time—and we’ve even shared a few tears over Mama Duck. (At least I’m not the only emotional one on the street!) We have created community, and dare I say it, we have started to care about each other.
Lindsay and I moved into this neighborhood almost exactly one year ago. Two pastors who should have known better remained aloof, distant, and detached from our next-door neighbors. Only now have we become connected. Only now have we gotten involved. Only now have we taken the risk to let someone new into our lives. And maybe now, with God’s help, we can finally be a true reflection of Jesus Christ to our neighbors. All because of one family of ducks. Thanks be to God!
Copywright 2008 J. Churchman
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