“Courage”

I was reading some of the words of Isaiah the other day– a favorite passage of mine that reminds us of the mission of the Church –

Is not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to lose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will appear; then your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.”  (Isaiah 58:6-8)

When I read this passage, I hear Isaiah telling us what it is God expects his followers to do.  I love reading this passage, but I find that most of the time when I read it, I think: “Why don’t people do that?  I wish I was around people who regularly engaged in that kind of work.  How can I lead people to do this sort of thing?”  But you know what question I rarely ever ask myself when reflecting on passages like this: “Why am I not doing this myself?”  We’re pretty quick at seeing the faults in others and wondering why they don’t act a certain way, even when we don’t hold ourselves to the same standard.

I think it is reasonable to assume that most of you have heard of the Serenity Prayer (God grant me the courage to accept the things I cannot change …).  The man credited with authoring that prayer is a renowned theologian named Reinhold Niebuhr.  Another statement attributed to Niebuhr is that “the purpose of religion (the Gospel, Christianity) is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”  (Truth be told, this statement was actually first written by a newspaper magnate in Chicago in 1902 in a satire piece about the importance of a free press.)  No matter the history of this statement, I think it is something I need to be reminded of once in a while.  God does not call us to sit comfortably as we read Scripture and hear his Word.  I find that when the Holy Spirit is really at work is when I start to feel convicted about myself and see those changes I need to make in my own life and ministry.

Often in our minds we see ourselves in need of receiving God’s comfort from all our afflictions.  But, as we look around and take true stock of our lives, I’d guess it is fair to say most of us are pretty comfortable.  I don’t think many of us have any idea of the hardships experienced by the people in Isaiah’s time.  Not only do the majority of us live pretty comfortably, it is probably fair to state that we have gotten pretty comfortable in our spiritual lives as well.  It’s when things get comfortable that we stop putting in as much effort as we did when we were still in the process of finding our comfort zone.  Faith requires acts of courage.  Perhaps we need to get out of our spiritual comfort zones a little more so that we can do the work God calls us to. 

Let me ask you a question – how comfortable is your spiritual life?  When was the last time you did something spiritually that took courage – like praying for God to use you in a different way, or sharing your faith with another, or making an offering that would absolutely require a leap of faith?  I have a feeling that God is calling us today to become a little more courageous in our faith.  Will you join me this week as I seek to view myself less as one of the afflicted in need of comfort and more as one of those who might act courageously to join in the work of comforting the afflicted?

I thank you for the honor of being your pastor and being in ministry alongside you to an amazing God.

Blessings, Chris

Mission

To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Vision

Nelson Memorial UMC seeks to be a place where all God’s broken, hurting, and imperfect children discover wholeness and community while experiencing the warm and welcoming love of Jesus Christ.  We seek to connect with one another to grow in our knowledge and love of God, to encourage each person to live out their unique calling to serve God, and to make a difference in the Boonville community and throughout the world.

Priorities

Developing and Nurturing Faith in Children and Youth

Fostering Growth and Community in Worship and Small Groups

Provide Opportunities to Serve God in Boonville and Beyond

Worship This Week

This Sunday we will begin a new message series titled “Courageous Faith.”  Each week we will take a look at some of the forerunners in our faith and the courageous faith they displayed.  Our message is this week will focus on the life of Abram/Abraham and his call story.  Our scripture reading is from the book of Genesis, Chapter 12, verses 1-7.

The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.  Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.  He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem.  At that time the Canaanites were in the land.  The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.”  So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.“

Our services will begin with the song See Me Through It by Brandon Heath. Our songs for the morning include He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought; Whom Shall I Fear, and Have Thine Own Way, Lord.  We will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion this Sunday as well.

Virtual Worship Information

In addition to in-person worship, each Sunday we will live-stream our 10:20 worship service. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page.  The service will start at approximately 10:25 following our gathering song.  Additionally, we post a recording of our message each week to our website by early Sunday afternoon.  We are excited to be able to extend our worship services in these ways.

Announcements

Service Opportunity – Camp Sagrada has reached out to us requesting our help with transportation of campers.  This is a ministry we did in the past. The camp’s mission is to reach children with the gospel, whose parents are incarcerated. Campers experience the love of Jesus, and that of camp staff/counselors, in a fun filled natural environment, perhaps rendering them more receptive to the gospel. The camp experience is so important for these children who are burdened by the absence or stigma of an incarcerated parent.  We are looking for help on the following dates: June 6 and 10, June 13 and 17, and June 20 and 25.

Each day we will need a team of 2 adults, one of which can drive the Sagrada van, the other to assist. You can volunteer for one day, or one week. Any adult, 18+, is eligible to help with this project.  Each volunteer will need to plan on several hours of travel.  The Camp Sagrada Van as well as fuel will be provided.  Please take a look at your schedule and see if you are willing to make a trip, and if so, which date?  There will be a sign-up sheet in the east narthex.  More information will be provided to volunteers as the dates near.  If you have any question, please contact Tim Von Engeln at (660) 882-3348.

Recognizing Our Graduates High School or College – Please contact the church office if you have a High School or College Graduate in your family this spring.  We would like to be able to congratulate them during an upcoming worship service.  Thank you.

A Big Thank You – Thank you to everyone who supported our Blood Drive on Monday, April 25th.  They collected 14 units of blood.  We will host another blood drive at a later date.

May/June Upper Rooms – If you use the Upper Room devotional guide, don’t forget to pick up the May & June edition.  They are available in the back of the Sanctuary and on the table in the East Wing.  If you’ve never used the Upper Room, consider picking one up and starting your day with this daily devotion.  (The United Methodist Men generously provide for these devotional guides, so don’t forget to thank a Methodist Man if these are part of your devotional practice.)

Events this week:

Monday, May 2: TOPS, 9:30 am, Foundations Classroom

Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Church Lounge

Tuesday, May 3: Congregational Care Team, 7:00 pm, Church Lounge

Wednesday, May 4: Women’s Bible Study, 10:15 am, Church Lounge

Al Anon, Noon, Church Lounge

Thursday, May 5: Praise Band Rehearsal, 6:00 pm, Sanctuary

Friday, May 6: Al-Anon, 7:00 pm, Lounge

Youth Group, 7:00 pm, Jackson’s home

Sunday, May 8: Mother’s Day

Closing Words of Wisdom:

You have to have courage to be obedient to God.” — Charles Stanley