“Defending His Territory”
They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Luke 5:33
This week our family is spending a couple days at my sister-in-law’s house in Liberty, MO. The kids are hanging out with the cousins, we’re mostly relaxing and playing a few games. We even brought our dogs with us (invited, of course) so they could have some time with their dog cousin, Bentley. (For those of you who don’t know, we have 2 dogs – a Bassett Hound named Charlie and a Newfoundland named JoJo.)
Our bigger dog almost always gets along with other dogs, but for some reason, this week Bentley and Jo have not been getting along. My guess is that Bentley does not care for these new dogs coming into his space and acting like they belong here. So, as a way of proving he is the alpha, Bentley has decided to go after the larger of the two dogs to assert his dominance. In his mind, he is defending and protecting his territory, his family, and his food dish.
In the Gospels, we see example after example of the Pharisees and other powers that be acting like this once the teachings of Jesus start to permeate the culture and/or people. The spiritual leaders of the day were happy with how things were, as well as their positions of authority and dominance (even if they were never challenged). Then one day this newcomer came to town, offering a different perspective not just on matters of faith, but also of the law. Just like Bentley, these leaders dug in, bared their teeth, and took advantage of opportunities to attack what they saw as a threat to the well-established status-quo. In their mind, the religious leaders of the day weren’t attacking anything, they were defending their faith, defending their people, and defending their God.
Every week or so I see another round in the ongoing battle for control in the United Methodist Church and it feels like a similar dynamic. I don’t think anyone views themselves as the aggressor, but each party sees themselves as a defender of a faith that they deem under an attack. However, from these mutual defensive postures, these defenders are doing a lot of attacking, mostly by distorting truths and facts (and sometimes out-and-out lying), and in the end, not just damaging the “other side,” but damaging the overall witness of faith leaders. In doing so, we (I mean they) end up looking a lot more like the Scribes and Pharisees, and we know how history has judged them. When we position ourselves as the “defenders” of something simply because we are opposed to broadening our understanding, we might be the problem rather than the solution.
So, as we prepare to enter a New Year, I wonder if there are things that I consider myself a staunch defender of which I should reconsider. Am I truly defending something that needs to be defended, or am I just being mean to a fellow traveler who is simply trying to coexist with me, like JoJo is with Bentley? The next time you feel yourself assuming a defensive posture (perhaps in response to what you’re reading right now), I encourage you to examine why you have assumed that posture and if what you are defending really needs the defending.
It is an honor and pleasure to be your pastor and to be 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 once again worship together at the 10:20 am as we welcome in the New Year. We invite you to come in your comfiest clothes – sweats, jammies, Chiefs gear – as we praise God and commit to another year of serving God and our community. Our message this week is titled. “A Covenant, Renewed.” Our Scripture lesson will come from 2 Kings, Chapter 23, verses 1-3:
Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets – all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord – to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes, and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.“
Our service will begin with the song God Really Loves Us by Crowder. Our other songs for the morning include Away in a Manger, Into My Heart, and Let There Be Peace on Earth. We will also celebrate the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism, as well as welcome 2 members into the church. You will not want to miss this Sunday’s Worship Celebrations!
Virtual Worship Information
In addition to in-person worship, our service will be live-streamed. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page. The service will start at approximately 10:25 am following our Gathering Song. Additionally, we post a recording of our messages to our website by early Sunday afternoon.
Announcements
Celebrate New Year’s in Worship – We will have one worship service at 10:20 on January 1, 2023 as we kick off the New Year in worship. We invite you to come in your pajamas, comfy or lounge clothes as we start the New Year in comfort.
Annual Church Charge Conference – Our annual Church Charge Conference will be convened by our District Superintendent on Sunday, January 15 at 2:30 pm via Zoom. If you would like to participate in this year’s meeting, please let Pastor Chris know and he will share the Zoom information with you.
Blood Drive – With flu season beginning and COVID hanging around, blood and platelet donations continue to be essential to hospital patients. Donors are needed to come together to help others in this time of need. We will be hosting another blood drive the afternoon/evening of Monday, January 23 in our Fellowship Hall. To schedule a time for donating blood, go to: redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive. Thank you!
Salvation Army Bell Ringing – I want to thank all from our church who selflessly donated their time and braved the cold on December 10th and 17th to ring the bell ring for the Salvation Army. The cost of food and other rising expenses have definitely put low-income families in a pinch. The Salvation Army is the last resort for some families. Thank you, Tim VonEngeln.
Children’s Christmas Program – Thank you to everyone who helped with our Children’s Christmas Program! It was a wonderful witness and reminder of the purpose and meaning of Christmas.
Christmas Eve Offering – For our Christmas Eve Offering we raised $917.25 for the Boonslick Ministerial Alliance Emergency Assistance fund. The money raised will help with electric bills and rental assistance. Thank you.
Thank you for your generosity – Last week, in partnership with the Boonville Community in Schools (CIS) staff, we were able to deliver approximately 30 gifts and help provide meals for 20 families in the Boonville community thanks to your generosity. This is in addition to the 20 or so kids we provided gifts for through the Angel Tree program and the 15 plus care stocking provided. Your generosity is how we are making a difference in the Boonville community and throughout the world.
Giving Through Venmo – We can be found on Venmo at @NelsonMemorialUMC. If you don’t know what Venmo is and would like to learn more, information about giving through Venmo can be found on our webpage at https://nelsonmemorialumc.org/give/venmo/.
Events this week:
Friday, December 30: Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Fellowship Hall
Sunday, January 1, 2023: Worship at 10:20 am
Monday, January 2: Office Closed
TOPS, 9:00 am, Lounge
Al-Anon, 7:00 pm, Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, January 3: Congregation Care, 7:00 pm, Lounge
Choir Rehearsal, 7:00 pm, Sanctuary
Wednesday, January 4: Women’s Bible Study, 10:15, Lounge
Al-Anon, Noon, Fellowship Hall
Friday, January 6: Al-Anon, 7:00 pm, Fellowship Hall
Closing Words of Wisdom:
I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” ― C.S. Lewis