Convergence....thoughts and reflections from yesterday's sermon

Yes, I know.  I have LOTS of writing to do that is required, so why am I writing one more post?!?!  I can't get yesterday's sermon out of my mind.  Therefore, the best thing to do is to write about it.  Then, I can concentrate on the remaining questions I have to answer and tweak the others I have already answered.  That is my agenda today.  Theological questions. 

But, before I turn my attention there, here are my thoughts and reflections from yesterday's sermon by Pastor Rowland Buck at Burks UMC.

The title of the sermon: "When Christmas Dreams Come True"

The Scripture passage was from Isaiah 61:10-62:3. 

The message centered on the word "convergence".  Convergence is when two things come together to create a whole new way of doing things, expanding the possibilities.  Pastor Rowland mentioned the convergence of two rivers.  How they come together into one.  That's a good example of convergence.  But the one that resonated most with me was the one he gave using the combined technology of the cellular phone and the camera.  He mentioned the polaroid camera and the original bag cellular phones. 

With the convergence of technology, we now have cell phones that take great pictures, cell phone cameras.  Or, I guess you could say we have cameras that we can use to call and text.    Pastor Rowland demonstrated this technology for us during the service.

I attended both services.  During the 2nd service, I uploaded the above picture to Facebook and posted this caption: "Convergence. Two things coming together to create a whole new realm of possibilities. Example-- the cell phone camera. Convergence. That's what Christmas is-- heaven and earth coming together to expand the possibilities with the birth of Jesus Christ."  

Christmas is the ultimate convergence!  Heaven and earth coming together to create a whole new way of doing things, expanding the possibilities.  Wow!  

Pastor Rowland reminded us that Christmas is so much more than what we do to ourselves during the Christmas season.  In fact, we were reminded at the beginning of the service that the Christmas season had only just begun.  Odd, isn't it... by the time Christmas Day comes and ends, most people are ready to put it away.  Yet that is when it really begins.  The 12 days of Christmas BEGIN on Christmas day and continue through Epiphany, January 6, the day that the Magi visited the infant (though not baby) Jesus with their gifts.  But that's a different story, sermon, and blog post.

How can we live into this convergence of Christmas rather than the hustle and bustle?  Pastor Rowland offered several thought provoking questions:

• How does Jesus' teaching integrate into your life?
• How do you follow him?
• How will Christmas converge with your life in this next week?
• How might your life be changed by the convergence of Christmas?
• How will it make a difference?

In the first service, Pastor Rowland also mentioned the movie "Unbroken" and talked about the bravery and courage of the main character, Louis Zamperini.  There was a convergence moment in Zamparini's life when he was back in the United States at a Billy Graham crusade and stood up to walk out but instead walked down to the altar.  The movie is out in theaters now.  I've not seen it yet.  It seems like a powerful story about life, history, sacrifice, etc.   

Have you experienced the convergence of heaven and earth coming into your life?  

Take a look again at the questions Pastor Rowland asked.  Reflect upon them for yourself.  

If you'd like to watch his sermon from the 2nd service, check it out.

As you continue through the Christmas season, may you find the possibilities in your own life expanded because of the birth of Christ.  May there be a whole new way of doing things!

Blessings on your journey!

Debra
 

Red Sea Rule #8--Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.

Last week during Wednesday night Bible Study we covered Red Sea Rule #8--"Trust God to deliver in His own unique way."

God even delivered the message that night uniquely in that the regular teacher (Amy) was out sick due to lack of voice.  So, Pastor Rowland stepped in to lead the class.  He mentioned that her nickname around the office that day had been "squeaky".  That was pretty funny.  At the same time, not so good as I knew she had a 2nd Emmaus weekend coming up the next day and was scheduled to give a talk during the weekend.  "Squeaky" to no voice doesn't work well when one is to give a talk.  God delivered Amy to the Emmaus Walk and delivered a message through her there as well, from what I understand.  But that's not about the study Wednesday night.

The handbell choir opened up our time together in worship.  What a blessing.  I always enjoy listening to them and watching them.  They rang "On Christ the Solid Rock", "Have Thine Own Way", and "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus". 

Pastor Rowland started off the study with a recap of rules 1-7.

Then, it was time to jump into rule #8.  Rowland shared that Moses is/was called the "deliverer".  Then, Rowland showed a video of Moses' life from his birth and deliverance to safety, to his calling and the burning bush to his delivering God's people.  It was a good overview of Moses' life.

I was able to find the Moses video he showed on YouTube.  It plays for 6 minutes and 54 seconds.  You can watch it by clicking here.

Exodus 2:10-- (NIV) ^"When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”"

Moses was drawn out of the water.  Water is a motif from the beginning for deliverance in Moses' life.

Moses has times in his life when righteous anger causes him to react to situations to help his people, but they aren't calls from God.  They aren't the time nor place of God's divine call or purpose.

However, when God's divine call does come to Moses, Moses comes up with several excuses.  Even though Moses has felt it, even though he had his burning bush experience and was drawn to God, he isn't 100% sure he can go through with this.... Besides, likely it isn't quite what he pictured.  God is calling Moses to something beyond what Moses himself can see.

Exodus 3:11-15 (NIV)--
¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

¹² And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

¹³ Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’

“This is my name forever,

the name you shall call me

from generation to generation.

What God tells Moses here is: "I see", "I hear", "I am aware".

What Moses responds to God is: (his attempts at excuses, backing away)

• "Who am I?" (what authority do I have?) 
• "Who is God?/What is the name of God?" (who are you? / who do I say you are?)

Another excuse/response from Moses doesn't come until Exodus 4:1 and Moses asks: "What if they won't believe me or listen to me?"

God responds to Moses by telling him two displays of power he can show the power of God and God's authority through.

There is yet a 4th objection from Moses.  Moses doesn't give up on trying to get out of his divine calling.  In Exodus 4:10, Moses basically says, 'I don't have what it takes.' in saying that he isn't able to speak.  God replies saying: 'I made you.'

Exodus 4:10-11 (NIV)-- "Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?"

This is a reminder to Moses (and to us) who is calling the shots, so to speak.  What is interesting here is that God isn't pumping Moses up, telling Moses 'you can do it', but rather reminding Moses who God is. 

I don't know about any of you reading this, but I can definitely relate to Moses and his objections (excuses) before the Lord.  I've pulled several of those same "cards" in trying to get away from my calling.  It hasn't worked too well for me either. 

Pastor Rowland said: "When God calls you to do something, say "yes" and God will work through you."  It will be much easier on us if we say "yes" up front and move on.  However, if we do like Moses, we will grow through that process as well. ☺

Toward the end of the class, Pastor Rowland tied up the teaching of Moses' life as a "deliverer" and his calling to Rule #8 and mentioned that there is a purpose for the miracles of God.

Moses was used by God to free the people, to be their deliverer.

In Exodus 6:6, God told Moses what to tell the people once again: "“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment." (NIV)

The underlying and ultimate concern of miracles is to know God as Lord.  Miracles are supernatural suspensions of natural laws. 

God may deliver through miracles.  Or, God may give grace to endure (like the thorn in Paul's flesh.)

Character transformation is the desired end product and we can trust God to deliver us in God's own unique way.

Thank you Rowland for stepping in and teaching the class!

As always, this is a combination of my notes and thoughts.... so I hope I have done justice to the class and the teacher.

• Are you wrestling with a divine calling like Moses and attempting to dissuade God as to why you are not the right person?

• Are you in need of a miracle or deliverance in or from a situation?

Maybe some of these words can bring encouragement your way.

Blessings on your journey,

~Debra

Red Sea Rule #4-- Pray!

I usually attempt to write about the Bible Study the night of or the day after. But this time, I'm a week later in writing about Rule #4--Pray!  This study was 9/12/12.  I've gone back to look over my notes.  Here's what I have.

I Thessalonians 5:17--"Pray without ceasing".

Rev. Amy Nutt showed a copy of the September/October 2012 Upper Room Devotional and asked if anybody had seen it and/or noticed the picture on the front cover.  It was a rendition of crossing the Red Sea.

 

 

 

The cover art was done by C. Winston Taylor.  Information from the Upper Room about this artist and this art piece is found here.

PraySing Kids came in to lead us in music on this evening.  They sang a wonderful tune of sounds: "Can You Hear the Music?"  It felt like being outside in nature listening to the birds and rain and frogs.  Well done!

The lesson on prayer covered several things.  The Lord's Prayer in the New Testament was mentioned as a model prayer.

We took some time to look back to see what brought the children of Israel to this point of crying out to the Lord.  Team-teaching time as Pastor Rowland led us through the history that brought them to this point, starting earlier in Exodus.

Some thoughts/questions from the study:

• How do you convince a people that prayer is worth it when they've cried out so long?
• Praying might cause more trouble.
• God's ultimate purpose is that He is known as Lord who listens, sees, and works out prayers.
• How do you convince a group of tired, weary people?

Pastor Rowland went through each of the 10 plagues, sharing what they were and the gods for which they were named.  God showed himself to be the God by conquering all the other gods.  The people are now set free.  But, then the arrive to the edge of the Red Sea and when they look up, they see they are trapped.  Thus, they cry out.

Tag team.  Amy is back teaching.  We looked at Psalm 5 and had the opportunity to write out our own cry.  What would be the cry of your heart?

We were reminded that there is strength and power as we gather together to pray.

Rev. Amy Nutt shared from the book, starting on page 46, 2nd paragraph: "God doesn't always say yes to all our requests, but He listens with unusual attentiveness when two or three gather in united prayer--and He responds in His own way and time with power and wisdom.
     The Israelites' prayer was not only united, but also unfeigned.  They had never been more earnest.  It wasn't a religious ritual.  They were panicked, and their outburst of prayer was real and raw." (46)

Praying earnestly.  In his book, Morgan cites 7 examples of Scripture in which folks are praying earnestly or in earnest to show its importance. (46-47)

Morgan writes: "When you face impossible odds, pray urgently, unfeignedly, unitedly.  And trust the great prayer-answering God who grants mercy and imparts grace to help in time of need." (48)

What about you?  What brings you to the point of crying out to God?  When you do, do you cry out in earnest?

There is something to learn from the children of Israel.

Blessings on the journey,

~Debra