Two observations about the text for Sunday as I think about "Seeing is Believing; or Is It?"
When Jesus came to Jericho the text indicates he didn't stay there very long. It just says he went there and then he left. He probably looked at the place Joshua blew the trumpet. He, likely, was impressed with the historical significance of the place. He was "transfixed" for a short time and it probably increased his faith in God because of what he saw. Seeing is believing.
At the end of the story we are told that Bart, son of Timaeus, was blind and he called out Jesus as the "Son of David". He was healed by Jesus because of his faith. I don't think he was able to see even if Jesus healed his blindness. When he decided to follow Jesus he still was blind. He may have been able to see light and colors. He might have been able to observe shadows and forms but it seems to me he followed Jesus blind still. A person who is blind from birth and then is healed doesn't immediately see. Even if he can see if he has been blind from birth he doesn't know what he is seeing.
For Bart, son of Timaeus, believing is seeing. He can see because he has learned to trust. He can see because he believes.
The Biblical text is Mark 10:46-52. It is an interesting story about seeing and believing; about looking and trusting.
The most important sight we acquire begins with faith. What we believe determines what we see.
Do you have thoughts about this? Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to allow others to see what you've written click on the box below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wednesday's thoughts
"Seeing is Believing; or Is It?"
Eugene Lowry had a session with us preachers on Monday morning. We learned a great deal from him at the three hour session, but one of the most important things he told us about preaching had to do with the Biblical text.
He told us we needed to pay attention to aspects of the texts that were overlooked. We needed to ask questions we never asked before and we needed to do things we never had. If for example we were most comfortable preaching sermons behind the pulpit we ought to come out from behind the pulpit and preach without notes. If, on the other hand, we tended to walk around without notes, we ought to get behind the pulpit and write our sermons word for word.
He told us to look at certain parts of the Scripture. For example, when preaching on the Adam and Eve in the Garden ask where God was when they were eating the forbidden fruit. When doing a sermon on Jonah and the wale ask about the disposition of the crew on the ship and why they didn't immediately throw Jonah overboard since he was the primary reason for the storm that threatened the voyage. And, at the end of the story, ponder the fact that Jonah was the only one in the story who didn't repent.
I am preaching on how Jesus healed Bartimaeus as he was leaving the town. Based upon Lowry's method I am forced to ask the question, "Why did Jesus stay in Jericho such a short time?" Mark 10:46-52: "They came to Jericho; and as he was leaving the town, with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was seated at the roadside."
Jesus came to Jericho and did not stay long. Jericho was the place where an important event happened. It was a miracle, in fact. Joshua blew the trumpets and "the walls came a tumbling down."
Jesus was struck with awe at the place of the miracle. He pondered the wall and where it was. He thought about the trumpet and what it took to take down the wall. He was transfixed by what he saw. It produced faith for him; seeing was believing.
When we are in the presence of magic and we see it it is difficult to gather up skepticism to call it into question.
Seeing is believing. Jesus saw and he believed and then he left. He was transfixed.
Have you ever seen something like that? Have you ever been transfixed by what you saw to the point that seeing is believing?
What was it?
How did you handle it?
What things require us to believe before we can see? How does that cause us to be transformed and how does that make us want to linger for a long time?
Seeing is believing and we are transfixed but we do long linger. Believing is seeing and we are transformed and we never want to leave a place like that.
What do you think?
Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with other readers click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Eugene Lowry had a session with us preachers on Monday morning. We learned a great deal from him at the three hour session, but one of the most important things he told us about preaching had to do with the Biblical text.
He told us we needed to pay attention to aspects of the texts that were overlooked. We needed to ask questions we never asked before and we needed to do things we never had. If for example we were most comfortable preaching sermons behind the pulpit we ought to come out from behind the pulpit and preach without notes. If, on the other hand, we tended to walk around without notes, we ought to get behind the pulpit and write our sermons word for word.
He told us to look at certain parts of the Scripture. For example, when preaching on the Adam and Eve in the Garden ask where God was when they were eating the forbidden fruit. When doing a sermon on Jonah and the wale ask about the disposition of the crew on the ship and why they didn't immediately throw Jonah overboard since he was the primary reason for the storm that threatened the voyage. And, at the end of the story, ponder the fact that Jonah was the only one in the story who didn't repent.
I am preaching on how Jesus healed Bartimaeus as he was leaving the town. Based upon Lowry's method I am forced to ask the question, "Why did Jesus stay in Jericho such a short time?" Mark 10:46-52: "They came to Jericho; and as he was leaving the town, with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was seated at the roadside."
Jesus came to Jericho and did not stay long. Jericho was the place where an important event happened. It was a miracle, in fact. Joshua blew the trumpets and "the walls came a tumbling down."
Jesus was struck with awe at the place of the miracle. He pondered the wall and where it was. He thought about the trumpet and what it took to take down the wall. He was transfixed by what he saw. It produced faith for him; seeing was believing.
When we are in the presence of magic and we see it it is difficult to gather up skepticism to call it into question.
Seeing is believing. Jesus saw and he believed and then he left. He was transfixed.
Have you ever seen something like that? Have you ever been transfixed by what you saw to the point that seeing is believing?
What was it?
How did you handle it?
What things require us to believe before we can see? How does that cause us to be transformed and how does that make us want to linger for a long time?
Seeing is believing and we are transfixed but we do long linger. Believing is seeing and we are transformed and we never want to leave a place like that.
What do you think?
Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with other readers click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Monday's thoughts
"Seeing is Believing; or Is It?"
An important part of our faith is the way we are exposed to new insights. Sometimes we discover a new logic and faith begins to make sense in a new way. Sometimes it isn't logic it is an epiphany of a mystical nature and we aren't exactly certain why we have a new understanding but something has happened to us to lead us in a new direction.
Many religious people are mystics. They are able to deduce new levels of faith through some kind of mystical intrusion into their reason or logic. They believe because they have been led by the Spirit to believe. The believe, not because they see, but because they know by faith; they know by the heart. John Dunn called it the logic of the heart.
I am an empiricist. It is important for me to be able to see or touch or hear something that brings out a logical conclusion to my faith before my faith is able to evolve. Seeing is believing for me; and, for there to be any other means of faith development, I have to be able to see it.
Seeing is believing; or is it? Two weeks ago we went to the Lincoln for an evening of illusion and magic. If seeing is believing I still cannot believe what I saw. I saw colors change before my eyes. I saw doves fly out of hats that seemed empty. I saw a person be sawed in half and they walk away in a bloodless reconnection. I heard a man pick a number out of a phone book that he called before someone picked up the phone book to find it.
I don't know how the illusions were accomplished but my empiricism has been punctured.
I now doubt my doubts. If a skeptic doubts his doubts does that make him a believer?
What do you think? Are you an empiricist or a mystic. If you have an opinion on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
By the way;
Monday from 9 - 12 Eugene Lowry will work with clergy and preachers and any interested laity on how to write and preach sermons.
Monday at 6 there will be a pot luck dinner and Dr. Lowry will preach and our adult choir will sing at 7. You are invited to attend.
An important part of our faith is the way we are exposed to new insights. Sometimes we discover a new logic and faith begins to make sense in a new way. Sometimes it isn't logic it is an epiphany of a mystical nature and we aren't exactly certain why we have a new understanding but something has happened to us to lead us in a new direction.
Many religious people are mystics. They are able to deduce new levels of faith through some kind of mystical intrusion into their reason or logic. They believe because they have been led by the Spirit to believe. The believe, not because they see, but because they know by faith; they know by the heart. John Dunn called it the logic of the heart.
I am an empiricist. It is important for me to be able to see or touch or hear something that brings out a logical conclusion to my faith before my faith is able to evolve. Seeing is believing for me; and, for there to be any other means of faith development, I have to be able to see it.
Seeing is believing; or is it? Two weeks ago we went to the Lincoln for an evening of illusion and magic. If seeing is believing I still cannot believe what I saw. I saw colors change before my eyes. I saw doves fly out of hats that seemed empty. I saw a person be sawed in half and they walk away in a bloodless reconnection. I heard a man pick a number out of a phone book that he called before someone picked up the phone book to find it.
I don't know how the illusions were accomplished but my empiricism has been punctured.
I now doubt my doubts. If a skeptic doubts his doubts does that make him a believer?
What do you think? Are you an empiricist or a mystic. If you have an opinion on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
By the way;
Monday from 9 - 12 Eugene Lowry will work with clergy and preachers and any interested laity on how to write and preach sermons.
Monday at 6 there will be a pot luck dinner and Dr. Lowry will preach and our adult choir will sing at 7. You are invited to attend.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday's thoughts
"This weekend we welcome to our church Dr. Eugene Lowry, from Kansas City, MO, and Professor of Preaching at St. Paul School of Theology. Gene is one of America's best preachers and jazz pianists, and will be with us Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings at 7:00 for our time of RENEWAL, REFLECTION and REVIVAL. This Sunday morning he will preach all four services on the topic, "Who Could Ask For Anything More?", based on the scripture in Matthew 20:1-16.
We look forward to having you in our worship experiences. Our church is alive with enthusiasm, exploration of our beliefs and enhancement of our faith. Join us. You will be glad you did."
If you have some thoughts about our church worship services, our church program for children, youth, or adults, or if you would like any of the clergy to be aware of something you know about, write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net
As always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
We look forward to having you in our worship experiences. Our church is alive with enthusiasm, exploration of our beliefs and enhancement of our faith. Join us. You will be glad you did."
If you have some thoughts about our church worship services, our church program for children, youth, or adults, or if you would like any of the clergy to be aware of something you know about, write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net
As always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Friday, September 12, 2008
Friday's thoughts
"It's Just a Matter of Time"
We are caught between the sense of the temporal and the sense of the eternal. We work and live between those two extremes and we are happiest if we are aware of both.
The sense of the eternal gives us the understanding that everything has consequences on a broad range; some of which is way beyond our understanding. We live our time on earth and the implications are way beyond our knowing. Most of the good we do we only catch a glimpse of during our lifetime. It takes eternity to measure our accomplishments.
The sense of the temporal gives us the understanding of the brevity of our existence and encourages us to live in the moment and to live the moment to the fullest. We strive to make certain we miss nothing. We invest ourselves in the time we have so that we do not lose it or overlook it.
The temporal gives the eternal a flavor for the time we have at present so we will not fail to live it. The eternal gives to the temporal the holiness of a destiny that knows any present futility can be redeemed in the years to come.
Eternity allows us to accept a failure with the belief that anything can change in the distant future. We may be wrong in the judgement of others but, if we are just ahead of our time, being wrong makes us ultimately right. We can celebrate that.
Temporality gives us an opportunity to experience the depth and height of the goodness of life while we are able to be present in a moment even if the moment is fleeting.
Temporality and eternity are opposite ends of a spectrum but important elements in a happy life.
It is not easy to maintain that tension between the two but it is important to work at it.
If you have thoughts on this I would appreciate hearing from you. Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to allow others to read your thoughts click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
We are caught between the sense of the temporal and the sense of the eternal. We work and live between those two extremes and we are happiest if we are aware of both.
The sense of the eternal gives us the understanding that everything has consequences on a broad range; some of which is way beyond our understanding. We live our time on earth and the implications are way beyond our knowing. Most of the good we do we only catch a glimpse of during our lifetime. It takes eternity to measure our accomplishments.
The sense of the temporal gives us the understanding of the brevity of our existence and encourages us to live in the moment and to live the moment to the fullest. We strive to make certain we miss nothing. We invest ourselves in the time we have so that we do not lose it or overlook it.
The temporal gives the eternal a flavor for the time we have at present so we will not fail to live it. The eternal gives to the temporal the holiness of a destiny that knows any present futility can be redeemed in the years to come.
Eternity allows us to accept a failure with the belief that anything can change in the distant future. We may be wrong in the judgement of others but, if we are just ahead of our time, being wrong makes us ultimately right. We can celebrate that.
Temporality gives us an opportunity to experience the depth and height of the goodness of life while we are able to be present in a moment even if the moment is fleeting.
Temporality and eternity are opposite ends of a spectrum but important elements in a happy life.
It is not easy to maintain that tension between the two but it is important to work at it.
If you have thoughts on this I would appreciate hearing from you. Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to allow others to read your thoughts click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Wednesday's thoughts
"It's Just a Matter of Time"
There are two interesting and conflicting concepts that I'd like to bring together on Sunday. One concept is written by Paul in his letter to Romans. He writes, "Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand."
Paul changed his mind. Paul is reminding us of the brevity of time and how we will want to work to make every minute count.
The opposite message if from Ecclesiastes. We are told by the preacher (that's what the word ecclesiastes means) that there is a time for every matter under heaven. There is a time to live and a time to die; there is a time to laugh and a time to cry; there is a time to plant and a time to plant up what is planted; etc. The message is clear; let time come to you and don't rush it. We are told to allow time to unfold.
We find a contrasting/conflicting opinion here. What are we to do? How do we live in this tension? Do we count our days and make our days count or do we allow things to unfold and be patient with ourselves? How do we live in that tension.
My sermon will point out that and will work through what we do with it because, I think, one of the secrets to happiness is working with that and finding meaning because of it.
Which is it for you.
1. Life is short live the moment?
2. Life has to unfold be patient with it?
How do you balance this?
If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have people read your response click on the box below.
Charles Schuster
There are two interesting and conflicting concepts that I'd like to bring together on Sunday. One concept is written by Paul in his letter to Romans. He writes, "Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand."
Paul changed his mind. Paul is reminding us of the brevity of time and how we will want to work to make every minute count.
The opposite message if from Ecclesiastes. We are told by the preacher (that's what the word ecclesiastes means) that there is a time for every matter under heaven. There is a time to live and a time to die; there is a time to laugh and a time to cry; there is a time to plant and a time to plant up what is planted; etc. The message is clear; let time come to you and don't rush it. We are told to allow time to unfold.
We find a contrasting/conflicting opinion here. What are we to do? How do we live in this tension? Do we count our days and make our days count or do we allow things to unfold and be patient with ourselves? How do we live in that tension.
My sermon will point out that and will work through what we do with it because, I think, one of the secrets to happiness is working with that and finding meaning because of it.
Which is it for you.
1. Life is short live the moment?
2. Life has to unfold be patient with it?
How do you balance this?
If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have people read your response click on the box below.
Charles Schuster
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Monday's thoughts
"It's Only a Matter of Time"
I have wanted to do something with a sermon to look at the way we spend time, and the way we waste time. I want to think about the importance of time and the trivialization of time.
What kind of time do we have? Are we in a hurry to get some place? Is time our friend or our enemy? Are there
different kinds of time? What is a good time and what is a bad time?
How much time do we have left and if we knew we didn't have much time would we live our lives in a different way?
Would we want to know how much time we have left?
All kinds of questions about time and how we use it. What is your best time and what is your worst? How are the best times relate to the worst times? What does that say about you?
If there are thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to allow others to see your response click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles
I have wanted to do something with a sermon to look at the way we spend time, and the way we waste time. I want to think about the importance of time and the trivialization of time.
What kind of time do we have? Are we in a hurry to get some place? Is time our friend or our enemy? Are there
different kinds of time? What is a good time and what is a bad time?
How much time do we have left and if we knew we didn't have much time would we live our lives in a different way?
Would we want to know how much time we have left?
All kinds of questions about time and how we use it. What is your best time and what is your worst? How are the best times relate to the worst times? What does that say about you?
If there are thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to allow others to see your response click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles
Friday, September 5, 2008
Friday's thoughts
"Don't Laugh at Me"
"Don't Laugh at Me" is a song sung by the Acoustic Eidolon and I have asked Richard Brack if he would sing it in the worship service Sunday.
It is a powerful song with poignant words. Here is some of what it says:
Don't laugh at me
Don't take pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
I'm the little boy with glasses
I'm the little girl with braces on my teeth
I'm the beggar on the street and don't think I don't notice that our eyes will never meet
I'm fat
I'm thin
I'm tall
I'm deaf
I'm blind
Hey, aren't we all
Don't laugh at me and don't take pleasure from my pain. In God's eyes we're all the same and in the end we'll have perfect wings."
What do you do when someone is laughing at you? You can take the name calling and use it to make a name for yourself and you can change the object of the preposition from at to with. We can work with people until they are laughing with you and not at you.
What else do you do when "they" are laughing at you?
Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your response click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
"Don't Laugh at Me" is a song sung by the Acoustic Eidolon and I have asked Richard Brack if he would sing it in the worship service Sunday.
It is a powerful song with poignant words. Here is some of what it says:
Don't laugh at me
Don't take pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
I'm the little boy with glasses
I'm the little girl with braces on my teeth
I'm the beggar on the street and don't think I don't notice that our eyes will never meet
I'm fat
I'm thin
I'm tall
I'm deaf
I'm blind
Hey, aren't we all
Don't laugh at me and don't take pleasure from my pain. In God's eyes we're all the same and in the end we'll have perfect wings."
What do you do when someone is laughing at you? You can take the name calling and use it to make a name for yourself and you can change the object of the preposition from at to with. We can work with people until they are laughing with you and not at you.
What else do you do when "they" are laughing at you?
Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your response click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Wednesday's thoughts
"Don't Laugh at Me"
I have wondered what we do with the comments people make about us; sometimes to our faces and sometimes behind our backs. It certainly isn't just a problem for children; adults and teenagers have the same issues.
You want to destroy the ego of a teenager you spread a rumor and get a group of peers laughing at him or her. You want to ruin the life of an adolescent it doesn't take much to make them doubt themselves and flounder around wondering what they should be doing and how they should behave.
Adults are a little more insulated but not immune. Careers can be ruined by insults that are spread. An adult may work really hard and may come to the point of some manner of accomplishment but then the rejection hits and it hits very hard and it hurts and it hurts for a long, long time.
In the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 18:15ff) we find Jesus giving important advice to his followers as to what they might do if they are mistreated. It involved confrontation, convening a committee, and walking away.
Paul (Romans 13:10) writes about how, "love does not wrong to a neighbor..."
When people call us names, the best way to handle that is to take the name and make it famous. They they laughed at John Wesley and called him a name, the name became "Methodist" and he made it famous. When they made fun of the disciples who followed Christ they called them names, and the church took the name and made it famous and they were called "Christians".
Whatever name they call us. We can take the name and do something with it and it will define us in a good way.
Have people called you names; laughed at you. Can you/did you take the name and make it famous? How did you do it?
Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have people read your response click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
I have wondered what we do with the comments people make about us; sometimes to our faces and sometimes behind our backs. It certainly isn't just a problem for children; adults and teenagers have the same issues.
You want to destroy the ego of a teenager you spread a rumor and get a group of peers laughing at him or her. You want to ruin the life of an adolescent it doesn't take much to make them doubt themselves and flounder around wondering what they should be doing and how they should behave.
Adults are a little more insulated but not immune. Careers can be ruined by insults that are spread. An adult may work really hard and may come to the point of some manner of accomplishment but then the rejection hits and it hits very hard and it hurts and it hurts for a long, long time.
In the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 18:15ff) we find Jesus giving important advice to his followers as to what they might do if they are mistreated. It involved confrontation, convening a committee, and walking away.
Paul (Romans 13:10) writes about how, "love does not wrong to a neighbor..."
When people call us names, the best way to handle that is to take the name and make it famous. They they laughed at John Wesley and called him a name, the name became "Methodist" and he made it famous. When they made fun of the disciples who followed Christ they called them names, and the church took the name and made it famous and they were called "Christians".
Whatever name they call us. We can take the name and do something with it and it will define us in a good way.
Have people called you names; laughed at you. Can you/did you take the name and make it famous? How did you do it?
Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have people read your response click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
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