Faith: the Challenge to Grow
It is spring and soon will be Easter but before we can get there we experience the tradition of Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday brings to mind memories of kids waving palm leaves and parading into the sanctuary. We are to think of Jesus entering Jerusalem to a hero’s welcome only to find his way to the cross and all the while his disciples are clueless. They never do get what Jesus is trying to teach them. There are times when we modern-day disciples can feel just as clueless. When tragedy strikes or illness hits or hard times come we can feel ill equipped to answer even our own questions of faith, let alone the questions of others. So what keeps faith growing even in hard times? I believe that it is in these times that our faith has the potential for the most growth. If our faith becomes hardened and stale, never growing or adapting to new experiences, then we cannot deal with the changes life throws at us. Some might be tempted to ignore these challenges to faith or even discard their faith all together but there is another path. This Palm Sunday we celebrate young people taking on the challenge to walk that path; the path that leads us to grow and adapt to our experiences. We celebrate those youth who have taken on the challenge of Confirmation to learn the history, worship, traditions and most of all to begin forming their own faith. As we draw inspiration from these great young people accepting the challenges of faith we are reminded that we too must be diligent in our faith. When we feel like those disciples in the dark and confused we are reminded that each challenge we face is an opportunity to grow as people of faith. We study and pray and reflect and most of all talk with each other about faith and how we are to meet the challenges of our day. Our growing in our faith is the only way we can be prepared when life’s path grows stormy and confusing. As Lent comes to a close I challenge us all to find some way of growing in faith. As I stress in Confirmation, never stop growing!
Joel Kershaw
To email Joel directly:
jkershaw@fcfumc.net
If you would like others to see your responses click on the box below.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday's thoughts
"Find Your Vision"
Eric Smith is our District Superintendent. He is preaching tomorrow. I have been out of town and haven't had a chance to put the "Build a Sermon" into the web page. Sorry about that.
What is a District Superintendent? Eric and five other clergy work with our bishop to determine what are the needs of the churches in terms of leadership and what are the capabilities of our clergy in terms of what they can provide. Eric is the superintendent assigned to our area in northern Colorado.
It is important that Eric know something about our congregation. He needs to have contact with us and we need to be able to communicate with him. If we should require a new pastor the conversation with Eric is crucial. If there are problems with any of our clergy or questions about how we are interpreting church administration Eric is one of the people who can help work us through our conflicts.
Eric has agreed to accept the theme we had set for this Sunday. I appreciate his willingness to do that.
Because we were not able to hold our All Church Conference on the dates that would work for Eric this January and last January, and because of the important role the superintendent plays in our church's future, I felt it was important to ask him to be with us and to preach.
We have heard him on one other occasion. He is an excellent preacher and I think you will enjoy hearing him tomorrow.
If you have thoughts about the church or suggestions for sermons or other issues you would like to present to me write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your suggestions click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Eric Smith is our District Superintendent. He is preaching tomorrow. I have been out of town and haven't had a chance to put the "Build a Sermon" into the web page. Sorry about that.
What is a District Superintendent? Eric and five other clergy work with our bishop to determine what are the needs of the churches in terms of leadership and what are the capabilities of our clergy in terms of what they can provide. Eric is the superintendent assigned to our area in northern Colorado.
It is important that Eric know something about our congregation. He needs to have contact with us and we need to be able to communicate with him. If we should require a new pastor the conversation with Eric is crucial. If there are problems with any of our clergy or questions about how we are interpreting church administration Eric is one of the people who can help work us through our conflicts.
Eric has agreed to accept the theme we had set for this Sunday. I appreciate his willingness to do that.
Because we were not able to hold our All Church Conference on the dates that would work for Eric this January and last January, and because of the important role the superintendent plays in our church's future, I felt it was important to ask him to be with us and to preach.
We have heard him on one other occasion. He is an excellent preacher and I think you will enjoy hearing him tomorrow.
If you have thoughts about the church or suggestions for sermons or other issues you would like to present to me write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your suggestions click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Friday, March 20, 2009
Friday's thoughts
"How Do We Find it After We've Lost It?"
We acquire a degree of discipline if we can control our flight and fight impulses. And how do we do that?
We have to follow a higher light. We have to be able to see something bigger than our most pressing problem and to find something stronger than our strongest impulse.
The writer of Philippians said it, "Whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Jared Diamond in his book "Collapse; How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" wrote, "What are the odds we'll be able to survive the present economic crises? I can't say. It all depends on the choices we make, and I don't know what those will be."
Jan Waterman, a recent column in the Coloradoan wrote, "We are not in charge of the way life unfolds or the experiences we encounter. We are in charge of our responses. In times of crisis, do we abandon our values or do we use them to direct our choices. Every choice we make is a creative act of spiritual power. We create the world we live in, choice by choice, based on our values, not our ability to predict the future. The question is, what do we value?"
Much of the current crisis in the banking institutions revolves around values. Much of what it will take to get our nation back on track in related to the kind of light we follow and the kinds of choices we make.
Sometimes we want to fight. Sometimes we want to take flight. Will we be able to see the light and be open to where it leads? If so we will be able to thrive in a world where we have made good choices and have leaned to live out our values.
What do you think? How do you think we will survive the financial crisis?
If you have thoughts 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
We acquire a degree of discipline if we can control our flight and fight impulses. And how do we do that?
We have to follow a higher light. We have to be able to see something bigger than our most pressing problem and to find something stronger than our strongest impulse.
The writer of Philippians said it, "Whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Jared Diamond in his book "Collapse; How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" wrote, "What are the odds we'll be able to survive the present economic crises? I can't say. It all depends on the choices we make, and I don't know what those will be."
Jan Waterman, a recent column in the Coloradoan wrote, "We are not in charge of the way life unfolds or the experiences we encounter. We are in charge of our responses. In times of crisis, do we abandon our values or do we use them to direct our choices. Every choice we make is a creative act of spiritual power. We create the world we live in, choice by choice, based on our values, not our ability to predict the future. The question is, what do we value?"
Much of the current crisis in the banking institutions revolves around values. Much of what it will take to get our nation back on track in related to the kind of light we follow and the kinds of choices we make.
Sometimes we want to fight. Sometimes we want to take flight. Will we be able to see the light and be open to where it leads? If so we will be able to thrive in a world where we have made good choices and have leaned to live out our values.
What do you think? How do you think we will survive the financial crisis?
If you have thoughts 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
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wednesday's thoughts
In thinking about how it is and why it is that, from time to time, we are apt to lose it, I have come up with two thoughts.
It seems to me there is something basic in this; foundational to our human nature.
We have within us the impulse for fight and for flight and both of those expressions are part of what happens when we lose it. If we are going to acquire a sense of discipline we are going to need to deal with our fight/flight impulses.
The disciples exhibited both at the time of Jesus' arrest. When they came to arrest Jesus and Judas gave the sign with the kiss, and they started to take him off one of the disciples (Peter, perhaps) took a sword and cut off the slave of the soldier's ear. (Matthew26:47 ff).
Jesus told them to put their sword's back and said, "If you live by the sword you will die by the sword."
Isn't it interesting that when people move into the fight mode hearing is cut off?
A life of discipline must confront the fight impulse.
At the end of the episode (Matthew 26:56) the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. They engaged the flight impulse. There is a tendency in life to avoid the hard things. We tend to run from difficult situations. We tend to try to escape when there is danger. We withdraw; we back away; we become distant.
If we are going to live a life of discipline we are going to have to learn to confront the flight impulse.
How do we do it? What does it take?
How do you do it? What discipline does it require? What is your secret?
If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thought click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
It seems to me there is something basic in this; foundational to our human nature.
We have within us the impulse for fight and for flight and both of those expressions are part of what happens when we lose it. If we are going to acquire a sense of discipline we are going to need to deal with our fight/flight impulses.
The disciples exhibited both at the time of Jesus' arrest. When they came to arrest Jesus and Judas gave the sign with the kiss, and they started to take him off one of the disciples (Peter, perhaps) took a sword and cut off the slave of the soldier's ear. (Matthew26:47 ff).
Jesus told them to put their sword's back and said, "If you live by the sword you will die by the sword."
Isn't it interesting that when people move into the fight mode hearing is cut off?
A life of discipline must confront the fight impulse.
At the end of the episode (Matthew 26:56) the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. They engaged the flight impulse. There is a tendency in life to avoid the hard things. We tend to run from difficult situations. We tend to try to escape when there is danger. We withdraw; we back away; we become distant.
If we are going to live a life of discipline we are going to have to learn to confront the flight impulse.
How do we do it? What does it take?
How do you do it? What discipline does it require? What is your secret?
If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thought click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Monday's thoughts
"Develop the Discipline"
One of the most important things we learn in life is the importance of discipline. Musicians work hard to get to a point that their art is an expression of themselves. They have to have discipline in order to become completely free. Artists work their art with the understanding that the most difficult thing to do is to find a way to be authentically expressive.
This Lent we will want to develop the discipline that we have forgotten. We will want to rediscover what it means to do the work that needs to be done in preparation so that we might accomplish the things that need to be done in the fulfillment of our dreams.
It's all about the bulk of the iceberg that is preparation and the tip of the iceberg is all that is seen.
You can't do the easy things unless you have prepared yourself with the things that are hard.
How do you prepare yourself? What discipline do you follow in school, at work, at home, and in relationships?
What is the secret to developing the discipline?
If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net.
If you are willing to have others see your comments click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
One of the most important things we learn in life is the importance of discipline. Musicians work hard to get to a point that their art is an expression of themselves. They have to have discipline in order to become completely free. Artists work their art with the understanding that the most difficult thing to do is to find a way to be authentically expressive.
This Lent we will want to develop the discipline that we have forgotten. We will want to rediscover what it means to do the work that needs to be done in preparation so that we might accomplish the things that need to be done in the fulfillment of our dreams.
It's all about the bulk of the iceberg that is preparation and the tip of the iceberg is all that is seen.
You can't do the easy things unless you have prepared yourself with the things that are hard.
How do you prepare yourself? What discipline do you follow in school, at work, at home, and in relationships?
What is the secret to developing the discipline?
If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net.
If you are willing to have others see your comments click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Monday's thoughts
This week the sermon is titled: "Ready, Set, Better Go". The scriptures will be Psalm 150 and Luke 9:51-53.I want to address some thoughts about Lent and how it is a time for us to be "determined" or "tenacious" about who we are and the choices we make about life. First, we must GET READY by looking at ourselves and asking, "who am I?"..."am I being what I want to be?"...."do I need to change how I relate to others?"..."what changes should I consider making?"Secondly, we must then GET SET, which is that time between getting ready and putting ourselves into action. We must take a deep breath and focus. Jesus "set his face towards Jerusalem". He had not started to go; he just was determined to go. This is that time in our lives when we confirm our decisions.Thirdly, WE GO. Now we are in action. We got ready, we got set, and now it is time. And, it isn't always easy...the roads may be rough. We may have a few detours, much like Jesus journey from his homeland to Jerusalem, where he met his death. We become tenacious about life. We laugh and cry, live and die, but we do it with determination.These will be some of our thoughts for Sunday. Have a peaceful and safe week, and I'll look forward to seeing all of you in church.
David
To email David ddalke37@cs.com
To allow others to read your comments click on the box below
David
To email David ddalke37@cs.com
To allow others to read your comments click on the box below
Friday, March 6, 2009
Friday's thoughts
The following was submitted by Reverend Allan Wintersteen pastor of Santa Cruz United Methodist Church. He faxed me this as an attempt to help me with my sermon. Thanks Allan!
In a concentration camp of American prisoners, the guards had so intimidated the prisoners and so violated ever code of civilized treatment that conditions were horrible. The prisoners had tried to cope by a dog-eat-dog existence. to survive, each man was out for himself. Prisoners stole food and medical supplies for themselves, robbed each other, ratted on other prisoners in order to get favors from the guards, and isolated new prisoners who came into the camp.
One day as they were coming in from a work detail and putting away the tools, the guards discovered that a shovel was missing. The guards were irate and lined the prisoners up and threatened them.
Finally the guards said, "If the person who stole this shovel does not come forward in ten seconds, we are going to shoot all of you."
After a long silence, the guards cocked their guns and prepared to shoot. Finally one of the prisoners stepped forward.
The guards pounced on him, beat him with their gun butts, and shot him to death.
When the guards told the prisoners to finish putting away the tools, a strange thing happened. All the shovels were there. No shovel had been missing after all. In shock and silence the prisoners went back to their barracks.
It took a while for it to sink in that one of the prisoners had voluntarily given his life so that the rest would not be shot.
Gradually, the attitudes of the prisoners began to change in the camp. Other acts of sacrifice began to take place. Prisoners began to share medical supplies with each other. They formed teams to attend to each other's wounds and illnesses. Some created make-shift artificial limbs for weak prisoners who had lost an arm or a leg in the war. Some sick prisoners actually gave their food to weak prisoners who had a better chance of survival. Others risked death by sneaking outside the camp to procure food for the sick. They established a secret system of communication to give each other information and support. They welcomed new prisoners and quickly incorporated them in their network. The generosity was contagious.
In the midst of the most horrible conditions, there emerged a remarkable society of prisoners, all made possible by the effect of this one fellow prisoner who gave his life for them to live.
And just as the example of one man empowered the other prisoners to take risks for each other, just so telling the story enables those who hear it to experience that empowerment in their own lives."
from Ernest Gordon (Miracle on the River Kwai)
I think Reverand Wintersteen has given us via the Gordon story a remarkable example of courage.
What do you think? 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
In a concentration camp of American prisoners, the guards had so intimidated the prisoners and so violated ever code of civilized treatment that conditions were horrible. The prisoners had tried to cope by a dog-eat-dog existence. to survive, each man was out for himself. Prisoners stole food and medical supplies for themselves, robbed each other, ratted on other prisoners in order to get favors from the guards, and isolated new prisoners who came into the camp.
One day as they were coming in from a work detail and putting away the tools, the guards discovered that a shovel was missing. The guards were irate and lined the prisoners up and threatened them.
Finally the guards said, "If the person who stole this shovel does not come forward in ten seconds, we are going to shoot all of you."
After a long silence, the guards cocked their guns and prepared to shoot. Finally one of the prisoners stepped forward.
The guards pounced on him, beat him with their gun butts, and shot him to death.
When the guards told the prisoners to finish putting away the tools, a strange thing happened. All the shovels were there. No shovel had been missing after all. In shock and silence the prisoners went back to their barracks.
It took a while for it to sink in that one of the prisoners had voluntarily given his life so that the rest would not be shot.
Gradually, the attitudes of the prisoners began to change in the camp. Other acts of sacrifice began to take place. Prisoners began to share medical supplies with each other. They formed teams to attend to each other's wounds and illnesses. Some created make-shift artificial limbs for weak prisoners who had lost an arm or a leg in the war. Some sick prisoners actually gave their food to weak prisoners who had a better chance of survival. Others risked death by sneaking outside the camp to procure food for the sick. They established a secret system of communication to give each other information and support. They welcomed new prisoners and quickly incorporated them in their network. The generosity was contagious.
In the midst of the most horrible conditions, there emerged a remarkable society of prisoners, all made possible by the effect of this one fellow prisoner who gave his life for them to live.
And just as the example of one man empowered the other prisoners to take risks for each other, just so telling the story enables those who hear it to experience that empowerment in their own lives."
from Ernest Gordon (Miracle on the River Kwai)
I think Reverand Wintersteen has given us via the Gordon story a remarkable example of courage.
What do you think? 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, March 4, 2009
Wednesday's thoughts
"Courage; Lost and Found"
The sermon for Sunday, March 8Th will strive to look at where we lose courage and how we find it.
On Sunday, the clocks will have been pushed ahead. We will have lost an hour.
Where do we lose courage? How do we fall short of what we can do and what we can become?
I think we lose our courage when we assume the things that are will be permanent. We lose courage when we forget that things change.
We find courage when we realize the future is open. Somethings will be different tomorrow than they are today.
Yes, there will be suffering; it's a given. Times will be hard; we can count on it. But we can be strengthened by the hard times. We can grow from what we experience and, looking back, the hard times are a gift not a given. We can become something we have never been if we are able to grow in courage when we face the unknown.
What is the most courageous action you have ever taken? When did you feel you were most stripped of courage? What did the two points have in common and how did they differ?
If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net.
I look forward to hearing from you.
If you are willing to have others read your response click on the box below.
Charles
The sermon for Sunday, March 8Th will strive to look at where we lose courage and how we find it.
On Sunday, the clocks will have been pushed ahead. We will have lost an hour.
Where do we lose courage? How do we fall short of what we can do and what we can become?
I think we lose our courage when we assume the things that are will be permanent. We lose courage when we forget that things change.
We find courage when we realize the future is open. Somethings will be different tomorrow than they are today.
Yes, there will be suffering; it's a given. Times will be hard; we can count on it. But we can be strengthened by the hard times. We can grow from what we experience and, looking back, the hard times are a gift not a given. We can become something we have never been if we are able to grow in courage when we face the unknown.
What is the most courageous action you have ever taken? When did you feel you were most stripped of courage? What did the two points have in common and how did they differ?
If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net.
I look forward to hearing from you.
If you are willing to have others read your response click on the box below.
Charles
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Monday's thoughts
"Find the Courage"
The second theme as we consider the imperatives of Lent is courage. The suggestion that Lent is a time for us to find courage is pretty standard. We might expect, at some time during the weeks before Easter, someone would suggest that we find courage.
Where do we find courage if we do not have it? What do we do to locate a courageous spirit in a time of limited optimism and rising discouragement?
During the week I plan to explore the places where courage might be found. It could be found in the courageous example of those who have gone before us and those who have discovered the spunk to stand up and be counted.
We find courage within the fabric of our faith. We see it in the looming examples of faith. Moses taking the people out of Egypt is an example of courage. Mary, Jesus' mother, standing firm in her willingness to allow to happen what she didn't understand and couldn't change. She had an attitude of openness that was born of courage.
We can think of Jesus' journey into Jerusalem as an example of courage. He did what he had to do because he thought it was the right thing to do and he did it knowing it might cost him his life.
Where do we find courage?
Is it deep inside our soul as we struggle to become the man or woman God needs and wants us to be? Is it some energy we find as we stretch ourselves to our fullest limits?
Where do you find courage?
If you have some thoughts on this subject or some examples of courage 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.
By the way, next Sunday we have to move our clocks ahead an hour. We lose an hour on Sunday morning. I am not a fan of that decision.
Charles Schuster
The second theme as we consider the imperatives of Lent is courage. The suggestion that Lent is a time for us to find courage is pretty standard. We might expect, at some time during the weeks before Easter, someone would suggest that we find courage.
Where do we find courage if we do not have it? What do we do to locate a courageous spirit in a time of limited optimism and rising discouragement?
During the week I plan to explore the places where courage might be found. It could be found in the courageous example of those who have gone before us and those who have discovered the spunk to stand up and be counted.
We find courage within the fabric of our faith. We see it in the looming examples of faith. Moses taking the people out of Egypt is an example of courage. Mary, Jesus' mother, standing firm in her willingness to allow to happen what she didn't understand and couldn't change. She had an attitude of openness that was born of courage.
We can think of Jesus' journey into Jerusalem as an example of courage. He did what he had to do because he thought it was the right thing to do and he did it knowing it might cost him his life.
Where do we find courage?
Is it deep inside our soul as we struggle to become the man or woman God needs and wants us to be? Is it some energy we find as we stretch ourselves to our fullest limits?
Where do you find courage?
If you have some thoughts on this subject or some examples of courage 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.
By the way, next Sunday we have to move our clocks ahead an hour. We lose an hour on Sunday morning. I am not a fan of that decision.
Charles Schuster
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