Wednesday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Sandy Sasso, in her book, God's Echo, writes about Miriam and Moses:

"Miriam danced. And I wonder, would I have danced? There were all those years of oppression, slavery, and nothing going right. She was the older sister, but her brother, Moses, received all the acclaim. She watched in the bulrushes to insure his safety and did everything in her power to save him, cut he took the lead in the Exodus drama. Her imagination saved a whole generation from disaster, but no one seemed to notice. Moses gave us the Torah, tradition says, and the words echo through the generations to my own day. But what about the teaching Miriam gave us?

And yet Miriam danced. And I wonder, could I have danced? Caught between nature's fury and human rage the people of Israel had to make an act of faith--or was it foolishness?--to walk through the waters. The movies make the trek to freedom look like an easy stroll. But what about all the mud and seaweed, the women in long skirts carrying babies, and everyone with the wrong shoes? Miriam's sandals couldn't have survived the crossing. I imagine she discarded them along with any other excess baggage. She kept only her tambourine--a strange choice. What use could she have imagined for a musical instrument in the desert? Better a jug of water, I think.

And still Miriam danced. And I wonder, would I have joined her? She had to have questioned God. Why allow so many years of slavery? Why harden Pharaoh's heart? She couldn't have thought it was God who ordained it all and still sing praises.

And yet Miriam danced. She might have complained about the difficulties, despaired about the unknown tomorrow. Many who made the Exodus journey did just that. 'It was better in Egypt,' they said, 'better than drowning in the sea or dying of thirst and hunger in the desert.'

Yet Miriam lifted her tambourine and made the sound of hope. And the people heard it carried in the wind, singing in the waves. So Miriam danced, and all the people joined her.

I think that I will dance with them."

Rabbi Sandy Sasso will be our featured speaker here at the church November 9th. She has written many children's books and we will be studying God's Echo beginning at noon the last Wednesday of October.

What Miriam did? She saved her younger brother. He would have been killed. She saved the life of a child.

More than the life of a child, she preserved a whole faith tradition. Had she not acted there would have been no Exodus, no 10 Commandments, no burning bush, no Promised Land, no Joshua, and no Israel. There would have been no prophets, no psalms, no Jonah, no Job.

One woman's concern for a child changed the course of history.

Sunday is Children's Sabbath. What changes have happened because someone cared about the life of a child?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the "comments' box below.

If you would like a preliminary copy of the sermon Friday afternoon or Saturday morning indicate that and I will email it to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Sunday, October 3rd, is World Communion Sunday and it's also Children's Sabbath. Interesting that those two events are simultaneous this year. Appropriate that on a day when Christians all over the world are meeting at the table that we would celebrate the importance of children and remember a day that reminds us to works to build a world that is safe for the children of the world.

The sermon will look at the children who have made a difference in the world. It will take into consideration the baby Moses who was made safe when his mother put him in a basket in the bull rushes. We will think about the Christ Child and the story in Matthew and the trip his parents took with him when he was two years old when they feared for his life and they took him to Egypt.

Throughout the bible there are stories about children and how precious and vulnerable they are.

It may be that the greatest measure of our civilization is the way in which we treat the children of the world. How do we intercede when they are in trouble? What do we do to be certain they receive the nourishment and shelter to keep them safe?

One of the high moments every Sunday is the Children's Sermon. It is always an inspiration to see them trundle up to the front of the Sanctuary. It is captivating to look into their eyes as they try to interact with the questions we pose for them. It is beyond our prediction to hear the answers they give and the creativity they have.

I will be thinking of the children I have met in the church over the past 41 years. Some of them are doctors and lawyers. Some of them are teachers and poets. Some of them are musicians and several of them have become pastors.

Who are the children you have known? What responsibility does the church have to keep the children safe?

World Communion Sunday is a time to come to the table to be reminded, as we receive the bread and cup (the body and blood--symbolically of Christ) to recall that we are the body of the one who said, "Let the children come to me and forbid them not for to such belongs the Kingdom of God".

If you have thoughts about your childhood or the children you know write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thought click on the "comments" box below. If you would like me to send a rough draft of the sermon Friday or Saturday indicate that and I am happy to email that to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

How do we act our age?

It depends on the age we are.

The sermon has three stages I'm looking at:
1. Youth and childhood
It's a time to get in the water and sometimes the water we get in is hot. It's a time to discover who we are and to think about what it means to be who we are. It's a time when it's all about "me". The world needs to revolve around me. Life needs to feed my concerns because I am learning to fly.

2. Adulthood and Mid-life
It's a time to find what I like about myself. It's about making waves; doing something that uniquely me. It's a time to try to be useful and to find ways to make my life mean something. It's less about me but it's still about me.

3. Aging and elder hood
It's a time to think about the wake in the water or the path I clear for those who will travel after me. It's a time to let go and to realize how life goes on. There is a continuity from my life to the lives of those who come after me. It's not about me but it's about something a whole lot bigger.

When asked to "act your age" you have to think about what age you are before you can begin to act it.

What age are you and how do you act your age?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your ideas with the congregation click on the "comments" box below.

I have a very rough draft of the sermon written. If you would like to have me send it to you indicate that and I am happy to email it to you today or tomorrow morning before I begin the try to perfect this sermon.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Okay, this sermon is taking off on its own direction. As I am re-reading Anne Lamott's book Plan B, I am seeing something I hadn't noticed. I should have seen it but I was more interested in pursuing the issue of faith and doubt but now I see that issue in a larger context.

Here is something Anne wrote about her life:
"Age has given me what I was looking for my entire life--it has given me me. It has provided time and experience and failures and triumphs and time-tested friends who have helped me step into the shape that was waiting for me. I fit into me now."

This book has gotten me to think about what it means to "Act our age" no matter what our age. How do we act our age if we are a young person and we are full of potential? How do we act our age if we are old and we have the wisdom of the years? How do we act our age if we are in between?

I think of Mary, mother of Jesus, when she was a young woman. I think of Ann the prophetess who heard of the birth of the Christ Child. How do we act our age since each age presents its own problems and possibilities?

How can we become comfortable with ourselves no matter how old we are?

How old are you? What does it mean for you to act your age? Do you have thoughts about this? Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with other readers click on the "comments" box below.

I look forward to hear from you.

If you would like me to send you an email with the draft of the sermon Friday or Saturday indicate that and I am happy to do that.



Charles Schuster

Monday's Thoughts on Sunday's Sermon

Sermon for Sunday, September 26th

For a long time I have wanted to follow up with Anne Lamott. This homeless woman who showed up at a church in California and began to write some of the most incredible books and conveyed some of the most amazing ideas through her writing. I have read Traveling Mercies and am working on her book Plan B.

She is one of the most profound thinkers of our time. Her wisdom about faith is so down to earth and right that it is compelling.

For example she tells us that she has a lot of faith but she has a lot of doubt. It is her understanding that the opposite of faith isn't doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty. She thinks that faith sees the mess of life and the confusion and through it all it allows the light to shine. If we don't acknowledge the confusion and the doubt the light won't be able to shine.

She believes when God wishes to do something wonderful it comes through a hardship and when God wishes to do something amazing it comes through something considered impossible.

Anne is a theologian and writer. She is a survivor and she has much to say to us. If you have read any of her books and have some thoughts about what she is saying I'd appreciate your ideas. Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the "comments" box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Friday's Thoughts on Sunday's Sermon

"Reaching for Something Higher"

I have concluded there are two aspects to this as to how we are able to reach for something higher without becomes arrogant.

I think it takes integrity to reach for something higher. What we may want to reach for may or may not be worthy of our effort. What happens to us in our reach may have us become something we will not want to become.

It takes a sense of integrity when we reach. There must be congruence between what we believe and what we wish. Otherwise we will wonder what we have and why we have it. As they say, "Be careful what you wish for; you may get it." Having a clear sense of who we are and what motivates us is important.

It takes ambition. We have to be inspired by the desire to rise above where we are and not to be satisfied with what we have. There are goals we seek and there are important things we will want to achieve.

Without ambition we will settle for less or for nothing at all. Without ambition other people determine what's coming to us and what we are able to do.

Our reach can find the appropriate balance if we have integrity and ambition.

What do you wish to reach in your life? Do you have thoughts on this subject? Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your ideas and question click on the "comments" box below.

If you would like a copy of the rough draft of the sermon later today or tomorrow indicate that and I am happen to email it to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's thougths on Sunday's sermon

There is an aspect of our faith that prompts us never to be satisfied with life, with the things in our lives. We must always strive to reach higher and to go further and to evolve.

This sermon is about how we do that. It is an attempt to look at methods and the means to transcend ourselves and to do it in such a way that we remain confident we are able to do it and positive in how we feel about things.

One of the authors who inspires this need is Jim Collins in his book From Good to Great. He writes, "when all these pieces come together, not only does your work move toward greatness, but so does your life. For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without having meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you've had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time on this earth has been well spent, and that it mattered."

There is a task for us to accomplish and it matters that we do it well. There are goals we strive to reach. It makes a difference if we are trying to do something important and, if we fail, we failed to achieve something worthy of our effort.

What is it that you are striving to achieve? What is the higher goal in your life? What is the highest reach you can make? How are you doing it?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read of your thoughts click on the "comments" box below. If you would like a copy of the draft of the sermon as it stands on Friday indicate that and I will be happy to email it to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts about Sunday's sermon

"Reaching for Something Higher"
I thought it might be important to think about the future and to prepare for it. As best I know the only way to be happy with the future is to do what we can to prepare for the best future we can build.

One of the primary aspects of the Christian faith is the idea that our reach must exceed our grasp. We have an obligation, as people of faith, to go where we have never been, to do what we have never done, and to seek to accomplish more than we dreamed we could.

If Moses had not had this kind of attitude the people of Israel would still be in Egypt baking bricks and making tombs for dead Pharaohs. If Abraham had not reached beyond his grasp he would have settled down in his homeland and never would have ventured beyond it.

If John Kennedy had not pledged to put "a man" on the moon and had not drawn up a timeline we would still be looking up at the moon with a sense of helplessness.

In our personal lives we have got to find a way to think forward and begin to move toward it.

That idea translates differently for each of us. What does that mean for you? If you have thoughts about this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the box below.

If, at the end of the week, you would like me to send you a rough draft of the sermon indicate that and I am happy to do that.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles Schuster

Friday's thought on Sunday's sermon

The sermon will struggle with the idea that Jesus had that it doesn't get any better than it is in light of the fact that, when he is supposed to have said it, it couldn't have been any worse. His people were captive to the Romans. He received opposition from his own faith tradition and there was poverty and disease and generally a very difficult existence for all but the rich.

He told his people in his sermon at his home synagogue that the scriptures were fulfilled.

I think he was right but you'd have dig a little to be able to agree.

Life brought light and darkness. For Jesus faith could help us face and embrace the darkness of the soul when we were experiencing the absence of God

Life brought an ebb and flow. For Jesus hope was the antidote to the difficult happenings in our world. Hope reminded us there will be another day and the sun will shine again.

Life bought a sense of the lost and found. For Jesus there was always the possibility that the lost could be found. Love was the force that enabled people estranged from each other to find each other once more.

Faith, hope, and love are factors in our lives reminding us that however life short changes us, whatever happens to us in a way that is destructive and painful life is, ultimately, good. In fact if we have faith, hope, and love that is the best it can be.

What do you think? Is life hard to take sometimes? Is the solution faith hope and love? I think so.

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the "comments" box below. If you want a copy of the sermon as it is on Friday evening as a rough draft click on my email and I am happy to send it to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

One of the most difficult biblical concepts we have to interpret is found in so many area in the bible that it almost becomes a common theme. It is the idea that the bad times are good and the good times aren't. It is the idea that when things are going really well we are in danger of lapsing into indifference and boredom. When things are going poorly there is the opportunity for growth.

Jesus tried to say that in the sermon in Nazareth. It was his home church and it was his first sermon. It's in Luke's gospel and the 4th chapter.

In that sermon he said something that really upset his listeners. He said, "Today the scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." He was always saying things like that. He said on another occasion, "The Kingdom of God is here".

His people were living in a very dark time and for Jesus to suggest that it didn't get any better than the way it was became an angering result. They tried to kill him after he preached that sermon.

He told them the way it was was the best it could be. They were looking for something better and something better wasn't going to happen.

We can take that as interesting thinking. Can we see the things that are as the best? Is it possible to learn to lean into the way it is; accept it; move forward from it?

There are the best of times and the worst of times and there are the times we have. These are the only times we have and the only ones we are sure we have. We can make the best of what we have no matter how unfortunate they are.

What was the toughest time in your life? How have you grown because of it. If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the "comments" box below.

If you would like me to email you a rough draft of the sermon as it stands on Friday write me and I am happy to do that.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Sermon for Sunday September 12th
"Hoping for Something Better"
Jurgen Moltmann was the professor who came from Germany to teach us Systematic Theology in 1967 at Duke Divinity School. He had written a book entitled The Theology of Hope. Recently, he has written an autobiography. In that book he writes about his experience at Duke and what happened to him in the Systematic Theology class he taught. It was a required class and I was in the class when he taught it. This is what he wrote:
"At Duke Divinity School the dean, Bob Cushman, had given me the two-hour lectures weekly, and a two hour seminar. I had to translate my first lectures into English, have them corrected by Doug Meeks, and then deliver them. Every beginning is hard, and this one was especially so. The students were not used to concentrated Germ lectures, where they were expected to take notes, and I wasn't used to students who chewed gum. I could note that I had caught their attention when they stopped chewing and their jaws dropped." (Jurgen Moltmann, A Broad Place; An Autobiography)

I'm sure Dr. Moltmann wonders if his students learned anything in that semester at Duke. At the time I wasn't sure but I do quote him a great deal. I think about his theology and I think about the power of hope.

In the sermon Sunday I will bring you some of the ideas this great theologian has provided for us. Basically, we will think about the power of hope. We will look at what happens when we hope and how the hope brings forth what we have dared project as possible.

When has hope transformed your life? What happens when we realize that what we have and what has happened to us is as good as it gets?

If you have some thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have your thoughts available to the community click on the "comments" box below.

If you wish to have a rough draft of the sermon at the end of the week write me and let me know and I will be happy to send it to you Friday.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles Schuster

Thursday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

One point I will make is that many times, we are uncomfortable with the unknown, and with the mystery of God. Thus, we try to form an idea of God that sticks closely to one promise or another, without allowing room for God to grow and change.

Thus, a poem I found by Shel Silverstein helps to describe this uneasiness we feel with answering God's promise, unless it fits in to our own world view and needs. The poem is entitled "Help!"

I walked through the wildwood, and what did I see
but a unicorn with his horn stuck in a tree,
cryin', "Someone please help me before it's too late."
I hollered, "I'll free you." He hollered back, "Wait--
How much will it hurt? How long will it take?
Are you sure that my horn will not scratch, bend, or break?
How hard will you pull? How much must I pay?
Must you do it right now or is Wednesday okay?
Have you done this before? Do you have the right tools?
Have you graduated from horn-savin' school?
Will I owe you a favor? And what will it be?
Do you promise that you will not damage the tree?
Should I close my eyes? Should I sit down or stand?
Do you have insurance? Have you washed your hands?
And after you free me--tell me what then?
Can you guarantee I won't get stuck again?
Tell me when. Tell me how.
Tell me why. Tell me where..."

My guess is that he is still sittin' there.

This poem will then move the sermon to a personal story, in which I found a new way of looking at God's promises.

If you have any comments or questions, please email me at meganryan@fcfumc.net. If you are comfortable sharing your comments online, you can click on the "comment" button below.

If you would like a transcript of the sermon as written by Thursday morning, please email me and I would be happy to send you a copy.

--Megan Ryan