Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Sunday, January 1st we will have just one worship service at 10:30. This past Sunday, Christmas Day, we had a good number of people at worship and the spirit of the congregation was great. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas. I anticipate the same next Sunday.

What is even more special about January 1st is it gives us an opportunity to say "goodbye" to Reverend Ray Miller. Ray has been a member of the staff for the past several years and has contributed greatly to the church's ministry. He has taught classes, has led in worship services and preached. He was helped us put together very successful stewardship campaigns and has been a valuable member of the church staff.

Ray's general belief that the church is designed to serve humanity and that the best measure of ministry is in terms of how the church's focus shifts beyond the walls has been, truly, an inspiration. He will be moving the Guatemala for the next year and will return to Fort Collins in August. He will be missed.

Ray has been a trusted staff member, a competent professional, a visionary leader, and a friend. We are very fortunate to have had the chance to work with him and we applaud his decision to take this next step in his life.

Ray Miller is an example for all of us of what it means to see life as a journey and to understand that every age and stage is a potential learning experience.

Join us Sunday as we bid Ray farewell and as we express appreciation for all he has done for us.



If you would like to add your words of appreciation for Ray's ministry write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you would like to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below. I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT AND COMMUNION SERVICE
11:00 p.m.

Title of Message: "Mary, Did You Really Know?"
Scriptures: Isaiah 7:10-14 and Matthew 1:18-23

This service of celebration and worship is a meditative time for reflection and contemplation. There will be wonderful music from Ashley Greathouse (harp), Trever Bonnema (handbells), Stacy Miller (vocal soloist) and Karen Stoody (organ).
The sounds of I Wonder as I Wander, Ave Maria, Mary Did You Know?,Still, Still, Still, the traditional Christmas hymns and the lighting of candles and sharing communion - all make for a time to remember once again who Jesus was and is and forever will be - in our lives.

Station KJOY will follow Mary, Joseph and her family and friends as they journey on the dusty road to Bethlehem to ignite Christmas, and to address the question "Mary, did you really know?" Or, to ultimately ask the more pertinent question, "What do we know?" about the now grown child of the manger.

I welcome you to our service. The lights will be low and the Sanctuary warm in the glow of the Christmas spirit. Come and join us.

Blessings on you.

David ddalke37@cs.com


5 and 7

The sermon seeks to bring together two conflicting idea; both of which are important to us as Christan people. First is the idea that we are special; unique; chosen. Secondly the idea that we are a part of the mass of humanity and common; every day; ordinary; united with the masses.

We are special but we are common. We are somebody but so is everyone else.

Where does this leave us?

It leaves us with a confidence to know we can do all things and with a humility to realize that we are give what we have been given so we can do the things we can do for the people with whom we come in contact.

If you would like rough drafts of the Christmas Eve sermon and the Christmas Day sermons indicate that and I will email them to you.

If you have thoughts about the sermon write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the reader of the blog click on the 'comments' box.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

I'm going to run two "Build a Sermon" themes into this section this week. I may be able to include Rebecca and David's themes as well. Here is the Christmas Eve schedule

3:00 Rebecca and the Family Service

5:00 and 7:00 I am preaching the sermon and the bell and adult choirs are included. The themes is "What Would Adam and Eve Have to Do With Christmas?"

9:00 Rebecca will preach


11:00 David will preach


The theme related to Adam and Eve and Christmas is an interesting one. This is something I have never noticed until this year and it is an important part of the Christmas story.

If you look at the genealogies in Matthew and Luke you will find some interesting differences. Matthew traces Jesus family tree back to Abraham. Luke traces it back to Adam. I think the gospel writers are trying to tell us something.

I think Matthew is telling us Jesus was related to Abraham and Sarah and is tied into the Jewish tradition. He, and we, are special, unique, and we have an important tradition. The tradition goes back to the people of Israel, the Chosen People. It is a good thing to realize we are important and to claim our heritage. It gives us a sense of identity. Christmas does just that. It gives us a sense of being "chosen" of being "special" and Matthew wants us to understand that about Jesus.

Now, look what happens when we think about Luke's view of Jesus' genealogy. It goes back to Adam and Eve. It incorporates the entire human race. Our sense of specialness yields to the fact that we are, as Christian people, part of the human family. Our uniqueness and our chosenness is not an exclusive claim that we are better than other people or that we deserve merit or privilege. It means that our chosenness calls for us to recognize how we have responsibility for the whole human family. Jesus is related to Adam and Eve according to Luke. That means Jesus is heir to the entire human race and so are will.

The Christmas Eve sermon will claim our uniqueness and will move us toward inclusion.



Christmas Day sermon
December 25th
10:30

We will have only one service on Christmas Day this year. The sermon theme comes from the angel voices and the words, "Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace, good will to those with whom God is well pleased".

What I'm struggling with is the concept that there are some with whom God is not "well pleased". I don't know who those people are or what we have to do to become one of those who does not "please God". This sermon is in its formative stage but it is posing an interesting question.

If you have thoughts on any of these issues write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of this blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

If you would like a "rough draft" if either of the sermons indicate that and I will email them to you. I have both sermons in a "very rough draft" state currently. I've been off a week and have had some time to work.

Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

David Dalke is preaching on some of the dynamics of Jesus family tree. David is looking at who the grandparents of Jesus were and how they fit into the Christmas story.

David is preaching this week allowing me to be a grandparent for our daughter who had a second child on Monday. She and Andy have a two year old and Kathy and I are taking care of him since he has a respiratory infection and the doctors didn't want him around his infant brother.

I appreciate David's willingness to step in. I need to be a grandparent while David is preaching about Jesus' grandparents.

If you have advice for David write him at [ddalke37@cs.com].

I will be back at church on December 20th.


Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

The three concepts I am trying to help develop:

1. The greatest gift of Christmas is God's gift to us in the Christ Child who was born in Bethlehem.

2. The most important thing for us to realize is the idea that "Love came down at Christmas" and is still with us.

3. The most important idea that came with Christmas is the idea that "The Word Became Flesh". Incarnation is more important than "virgin birth" in terms of the power and effect of the Christmas story on us.

If you would like me to send you a rough draft of the sermon I can do that either by Friday at 4 or early Sunday morning beginning at 6:30. Let me know you want it and I can send it to you.

If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

The Christmas message is so simple and yet so complex. The complexity is in its simplicity. We can say things about Christmas and what it means but we may or may not understand what we are saying.

For example, we would be apt to say, "Love came down at Christmas". What does that mean in a tangible or pragmatic way? What do we mean by saying that? Love came down from where? How do we see love coming down? How do we deal with the fact that love has come down?

We might say, "The greatest gift of Christmas is God's gift to us?" The implication is that God, somehow, gave us Jesus. In what way does that speak to us? How are we to understand that gift from God? How do we receive the gift of God?

We might find a text like the one in John's gospel that says, "Christmas means the word became flesh". Theologians call this "the incarnation". How does the word become flesh? How do we experience the word becoming flesh?

The sermon will explore the meaning and apprehension of the "incarnation". I intend to do this with some stories. The stories will share the depth and meaning of the ideas.

How do you explain the "meaning of Christmas"? What do you think it means to say, "Love Came Down at Christmas"? or "love came down at Christmas"?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"Who Changed the Sheets In the Manger?"

The pragmatics of Christmas and the details seem to hit us as we strive to get from our day and time to the time back then. We do everything possible to reenact that. He put up our miniature Nativity Scenes, we participate in live Nativity Scenes with animals and people standing out in the cold. We do this to try to change our frame of mind and to get into the setting that happened.

This sermon I want to try to get us into thinking about how we move from here to there. Maybe it is with the Christmas Pageants. Is that how we do it? Acting out the parts. The shepherds and the magi, and Mary and Joseph and the Innkeeper and the angels singing.

We do this for our children. We allow them to take their role in the play so they can see it from the inside. Who will be the baby Jesus? Will it be a real child? Will it be a light that shines? Will it be a doll baby? Will the baby be white or brown or yellow or black? Remember the day they put an African-American baby in the manger and people thought about that and said, "That's exactly right."

How do we move ourselves from here and now to there and then? What do you do to put yourself in the scene so that Christmas becomes real for you?

I'd like to hear from you about this. Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

The work on this sermon has pushed me into an interesting thought. If there was an Innkeeper who put Mary and Joseph in the barn/cave in the back of the Inn did they act in a manner what was responsible and respectful? Were they appropriate in that they gave what they had or were they inappropriate in that they could have done more?

Furthermore, were there other Innkeepers who absolutely rejected Mary and Joseph when they came into Bethlehem? If so, the Innkeeper who took them in was a hero? It least he did what he could.

What about the owner of the donkey who gave the disciples the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday event? Should he have given them a more appropriate means of conveyance? Why a donkey? Why not a champion steed? Was the stable owner a hero or a jerk?

What about the owner of the house that was used for the Last Supper? Someone owned the Upper Room and that person willingly surrendered his house of the disciples when he was asked to provide a space so they could celebrate Passover. Why did he open his home to them? What did he charge? What did he get out of it?

The Innkeeper, the stable owner, the home owner of the Upper Room demonstrate varying degrees of giving.

We can give but we might have done more?
We can deny what people are asking and do nothing?
We can give knowing the recipient deserves better?
We can give the best that we have?

What does this say about Christmas and giving?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have the readers of the blog see your thoughts click on the 'comments' box below.

If you would like a draft of the sermon indicate that and I will send it to you Friday.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

What strikes me about the Christmas story in Luke is the Innkeeper and the ongoing debate as to whether he did what he could have or should have or if he had done what he would have if he had known the child of Mary and Joseph was the Christ Child.

The sermon has me moving off in two other directions and it is beginning to come together slowly.

1. The Innkeeper gave Mary and Joseph a room in the back because there was no room in the inn. Basically, Jesus was born in a stall fit for animals according to the Gospel of Luke. 'The Innkeeper only looked at the clothing of the couple and saw them as a peasant couple.

2. The owner of the stable when the disciples came to the village opposite Bethpage gave them a donkey for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem. It could have been a quality horse and it might have been a triumpal entry. Instead Jesus came into Jerusalem riding a beast of burden. The stable owner looked at their hands and the disciples were working class people.

When we look at the clothing and when we look at the hands and when we make decisions about people on the basis of these superficialities we will not feel good about what we do for them.

We must find a way to look beyond the externals this Christmas when we consider what we can do for each other. We've got to find a way to get beneith the surface or our Christmas will be filled with guilt and emptiness.

What should we consider when we think about the people in our lives and what we have to give to them? Is it the way they look or the work they do or is there something internal/essential?

If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.



Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

To suggest there was a stable boy in Bethlehem requires a stretch or a fling into a fantasy world. We don't know there was a stable boy. If there were a stable person it might have been a girl so can we say something about someone who may or may not have been present when the Christ Child was born?

The bigger question calls for us to think about adding to the story knowing that most of the story is simply a tale told/written by a Gospel writer to explain what people needed to know; that Jesus Christ was once a child like any other child; that he was born like any of us have been born; and that there were common ordinary shepherds who attended to him.

The larger question still has to do with the kind of world Jesus was born into. Much is made about the indifference of that world and the anger of the world and the hatred of that world. Was there any kindness?

Did the Innkeeper do a kindness in welcoming the Holy Family? Was that an act of compassion that greeted the Christ Child in Bethlehem?

Some of us have made much of the fact that there was no room in the Inn. Of course, that is wrong. There was room in the Inn. It wasn't a master suite. It wasn't "business class" but the Inn Keeper allowed them to stay in the only place he had available. We don't know if there was a charge. We are not given to understand if they received acts of kindness while they were temporary residents of the Inn in Bethlehem. I assume they were treated kindly.

What do you think?

If you were to tell the story of the Innkeeper's son and how he took care of the couple and their new-born child, what would you say about it?

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

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Just a thought I had yesterday, Thanksgiving Day, driving on the way a family event in Longmont there was a parking lot and a Best Buy Store. It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I think the store opened at midnight. There was a long line of people waiting to get in. Some of them had tents and obviously were planning to be there into the night.

I am preaching a sermon on "preparation" for Christmas. Advent is four weeks preparing, spiritually, for the birth of the Christ Child. I am in favor of preparation and I believe the people waiting in that line were thinking about preparation as well.

But something seemed over the top with people who were camping out and waiting to get into the store at midnight on the day when we were poised to be thankful for the what we have. Here were people on the day of thanksgiving where we were to be thankful for that we have, waiting in line to purchase gifts and items so that people could have more. That doesn't quite add up.

I know part of the preparation for Christmas involves shopping. Gift giving is a part of the season, but if that is the primary thing it is it seems to be missing the point.

The preparation we need to consider is not quantities if gifts but qualities of experiences and it seems if our focus is on the gifts to buy and the time to do it instead of the relationships we might miss because of the stress of shopping then, something is out of balance.

The Census Taker in the story and the institution that established that institution may get an absolutely accurate count of the people who come to Bethlehem, but they will not have, in any way, a true picture of the people who are there. What's one baby among thousands of citizens? One baby doesn't count for any more than one unless that one baby is the Christ Child (or your child, or your grandchild).

How do we prepare for Christmas Spiritually? This will be the focus of our worship services each Sunday in Advent.

How do you prepare for Christmas spiritually? How does that involve shopping? I believe it can involve shopping. Is there a way to shop spiritually?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward from hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

I don't hold the Census Taker as an enemy in the Christmas Story. I don't see him or her as an evil person or a misguided soul; nothing like that. But I do see that persona as a problem for Mary and Joseph and all the poor souls who were forced to come to be counted.

Luke wants us to understand that there were extreme requirements put on the Holy Family when the Christ Child was born. Luke, the Gospel writer, continually emphasises the idea that Jesus conformed to Roman and Jewish law. Luke sees Christianity as something that fits into the structures and powers of society. Luke wants us to understand there were severe demands made and those were adhered to by the Jewish people and the Christian community that arose from it.

There is a bit of the Census Taker in each of us and that is what I wish to address with the sermon the First Sunday of Advent. Nearsightedness will often blindside the farsighted. The unwillingness to look will preclude the inability to see. In the evolution of the season of Advent one of the most important things we want to be prepared to do is look and be prepared for the unexpected.

What can we expect? What might come to us that is unexpected?

Henri Nouwen wrote, "It seems that there are more and more people in our society who have less and less influence on the decisions that affect their own existence. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to recognize that the largest part of our existence involves waiting in the sense of being acted upon. But the life of Jesus tells us that not to be in control is part of the human condition. His vocation was fulfilled not just in action but also in passion, in waiting."

Sunday we begin the process of waiting. We take the time to look at life from the perspective of expecting the unexpected.

Census Takers reduce people to numbers; reduce situations to what can be counted upon.

The "census taker" in each of us will have to step back and take a serious look at what is happening. Otherwise, it Christmas will come and go and it will be like all others when, in fact, this year Christmas will be different.

What do you anticipate will happen this Advent? What might surprise you?


Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Sunday, November 27th is the first Sunday of Advent

I want to take a look at the Census Taker as it says in Luke 2 there was some kind of enrollment and Mary and Joseph were forced to make the trip to Bethlehem where Mary, eventually, had a baby; Jesus.

I don't completely trust this story as historical but I do understand there are people who go around taking names and numbers. There are people who want to reduce qualities to quantity and there have always been people like that.

We will light the Candle of Preparation. Can we ever prepare for Christmas to the point that we are completely ready for it to come? Has the world ever been prepared for someone, like Jesus, who came to deliver a message of peace, and hope, and joy? Has the world ever had an easy time with people like Mother Teressa, or Martin Luther King, or Gandhi who suggested that the weak are powerful and the powerful are week?

They ignore people like that and, sometimes crucify them.

We prepare ourselves for the birth of the Christ Child as we think about the census taker who was concerned about numbers.

What does it take to prepare for Christmas?

What advice do you have for this question?

Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of this blog click on the 'comments box' below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"We Are....First Church"

It seems to me the most important thing we need to hear about our church on Commitment Sunday has nothing to do with a budget; nothing to do with our dreams; nothing to do with a sense of concern; and nothing to do with a motive driven by guilt.

I am going to try to say something about our church; its character and its essence. What is our church? Who are we at First Church?

This is what I see:

I see incredible generosity. I see people giving to the church's ministry with enthusiasm and without hesitation. We name a need in the church and before long someone meets the need. We list a problem in the church and someone steps forward to solve it.

I see an amazing sense of hope in our church. People who have suffered loss who refuse to give up typify the kind of spirit that exists at First Church. You can never count our people out. You will not see us give up the idea that tomorrow will be better than today. When our members go through some of the darkest times in their lives we witness a tenacity and strength of character to rise above adversity.

I see our people working as hard as I have seen any congregation anywhere I've been to try to reconcile differences between each other and in the world where there are so many serious problems created by misunderstanding and confusion.

I see a congregation that is willing to do the hard work it takes to improve and grow. We have witnessed progress in the past but we have the idea that there is a future for us that we can hardly imagine.

Is this a congregation that deserves our financial support? That's what we will have to determine this coming Sunday.

What do you think about First Church? What is your sense of its strength?

Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net

If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

If you would like me to send a rough draft of the sermon let me know by tomorrow afternoon and I am happy to send it to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

It has seemed to me for some time that stewardship and Commitment Sunday are reflective of something deeply personal and deeply spiritual. I find the Sunday when we bring our pledges to the church to be one of the most important Sundays of the year.

Some may want to do a comparison between this year and last year to see if we have advanced; assuming if the pledge total does not exceed the previous year we have retreated. I begin with the assumption that we are getting positive responses each time we receive a pledge and the amount doesn't matter at all. Each pledge is a vote that we continue for another year; all we have to decide is how much we get to do with what we have.

The congregation is very generous. The level of giving is remarkable when considering the state of the economy. We increased last year's budget from the previous year. In fact the budgets for the past five years tell a remarkable story. This is what I mean:

2007 $893,783

2008 $957,226

2009 $962,321

2010 $938,976

2011 $1,062,200




The budget proposed for 2012 is $1,352,609.


We are...First Church.
We see our task as making a difference in the world and moving our church forward by reaching beyond our doors. In a very tight economy we have increased our budgets because we believe in the future of the church. We have ended most of the years with surpluses.

How do you see Commitment Sunday?
Is it a time of heavy pressure to pledge or is it a privilege?

What do you think about that?

If you have thoughts you'd like to share write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have the readers of the blog see your response click on the "comments" box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"We Are --- First Church"

"We are the church. I am the church. You are the church. We are the church together."

I don't think there is any ministry setting I've known where that is any more true than here in Fort Collins. There is a high degree of ownership in this church and the future of the church. Put simply, people care about First Church and are invested in its ministry and future.

When our Administrative Council met a several weeks ago we thought about our dreams. What would we like to think about the future of the church? Where are we headed?

The dreams were widespread. Some wanted to be sure all the members of the staff had health insurance. Some wanted to add staff members to make our ministry more effective and efficient. Some wanted to look into pod-caste of the worship services and up-grading the technology of the church in a variety of ways. Some want to have a Kitchen Coordinator who can open up the use of the kitchen in new ways.

The dreams of our church are telling us that we haven't arrived where we want to be but that we have moved forward in good ways. The dreams do not cause us to look with despair at the basic and foundational aspects of ministry as if it were missing, but encourages us to enhance our ministry; to move it forward.

We are the church. The strengths of the ministry here are many.

There are no weak ministries in this church. The youth, children, and adult programs are as good as any church in Fort Collins. The senior ministry is one of the best in the state. The church library is award winning. The music program is powerful and the diverse. The women's ministry holds a strong United Methodist Women's ministry as well as a concern for the role and status of women in the church.

We are the church, together.

Sunday is our Commitment Sunday.

We have the privilege of supporting our church once more and ensuring its future. What good fortune we have to do that for a church that is as strong as it is and as full of potential.

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


I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Tuesday's thoughts

Rebecca McFee will be the preacher Sunday, November 13th. Her sermon will focus on the theme "You Are the Church"

Monday's thoughts

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"I am the Church"

There are stages we might be going through in our relationship with life and the church we love.

1. There are times when we have failed in so many ways and we feel unworthy. Peter, for example, was a joke most of his life. He was impulsive and confused and inappropriate.

2. Jesus told him he was "the rock" and upon "the rock" he would build the church and he gave him the "keys to the Kingdom". What an incredible turn of events. If Jesus would have been looking for a less obvious leader he couldn't have found one less deserving than Peter. But it gave Peter status. He didn't immediately change his life or his attitude.

3. Jesus called Peter and the other disciples to the table and he gave them the cup and the bread and he said to them, "Take this in remembrance of me". That was what Peter needed. Again, he didn't immediately change his life. He would disown that he knew Jesus after that. He would run for his life when Jesus was arrested, but, in the end, he did come to realize and remember Jesus was present to him and he died giving witness to his faith. He was one of the great leaders of the church. The church made him a Saint. The church built its largest cathedral in Rome to Peter.

What does it take for us to move from a sense of our unworthiness to a sense of our competence?

We, like Peter, can learn it at the table.

We, like Peter, can leave the church with an understanding that says, "the church isn't the leaders or the clergy, or the ushers, or the choir; the church is each of us.

And as we think about it if someone asks us, "Who is the church?" We have a good reason to think about it and to speak of it and to say in response to it, "I am the church".

To what extent are you the church?

Do you ever think to yourself, "I am the church?" The church belongs to me? You have a right and a reason to think it. The church began with one person and the church exists one believer at a time.

What are your thoughts about this? Do you feel ownership in First Church? If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net.

If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of this blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

When Jesus told Peter he was a rock and upon that rock he would build the church it would come as a surprise to the other disciples but not any more of a surprise than it would have come to Peter himself.

He was no rock. He was impulsive and irresponsible. He was the one who cut off a man's ear with a sword. He was the one who insisted that Jesus wash him all over when Jesus wanted to wash his feet. He was the one who said he would never deny knowing Jesus and when Jesus was arrested it was Peter who denied knowing Jesus three times.

Peter was an absolute joke when he was told by Jesus he was a rock and upon the rock Jesus would build the church.

The parallel with this is as it is with each of us. We are often given major responsibility and we are sure we cannot handle it. We know our flaws and faults and we are aware of our failures and yet we are called upon to do some things we know we cannot do.

Peter rose to the occasion and was one of the most important forces in the early church. He was not a rock when he was chosen but he became a rock and was foundational as a figure in the church to move it forward.

What are we being asked to do that we know we cannot do? We are the church each of us. The church will rise or fall depending on how we carry out our lives in relation to it.

"I am the Church" is a frightening proposition but each of us is presented with it. We each are the church and it is up to us.

What do you think you are being asked to do if you are the church?

Do you have thoughts about this? If so, write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net.

If you are willing to have the readers of this blog see your response click on the 'comments' box below.

If you would like a rough draft of the sermon on Friday let me know and I will email it to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.



Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"First Church; Where Everybody is Somebody"

The first of three sermons will have us think about the church and what it does for us and what we do for it. We are beginning to think about our commitment to the church and we will have our Commitment Sunday on November 20th.

Sunday, November 6th we will think about how the church is a part of each of us. In a sense we each have a reason to say to anyone who will listen, "I am the church" because each of us is the church. Each of us is invested in the church and its future. Each of us will determine how the church will carry out its program and ministry.

When we each take our place in the mainstream of life we represent the church we serve. We are a reflection of the church and by the things we say and the things we do people will form an impression of the church to which we belong.

The first Sunday of the month we will celebrate the Last Supper as we always do the first Sunday. The first Sunday of the month the college students who attend the church will serve sandwiches to the homeless people in Fort Collins. We, who are nourished spiritually at our church, wish to reach out to those who could use some nourishment of a different sort.

The college students represent us. Each of them will be the church next Sunday and they will represent us in such a way that we will be, as we always are, proud of them and what they are trying to do. The sandwiches they are giving out is important because the recipients of the food will receive a kind word and encouragement.

We are involved in the shoe box project. We take empty shoe boxes and purchased items for the shoe boxes that will be sent to children all over the world providing a Christmas for some children who would not have Christmas. We are giving hope and the Christian message that God is love.

I am the church and everybody is somebody at our church.

How does this idea strike you. Do you feel a sense of ownership of our church? Do you think of this church as yours?

Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

We are looking at two important aspects of the Christian faith in the sermon Sunday and we are thinking about what makes us concerned to live a life-style that lives out "social justice".

The first element of that is Jesus' belief that every person is a child of God and has something for us to learn. Every human being is a gift from God to us and deserves our attention and respect. We can learn from every man and woman we meet. They have a gift for us and we will need to take them into account as we think about how fortunate we are to know them and to encounter them. Jesus' concern for the people on the margins is well known. He understood what gifts they give. He knew they must be given opportunity to give what they have. The woman who anointed his feet prior to his death is a prime example. The disciples wanted to use the costly oil for their purposes but Jesus wanted to allow her to give what she had. This is an important aspect of our faith tradition. Every person has something for us.

The second element is like the first in a way only it looks in the opposite direction. Paul in Philippians writes, "Have the mind of Christ." If we do that we realize that every person we meet has needs we can meet and our job is to determine what we can do to help meet those needs.

We look for ways of being helpful and following beyond that commandment that says, "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you" to a higher commandment that says, "Do unto others what they would have you do unto them." The focus is on others and what we can do for them. If there are social systems that are foul and destructive we must act to repair them. It's not just the right thing to do ; it is the Christian thing to do. To "have the mind of Christ" means we do it.

Our congregation is interested in Social Justice. We know what is being asked of us and we respond.

What do you think about the basic obligation we have as Christians? Are there other things we need to be thinking about?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you would like to share your thoughts with the readers of this blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

What do we discover once we find ourselves without a church having come under the influence of the church?

What does the church teach us? What is the byproduct of the church and our participation in it?

Obviously, this will not be the same for everyone and the circumstances that come to us from having left the church will vary.

Ten years ago I took a Sabbatical three months away from my church appointment. Actually, we are supposed to take one of those every 7 years we are in ministry and it is a good idea. In the time I was away I knew I should not go back to my appointment (which was Arvada at the time) and some Sundays I didn't go to worship anywhere. Often we would find another church to attend.

I discovered something about the church I had not known. I began to look differently at the people I met in the stores and on the streets and in the places where people congregation.

Church people remind us that everyone has a story to tell and every story is interesting and important to hear. Sometimes when we are located in a church we forget that there are people out there who have a story to tell as well.

I began to look at everyone I met in a different way.

When I left church for that summer I began to think, as John Wesley thought, "the world is my parish".

What was learned in church I applied beyond it and found it was an enriching experience.

What do the people you pass by and do not notice have to give you? If we start asking that question we will begin to discover a resource that is more vast than we can possibly conceive.

Have you ever had the occasion to be without a church and to discover the gift the church gave you to apply to your situation? What did you learn? What did you see?

If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of this blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

The sermon for Sunday, October 30th, centers around an interesting idea put forward in Barbara Brown Taylor's book, Leaving Church.

What is interesting about this book is the idea that comes from the experience she had. She is an Episcopal priest and was in a small rural church when she was invited to leave her church appointment and take a job as a professor at a small college. In the book she shares her struggle with the decision and her response to having made the decision.

The most interesting, and I think relevant, part of her story is her reflection on the church after she leave it. She didn't leave because she was burned out; she left because a different challenge was offered her. There were things about the church she missed and some things about the church she realized after she was gone.

It pushes us to question for ourselves what would we miss about the church if we left it?

What in the church is special to us that we would not have were we to walk away from it?

Would it be the sermons? The community? The ritual? The music?

Would there be some way to express our spirituality or to grow theologically if we were not involved in a local church?

What do you think about this?

Where do you think there would be nourishment of soul were it not for the church?

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

I look forward to hearing from you.



Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Sunday, October 23rd will be a very special day for our church. It will be the unveiling of a new piece of art created by The Reverend Greg Dawson in honor of the music program of the church.

Reverend Dawson has created the beautiful stained glass windows that adorn the East hallway. That project took over 10 years and has produced one of the most beautiful walkways in Fort Collins. Each window represents a season of the church year or a concept from the bible or theology. They windows are as profound in their meaning as they are beautiful to behold.

The most recent project will be placed over the stairway leading into the choir room. If you ask Greg what he was trying to create with this beautiful tribute to music he will not give you a direct answer. He wants us to interpret the piece for ourselves.

The Dawson family has been an integral part of the music program for many years. Alex Dawson is a very skilled guitar musician and has shared his talent in worship services over the past years. Emily Dawson Peterson has sung solos, led hymn sings, and been a part of the adult choir. Her husband Cory is a music teacher in one of the local high schools and has been generous with his talent and has provided special music with his trumpet especially in the Christmas/Advent seasons of the year. Karen has been a member of the adult choir for many years and has been soloist on various occasions and has led worship for the 8 o'clock congregation with powerful and inspiring vocal music.

Greg will preach in the 8 o'clock, 9:15, and 10:45 services in the sanctuary. The choir will sing an anthem at the end of the service and the unveiling of the art work will happen at the end of the 10:45 service.

This is an especially important day for the church. We have just learned that our Choir Director, James Kim, will be leaving our church in June. He has elevated the quality of worship and church music to an amazing level of excellence.

It is appropriate that we honor all those who have helped make our church music program one of the most outstanding in the Rocky Mountain Conference.

See you Sunday.


Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Something about religion that does for us what is most important. Forester Church said religion is what reminds us of the fact that we will die and awakens us to the parallel fact that we are very much alive. We are caught in the tension between knowing our finitude and expanding our magnitude. We soar like a bird and we shrink like a dry sponge in the sun.

Something about religion that reminds us how we live in the moment. We have things we acquire but religion reminds us that we can want what we have and worry less about what we can't acquire.

Something about our faith that takes us to the very edge of our possibility and encourages us to do what we can do and not to worry about what we are unable to achieve.

Something about our belief that awakens us to the fact that we each are unique human beings and we are put here on this earth to be the best at who we are that we can be. When we discover to be who we are we don't need to concern ourselves with what other people want us to be.

Which of these is the most difficult to achieve? If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

If you wish an email copy of a draft of the sermon email me before 4:30 Friday afternoon.


I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

"How Do We Say, 'Goodbye'?"

We are pushed up against this question when we realize there will be a time when we will have to say it. It could come sooner than later. It could be a long way off. It could be when we have family and friends surrounding us around our final port of departure.

It might happen after everyone we know has gone before us and our final words will be but a faint echo barely noticed and hardly heard.

Forrest Church thought about this. He thought about how to say 'goodbye' to his church congregation. He chose that occasion to give them and us some good advice. His suggestions will direct my thinking for the sermon.

Three things we will want to understand:

1. In life we learn to want what we have. There is little room for extraneous things in life when life is on the line and there is little time left.

2. In life we learn to do what we can. There comes a time when we have to be realistic about our capabilities and to realize there are limits. Once we accept our limits we can live a realistic life that honors the good we can do and focuses that in ways that expand upon it.

3. In life we learn to be who we are. The possibility of the terminal time makes us put away pretense. All at once there are no games and there is no need to play them. We put away the pretence and learn to live with authenticity.

When we want what we have, and when we do what we can, and when we be who we are we have found peace of mind and then, what happens to us, good and bad, doesn't matter.

What do you think about these three directives?
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.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"How Do You Say 'Goodbye'?"

Forester Church was pastor of a large Unitarian Church in New York City. His father was Senator Frank Church. Forester remembers when his father was dying and how gracefully his father dealt with his death.

When he realized he had a terminal illness he wrote a book entitled Love and Death; My Journey Through the Valley of the Shadow. I want us to look at and think about our own death and how we say 'goodbye'.

Life is a process of saying, 'hello' and 'goodbye'. How we deal with the pivotal points of life defines us and gives us the best chance at meaning and health.

We all, probably, know people who have died and how they have chosen to address their finitude. We all know there will be a time for us to do the same.

This sermon topic is not morbid although it is rarely discussed. It is life-giving and, I hope, empowering.

Do you have thoughts on this or experiences with it? 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

There are two ways, at least, we will want to think of aging with grace on Senior Sunday. They will constitute the two points to the sermon and I think what is suggested goes way beyond aging.

First of all it is important to know we have a past and to enjoy it without dwelling on it. The experiences we have had have made us what and who we are. Some of those happenings have been destructive and some have been wonderfully positive.

We have a past and we celebrate that but we do not live in it.

Secondly, we have options given us to fulfill our lives by finding the creative aspects of our being. We are creative beyond what we realize and we have an opportunity to move forward in areas we have neglected. Every stage of life is an opportunity to develop a part of ourselves we had ignored.

For the elderly there is gerontology and there is generativity; the history of where we have been and the creativity of what we can do.

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

If you want a draft copy of the sermon let me know by 4 o'clock today and I can send it to you.

I look forward to your observations.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

There is this old prophetess, Anna, in the Nativity Story. Luke gives us the only glimpse into her existence. We don't know anything about her other than she appears in the story and sees the child, Jesus, as the hope for her people.

She is said to be 84 years old. Her husband died when she was young. She is reputed to have worked in the temple. She made a contribution. She is one who saw Jesus as the Messiah and proclaims it.

Luke likes to bring in women in roles that are almost equal to men. That is a unique feature of Luke's approach.

The story of Anna is so brief you wonder if there is enough of a story there to do anything with it or to trump it up into a sermon. Maybe not. But it could be the better story is the brevity of the story itself. Anna is not featured. She is peripheral and incidental and yet her proclamation is a remarkable addition to the narrative. Her role is authenticating and important even in its brevity.

What is the role of the aged in our world? Is it incidental? Is it vitally important?

Why would we have a Senior Sunday at our church and a week after we have Children's Sabbath if we didn't value our senior members as much as our children?

Truth is, if we are ever going to have a society that measures up to the strength is had within it we are going to have to value every part of it.

What do you think?

Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have your thoughts read by the other readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"The Fountain of Age"

This Sunday will be "Senior Sunday". It is a time to celebrate the active and vital ministry our senior church members are doing.

I will pursue the idea that there is healthy and unhealthy aging. There are ways that look at aging that involve denial. There are ways that look at aging that consider what is appropriate and helpful.

I will use a number of resources but primarily a book by Betty Friedan and her book The Fountain of Age.

She writes:

"The unexpectedness of this new quest has been my adventure into age. I realized that all the experiences I have had--as daughter, student, grandmother, teacher, leader, friend, lover, confronting real and phantom enemies and dangers, the terrors of divorce and my own denial of age--all of it, mistakes, triumphs, battles lost and won, and moments of despair and exaltation, is part of me now: I am myself at this age. It took me all these years to put the missing pieces together, to confront my own age in terms of integrity and generativity, moving into the unknown future with a comfort now, instead of being stuck in the past. I have never felt so free."

That is our goal. To put together all our experiences and to move forward with them and to become who we are and to be comfortable with that.

Ultimately, to find ourselves at a point in our lives when we have never been so free.

What does it take to get there?

If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.


I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

There is a tension between our idea that "children belong to the Kingdom of God" as Jesus said and "When I was a child I spoke, though, and acted as a child, but when I became adult I gave up childish things" as Paul wrote.

There is a tension between the innocence of a child and the childishness of a child; some of it we praise and some of it we try to fix.

Children are silly

Children are suggestible

Children are self-centered


Adults are realistic

Adults are rational

Adults are reducible


Children live out what it means to "take the leap of faith"

Adults live out what it means to "live through the dark night of the soul"

Soren Kierkegaard's two basic concepts were the leap of faith and the dark night of the soul.

We need our children to remind us of the leap of faith but we need adults to help us through the dark night of the soul. Both are important and on Children's Sabbath we will see both being carried out.

If you want a copy of the sermon let me know and I can send it to you. If you have suggestions for the sermon write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net . If you are willing to let your ideas be read by the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box.

I look forward to hearing from you.



Charles Schuster

Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon

"You Have Got To Be Kidding"

The ideas of Soren Kierkegaard lend themselves to Children's Sabbath. Kierkegaard was often called "The Dismal Great Dane". He followed closely the idea that life was basically absurd and meaning in life was to be found in the moment because the moment is all we are truly sure we have.

The text I plan to explore comes in Mark's Gospel (the 10th Chapter) where Jesus is in the midst of children and the disciples speak sternly to him about that. They really didn't want children around and Jesus said, "Let the children come to me for to such belongs the Kingdom of God."

So far my sermons on this text have attempted to defend Jesus and his, evident and right, position that children are to be honored. In this sermon, on Children's Sabbath, I am exploring the text in a completely opposite direction. I want us to understand why the disciples would want to exclude children. They have a point and it is a point that ought to be made. I will attempt to make it this Sunday on Children's Sabbath.

Do you think children should be seen and not heard? How do you feel about children in church? Is worship not a place where children should be? We have made a commitment to have children in church every first Sunday. There are many less young families coming to church and worship the first Sunday. Did we make a mistake with this decision? Are there ways we can change the worship services to make them more children friendly without making them insulting to adults who are looking for something more sophisticated?

What do you think?

Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to allow the readers of the blog to see your response click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Children's Sabbath -- October 2nd

I'm going to do something that really puts preaching and worship to the test. I'm going to use a respected and pivotal theologian on a Sunday when we are celebrating the importance of our children and the importance of building a world that makes it safe for them.

Children's Sabbath is something we have had here at the church for years. It is an important day in the life of our congregation. We have made some changes in our worship structures. Actually, we have 12 Children Sabbaths. The first Sunday of every month we have our children in the sanctuary as we celebrate communion. We do this so our children can experience worship and so that families can have communion together.

What is rather bold about next Sunday is the use of the theologian Soren Kierkegaard. He is an existentialist thinker who writes about the importance of "the leap of faith" and "the dark night of the soul".

Kierkegaard is one who struggles with his soul and with what it means to be a person of faith and a Christian.

How do we merge Kierkegaard's struggle with our children's faith journey? What better approach to the issues children bring that to take a look at the absurdity of the world and the need to make our world safe for children to grow in faith!

We will look at the faith struggles of a child; the will to believe and the importance of disbelief; the confidence in the world as a place of love and the reality that sometimes the world is cruel and dangerous.

I will invite us to think about what it was to be a child and how we have evolved in our faith to the point, as Jesus said, "children; to them belongs the Kingdom of God".

What do you remember about your childhood faith? How has it changed today?

If you have thoughts about this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

What leads us to excellence? How do we get to the point that what we do is reflective of the greatness in us. How do we avoid settling for less?

I think there are three approaches we have to take:

1. We have figure a way to WAKE UP!
There is something in us that requires that we realize the brevity of life and the importance of all the time we have. No matter how long or short we are not exempt. On our last day alive and in our last hour and no matter what our physical or mental condition something is being asked of us. We have to wake up to that.

2. We have to figure a way to SHAPE UP!
Preparation is the key to accomplishment and, if we are in pursuit of excellence, we have to spend our whole lives preparing for what is or will be asked of us. There are many ways to shape up and some of that is physical but most of it is spiritual. We have to hone our skills, to plot our approaches, and to prepare ourselves spiritually. We have to know what we are up against and we will want to understand what it takes to face the challenges and what is required to avoid the temptations.

3. We have to figure a way to SHOW UP!
Sometimes the most difficult thing about life is finding a way to overcome our hesitations and fears and to find a way to insert ourselves where we need to be at the time when we are required to be there.

There will be forces and factors that will want to deny us our chance to be where we need to be and to do what we need to do.

What is called upon from us in our pursuit of excellence:

Wake up --- Shape up --- Show up

If you have thoughts about this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the other readers of this blog click on the 'comments' box below.

If you would like a rough draft of the sermon I will email that to you. My home email delivery system isn't working so it will have to come from the office but I am happy to do that if I receive an email direction me to send it before 4pm Friday.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster