Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

In the sermon I want us to look at what it means to take Jesus seriously. There were purposes in his life that he had and never moved from. He was serious about some things; deadly serious.

We might have some difference of opinion as to what that was. Some think Jesus was serious about saving souls and winning people to himself as believers. Others see Jesus as concerned about the end of the world and the apocalyptic in-breaking of God into life and establishing the "messianic age".

There is some thought given to the ethical side of Jesus' teaching. The concern for the outcast and the poor is a vital part of his thinking. He reached out to people who were on the periphery and he cared about speaking up for those who had no voice. Some think that concern was central to everything he said and did and everything that is remembered about him.

Those thoughts are valid and any one of them could be considered the essence of what he was trying to bring in his message and life-example.

For me, I think what Jesus was about has to do with what he thought the world could become. I think he was promoting a time that is yet to be and encouraging people to imagine a world that is not yet. The world he imagined was a world that had all the traits of the world we know except things were turned upside down. The top becomes the bottom; the powerful become subservient; the outcasts become the welcomed in.

I think Jesus spent his time on earth imagining a different way of thinking and living. It defies description and it pushes our imagination and I believe he was completely serious about this.

To this day we are motivated to think that way. We are invited to consider the world as it could be even as we understand the world as it is. Knowing "what is" we are encouraged to imagine "what if".

If you are interested in a rough draft of the sermon indicate that and I will email that to you. You can contact me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you have ideas about the sermon send them on. 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