Wednesday's thoughts on Sunday's

In looking at the three movies about Jesus' last days I have begun to explore the actors who played Jesus and what it meant to them to play him. 1. In the "Passion of the Christ" James Patrick Caviezel was selected by Mel Gibson to play Jesus. James experienced the pain of the crucifixion when lightening hit the cross and he dislocated his shoulder. He was described by the woman who played Mary, his mother, as a young man any mother would be proud to have as a son. James had wanted to play "Superman" in honor of Christopher Reeve but he was not selected for that part. 2. In the movie "The Last Temptation of Christ" William Defoe was selected to play the part of Jesus. William has a brother who is a heart transplant surgeon. He also played the role of "Spiderman" and has been the voice in a yogurt commercial. The motto for his life is, "I have nothing. I fear nothing. I am free." 3. In the movie "Jesus of Nazareth" John Powell played the part of Jesus. Originally the producer was going to ask Al Pacino to play Jesus but he thought John Powell looked the part and was selected. John's live in girl friend at the time was Barbara Lord. There is a story going around that the film people demanded that they marry because of the potential scandal that might ensue. John was asked what he thought about being placed in the role of Jesus. He said it was the most difficult part he ever had. He said it required that he be on at every point and that he could never measure up to the character he was playing. He said if you come to the movie set irritable you have to change your attitude because you are playing Jesus and Jesus was never in a bad mood. It is interesting to note the impact on these actors who played the role of Jesus. Each of the movies portrayed something very different and that will constitute the substance of the sermon. What do you think it would be like to play the part of Jesus? If you have an opportunity to play Jesus how would you play him? 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

"The Fearful Future" I have wanted to do a sermon on the fear factor in Lent. I will focus on the conversation Jesus had with his friends when he explained how he would suffer and die and when his friends rejected the idea saying, "This must not happen to you." What they were really saying was, "This must not happen to us." To get at the issue of suffering and crucifixion I want to compare three movie interpretations of it. First "The Passion of the Christ" and its focus on the brutality of the crucifixion really lifts up the fear of pain and the inhumanity of Jesus' death on the cross. There is the fear of suffering and that movie brings it right down to us. Secondly, "The Last Temptation of Christ" gives insight into the fantasy that reveals something worse than the fear of suffering; it points to the fear of an unfulfilled life. Worse than suffering is to live a life without cross to carry. Jesus is portrayed as imagining how he might have avoided the cross and how he would have suffered if he had avoided it. Finally, "Jesus of Nazareth" is a classic stylized movie that brings in the powerful presence of an intervening God. The movie gives us the impression that the crucifixion happened on a larger stage and that what was happening to Jesus was of consequence to the God of us all. These three interpretations of the crucifixion are enlightening and helpful as we think about our own suffering and death. If you have seen one or all of these movies or if you have thoughts about suffering and how to face it 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 about Sunday's sermon

This Sunday the sermon title is: "The Brown Paper Bag Debacle". Scriptures for our consideration are: Psalm 62:5-8 and I Peter 5:5-6. We will also sing the Now Testament....an old Civil Rights Anthem called "O Freedom".

When we think of the word "slavery" it conjures up all sorts of images in our minds. We say to ourselves, that word is not one that personally defines me....or is it? Many times we are enslaved by certain feelings within our souls, which make us cry out to be free. We will address such a word and its implications for our mental, emotional and spiritual health.

The word to which I refer is a sibling to stress, and we know what happens to us when we are
experiencing distress. We need to be healthy.

I look forward to seeing all of you this Sunday, as we sing, hear scriptures and explore what it means to feel free....from feelings that are not freeing.

See you Sunday.


David Dalke

Contact David at ddalke37@cs.com

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"The Painful Past"

The sermon will have three parts or maybe two parts with a large transitional middle section.

I am looking at the dark chapter in every life. There is a time in everyone of us when we have done something we are not proud of doing. There are dark chapters in our lives and we may have arrived in high places but we are small people in high places because we know what we have done and we are ashamed of what we have become. We are like Zacchaeus up in a tree.

There are times in life when we are pulled back down to earth and we realize that there is something basically honorable and human in us. We may have committed errors and we may have said some things we wish we hadn't but we face who we are and we don't back away from that.

There comes a time when our dark chapter has a happy ending when we realize that our painful past doesn't need to dominate our furtive future. Jesus invited Zacchaeus to come down from the tree and then Jesus asked him to take him to his home and to serve him a meal. Jesus turned Zacchaeus' shame into service and restored the "Chief Tax Collector" to becoming a person of value and worth.

Have you ever had to work through the dark chapter of your life to discover the happy ending? Have you discovered that no matter what you have done that has brought you shame you have an opportunity to turn your life around?

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

If you would like me to send you a rough draft of the sermon today or early tomorrow let me know and I will send it. My email address is charlesschuster@fcfumc.net.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

The Biblical story of Zacchaeus is an interesting episode to explore. It is about a man who climbed a tree when the crowd gathered to see Jesus. He climbed a tree and most people have assumed that he climbed the tree because he was small. I know I have preached sermons on the 19th Chapter of Luke and have said that he climbed a tree because he couldn't see over the people in the crowd.

The more I've thought about that I've come to a different conclusion. I think he climbed the tree because he was afraid to be in the crowd. He was a Jewish man who was a tax collector. He collected taxes from his people for the Romans and he was seen as a traitor. More than that, it is speculated he was dishonest. He was a rich man. He was in charge of tax collections.

I think Zacchaeus was a small man who got himself in a high place but I don't think it had to do with his physical stature. It had to do with his self-image. He didn't think well of himself up there in the tree and Jesus saw him there. He was a small person in a high place.

There are a lot of small people in high places who aren't feeling so good about themselves and Jesus sees them; which is to say, our faith calls out to them/us.

This sermon is about anyone who has a past we are not proud of in one way or another. If we rose to the top of our work what price did we pay and what did we have to do to get there?

Do you know small people in high places?

Do you know why they feel small?

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

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"The Painful Past"

Carl Jung had this idea that there is a "shadow side of ourselves". He thought there are parts of ourselves we see in other people and when we see ourselves in other people and, it is the shadow side of ourselves, that is the part of them we do not like.

I think one of the reasons Jesus was crucified was due to the shadow side of the selves. The Romans were excessive and out of control and they resented Jesus' ability to insight the crowd. The Jewish people were defeated people who realized they had not stood up to the Romans and they resented Jesus' emphasis on peace and harmony.

There is something in every person's past that is haunting. It will influence us in ways we do not even know. It will cause us to react and overreact.

This coming Sunday, March 20th, we will want to look at the "painful past" and resolve some things we had failed to consider.

What about the past for you is painful? How does that inform and influence you? If you have thoughts on 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

Sermon for March 13th: "Easter Elephants"

Rev. Ryan will be preaching on March 13th. She will be using the text of Jesus' temptation in the desert. The topic will be exploring what it means to practice Lent as a modern-day Christian. If we simply focus on the need to give something up or to add a practice to our lives for forty days without looking at the root of our problems, then nothing will change. But if we take the time to nurture those parts of us that are most hurting, then we can come out of Lent and go into Easter with a real sense of joy.

Thursday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"Women Ministry Sunday"

Sister Mary Alice Murphy, who implemented the first homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Fort Collins and just recently opened the Murphy Center For Hope, was kind enough to let a group of women from our church come into her home and videotape an interview with her. We will be using short clips of that interview during the sermon, and Rev. Ryan will then talk about each clip.

We asked her the following questions, which she answered, and which Rev. Ryan will discuss in the sermon. What is your image of God? What sustains you in your mission for the long term? What is it like for women who are homeless? Does affluence in a community hide the problem of homelessness? What is your advice for the people of this church?

Women from all different groups of this church will participate in each of the services, from ushering and serving communion to leading the Call to Worship, giving the Children's sermon, and participating in a women's choir. Sister Mary Alice Murphy herself will be coming to the 9:15 service to receive a special thank you from our church.