Monday's thoughts

This coming Sunday is "Youth Sunday" and the young people of our church will lead us in worship. Historically this has been one of the highlights of the year and an inspirational worship service as we hear how our youth are putting together their faith and their lives.

They will speak to us about what they believe, how they apply their faith to the pressures they have. Those of us who have acquired the age of 30 have an idea what our young people have to deal with in their lives. They are exposed to things we never had and are pressured to achieve in ways most of us never were. Suggesting that we attend this Sunday to support our youth is appropriate but there is more important reason to come. These young people have something to tell us from what they have learned from the pressures and passions of their lives.


We have just been through the season of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. What is your sense of the church at this time of year? What have we done well? What could be improved?

I invite you to use the "Build a Sermon" to communicate with me or with the congregation your thoughts and feelings.

If you would like to write something directly to me send an email to 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 thought on Sunday's sermon

When it comes down to the essence of it what is Easter really saying to us? Is it about hope and when we think of the context in which it is placed we can see there is no circumstance in which hope is not available.

To gather on Easter and to say and sing "Christ is Risen" is saying something about the preservation of our values and the perpetuation of our hope.

Martin Dibelius was a New Testament scholar. His understanding of the importance of Easter on the formation of the faith was stated this way: "The one who understood this shocking event, the execution of Jesus, on the basis of the Easter faith, as a victory, was a Christian."

The formation of the Christian Faith and the function of the Christian faith are part of the same thing. To look at a crucifixion and the darkest time there could be in the development of the Christian movement as the formation of the movement is an act of incredible belief.

It is to take the darkest day of your life and to see it as prelude to the best day of your life. It is to look into the depths of despair as prelude to exulted joy. Jesus died but was raised from the dead. We are defeated therefore we know victory.

That is the reflects that is the basis of our faith and it is who we are and how we think. It gives us an identity that is beautifully powerful and unique.

If we think Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus only we are missing the most important part of the story.

Christ is Risen is an empty phrase if we don't experience the foundational and functional impact of the words in our lives.

When have you experienced you darkest day and how has that led to your best? 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 box below.

If you would like me to send you a rough draft of the sermon as it is on Friday afternoon/Saturday morning write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net and I am happy to email that to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Wednesday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

The Easter sermon will attempt to look at the Easter story from the perspective of how it plays itself out in our world and our day and time.

I want us to look at some of the phrases that have become part of Easter and I want to pursue the meaning of those phrases.

For me Easter is not about what happened but what it means that it happened. I am more interested in how a resurrection event transposes into our lives and how it communicates to us. In Marcus Borg and John Crossan's book The Last Week we find a new way to hear the words, "Jesus is Lord". Out of context that implies for us what we have always believed about it; the suggestion that the "living Christ" is with us in some mystical way. It takes the idea of the "living presence of Christ" into our lives very personally and dramatically and there are many who understand their Christian faith in that way.

Borg and Crossan point us to the time in which that phrase was first spoken and the juxtaposition between the understanding the "Caesar is Lord" because he represented the power of government and a "self-anointed" power of God. If the Christians were proclaiming "Jesus is Lord" they were also saying, "Caesar isn't Lord". That was an important way to put their values into perspective. It is not unlike the German pastors in the Confessing Church (Bonhoeffer and Niemoller) who refused to give allegiance to Hitler. As we know they paid a dear price for their lack of support.

More than that, the idea that "Jesus is Lord" framed the idea that those values that Jesus lived and died for are the true values that will prevail.

Easter is about the reconciliation between the Christian Gospel and the cultural values. It is an affirmation that ultimately "Jesus is Lord".

In the sermon I intend to take that phrase and try to indicate what that means. How do you see it? Do you have thoughts about what it would be like if Christian values prevailed in this world filled with misguided thoughts and self-seeking attitudes?

If you have some 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 below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Easter Sunday's sermon

Palm Sunday leads to the Passover meal, and that leads to Good Friday and that leads to Easter. There is a path we take in holy week and we have to take it. We have to move from the experience of hopelessness to a time of joy. Easter Sunday without Good Friday is reducing Christianity to sentimentality. Good Friday without Easter is reducing Christianity to a judgmental defeatism and the idea of a punishing God. What we are looking at for Easter Sunday is reconciliation. They used the forces of death. They put Jesus to death to silence the Gospel. They did away with him to make sure he could cause no more trouble for the Romans who wanted there to be conformity without protest. And the Jews wanted to move beyond him because they discovered he wasn't the Messiah they were hoping for. In the end it was over. They thought it was over. Easter awakened them to the fact that it wasn't over; it was just beginning. We look for reconciliation in life. We want wrongs to be made right. We would like to see good come out of evil; hope to emerge from defeated spirits. Easter is a time of reconciliation for the things that were wrong are balanced by the thing that was made right. I don't think anyone knows what happened and this sermon and service will not try to explain the physics of resurrection. What we can and must do is look for the meaning of what happened. We will note how the disciples because cowardly, at first, and then became courageous. We will see how the risen Christ is present to us and today. 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 thougths on Sunday's sermon

Fleming Rutledge in her book The Bible and the New York Times writes: "Palm Sunday is a very strange day. Its proper name is the Sunday of the Passion, because the story of Jesus' suffering and death is always read. A case could be made that this is the most important Sunday of the year to come to church. It begins in celebration and it ends in catastrophe. We come in joyful, and we go out stricken." I wanted to share with you something written by the Jewish historian Josephus. It was written just after Jesus' death on the cross. This is what an objective historian thought. "Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works--a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was (the) Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principle men amongst us, had condemned him on the cross those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." What do we make of this? How can we get our minds around that he died, why he died, how had him die, and how did he become such a danger to anyone that it would lead to his death? There are three issues we're going to consider Sunday: 1. Why did they cheer him saying, "Hosanna"? 2. Why did they not know who he was and when did they learn? 3. When they discovered who he was why did the call out "crucify him"? 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. If you would like a draft of the sermon let me know and I am happy to send it. Charles Schuster

Wednesday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

There are some interesting aspects of the Palm Sunday story as reported in the gospels. I have thought about why Matthew has Jesus riding into Jerusalem on two animals. The writer suggest that "the disciples brought the donkey and the colt, and they put their coats on them, and he sat on them." I don't picture Jesus coming into Jerusalem riding on two animals but that is what it says. There are other interesting differences and reasons for those differences in the text that need to be considered. Why do you think the text suggests Jesus is riding on two animals? Could it be that the gospel writer is quoting exactly from a text in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament)? One of the most interesting aspects of the story in Matthew is the end of the ride into Jerusalem. After the large crowd that went before and after him shouting their Hosannas when they got into Jerusalem "And when they entered the city all were stirred and people were saying, "Who is this?" How can people be cheering for someone and then wonder, "Who is This?" There are many questions this story poses. Do you have some thoughts about this? Do you have some way to help me through the confusion? Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have the readers of the blog 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 Loud is Your Crowd?" Next Sunday is Palm Sunday. We remember the day Jesus came into Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd. We don't know how much that influenced Jesus to take a bold step when he got to the temple as he threw the tables of the money changers over. We don't know how much the cheering crowd influenced the Romans to take action when they thought Jesus was a revolutionary and a man to be feared. We don't know how much that influenced the Jewish leaders to think Jesus was their political messiah and how much the disappointment in seeing that he wasn't what they hoped he was led to their rejection of him and their calling for his crucifixion. If any of what I have written was a factor than the Palm Sunday event was formative and determinative to Jesus death and to the future of the Christian faith. Palm Sunday may be more important than we realize. It could mean more than simply the opportunity to cheer in and to suggest that he deserved what he received in the accolades of the cheering crowd. There is a great deal of mystery and uncertainty about what happen, why it happened, and what we can do with it. 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 below. I look forward to hearing from you. Charles Schuster

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"Confirming our Suspicion" That passage in the 11th chapter of John's gospel; "Jesus wept" is an odd statement. Why did Jesus weep? Lazarus was reported to him to have died. He came to Lazarus, Mary, and Martha's home. Lazarus was dead but Jesus brought him back to life. Why did he weep? I suspect three reasons: 1. He wept because Lazarus was sleeping. He was sleeping. He was concerned about his friend who was "sleeping" through life and not living. We weep for friends who forget what it means to live to their full potential. 2. Maybe he wept because he knew he got there too late. Lazarus was dead and Jesus arrived too late and he knew it. He wept because he knew he had failed his friend. 3. Maybe he wept because he had compassion for Mary and Martha who were in tears because their brother had died. Why did Jesus weep? He finally saved Lazarus. He probably knew he could save Lazarus. Why did he weep? What do you think? If you have some suspicion 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. If you would like me to email a draft of the sermon today or tomorrow morning write me at the above address 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

"Confirming our Suspicion" This is the first time since being in Fort Collins I get to preach the Sunday the ? I consider this to be a high honor and I want to say something that is relevant to their lives and to this important moments. Several weeks ago i emailed them with questions I wanted them to answer for me. I wanted to know what they thought. Here are the questions and here is a composite of their answers: Who are your heroes? My hero is Aung Sab Suu Kri. She is unbelievably patient and persistent in the face of unfairness. My hero is Thomas Edison because he was creative and made the best out of each situation. What do you like best about our church? I like the way it's put together, the way it runs. The services are pretty cool. I like how we all interact with one another. Reverend Schuster is doing a pretty good job with the services. He's been doing it for a long time. I like the sense of community and tolerance in our church. I also like the rationality of the views of the Methodist Church as a whole. How could we make our church better? More mission trips, if possible. Some Sunday, we could to to the Food Bank and help out. I loved the movie clips in the sermons. I would like more things like that. More interaction between the different age groups, especially high school and college age. I wish the Methodist Church were more open to homosexuality in general and would allow gay pastors. What would you like to tell me about religion? We should show people what to do by how we act, by example, and not by telling them what to do. Never make people do something; just advise them. All religions are just variations on the same theme, with different ways of worshipping. We worship the same God. Food is an extremely good motivator in religion. All the world's religions are a variation on a common theme and we should respect and tolerate each other's views, traditions, and ideas. What about the future? Ipods are going to get smaller. The church will become more accepting of things as society is accepting of things. We will do Pod-cast sermons. We should make money off the sermons. As you can tell these are thoughtful young people and it was a privilege to work with them the week I got to attend the class. How would you answer the questions I asked? What are your thoughts about my answers? If you have thoughts about this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your ideas with readers of the blog click on the 'comment's box below. I look forward to hearing from you. Charles Schuster

Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"Confirming Our Suspicion" The sermon for Sunday, April 1oth will have us think about our belief systems and I hope to do that in such a way as to challenge what needs to be challenged and confirm what is valid. I will be asking the question: "What can we believe? What should we doubt? What is the cutting edge of our faith? Toward what are we growing spiritually? Toward what are we growing theologically?" There is a continuum between doubt and faith; between confidence and uncertainty; between good and evil; between truth and falsehood. i want to explore that continuum. Lent is a great time to do that. It is a season of reflection; of introspection; and of theological growth. Next Sunday I get to do something I have never done at First Church. I get to welcome the Confirmation Class into membership. I had asked them what they believed and they wrote me some very interesting thoughts. I plan to use their insights in the writing of the sermon. They are very bright and their ideas deserve a hearing. What are the cutting edges or points of growth for you faith or your thinking? 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

Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"The Fearful Future" How do we face a future that may have us suffer through it? Any future will have its amount of suffering. There are three things to keep in mind: First of all to life is to suffer. To be alive is to experience pain. We face the future with the knowledge that we can take it and no matter what it is. There is no pain we cannot bear. The essential message of the Cross is that at its very worst we have to capacity of carry it. Secondly if we can find some reason to live it or some meaning in it we can carry our suffering proudly. It becomes a burden that blesses us and not a weight we are unable to stand. When Jesus went to his death on the cross he was able to say, "Not my will but Thy will be done." He put his suffering within the context of the whole meaning of his life . Finally, if we can see our pain as related to the whole of creation we can begin to look at all of life as a test and to live out our faith in the bad times and the good times. Our suffering becomes redemptive; our pain is seen as a part of the whole of life's working out of a transformation. There are cosmic consequences to our suffering and when we connect with that we conquer our pain by living through it. Here are the points to the sermon thus far. If you have thoughts on the subject 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. If you would like a rough draft of the sermon today or tomorrow morning before I being to rewrite it let me know and I am happy to send it to you. My email address is listed above. I look forward to hearing from you. Charles Schuster