Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"It Takes a Child To Raise a Village"

Sermons have a mind of their own and all the preacher can do is try to follow along and not get in the way. That is certainly true of the sermon I am trying to write for this coming Sunday.

I think I have found in Moses, Jesus, and John Wesley an important similarity and, through that, some important insights into life and the best way to live.

All three of those men when they were children were said to be under the threat of death.

Moses had to be put in a basket in the bull rushes by his mother or he would have been killed by the authorities.

Jesus was taken to Egypt by his parents or he would have been killed by the king.

John Wesley was pulled out of a burning house when he was a child by a farmer or he would have been killed by a mob that was angry with his father.

What we learn from this:

From Moses we learn striving. Striving we will discover our identity.

From Jesus we learn waiting. Waiting we will discover the presence of God

From John Wesley we learn thinking. Thinking we will discover that every person has something to teach us.

We have to have open doors like Moses, open hearts like Jesus, and open minds like Wesley.

If we have open doors, open hearts, and open minds we will find a way to rise above whatever is trying to put us down. It takes a child to raise a village.

Which is these is the most important.

If we are United Methodist we embrace all three.

That is something to be proud of don't you think?

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