I'm going to begin a sermon series on the four gospels and I'm beginning with the gospel of Luke. The first Sunday of the month we have communion and Luke is the gospel writer who is most concerned about ritual.
In Luke's gospel the disciples recognize the Risen Christ when they see him on the beach while he was breaking the bread and inviting them to eat. Luke is one of the two gospels holding out for the idea that the Risen Christ appeared in a physical form. Luke is trying to dispel the idea of the Gnostic Christians that the flesh is unimportant so, for Luke, the Risen Christ comes in the flesh.
Luke is also the gospel that has Jesus most connected to the concerns of women. You might even call Luke the "feminist gospel".
Finally, Luke portrays Jesus as relating to common, ordinary people. It is the common shepherds who come to the birth of the Christ Child.
Luke is a fascinating writer; maybe John is as good, and has given us an interesting picture of Jesus.
Luke was written 50 years after Jesus' death on the cross and had Mark as a base for his writing. We really don't know who the writer is. Some think he was a physician but most scholars will not support that theory.
Luke wrote the gospel narrative about the life of Jesus but he also wrote the Acts of the Apostles about the development of the church.
Most people, when I ask which is their favorite gospel will select Luke.
What do you think? Do you ever wonder about the different images of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Which one do you like best?
If you have thoughts on this or suggestions 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
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon
There are some important aspects of Lincoln's presidency and his approach to government and life I'd like us to consider.
He had a sense of destiny in this life and he realized there was much about his love over which he had no control. There was much chance in his life but that didn't stop him from taking on the problems that he was handed. He refused to become a victim. His sense of chance led him to make his choice to carry out what he thought he was destined to do.
His choice was driven by the compassion he had for the pain others felt. He knew such pain in his own life and could relate to the pain in other people's lives.
Once he said, "Each (north and south) looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not lest we be judged. The prayers of both could not be answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes."
The compassion of Lincoln and the sense of choice led him to take the action he took and led him through the most difficult time in American history.
He had a dream about a week before his death. He dreamed there was sadness in the White House. People were weeping. When he asked, in his dream, who had died, he was told, "It is the President. He was assassinated."
Unfortunately, that dream came true.
What is your understanding of Abraham Lincoln's life and legacy? If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your ideas click on the 'comments' box below.
If you would like a draft of the sermon as it is on Friday indicate that to me and I am pleased to forward it to you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
He had a sense of destiny in this life and he realized there was much about his love over which he had no control. There was much chance in his life but that didn't stop him from taking on the problems that he was handed. He refused to become a victim. His sense of chance led him to make his choice to carry out what he thought he was destined to do.
His choice was driven by the compassion he had for the pain others felt. He knew such pain in his own life and could relate to the pain in other people's lives.
Once he said, "Each (north and south) looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not lest we be judged. The prayers of both could not be answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes."
The compassion of Lincoln and the sense of choice led him to take the action he took and led him through the most difficult time in American history.
He had a dream about a week before his death. He dreamed there was sadness in the White House. People were weeping. When he asked, in his dream, who had died, he was told, "It is the President. He was assassinated."
Unfortunately, that dream came true.
What is your understanding of Abraham Lincoln's life and legacy? If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your ideas click on the 'comments' box below.
If you would like a draft of the sermon as it is on Friday indicate that to me and I am pleased to forward it to you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon
There is something that strikes me about Abraham Lincoln that is so much like others who have tried to create change in society by being a bridge between waring factions.
Abraham Lincoln lived a tortured life. He was physically ill. He had a disease that would have taken his life in the near future in the event John Wilkes Booth hadn't shot him. He had a wife who was abusive to him and mentally unstable. He lost two of his children and one of them in the White House when he was president. He had to deal with one of the most troubled periods of American history in the Civil War. I'm guessing he was bi-polar and he had these fits of depression.
Paul, the Apostle was attacked by his own people and his family. He was rejected by the religious people of his time. He wrote about the "thorn in his flesh". We don't know what that was but we realize that he has some personal issues he was struggling with all his life.
He wrote about how he had "a great anguish in his heart" and how he felt "an outcast" and cut off from his own people.
Both Paul and Lincoln had their personal problems. I think it was the pain in their lives that enable them to understand their adversaries to the point they could work with them. They had compassion because of their passion. They were able to move from compassion to change. They had a choice to make with all the bad things that happened to them and they decided to act on those things in a positive way.
What negative things in your life are you able to transform into something positive? 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
Abraham Lincoln lived a tortured life. He was physically ill. He had a disease that would have taken his life in the near future in the event John Wilkes Booth hadn't shot him. He had a wife who was abusive to him and mentally unstable. He lost two of his children and one of them in the White House when he was president. He had to deal with one of the most troubled periods of American history in the Civil War. I'm guessing he was bi-polar and he had these fits of depression.
Paul, the Apostle was attacked by his own people and his family. He was rejected by the religious people of his time. He wrote about the "thorn in his flesh". We don't know what that was but we realize that he has some personal issues he was struggling with all his life.
He wrote about how he had "a great anguish in his heart" and how he felt "an outcast" and cut off from his own people.
Both Paul and Lincoln had their personal problems. I think it was the pain in their lives that enable them to understand their adversaries to the point they could work with them. They had compassion because of their passion. They were able to move from compassion to change. They had a choice to make with all the bad things that happened to them and they decided to act on those things in a positive way.
What negative things in your life are you able to transform into something positive? 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
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon
The Gettysburg Address
I have preached sermons on the Lincoln's famous speech at Gettysburg before. This time I want to recapture the mood of the country then and what that speech attempted to address.
We admire how Lincoln crafted his speech but what was he trying to do in the context of the speech itself.
I have several sources to help with the research on this subject,
Stephen Oates With Malice Toward None
Mario Cuoma Why Lincoln Matters
Thomas Craughwell Stealing Lincoln's Body
Gary Wills Lincoln at Gettysburg
The sermon is a challenge and it is important to know how our country got through the darkest period of its history. There is much for us to learn from this as we apply it to our day.
What do you think we need to hear these days? What would Lincoln say to us today?
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
I have preached sermons on the Lincoln's famous speech at Gettysburg before. This time I want to recapture the mood of the country then and what that speech attempted to address.
We admire how Lincoln crafted his speech but what was he trying to do in the context of the speech itself.
I have several sources to help with the research on this subject,
Stephen Oates With Malice Toward None
Mario Cuoma Why Lincoln Matters
Thomas Craughwell Stealing Lincoln's Body
Gary Wills Lincoln at Gettysburg
The sermon is a challenge and it is important to know how our country got through the darkest period of its history. There is much for us to learn from this as we apply it to our day.
What do you think we need to hear these days? What would Lincoln say to us today?
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
Friday, July 22, 2011
Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon
And the hero comes along...
Here's what heroes do for us:
1. They help us by showing us their accomplishments. They are something else.
2. They help us by showing us that there is a hero in us. They show us that we are something else.
3. They help us by pointing us to something beyond ourselves. They show us that there is something else; God.
Some have suggested that there are no heroes around these days. I think there are heroes but we have to know where to look and we have to be able to see the heroic in ourselves.
What do you think about this?
Where do you think the heroes are 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 this blog click on the 'comments' box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Here's what heroes do for us:
1. They help us by showing us their accomplishments. They are something else.
2. They help us by showing us that there is a hero in us. They show us that we are something else.
3. They help us by pointing us to something beyond ourselves. They show us that there is something else; God.
Some have suggested that there are no heroes around these days. I think there are heroes but we have to know where to look and we have to be able to see the heroic in ourselves.
What do you think about this?
Where do you think the heroes are 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 this blog click on the 'comments' box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon
Jack, an African-American officer in the United States Army refused to move. The year was 1944. It was Texas and Jack and his girl friend were on a bus and they were sitting in an area where white people are supposed to sit. He refused to move.
The bus driver became abusive and told him if he didn't move he would be arrested. The bus driver told him he wouldn't move the bus until Jack moved.
Jack was arrested by Military Police and the rest is history.
Rosa Parks refused to move. She was on a bus and she refused to stand up when the bus driver demanded she surrender her seat on the bus to a white man. She refused to move and was arrested. The result was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. That got the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and that led to the Civil Rights Movement in this country.
Nothing much happened to Jack after he was arrested. The charges were dismissed.
Branch Rickey was in a Church and Society Meeting at a Methodist Church and thee was a speaker on the subject of integration. Branch Rickey's first name wasn't really Branch. It was Wesley. He was a Methodist.
Branch Rickey put Jack on his payroll as a member of the Brooklyn Dodger baseball team and Jackie Robinson transformed American life.
Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks are heroes because they refused to conform to the racism of society. They moved the world in their refusal to move from the bus and in their willingness to be an example for others.
Do you know heroes like this?
If so 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
The bus driver became abusive and told him if he didn't move he would be arrested. The bus driver told him he wouldn't move the bus until Jack moved.
Jack was arrested by Military Police and the rest is history.
Rosa Parks refused to move. She was on a bus and she refused to stand up when the bus driver demanded she surrender her seat on the bus to a white man. She refused to move and was arrested. The result was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. That got the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and that led to the Civil Rights Movement in this country.
Nothing much happened to Jack after he was arrested. The charges were dismissed.
Branch Rickey was in a Church and Society Meeting at a Methodist Church and thee was a speaker on the subject of integration. Branch Rickey's first name wasn't really Branch. It was Wesley. He was a Methodist.
Branch Rickey put Jack on his payroll as a member of the Brooklyn Dodger baseball team and Jackie Robinson transformed American life.
Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks are heroes because they refused to conform to the racism of society. They moved the world in their refusal to move from the bus and in their willingness to be an example for others.
Do you know heroes like this?
If so 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
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon
The sermon Sunday, July 24 brings into focus a book written by Rosa Parks. The title of the book is My Story. It is an autobiographical account of the singular event that set off the civil rights movement in this country.
What I want to have us consider next Sunday is the hero. What makes a hero? How do people choose to stand up against pressures and inner doubts to become heroic in their words and actions?
I will look at different ways to be heroic. I will have us think about the way we can all be heroic.
Have you known heroic people? What have they taught you about doing something to make a difference in the world?
How do we become heroic in our lives? How do we do this on a scale that fits something that is appropriate to us?
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
What I want to have us consider next Sunday is the hero. What makes a hero? How do people choose to stand up against pressures and inner doubts to become heroic in their words and actions?
I will look at different ways to be heroic. I will have us think about the way we can all be heroic.
Have you known heroic people? What have they taught you about doing something to make a difference in the world?
How do we become heroic in our lives? How do we do this on a scale that fits something that is appropriate to us?
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, July 15, 2011
Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon
How do we move from a crisis to a cause?
Assuming most of our early years were somewhat peaceful and acknowledging that for some people that was not true we begin to realize how we have been protected by life as a young person. People looked out after us. We were loved and sheltered. We were nourished. In many ways we were appeased. We came to think that life was supposed to be this way.
We experience a problem or a crisis in our lives and we begin to think that life isn't what we thought it was. Life isn't fair or just and we are appalled by the incongruity of it. It is disillusioning and it sets us up to do something about it.
Once we get over being personally offended we can see ourselves as appointed to take on the task that nobody wants to do. We accept the appointment of the problem and it becomes our cause for life.
If we find a cause in life our lives have meaning and if we carry out that cause the best we can we will achieve something important. The cause could be great or small. The cause could give us reason to hope or bring us to despair.
What is your cause? Do you have one?
If you have some 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 box below.
If you would like an advance draft of the sermon let me know and I am happy to send it to you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Assuming most of our early years were somewhat peaceful and acknowledging that for some people that was not true we begin to realize how we have been protected by life as a young person. People looked out after us. We were loved and sheltered. We were nourished. In many ways we were appeased. We came to think that life was supposed to be this way.
We experience a problem or a crisis in our lives and we begin to think that life isn't what we thought it was. Life isn't fair or just and we are appalled by the incongruity of it. It is disillusioning and it sets us up to do something about it.
Once we get over being personally offended we can see ourselves as appointed to take on the task that nobody wants to do. We accept the appointment of the problem and it becomes our cause for life.
If we find a cause in life our lives have meaning and if we carry out that cause the best we can we will achieve something important. The cause could be great or small. The cause could give us reason to hope or bring us to despair.
What is your cause? Do you have one?
If you have some 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 box below.
If you would like an advance draft of the sermon let me know and I am happy to send it to you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon
It makes you wonder how some people can pick up a cause that becomes a movement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were a part of a movement that gave women the right to vote and started the country thinking about gender equality in this country. How did they begin?
One of the observations you could make if you were to do research into their childhood is they both came from very stable homes. There were not victims of abuse. They did not have sad childhoods and came into their adult years embittered and prepared for a fight. They were not angry young women who felt unjustly treated in their formative years.
I think it was the calm of their childhood that gave them a sense of how life was supposed to be. They ran into some things in their lives that seemed wrong and they found no way to overcome those things so they turned to a cause that would benefit themselves and other women.
The ultimate question for us to think about is this: "What cause have we each found for our lives?"
Causes can be small things or large. Many large causes began as small things that turned big.
What is your cause? What is the passion in your life?
Could it be to make a better life than you had for the children in your life? Could it be to confront the things that are wrong in our world in terms of injustice for the poor?
Is your cause homosexuality? Do you think there is discrimination that we ought to confront? Is it the economy and those who have become victimized by the recession and the lack of services for people who really need help?
Is your cause CSU students? or the elderly?
What is your cause?
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. I look forward to hearing from.
Charles Schuster
One of the observations you could make if you were to do research into their childhood is they both came from very stable homes. There were not victims of abuse. They did not have sad childhoods and came into their adult years embittered and prepared for a fight. They were not angry young women who felt unjustly treated in their formative years.
I think it was the calm of their childhood that gave them a sense of how life was supposed to be. They ran into some things in their lives that seemed wrong and they found no way to overcome those things so they turned to a cause that would benefit themselves and other women.
The ultimate question for us to think about is this: "What cause have we each found for our lives?"
Causes can be small things or large. Many large causes began as small things that turned big.
What is your cause? What is the passion in your life?
Could it be to make a better life than you had for the children in your life? Could it be to confront the things that are wrong in our world in terms of injustice for the poor?
Is your cause homosexuality? Do you think there is discrimination that we ought to confront? Is it the economy and those who have become victimized by the recession and the lack of services for people who really need help?
Is your cause CSU students? or the elderly?
What is your cause?
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. I look forward to hearing from.
Charles Schuster
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon
I have wanted to do a sermon on Elizabeth Cady Stanton the reformer and the advocate for women's rights.
There is one story about her that gives some idea of her spirit.
"At a women's rights convention in Rochester, a married clergyman rebuked Mrs. Stanton for speaking in public. "The Apostle Paul enjoined silence upon women," he said. "Why don't you mind him?"
"The Apostle Paul also enjoined celibacy upon the clergy," retorted Mrs. Stanton. "Why don't you mind him?"
The struggle of women for equality has been an important part of our nation's history. Sunday, July 17th, we are going to look at what the women's movement and feminism have done for our nation on a number of levels.
What is your experience with the struggle of women for equality? 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
There is one story about her that gives some idea of her spirit.
"At a women's rights convention in Rochester, a married clergyman rebuked Mrs. Stanton for speaking in public. "The Apostle Paul enjoined silence upon women," he said. "Why don't you mind him?"
"The Apostle Paul also enjoined celibacy upon the clergy," retorted Mrs. Stanton. "Why don't you mind him?"
The struggle of women for equality has been an important part of our nation's history. Sunday, July 17th, we are going to look at what the women's movement and feminism have done for our nation on a number of levels.
What is your experience with the struggle of women for equality? 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, July 8, 2011
Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon
This is where the sermon is on Friday afternoon. If you would like a copy of a very rough draft of this sermon email me and I will send it to you.
The parable of the "Sower and the Seed" provide the direction for the sermon. Jesus said, "A farmer went out to plant seed and some of it fell out."
Three points:
1. There is always a hole in your bag and stuff will drop out. Life isn't perfect and there are always problems. Things don't work out. We don't need to be pessimistic but we need to be realistic.
2. Some of the seed falls on good soil. If there is a hole in your bag; if there is a brain in your head and some common sense you can get through it. We are not without resources. God have us minds to think and ways to imagine better days and things evolving into being the best.
3. There is a hole in your bag, and if there is a brain in your head, there is a way in the world. It's never as bad as it seems and it's always possible to turn the worst thing into a better thing. The parable of the Sower and the Seed is a story about faith. That's what Jesus was saying; that there is depth of faith.
What are your thoughts about this? Do you think there is a hole in your bag and seed dropping out and things going wrong? What do you do about it?
If you have some ideas about this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with other readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below. If you would like a draft of the sermon I am happy to send it.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
The parable of the "Sower and the Seed" provide the direction for the sermon. Jesus said, "A farmer went out to plant seed and some of it fell out."
Three points:
1. There is always a hole in your bag and stuff will drop out. Life isn't perfect and there are always problems. Things don't work out. We don't need to be pessimistic but we need to be realistic.
2. Some of the seed falls on good soil. If there is a hole in your bag; if there is a brain in your head and some common sense you can get through it. We are not without resources. God have us minds to think and ways to imagine better days and things evolving into being the best.
3. There is a hole in your bag, and if there is a brain in your head, there is a way in the world. It's never as bad as it seems and it's always possible to turn the worst thing into a better thing. The parable of the Sower and the Seed is a story about faith. That's what Jesus was saying; that there is depth of faith.
What are your thoughts about this? Do you think there is a hole in your bag and seed dropping out and things going wrong? What do you do about it?
If you have some ideas about this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with other readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below. If you would like a draft of the sermon I am happy to send it.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Wednesday's reflection on Sunday's sermon
Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet, "Common Sense" which was a statement read by many colonists and helping justify a separation from England.
It is important to note that his writing influenced George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. He was able to convey the idealism of what it means to establish government given from the rights of the people and it helped people move toward democratic processes of ruling and back away from monarchies like the British. It enabled the colonists to stand on their own and to stand up to the powers over them.
He writes, "I have heard it asserted by some, that as America has flourished under her former connection with Great Britain, the same connection is necessary toward her future happiness, and will always have the same effect. Nothing can be more fallacious than this kind of argument--We may as well assert that because a child has thrived upon milk, that it is never to have meat, or that for the first 20 years of our lives is to become a precedent for the next twenty. But even this is admitting more than is true; for I answer roundly, that America would have flourished as much, probably much more, had no European power taken any notice of her."
We can look at what could be as compared with what has been but it is not necessary to conclude that we have seen the best in what has been satisfactory and over look what could be in the unknown future we have know experienced.
How do we address the future? Do we imagine a continuation of the past or do we risk the future that has yet to be understanding that, just as it could get worse, so it could also get better.
The sermon looks the present and future straight on and thinks about how we move from the "times that try our souls" to the time that our will has found a way.
It is a mistake to romanticize the present and it is a mistake to give up on it. We must understand that life is never perfect but it is perfect able.
How do we gain the common sense to challenge the present and look toward the future?
What attitude do we have?
What direction do we take?
If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you would permit others to read your thoughts click on the 'comments' box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
It is important to note that his writing influenced George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. He was able to convey the idealism of what it means to establish government given from the rights of the people and it helped people move toward democratic processes of ruling and back away from monarchies like the British. It enabled the colonists to stand on their own and to stand up to the powers over them.
He writes, "I have heard it asserted by some, that as America has flourished under her former connection with Great Britain, the same connection is necessary toward her future happiness, and will always have the same effect. Nothing can be more fallacious than this kind of argument--We may as well assert that because a child has thrived upon milk, that it is never to have meat, or that for the first 20 years of our lives is to become a precedent for the next twenty. But even this is admitting more than is true; for I answer roundly, that America would have flourished as much, probably much more, had no European power taken any notice of her."
We can look at what could be as compared with what has been but it is not necessary to conclude that we have seen the best in what has been satisfactory and over look what could be in the unknown future we have know experienced.
How do we address the future? Do we imagine a continuation of the past or do we risk the future that has yet to be understanding that, just as it could get worse, so it could also get better.
The sermon looks the present and future straight on and thinks about how we move from the "times that try our souls" to the time that our will has found a way.
It is a mistake to romanticize the present and it is a mistake to give up on it. We must understand that life is never perfect but it is perfect able.
How do we gain the common sense to challenge the present and look toward the future?
What attitude do we have?
What direction do we take?
If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you would permit others to read your thoughts click on the 'comments' box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Monday's thougths on Sunday's sermon
"Thomas Paine Had No Common Sense"
One of the writers who provided energy and inspiration for the American Revolution was pamphleteer Thomas Paine. His writing was circulated in the colonies and his readers began to pick up on the idea that we have rights as a people and we need not put up with the unfair practices of the British government and their exploitation of the colonies through taxes and other imposed and arbitrary rules.
The title of his pamphlet was labeled "Common Sense".
I plan to explore what it was that was so inspiring about what he had written and to look at Paine's life. While he urged his readers to respond to the dictates of his "common sense" his own life reflected a complete lack of common sense.
Often it is the truth that what a person proposes for others that person cannot live in their personal life. Richard Nixon portrayed himself as the "law and order" president and yet he so blatantly violated the law that he was forced to resign in disgrace because of the Watergate break in and cover up.
What makes us become the advocate for the very thing we cannot live out? How do we find a way to look at our words and match them with our actions and how do we work out of the pattern of action that will more closely line up with our words?
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
One of the writers who provided energy and inspiration for the American Revolution was pamphleteer Thomas Paine. His writing was circulated in the colonies and his readers began to pick up on the idea that we have rights as a people and we need not put up with the unfair practices of the British government and their exploitation of the colonies through taxes and other imposed and arbitrary rules.
The title of his pamphlet was labeled "Common Sense".
I plan to explore what it was that was so inspiring about what he had written and to look at Paine's life. While he urged his readers to respond to the dictates of his "common sense" his own life reflected a complete lack of common sense.
Often it is the truth that what a person proposes for others that person cannot live in their personal life. Richard Nixon portrayed himself as the "law and order" president and yet he so blatantly violated the law that he was forced to resign in disgrace because of the Watergate break in and cover up.
What makes us become the advocate for the very thing we cannot live out? How do we find a way to look at our words and match them with our actions and how do we work out of the pattern of action that will more closely line up with our words?
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, July 1, 2011
Friday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon
"Jefferson's Declaration; Our Rebuttal"
This sermon is one that will try to bridge the gap between religion and patriotism; the church and state. I am moving toward an understanding of Jefferson's idea of God. He was a deist in thinking. By that he understood God to be present in creation but having moved out of the universe that God set in motion. He believe in a God who is found in the order of nature and it is our task to build a world that conforms to the creator God.
His approach is a "my country tis of Thee" perspective. He took his religion and laid it into the "self-evident" aspects of what the human spirit should expect such as "inalienable right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness".
Jefferson's declaration is a "Tis of Thee" document.
Communion Sunday brings to us a rebuttal to the "Tis of Thee" perspective when Jesus took the bread and broke it and took the cup and offered it he was asking "will you remember me"? The Biblical scholar Pelikan says there is that unique feature in the Christian faith that carries significant impact. Unlike other prophets who were the recipients of the Word of God and who simply passed it on, Jesus was seen as the incarnation of God and who lived it through. If we remember him, we are recalling what he was essentially.
"My country Tis of Thee" is put up against "Take this and Remember Me" and we have the tension and the cohabitation of religion and politics, church and state. They go together but they are not completely compatible together. They are in tension with each other and should always be.
"Remember me" confronts "tis of Thee" and we become Christian Americans rather than American Christians. It is an interesting and important tension.
This sermon has been recipient of the assistance of a local professor and expert on Thomas Jefferson. I was introduced to Dr. David McKibbin this week and have been in email conversation with him. I am grateful for his help.
If you would like a copy of a draft of the sermon email me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net or if you have thoughts about the subject I am pleased to receive your ideas. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of this blog click on the 'comment's' box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
This sermon is one that will try to bridge the gap between religion and patriotism; the church and state. I am moving toward an understanding of Jefferson's idea of God. He was a deist in thinking. By that he understood God to be present in creation but having moved out of the universe that God set in motion. He believe in a God who is found in the order of nature and it is our task to build a world that conforms to the creator God.
His approach is a "my country tis of Thee" perspective. He took his religion and laid it into the "self-evident" aspects of what the human spirit should expect such as "inalienable right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness".
Jefferson's declaration is a "Tis of Thee" document.
Communion Sunday brings to us a rebuttal to the "Tis of Thee" perspective when Jesus took the bread and broke it and took the cup and offered it he was asking "will you remember me"? The Biblical scholar Pelikan says there is that unique feature in the Christian faith that carries significant impact. Unlike other prophets who were the recipients of the Word of God and who simply passed it on, Jesus was seen as the incarnation of God and who lived it through. If we remember him, we are recalling what he was essentially.
"My country Tis of Thee" is put up against "Take this and Remember Me" and we have the tension and the cohabitation of religion and politics, church and state. They go together but they are not completely compatible together. They are in tension with each other and should always be.
"Remember me" confronts "tis of Thee" and we become Christian Americans rather than American Christians. It is an interesting and important tension.
This sermon has been recipient of the assistance of a local professor and expert on Thomas Jefferson. I was introduced to Dr. David McKibbin this week and have been in email conversation with him. I am grateful for his help.
If you would like a copy of a draft of the sermon email me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net or if you have thoughts about the subject I am pleased to receive your ideas. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of this blog click on the 'comment's' box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
