Thanks Varuca

What you see here is remainder of my breakfast that I am tossing in the trash.

I do this every time I eat Frosted Mini Wheats. I love their crunchy, sugary, yumminess. But I always throw away this much. When I fill the bowl I am convinced I need this much, but when I eat them I can't eat them all. It's what I do. I'm not proud but I do what I shouldn't do although I know I shouldn't do it. (nod to Apostle Paul) 

Not only is throwing away a 1/4 of a serving of cereal a wasteful act and an offense to those doing without food, it is an indication of a mind set I have adopted from the world around me. "I want what I want, as much as I want and I want it now. If there are consequences I will deal with that later." 

This attitude lapses into our everyday choices. I see this attitude in my church family, in my community and in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I see this in myself. What does this desire to have what we want and "I want it now." Thank you Veruca Salt for showing us our worst selves. 

John Wesley wrote in, The Christian Pattern:

                              "It is therefor vanity to seek after perishing riches.

                                It is also vanity to seek honours.

                                It is vanity to follow desires of the flesh, and to labour for that for which thou must

                                afterwards suffer grievous punishment.

                                It is vanity to mind this present life, and not those things which are to come."

Gee thanks John, way to hit us right where it hurts! In a world where our focus is on being the best, the brightest, to amass wealth and we deserve to have it our way because we are to live for today it becomes a constant battle of mankind to do what we know we ought instead of what we want in a world that tells us this vane way of life is what we deserve. 

Is it so wrong to make a living? Making a living is what we are called to do. Proverbs 12:11 tells us, "Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense." So earning money to take care of yourself, your family and others it what is a responsible Kingdom ethic. Making money and using to turn your focus on possessions is a sin. Paul said that is why we have God's law. He says the law is what shows us what we should do. Making money and stuff our focus makes money and idol. All idols other than God are false. Timothy told us that the love of money invites evil into our lives. I don't now about you but I manage to find enough evil with out inviting it into my home.

When my youngest Alli was asked at age seven what she wanted to be she stated she wanted to be the Queen of Mustang, Oklahoma. We quickly explained that America is a democracy we don't have monarchs. "There isn't a Queen of Mustang." "There will be when I get old enough!" A winning mentality is begun at birth, passed from parents to child in hopes of bolstering their confidence and courage to face the world. How is this bad to want to be great? Striving for excellence in all we do for God to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven is actually another Kingdom Ethic. If you were to to Google (I may have...) what does the bible say about having a commitment to excellence there are numerous scriptures telling us that striving for excellence is great but all have a stipulation, "Do it to the glory of God!" DO ALL things to the glory of God. I will leave it to you and your convictions to ponder about such things as praying to win a ball game or thanking God for your latest golden statue. Could be vanity...

As I ponder my overly full tummy and the consequences of such I think back to the big bowl of cereal I made for breakfast. I won't detail the suffering I am enduring due to that massive quantity high fiber I consumed but I will mention no desire of the flesh comes without consequence and leave it at that. The consequence is not God getting cranky because you are being naughty but with every action comes a consequence; bad choice - bad consequence. 

Wesley ended this section on vanity by empathically stating that it is vanity to fill your mind with the things of this world as opposed to the things of which will come. (MRV The Monica Revised Version). 

Let's face it, the things of that will come are hard to wait for. We can't see them. We know they will be good, great, amazing. But we don't KNOW what it will be. We choose what is on the stage instead of what is behind door #3. So we choose the seen luxuries of life or the unseen fortune of the future. It is a hard choice the seen versus the unseen. The feel good verses a feeling we can't begin to imagine. But what it...what if we quit worrying about what is in it for us and begin to just think of someone besides ourself. How would that resinate in the Kingdom. Start small. Pour less cereal, buy fewer toys, give more, hoard less. Do the math, a little adds up. A small amount goes far.

Lift your head

It is the middle of June. I am beginning my fourth year at HUMC. In four years the Spirit has moved mightily in this church family. Many have gathered, many have felt the urge to grow and many have begun the process of reaching out to others. I am excited to be a part of this place. I love you. God loves you and what makes this place special is that within this love we share there is a power; a power that can only come from God.

It is the middle of June, the last half of 2014 is dawning. It is time to look behind us and see what we have accomplished and what we plan to do as the rest of the year finishes up. In meetings and conversations we have talked of things we “should” do and “plan” to do. And we have moved into new areas of ministry! 

In the Gospel of Matthew this is reported, “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Right around our Homestead community there are hurting confused people; sheep in need of a shepherd. I am reminded of a moment at Grassy Cove in the Spring. Katie Kemmer Hardt had four sets of twin lambs born  this year and a few of them became orphans, a lot of babies needing care and feeding but no mama to feed them or keep them safe. It was up to the mamas of the other lambs to adopt these lambs. Katie told me it is amazing how the mamas can produce more when more is needed. One Sunday morning I noticed all the sheep were headed back to the barn. All the sheep were over the hill and to the barn, traveling in family groupings; a mama and a few babies headed home on a mission of rest and food. Just over the top of the hill was one, lone, tiny new lamb. This lamb as crying out. Not moving but just crying out. Not to be too dramatic but it almost sounded like, “pleeeeaaase…pleeeeaaaasssee…” The other sheep kept heading to their intended destination. Then one mama stopped. She turned her head. She listened. And then she began sending back a sound that I am sure if I spoke sheep I would translate it to be, “On my way…”  She kept hollering at the little guy as she moved toward the sound. They traded echoing sounds until the mama found him and then together they headed home. That lamb was not hers. It was one of the orphaned babies. She didn’t leave him behind. 

Family…lift your head…look around…there are orphaned people all around us. They are hurt, scared, alone and need a family. What can we do? This is what we can do. We have family, we have love and we can produce more when more is needed. We have enough. Will we stop and listen for the cries of those in need? Will we love these lost ones as much as we have a love for ourselves, our own lambs? Will we count on God to provide more when more is needed? Will we add them to our family?

In the upcoming months I will be asking a lot because there is a lot to do and we are blessed to be allowed to do it. 

I can’t help but think of all those sheep that had to have heard that cry behind them and kept heading in the other direction; kept on their personal path. They achieved their goal of making it to the barn. They got to get out of the sun, eat and relax for the afternoon. They got to sit and enjoy their children, with full bellies. All the while the other mama that turned around and had to walk a little farther, wait to eat a little longer and care for one other mouth to feed. But in the end she got to eat, rest in the barn and enjoy her children with a full belly as well. But with a bigger family.

This, Homestead family, is a rally cry. A voice in the wilderness.

Lift your head.

Look around.

Listen.

Hear.

Go…find…bring them home.

Be prepared, in the months ahead much will be asked but much has been given to you. (Luke 12:48)