Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall
I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord. —Job 1:21
The person being interviewed was commenting on his research about the growing income disparity in the United States. His research revealed that the last time it was this great was the 1920s. Evidently the disparity in income between the rich and poor has been widening since the 1970s no matter the political party in power.
I think I was supposed to be alarmed by this. Disappointment and sadness was more of what I felt. At the same time the thought occurred to me that with all of the funerals I have had as a pastor, I have yet to see any one, no matter how nice the casket, urn, or crypt, take any money with them. I know the ancient Pharaohs tried, but they only provided loot for those who stole from their crypts.
This is not a gloomy thought as much as a reality check—death is a great leveler of status. The words of Jesus ring true—do not be anxious about the things of life (Matthew 6:25ff). What counts is what I do with what I have today. Do I speak the kind word to the person who is having a rough day? Do I share my wealth with those who have little? Do I spend a few minutes at the end of a day to debrief with my child, my spouse, or a friend? Do I read a passage from my Bible and reflect on what it says about the nature of God, humankind, and me? Do I end my day with a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s presence with me or a complaint?
Please don’t get me wrong—I think it would be terrific if there was a greater sharing of our wealth. While I may not have everything I want, I do have everything I need. I will certainly work and pray for those who do not. At the same time, I won’t be envious of those who have more. In eternity it really won’t matter.
Prayer
Gracious God it is a new day. Before me is a new opportunity. Help me to lay aside the worries of yesterday’s failures and focus on the possibilities of this day lest tomorrow come and I have wasted them all. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Do Unto Others
In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; —Matthew 7:12
A visitor to the bedside of Aldous Huxley who lay dying asked him what wisdom he had for humankind after a lifetime of study and exploration of the human spirit and Huxley replied, All we need to do is be a little kinder toward each other. This author of Brave New World offered what Jesus said so many centuries ago, treat others as you wish to be treated—in a sacrificially loving way, of course.
The Saturday morning men’s group has been looking at John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules. The first of those rules is to do no harm. Essentially, it means be a little kinder to others. Even in the midst of conflict with others, doing no harm means not gossiping about those with whom we may disagree; not speaking disparagingly of others involved in the conflict; not manipulating the facts of the conflict; not diminishing those who may disagree with us; and honoring them as a child of God.
There is a Native American saying that no tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves. The point is that humankind is a part of the same tree. How foolish, therefore, we would be to fight among ourselves thus placing in jeopardy the tree. Extending this saying a bit further, Jesus said,
. . . every tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. —Matthew 7:17-18
I must confess that sometimes the fruit I bear is not always good. On those occasions I need to have my tree pruned a bit. God does that for me, but usually in a very gracious way. Then I can be kinder to others.
Prayer
Gracious God grant that my roots may be firmly in you this day that I may be grateful for the moments of grace and able to face the challenges with grace and kindness in the name of Christ. Amen.
Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
A visitor to the bedside of Aldous Huxley who lay dying asked him what wisdom he had for humankind after a lifetime of study and exploration of the human spirit and Huxley replied, All we need to do is be a little kinder toward each other. This author of Brave New World offered what Jesus said so many centuries ago, treat others as you wish to be treated—in a sacrificially loving way, of course.
The Saturday morning men’s group has been looking at John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules. The first of those rules is to do no harm. Essentially, it means be a little kinder to others. Even in the midst of conflict with others, doing no harm means not gossiping about those with whom we may disagree; not speaking disparagingly of others involved in the conflict; not manipulating the facts of the conflict; not diminishing those who may disagree with us; and honoring them as a child of God.
There is a Native American saying that no tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves. The point is that humankind is a part of the same tree. How foolish, therefore, we would be to fight among ourselves thus placing in jeopardy the tree. Extending this saying a bit further, Jesus said,
. . . every tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. —Matthew 7:17-18
I must confess that sometimes the fruit I bear is not always good. On those occasions I need to have my tree pruned a bit. God does that for me, but usually in a very gracious way. Then I can be kinder to others.
Prayer
Gracious God grant that my roots may be firmly in you this day that I may be grateful for the moments of grace and able to face the challenges with grace and kindness in the name of Christ. Amen.
Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Wonder of the Real World
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took
and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds,
but when it has grown it is the greatest of
shrubs and becomes a tree . . . —Matthew 13:31-32
Another illustrated the wonder and mystery of God’s creation by noting that a watermelon seed has the power of drawing from the ground and through itself 200,000 times its weight. Though those who specialize in the field of botany and agronomy can understand the process of interaction between seed and soil, for many of us it remains a wonder and a mystery, as I believe it does even for those who understand the scientific process.
Mystery and wonder is tough to come by in this age of reality shows and reminders to be relevant. Though I understand the fascination with watching the lives of people unfold in alleged unscripted fashion, it sort of takes away the wonder and mystery of life.
Few things today are left to the imagination. I confess that the reality shows have no appeal to me whatsoever. I think it is their lack of imagination that does it for me, and the way in which so many dehumanize. I believe this is another reason why faith is out of fashion—it seeks to capture the imagination and involve us in some of the mystery and wonder of how God works in this world.
So, in the midst of your real work in a real world surrounded by real people, take some time to reflect on the ways in which God mysteriously works in the world. Get out and look at a flower, gaze upward toward the sky, watch a child at play, read the passage from Matthew to which I refer and contemplate the way this kingdom of love and light can be like leaven that begins in you and influences those around you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you have created me in your image and I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Capture my imagination this day with your matchless love that I may bask in all of the mystery and wonder that is around me. In Jesus name. Amen.
Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds,
but when it has grown it is the greatest of
shrubs and becomes a tree . . . —Matthew 13:31-32
Another illustrated the wonder and mystery of God’s creation by noting that a watermelon seed has the power of drawing from the ground and through itself 200,000 times its weight. Though those who specialize in the field of botany and agronomy can understand the process of interaction between seed and soil, for many of us it remains a wonder and a mystery, as I believe it does even for those who understand the scientific process.
Mystery and wonder is tough to come by in this age of reality shows and reminders to be relevant. Though I understand the fascination with watching the lives of people unfold in alleged unscripted fashion, it sort of takes away the wonder and mystery of life.
Few things today are left to the imagination. I confess that the reality shows have no appeal to me whatsoever. I think it is their lack of imagination that does it for me, and the way in which so many dehumanize. I believe this is another reason why faith is out of fashion—it seeks to capture the imagination and involve us in some of the mystery and wonder of how God works in this world.
So, in the midst of your real work in a real world surrounded by real people, take some time to reflect on the ways in which God mysteriously works in the world. Get out and look at a flower, gaze upward toward the sky, watch a child at play, read the passage from Matthew to which I refer and contemplate the way this kingdom of love and light can be like leaven that begins in you and influences those around you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you have created me in your image and I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Capture my imagination this day with your matchless love that I may bask in all of the mystery and wonder that is around me. In Jesus name. Amen.
Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
A Call Back to Church
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore
ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. —Luke 10:2
The first church I ever pastored was Matfield Green Community Church located in the Flint Hills of Kansas. I preached my first sermon at the age of nineteen. Because I didn’t know what to say on that first Sunday, I read the sermon out of a book. The book was a collection of Harry Emerson Fosdick’s sermons one of the premier preachers of the twentieth century (at least I had good taste). I used outlines from my father’s sermons to make it through that first year.
I returned to that little white frame church building in which, on a good Sunday, forty souls came together to honor God, for the first time since I had left it. It was amazing. The building looked exactly the same from its front doors to the sign out front. The doors happened to be unlocked, so I went in. Nothing had changed save a carpet which had been installed in the aisle and on the platform and padded pews. I looked at the attendance chart on the wall and the previous Sunday’s attendance was twelve. The congregation was now on life support.
Every day in America eight churches close their doors. We are not starting new congregations at a rate that is fast enough to replace them. The sad fact is that whenever a church closes its doors or people drop out of a church and become inactive, the vast majority go no where to church. They just stop attending.
I suppose there are a lot of reasons for this—too strong attachment to the church building, loss of interest in what the church is about, etc. I know this much, we cannot stand by and pretend that most people are going somewhere to worship on the weekend when they are no longer attending here—most are attending no church.
I know the church growth experts say we ought to focus our energies on the un-churched and not the inactive. Frankly the inactive are the un-churched upon whom we are asked to focus our energies. Perhaps you know someone who is attending no church, or perhaps once attended here. I hope you take the words of Jesus and become one of the harvesters who seek to bring them back.
Prayer
Gracious God I am a recipient of your grace and have committed myself to journey with this faith community. Grant me the wisdom and courage to reach out to others who journey alone, lest in keeping this faith community to myself it loses its witness and withers. Amen.
Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. —Luke 10:2
The first church I ever pastored was Matfield Green Community Church located in the Flint Hills of Kansas. I preached my first sermon at the age of nineteen. Because I didn’t know what to say on that first Sunday, I read the sermon out of a book. The book was a collection of Harry Emerson Fosdick’s sermons one of the premier preachers of the twentieth century (at least I had good taste). I used outlines from my father’s sermons to make it through that first year.
I returned to that little white frame church building in which, on a good Sunday, forty souls came together to honor God, for the first time since I had left it. It was amazing. The building looked exactly the same from its front doors to the sign out front. The doors happened to be unlocked, so I went in. Nothing had changed save a carpet which had been installed in the aisle and on the platform and padded pews. I looked at the attendance chart on the wall and the previous Sunday’s attendance was twelve. The congregation was now on life support.
Every day in America eight churches close their doors. We are not starting new congregations at a rate that is fast enough to replace them. The sad fact is that whenever a church closes its doors or people drop out of a church and become inactive, the vast majority go no where to church. They just stop attending.
I suppose there are a lot of reasons for this—too strong attachment to the church building, loss of interest in what the church is about, etc. I know this much, we cannot stand by and pretend that most people are going somewhere to worship on the weekend when they are no longer attending here—most are attending no church.
I know the church growth experts say we ought to focus our energies on the un-churched and not the inactive. Frankly the inactive are the un-churched upon whom we are asked to focus our energies. Perhaps you know someone who is attending no church, or perhaps once attended here. I hope you take the words of Jesus and become one of the harvesters who seek to bring them back.
Prayer
Gracious God I am a recipient of your grace and have committed myself to journey with this faith community. Grant me the wisdom and courage to reach out to others who journey alone, lest in keeping this faith community to myself it loses its witness and withers. Amen.
Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
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