C-Mac-Book

2011-09-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

When I was a small boy, people in the congregation my father was serving would invite us over to dinner. My mother upon seeing their house would sometimes remark what a lovely house it was. On more rare occasions she would remark about how lovely their home was. As I grew older I asked my mother why she used the two words-house and home-at different times. Her response was that not every lovely house is a lovely home. Homes refer to the occupants. A house is simply an abode.

Several years ago I was invited by a family in my congregation to bless their new house. When they invited me they indicated that having a blessing on their house would help establish their house "as a home where God is celebrated." These were not people who you would call overly religious, but they were faithful and an active part of our faith community. It was the only time anyone ever invited me to bless their house (By the way I still do house blessings in case you're interested).

We have discovered during this Great Recession that our houses are not the valuable investments they once were. In fact what may be a lesson from the devaluation of our houses is to look at them as places where we can build faithful families. For too long too many of us have looked for the house that would impress and not been as concerned about the families in them.

In this same vein, my father always used the words church and church building separately. He would refer to his study being in the church building. If he was going to his study he would say he was going to the church building. The church for him was the body of Christ. It was so much more than the building. I have been trying to do the same over the last several years-church building when I go to the facility and my study instead of office-my home versus my house. Language can be a powerful way of helping us change, not only the way we think, but also the way we live.

Prayer

Gracious God bless this day the house where I live and the home within. Let my home be decorated by your love and grace. When there is strife help me to do what I can that your Spirit might bring healing. In the name of Christ. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor

Castleton United Methodist Church

Indianapolis, Indiana

2011-09-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
-Romans 12:3

In a wonderful new book by David Brooks called The Social Animal, David Brooks observes that research on people has revealed that most of us are mildly delusional status inflators.We wonder about the problem with the other guy and not so much about ourselves.We wonder why others are such bad drivers even as we drive while talking on our cellphone. Do not think of yourself more highly that you ought to think, Paul writes.

Paul's words here are appropriate. If we don't have a proper self-assessment, we can't be a worthy contributor to the body of Christ. And, we certainly cannot contribute to those who live around us in a meaningful and helpful way. I use myself as an example. I don't know how often I have said to myself when someone else's cellphone rings in worship or at some other public event why they didn't silence it at the beginning.Yet a few months ago I was praying at a Church Council meeting and my own cellphone went off in the middle of my prayer. It was a good lesson in humility. Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.

How many times have we been locked in the throes of verbal battle with our spouse, child, or parent believing that the problem lies with them and not ourselves? We believe if our spouse, child, parent, co-worker, etc. would simply be more of this or of that everything would be fine. Paul is trying to help us with our mildly delusional status inflators, and he does so with grace and love.

Mildly delusional status inflators who ignore the importance of humility can too easily become the radical who listens to no one. They can become the person who believes the problem is not theirs, but the other person's. We must have a proper self-regard, but be cautious not to suffer from delusional status inflation.

Prayer,
Almighty God whose love reaches out to me on this day, grant me the strength of self-regard that will enable me to regard others as your children. Forgive me when I suffer from delusional status inflation and in so doing fail to listen to those who may have something to teach me about life and faith. In the name of Christ. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

2011-09-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is
easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.
For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads
to life, and there are few who find it. -Matthew 7:13-14

During the season when squirrels look for food that may be a bit easier to find and will tickle their taste buds in new and wonderful ways, I saw a squirrel tackling one of our bird feeders. The bird feeder was one of those shaped like a long tube. It was hanging from a tree branch in our backyard. The squirrel had crawled out on the limb from which the tube was hanging and began eating the bird seed that was at the top of the filled tube.

I can't really blame him for going after what seemed easy pickins'. However, as the squirrel continued to eat he went further and further down the tube-head first. Suddenly, he realized that he was upside down in a glass tube. How would he get out? Panic set in. He struggled and struggled to try and back out of the tube. What had seemed so easy could very well conclude in his death.

It is a parable of life. It is a fairly human trait which we all possess to one degree or another to take the easy, convenient way. What may appear to be easy in the final analysis may trap us. This was the simple point Jesus was trying to make. Revenge, cheating, hatred, judgment, drunkenness, sloth, envy, etc. may appear attractive at the beginning, but be our undoing at the end.

Prayer
God of love and power I begin another week of life. For sure there will be moments when I am tempted to feed on gossip, envy, revenge, hatred or some other trap that would damage my spirit. Grant me the courage and determination to take the high road with all of its difficulties that I might enjoy life free from the regret and guilt the inevitably follows. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

2011-08-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into the pit.
-Matthew 15:14b

Jesus was referring to the fundamentalists of his day that got all fired up about whether or not a person washed their hands (as the laws of ritual cleansing required), but seemed relatively unconcerned about what was in a person's heart. What comes out of the mouth, or how the hands are used arises from the heart. If the heart is not cleansed then what difference is it whether we have clean hands or are picky about what we eat or drink?

In the Middle Ages if you had a headache, the local "physician" treated it by drilling a hole in your skull so that the evil spirits could escape. If you didn't die of infection from the dirty drill bit, you might actually have gotten well-or maybe not. They were concerned about treating externally a problem that was a matter of internal issues.

Many of the religious leaders of Jesus' day approached religion the same way. If you ate food that was ritually clean, kept your hands clean, and otherwise did as the laws directed, you were considered to have great faith. Jesus' point was that many of these leaders were blind to the very essence of religion's purpose-changing the heart. Change the heart, and you change the way a person views themselves, others, and the world around them.

A friend of mine, Mike Mather, senior pastor of Broadway Church here in the city, was observing how accessible information is. Every day we are bombarded with information from our cellular phones, televisions, ipads, ipods, and computers. "Yet," he observed, "it's too bad we live in the age of information and not the age of wisdom."

William James wrote that "the art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." We have a lot of information but sometimes fail to overlook the details of the information so we might discover the deeper purpose to which the information is pointing. The blindness of too many religious people in Jesus' day (and I might add our own) was they were so focused on the minutiae of the Law, so blinded by it, that they failed to see a wiser purpose-loving God, loving one another, and loving ourselves.

Such discerning wisdom that knows what to overlook and what to focus on begins with reverence for God (Proverbs 1:7). I speak here of the God of Jesus who focused on the heart-the repentance and grace that could heal the heart and literally transform life.

Prayer,
Heavenly Father, I will be bombarded by a lot of information today. Grant me a discerning heart that I may make wise choices and look for what may be the deeper lesson about life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Diversity in Life and in Faith

2011-05-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

A great conductor, tired of the excessively familiar New World Symphony by Dvorak, asked his orchestra to reseat itself on stage so as many players as possible were placed next to an unfamiliar instrument. For example, the first violinist sat next to the timpani, an oboe player amongst the violas, a horn in the cello section and so on. The purpose was to reveal new sounds and textures the musicians would not hear when seated in sections where musicians played the same instrument as they did. The change in Dvorak’s piece was revelatory.

I think this is a marvelous illustration of the importance of diversity in life. We travel in circles where people see things the way we do. People increasingly place their children in schools where the values and perspectives of the other students are like their own. The same could be said of our faith community. Imagine if we worshipped with people who saw their faith exactly as we see ours. We would certainly miss out on a new vision of life and faith.

I marvel at the diversity of Jesus disciples—fishermen, a tax collector, and a nationalistic zealot. They were hardly a homogeneous group. As difficult as this might have been Jesus knew that his teachings would have to appeal to a larger crowd whose values, lifestyles, and experiences would all be very different. So, he recruited people who would understand that kind of diversity. What a difference it made in the broad appeal of the gospel message.

This is one of the reasons I want to travel and see different cathedrals and the communities that grew up around them. Each of them will tell the story of a variety of people and paths of faith. They will tell the story of doctrinal unity and diversity—harmony and controversy. These cathedrals and the communities they spawned comprised of the artisans that constructed them will remind me that we ignore diversity at our peril. A church, a real church requires people of all ages, stages, viewpoints, status, race, and ethnic origins bound together by the mystery and wonder of God and guided by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We certainly have a ways to go in some areas, but if we can see the strength diversity will bring us and the new ways God will speak to us, we’ll move even closer to the church God wants us to be.

Prayer
Gracious God, I thank you for the blessings of the different. If I have become too comfortable with the life and faith I am composing, seat me next to someone who sees it differently so I might grow in grace to the glory of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

P.S. I am taking the summer off from my weekly articles. See you in the fall.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

The Value of Taking Risks

2011-05-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

The great cellist Gaspar Cassado used to say to his students, I’m so sorry for you; your lives have been so easy. You can’t play great music unless your heart’s been broken. I would say the same of great composers, great poets, great preachers, great parents, great business people, etc. Getting one’s heart broken is all about taking risks. That is how we come to understand grace—owning the risks we take in a world that is by and large immune to our control.

The compassion Jesus had for others came from having his heart broken. He took the enormous risk of recruiting relatively uneducated and self-absorbed people to follow him. On so many occasions his heart was broken when they fell asleep while he prayed, eyes glazed over at his parables, and doubted after they had witnessed one of his miracles.

A life that is well lived is risky. Marriage is risky. Venturing into a new area of business that is filled with the unfamiliar is risky. Taking the time to make a new friend is risky. Having children is risky. Deciding to care for animals that have been abandoned is risky. Volunteering in an unfamiliar area is risky. You can and will get your heart broken and face disappointment. But you will also experience unparalleled success. The new friend will introduce you to new ideas. The business venture will open up new possibilities. Volunteering will expose you to another world. Having children will make you humble. Marriage will teach you a new kind of love—deeper than you thought possible.

Christians are called to be risk takers especially as we live the message of the gospel in the world. Jesus speaks about this throughout Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. The risk is seeking to live by what the world deems as unconventional. Yet, I dare anyone to try any of these teachings of Jesus and see if the risk does not result in a richer, more compassionate life. Yes, we will get our hearts broken, and life will not always be easy, but we will to know how great living a life of faith can be.

Prayer
Precious Lord, take my hand and lead through the risky paths of faith. Show me the great joy of a deeper love and a greater capacity to care that my life might more reflect you to a world that thinks it can live without you. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Waiting

2011-05-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

How long, O Lord! Will you forget me forever? How long
Will you hide your face from me? —Psalm 13:1

I just had the privilege of leading another small group on understanding and practicing discernment. As a part of our last session we reflected on one of the most important disciplines about discernment — waiting. Waiting is not valued in our culture. When we want something, we want it now. I think of the commercial frequently seen on television where people, sticking their heads out from a variety of windows, yell, “It’s my money, and I want it now!”

If we want something we jump in the car and get it now. (Although this may be a lot less frequent given the current price of fuel.) When we are sick, we want the magic bullet now that will get us well. Years ago when we wanted to purchase a new car, we had to order it and wait six to eight weeks. The automobile industry caught on quickly that they could sell more cars if they kept a large inventory. We soon learned that when we wanted a new car, we didn’t have to wait. We could have it now. In this social networking age we can give our opinions now and get a response now.

Many of the Psalms deal with lament. They usually begin with something like, “How long O Lord.” Then they are followed by what the psalmist desires and the frustration of waiting for it. I have written about this before, but the Bible indicates that there is a right time for everything. It refers to God’s time. If we are willing to wait rather than rush it, God always has something better.

Alas, many us would rather have it now and settle for less. That is why so often our grieving is cut short; we marry too quickly; and we divorce even more quickly. Isaiah reminds us that they who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will walk and not be weary. They will run and not faint (8:17).

Prayer
O God, guard my life. Do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. Amen.
—Psalm 25:20-21

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Jealousy

2011-05-03T06:11:00.001-07:00

. . . for love is strong as death, jealousy fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. —Proverbs 8:6

I know that jealousy is one of the seven deadly sins and I think, at least in part, it is because we so seldom confess it either to ourselves or to another. Jealousy is corrupting and raises its ugly head in so many ways. I watched part of the royal wedding between “Will and Kate,” and noticed all of the women wearing hats. I saw some of the women so subtly glancing at the hat of the woman in front of and around themselves. Were the glances jealousy or admiration? A promotion granted someone else to a position we had desired and thought we deserved—will it be congratulations or covetousness? Another person’s house or successful child—will it be admiration or envy? A pastor appointed to a larger congregation—will it be jealousy or joy? Someone else driving a car we have always wanted—jealousy or feelings of joy for them?

Heraclitus said, "Our jealousy lasts longer than the happiness of those of whom we are jealous. Jealousy can eat us up long after the person’s success about which we are jealous has faded." I think that was the point Jesus was making when he encouraged us not to be anxious about what we eat, drink, or wear. Will our worry add a single hour to our span of life (Matthew 6:27). Likely anxiety driven by our desire to keep up and pass the person next to us will only shorten our life span.

I think of the jealousy that arose within King Saul that led him to try and kill David. Saul, this once first and great king of Israel, was ruined by his jealousy. The jealousy over the influence of Jesus’ ministry led to some Pharisees and Sadducees deciding to get rid of him.

Life is too short for us to be eaten up with some jealousy over what another person has or has achieved. As the Proverb says this jealousy is fierce as the grave.

Prayer
Heavenly Father if there is envy or jealousy in my heart this day remind me of your love for me that I might once again return to the joy of being your child and thus genuinely rejoicing with others in their success. This I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord. Amen

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Now that Easter is Over

2011-04-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.' They said to him, 'We will go with you.'

Let me get this straight, Simon Peter, along with some of the other disciples of Jesus, had just witnessed the most transforming event in human history i.e., the resurrection of Jesus, and he wants to go fishing? It's like having thwarted some dreaded disease then moving forward with life like nothing happened.

How can this be? When the woman at the well encountered Jesus she ran and told everyone about how dramatically she was affected by him. When Zacchaeus met Jesus his life turned upside down and he gave back what he had defrauded others and more. When Legion, restored to his rightful mind by Jesus, Legion became Jesus' ambassador to his home town. Over and over again we read this in scripture where having met Jesus, people's lives changed.

How could Peter return to fishing as though nothing had happened? It's like having this wonderful, celebratory Easter worship experience then going back to work on Monday as though life is the same. The sad reality is that this is exactly what happens repeatedly, year in and year out. We celebrate the risen Lord on Sunday then return to life on Monday as though nothing has changed.

In his little volume Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg talks about moving from the Jesus he knew as a child to the one he now knows as an adult, but in a more personal way (HarperCollins Publishers, New York, New York, 1995 pg. 3). What Borg is saying that he knew Jesus in a sense as a child but found Jesus in new and personal ways as an adult that have been life changing for him. As I read his book, I remembered how others have spoken with me about being "born again." They knew Jesus as a child, but were claiming Jesus in a more personal way as an adult. Though Borg and born again Christians might separate on the way they know Jesus, they both have in common the way this new relationship with Jesus has changed their lives.

That would be my hope for each of us during this Eastertide-we would know the resurrected Jesus in new, more personal life changing ways. I simply don't think that once we have encountered the risen Jesus our lives can be the same.

Prayer
Gracious God I give thanks on this first day of Eastertide for the gift of a risen savior. Lead me to know him better each day that knowing him I might understand how I might better serve you through Christ my Lord. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Shame and Salvation

2011-04-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame ... —Hebrews 12:1-2

Now there’s a word we don’t hear often—shame. I’m sorry for that. We’ve confused unhealthy shame that suffocates and holds people back from the healthy shame that enables us to feel pain because we are healthy enough to feel uncomfortable with being less than we ought to be and less than we want to be (Shame and Grace by Lewis B. Smedes).

Unhealthy shame exaggerates our faults. Unhealthy shame is chronic. Unhealthy shame is put on us by others, pervades our whole being, and is unspiritual. Healthy shame is perhaps one of the surest signs of our divine origin and our human dignity. This kind of shame comes on us when our actual self is in conflict with the true self we are meant to be. Our true self is a grateful person, is integrated as a whole, is tuned in to what is really going on around us, and helps us manage our passions.

Shame that is healthy can give us pain, but it can do it in a way that brings about a positive and creative result. The cross was a symbol of suffering and shame, as the old hymn goes. Yet, it had a positive result—resurrection. The author of Hebrews notes that Jesus accepted the shame of the cross as a means of helping us deal with our shame with the balm of grace.

There are some of us who are locked in the throes of unhealthy shame. We have permitted our shame to be chronic such that it continues to make our souls sick. Those who wear their shame in such a way need this week ahead. The week ahead is a vivid reminder that the cross was the way God showed us that he understood the soulful weight shame represents. The resurrection then becomes that act of grace wherein God says I do not hold your sin against you. So get over your shame. To be sure the source of our shame may be a part of our history, and we may still have to work with some of its debris, but it does not have to pervade our whole being. The resurrection offers us grace, but it is not cheap. Grace requires that we trust God and not ourselves to bring us through the turmoil of our sin, shedding its shame, and moving into a new appreciation of what it means to let God love us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, the week ahead offers me the opportunity to remember the road to salvation. May I be faithful in traveling it with you once again that whatever shame now besets me may be set aside that I might serve you with my whole heart through Jesus the Christ. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

2011-04-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. —James 3:5b-6a

A member of our congregation sent me an email with an attachment from a news source that indicated a Methodist bishop, in light of the burning of a Koran by a non-Methodist pastor, had said he would burn one of our church buildings for every Koran that was burned in America. This member was wondering if this was true. I did a little research and it didn’t take long before I discovered that it was a bishop who said this all right, but a bishop from another denomination.

There are so many stories on the internet these days and I really appreciated that this member thought enough to run it by me in order to determine its veracity. I read some place that a myth on the internet, if not refuted in a couple of days, will become truth. That’s kind of scary.

Once upon a time we used to think, perhaps some of us still do, gossip was something that took place among some squinty-eyed people in a corner whose tongues spread false rumors and kept things stirred up. We tend to forget that the internet (email and texting) in so many ways has replaced this. So, many get sucked into the process not thinking that we may be participating in gossip which is every bit, if not more, as destructive as that which takes place in some corner of the room. James is writing about the power of the tongue. Like a small blaze it can burn down an entire forrest—it can destroy the reputation of one person or the unity and harmony of a congregation. Noting the power of the tongue and how it might be used, James writes later in this chapter: With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God (James 3:9).

With the tongue we can affirm someone or tear them down. With it we can honor our co-workers or cut them up. With it we can speak well of our spouse or bad mouth them to others. With it we can speak about our great congregation or we can pick it and its leadership apart. I have seen churches with the potential for greatness whittle away their gifts and destroy the very things that would have made them great—unity, harmony, and purpose. My brothers and sisters this ought not to be so (James 3:10).

So guard against spreading gossip on the internet, in the workroom, or the narthex of a church. In so doing, we will strengthen others and the Church of Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, there is much that I need to do today. Grant me the wisdom to discern what may build up those with whom I work or those members of the body of Christ, for it is in His name I pray. Amen.

Mac Hamon,
Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Imagination

2011-04-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

In my Father’s house are many dwelling places . . . —John 14:2

Pity the person who has little or no imagination! Many years ago I knew a woman who said to me that she would not meditate because that took imagination and she feared imagination might carry her to places God would not want. Yet Jesus in this passage is asking his disciples to use their imagination. We might paraphrase Jesus’ words by saying that the disciples had trusted this room for their existence; how much more might they trust God for the next.

Many of you have heard me talk about this incredible universe. We live in a solar system most of us cannot imagine. Yet this is but one of thousands of solar systems. Try as we might we can’t even imagine the place in which we now dwell. Of imagination William Blake writes: Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow . . . In other words, this world is but a canvas to our imagination [for something greater] (Thoreau).

This God-given gift of imagination, at least for me, trumps logic every time. Einstein said Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere. It is impossible to gain a full appreciation of the Psalmist without using imagination. He frequently compares God’s mercy and steadfast love to the depth of an ocean or the height of the very heavens themselves. When he speaks of yearning for God’s presence as in a dry and thirsty land, imagination lets us feel the parchedness of our souls without God’s presence (Psalm 63:1).

Have you ever heard someone say in frustration, Use your imagination! It is what this passage of scripture says to those gathered at the graveside of one they have loved: Use your imagination! To those who think that there is no God because God does not seem logical, the universe around us says: Use your imagination! To those who long for life to be consistent, we hear the poet tell us that consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.

Take a break today, if only for a little while, and use your imagination. Try to fathom what rests beyond the skin of this universe and celebrate the vastness of God. Try to imagine a yellow as vibrant as the daffodil. Try to imagine a place of beauty where you love to go, then in your imagination go there and let God share it with you. Use your imagination—it can be God’s treasured gift of himself to us.

Prayer God whose imagination does exceed my own, I give you thanks for the spark of imagination that disturbs this sleepy clod. Lift me for a moment today beyond what I see to what is possible because of your matchless grace in Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Self Image

2011-03-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Let us make humankind in our image. . . . . —Genesis 1:26

This is the true joy in life: The being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. The being a force of nature, instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. —George Bernard Shaw

The scripture passage from Genesis has been the subject of treatises and books for centuries. They all fell under the Latin phrase imago Dei—image of God. Each of these works struggled with what it meant to be made in the image of God. After reading several books and articles over the years I concluded, at least for me, that it meant having the incredible, godlike ability of free choice.

I think Shaw is referring to self-image. Self-image is not the same as self-esteem. Self-image is how you see yourself rather than how you feel about yourself. Self-image is what you think you look like; what kind of person you think you are; how much you like yourself or think others like you; etc. all of which can and does influence self-esteem. Self-image is enhanced by the purposes we choose in life. And, as Shaw states, it is important that we recognize our purpose as a mighty one.

The shema is such a purpose—Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one God. You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might—Jesus lists the second and your neighbor as yourself reminding us that love for God is integral not only to having a healthy self-image, but a good image of others. Without love for self we become a selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world [has not] made [us] happy.

Some things I can do to build a good self-image are deliberately and quietly move out of the space where people are incessant with their grievances and complaining. (Now granted there are times as a pastor when I want to listen to another’s grievances and complaints. Partly because it may lead to some constructive action on both our parts, and partly because they may simply need to get it off of their chest to feel better about life.) I can change negative thoughts to positive ones. I can list things I like about myself—appearance, personality and skills. I can do this by beginning my day in the right way.

One of the best reasons for beginning a day with a time of devotion and prayer is what it does for self-image. First, I can affirm God as the very foundation of life for me. Second, it reminds me that that I am loved by God. Third, it reminds me that I do not have to bear nor face the world’s ills by myself. Finally, it helps me image my neighbor in a better light. In other words, it reminds me that I am made in God’s image and that is an enormous help when seeking a good self-image and a better image of others.

Prayer
God of all creation, I rejoice in this new day because I know that you love me, and the world that you created. May I, in remembering your love for me begin this day with a better image of whom I am so that I may strengthen the image of others around me. Amen.

Mac Hamon
Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Praise God for Spring

2011-03-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

For now the winter is past . . .
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come. —Song of Solomon 2:11-12

It is, finally, if only by date, spring! It has seemed for young and old alike, who have bothered to express such thoughts to me, to be a winter too long and hard. It is a welcome miracle of the changing seasons. The Source of such a miracle confounds us, but to be sure the Source is not ourselves.

A little madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King,
But God be with the Clown—
Who ponders this tremendous scene—
This whole Experiment of Green—
As if this were his own! —Emily Dickinson

Poet and Song alike ascribe the beauty of this season to God, the Source of all. We are, to be certain, quick to blame God for the ravages of winter.

So welcome spring as a gift from God that so inspires the hymn to sing:

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;

For the joy of human love,
brother sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild; —Folliot S. Pierpoint

Prayer
Lord of all, best Gift Divine, to you we raise this our hymn of grateful praise!
Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

2011-03-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

I am not asking that you take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. —John 17:15

Well my circadian rhythms have been assaulted again by another seasonal change in time. As someone said to me upon mentioning this change, “I much prefer falling back than springing forward. I get more sleep.” It is amazing how our bodies and mental dispositions are affected by a one hour change.

I’ve been talking to various people as I prepare for my Sabattical trip, how to deal with the eight hour flight from New York to Budapest. The best advice I have heard is to get with the new pace. Don’t hole up in your room with the window shades down and try to sleep it off. Research agrees. The data indicates that we do far better at adjusting if we go out and join people going about their daily routine.

I think how easy it is for many people to look at the issues of the world, pull down the shades, and try to slumber through it. It would be easy for us to march to the cadence of our own drum beat. To do this would be to completely ignore everything Jesus said and stood for. When he talked about the criterion for final judgment he did not list among them the numbers of Bible study groups to which we belong, our regular attendance at worship, the money we gave to the church, or how good a person we are. Rather, Jesus talked about how these study groups, worship attendance, and money were translated into our action in the world—did we give a stranger drink and food; did we visit the sick and imprisoned; did we clothe the naked (Matthew 25:31ff).

I know the news is usually not very good. I know I am tempted to ignore it. Yet it will often tell me the ways in which I need to validate my faith through action. It is a new day. I know you may be in a bit of a fog because of the time change. However, don’t walk around in a fog when it comes to the needs of those around you. If Lent is about anything it is, as the liturgy states when we place ashes on our foreheads—receive these ashes that dying to self you may live for Christ—not only in the pew, but in the world.

Prayer
Gracious God, you have brought me hope through the gift of your Son. You know the world around me needs that hope. Forgive me when I have pulled down my shades and tried to sleep away the challenges of the world. Grant me courage and conviction of faith to serve wherever you send me today and always in the name of Christ. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Check Your Attitude

2011-03-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

Laugh, and he world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.
—Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The title of this poem is Solitude. I think a far more fitting title would be Attitude! What Ella Wheeler Wilcox is saying to us via this oft-quoted poem is that whatever attitude we decide to adopt is precisely what we will attract in life. Think sad and we attract emptiness. Think mirth and the world will laugh right along with us.

This poem is also a very elementary presentation of energy field theory. Essentially, energy field theory says that there is an invisible vibratory field of energy surrounding all living objects, including human beings. This field is created by how we think and process our experiences wherever we are in the world. At certain levels of consciousness, the energy field vibrates fast. At other levels of consciousness, the energy vibrates slowly. So, there is a continuum along which varying levels of consciousness are responsible for creating the field of energy.

This was the point Jesus was making about fasting as an act of spiritual enrichment. He said when [we] fast do not look dismal . . . [rather]pour oil on your head and wash your face so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret (Matthew 6:17-18). Again, You are the light of the world. . . . let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14, 16).

Prayer
Heavenly Father, It is another gray day. I know that the weather around me does not have to dictate the spirit within me. I pray for the courage to choose the Light that is within me that I might be a light of leaven and hope to those who are around me to the glory of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Anger - Let It Out

2011-03-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

Unexpressed anger is one letter short of danger.

The scriptures have a lot to say about the importance of expressed anger. Jesus taught that expressing our anger helps us avoid calling someone a name or even killing them. In fact, Jesus thought it was so important to express our anger, especially to the one with whom we are angry, that he said our gift to God is not acceptable until we have given opportunity for the anger to be expressed and resolved (Matthew 5:21-26).

That apostle Paul thought expressing our anger was so important that he wrote in his letter to the church at Ephesus (4:26-27):

Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.

Though Christians should be the model for expressing anger in appropriate ways, we often follow the world’s model. Some of us express our anger in a sort of ready fire aim way. We let it out without first checking to see if the reason for our anger is valid and the person to whom we are expressing it is the correct person. This kind of anger can lead to insulting another person (Matthew 5:21).

Another way some of us deal with anger is to simply get quiet and have everyone around us guess what’s wrong with us. We give the person with whom we are angry the cold shoulder. Of course, if they don’t pick up on it we get even angrier at them for not sensing that we are angry with them to begin with. Letting our anger be expressed through silence makes us liable to judgment (Matthew 5:22)

And if we let our anger explode we can do the worst possible thing—call another person a fool or worse and be liable to hell (Matthew 5:22). Explosive anger can alienate us from our families, our co-workers and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The bottom line: go to the person directly with whom we are angry or go the person directly who we think is angry with us. In so doing our anger keeps everyone out of danger.

Prayer
Gracious God if there is anger within me this day against another, or if I know of someone who bears anger toward me, grant me grace and courage to share it or receive it lest my soul and the soul of another be lost to receiving and sharing your love through Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

The Importance of Grief

2011-02-21T15:03:00.000-08:00

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
-Matthew 5:4

Jalauddin Rumi, a Persian mystical poet, wrote:

I saw grief drinking a cup of sorrow and called out, 'It tastes sweet, does it not?' 'You've caught me,' grief answered, 'and you've ruined my business, how can I sell sorrow when you know it's a blessing?'

The short answer is you can't. Jesus was driving at a very important lesson about life-grieving is a part of life. Someone said that the falls of our life provide us with the energy to propel ourselves to a higher level. That's what Jesus was saying about grief-don't get lost in it, don't pretend loss does not affect you-grieve so that you can find the comfort needed so that you can move forward.

How many times in your life have dark times of despair, such as some kind of accident, an illness, a financial disaster, a breakup in a relationship, a fire or flood, or a death propelled you into the stages of anguish, anger, denial, and then grief? Like most of us, you sink into sorrow and feel the need to tell everyone about your misfortune. Ultimately, after a long period of time you begin to rise above it and reach the state of acceptance.

There is something to learn right here, right now in the middle of sorrow. You can take this lesson and taste the sweet certainty in the mystery. You don't have to pretend that the tragedy is to be liked or welcomed, only to vow to use it to generate the energy to move to a higher place in your life. Only then will you find in sorrow a blessedness that by the grace of God brings comfort and hope.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to place in your arms the grief of my moment or of my past that I may find in the bitterness of it all the sweet comfort of your grace through Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

The Greatest of These Is Love

2011-02-14T21:42:00.000-08:00

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
-1 Corinthians 13:13

This line from, perhaps, one of the best loved and read passages in scriptures speaks of an incredible force. Though 1 Corinthians 13 is read at many weddings, the love of which it speaks is not romantic love or friendship love but selfless, sacrificial love. It is the kind of love that God has for you and me, and the kind of love we aspire to have for humanity.

About this love the Jesuit philosopher Pierre Teilhard De Chardin wrote: Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tide and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love.

Imagine, no one has seen wind but we do see its effects. We see how it powers windmills that convert the wind to energy. We don't see gravity, but we see its effects. Though we see the waves of water and the tide as it goes in and out, we don't see all that creates them. In a sense we don't see love in a person's heart, but sure can see its effects.

We are moving toward harnessing more and more of these natural inexhaustible energies for good. Why can we not do the same with this sacrificial love of which Paul wrote and Jesus spoke? We can and we have-though we struggle to sustain it. I've seen the energy of this love harnessed and turned loose to heal another person broken by life's tragedies. I've seen the energy of this love harnessed and loosed to reconcile people at odds with a wrong decision or misspoken word. I've seen the energy of this love harnessed and loosed when a couple whose marriage has been strained by broken faith work to bring it back together.

All it takes is a decision of the mind and hearts to unleash the power of God's Spirit in our souls and make possible meeting the very challenge we face in our life today. The beauty of it is that it can all begin with a simple prayer.

Prayer
God of love, reign in my heart this day. Enable me to face with the power of your sacrificial love the barriers that may separate me from another. Enable me by the power of your sacrificial love to let go of the hurts I have been carrying for too long. Unleash in me that same power to love which was in Christ Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Benefitting from Regrets

2011-02-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

Someone has said that a life with no regrets is no life at all. I think what they were saying is that regrets go with a person who seeks to live as much in the moment as possible. I believe that is why Jesus spent so much time with Peter. Peter was a man of the moment. Such was the case when he tried to walk on the water or exclaimed that he was willing to die for Jesus or that he alone would be loyal. We now know that he was able to do none of these—regrets that caused him to weep bitterly (Matthew 26:75).

What kind of servant would Peter have been without those moments of passion? What kind of servant would he have been without his reach being greater than his grasp? The gospel might not have spread as far and wide as it did.

To be sure each of us has made mistakes along the way, and many of them quite regrettable. There are things we wish we would not have said, or hurt people we wish we had not hurt or made bad investments, consumed toxic substances, lost some competitive contests, and even been lost in our own self-importance. But perhaps the greatest of our regrets are those things we didn’t do. I would imagine Peter’s greatest regret was not having acknowledged to the servant-girl around the fire over which he was warming his hands that he knew the man of Nazareth (Matthew 26:26-75).

I look at the people in the Bible with such huge regrets that became the singers of God’s song—Joseph, David, Mary Magdalene, and Paul. They are all proof that regrets don’t have to control your life. Each day offers an opportunity to leave the regrets behind and move on. It is most often our regrets that prove to be the things from which wisdom grows. Life, real life lived earnestly and passionately will involve some regrets, but these regrets need not hold us captive, but brought into the presence of God’s grace can liberate us the more to be God’s servants.

Prayer
Heavenly Father I turn my regrets over to you. Help me to learn from them that I may serve you with humility and wisdom. In Jesus name. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Forge Ahead

2011-01-29T18:15:00.000-08:00

Lose this day loitering—‘twill be the same story
To-morrow—and the next more dilatory;
Each indecision brings its own delays,
And days are lost lamenting o’er lost days.
Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute—
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated—
Begin it, and then the work will be completed!
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This is the kind of verse that should be read at the beginning of a new year or on a Monday, or upon returning from time away or upon starting some new venture, or at last facing a difficult challenge. We’ve waited long enough. Our talents as God has given them to us now need to be engaged. We can do it!

In the story of the talents we forget that not everyone had the same number of talents. It is natural that we should pass this little bit of trivia by. The point of Jesus’ story is twofold. First, those who had talents used them, and without delay. The second, one did not. He buried them in order to minimize the risk and escape any wrath resulting from failure.

How many people there are with incredible talents to share that refuse to engage them because of a lack of boldness. How many people fail to confront their reality because of the delays buried beneath indecision. How many people never move toward their potential because they are busy lamenting o’er lost days.

God does not need believers, but people of faith—people willing to boldly take the risk and live a life of difference. The challenge/opportunity is before you only engage . . . begin it, and then the work will be completed!

Prayer
God of grace, God of glory you have called us to this moment in our lives. You have given us gifts to be used for your glory. Grant us the wisdom to discern those gifts, and the boldness to use them for your Kingdom’s sake. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Have Patience

2011-01-23T18:35:00.000-08:00

May the God of patience and encouragement grant you to live
in harmony with one another. —Romans 15:5

I love this passage that speaks about God’s patience—God’s steadfast patience. I love it because it makes so much sense about who God is. It is unimaginable that God would create we humans a little lower than the angels, fearfully made, and not seek to work patiently with us as the potter does the lump of clay.

When I reflect over my life it is abundantly clear that God has been steadfastly patient with me. In my slowness to learn the simplest of Jesus teachings and how they might improve my life, God has kept on teaching. In the horrible choices I have made, God has not been there to beat me up, but to apply the balm of grace when I have beaten up on myself.

Patience and encouragement really are the main ingredients of harmony. They certainly pay dividends in our relationships. A marriage is much more harmonious when both spouses are patient and encouraging with each other. A family is much more harmonious when parents are patient and encouraging with their children.

It is never too late for a wandering world to come home to this idea either. Lucille Clifton is one of the great poets of the last century. In one of her poems she writes:

God waits for the wandering world.
he expects us when we enter,
late or soon.
he will not mind my coming after hours.
his patience is his promise.

It is a new day and no matter how it goes, it will not be too late in our wanderings to bring this day to God, even after hours.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, there are challenges ahead for me this day. It may be the challenge of something great or simply the challenge of the routine and the trivial. Whatever they may be let me not forget that as I wander through them I may, whether now or after hours, entrust them to your steadfast care. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

To Be More Childlike

2011-01-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child,
he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 18:3-4

It is a statement of Jesus with such clarity that it is difficult to miss his point. Unless we have the simple trust and faith in God that a child has, we’ll never get the central idea of the kingdom of God—unconditional love. Children have been used by other leaders as a means of hearkening us to our more noble selves. In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech from the Lincoln Memorial in August, 1963 he said,

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

President Barack Obama touched on it in his reference to Christina Green, the nine year old girl killed by the carnage in Tucson, in his speech at the service for those victims:

I want us to live up to [Christina Green’s] expectations. I want her democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us—we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.

The same should be said of a church where people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character and that we all want a church that will be as good as our little children imagine it.

Of course none of this is possible unless it begins with you and me. It begins right where Jesus’ words leave off—unless we become as a child. It sounds easy, and perhaps is easier than we imagine, but for an adult it is a challenge. None of us want to be hoodwinked or otherwise taken advantage of, but at some point such risks must be taken. Especially if we believe in what Jesus stood for and the world he, even today, seeks to transform through those of us who seek to be his followers.

Prayer,
Heavenly Father, fill us with the love and light of your kingdom on this new day that we may be those willing to risk lives lived by the simple but profound love and hope of a child in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Birth Reinforces Eternity

2010-12-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

Where God was revealed to us.
Only the two of us know the magic and awe
of that presence.
Against all odds . . .
Our connection to eternity reinforced,
strengthened.
—Wayne W. Dyer

I hear the word, an overworked word now so devalued it has little emphasis at all—awesome. The word is applied to practically everything anymore—a house, an automobile’s acceleration, a piece of clothing, dessert. Is there any real wonder and awe anymore? Dyer was writing of the awe of his wife conceiving when it was against all odds. The birth of their daughter became for them, as does for so many of us with children, our connection to eternity.

If there is anything in life that is awesome, it is childbirth. It’s a miracle that an infinite number of cells can all come together over a period of time that result in a child with a certain color of hair and eyes along with all of the right number of fingers and toes. It is an awesome privilege to witness it.

In spite of Mary’s song and Joseph’s will, I wonder if either one fully realized their connection to eternity that awesome night with Jesus? Indeed, Jesus became the connection to eternity for us all in a very special way. We no longer have to wonder that it will be—only to know that it will be wonderful! I am in awe when I think about it and infinitely grateful for it, that God chose to be present with us through two very real but human beings that against all odds reinforced and strengthened our connection to eternity.

Prayer
Gracious God, I stand in awe that from the beginning what had only been a word for you became flesh and dwelt among us. I give thanks today that you knitted me together in my mother’s womb, and that I have been fearfully and wonderfully made. If in praying these words I do not yet feel them, then let me sometime during the course of this season feel them once again. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Let the Light Shine

2010-12-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
-John 1:4-5

It is darkest before the dawn, is a phrase in common usage. I have used this phrase frequently but have not understood its origins. It refers in actual fact to that period a little past halfway through the night when the sun is directly on the opposite side of the planet. The Irish, very early, incorporated it into their sayings. A seventeenth century theologian, Thomas Fuller, is credited with first putting it in print.

The phrase means that there is hope, even in the worst circumstances or our darkest hours. It is certainly the heart of this passage from John which is one of my very favorite passages in scripture. In Jesus, God becomes more than a word, but one who brings light to the darkness of our lives. It is everywhere in the natal story. It is in the star that guided the wise men. It is in the aura surrounding the angel appearing to the shepherd. And, it is the sole contribution of John's gospel to the advent of Jesus.

There are so many inspiring aspects of the birth story-a young, single, pregnant woman, a gallant man, impoverished shepherds, wealthy wise men, angels, an evil king, etc. As inspiring as these are, the idea that God in Jesus placed light in our darkness, hope in our despair, presence in our loneliness, love in the midst of hatred, peace in the presence of struggle, gives me goose bumps.

Perhaps you are in the midst of a dark moment today. Remember that by the tender mercy of our God, the dayspring from on high is broken upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness . . . [and] to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78-79).

Prayer-
Heavenly Father, I am grateful on this new day for the promise of light when darkness surrounds me, hope when despair is close at hand, and peace in the midst of wars. Let me be filled with your light today that I may let that light shine through me that others may be witness to your glory in this Christmas season and throughout all of life. In the name of him in whom your love is fully known, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
12.13.10

In the Silence

2010-12-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

Let never music sound
Unless an angel make it;
Let stillness reign around
Until a seraph break it-
No song was ever noble
As the unsullied wide
Prairies of silence sleeping
In peace on every side.
-Sara Teasdale

Have you ever stopped on a prairie side as you rushed from Indiana's flats to Denver's mountains? There is a roadside park on I-70 between Topeka and Manhattan, Kansas offering such an opportunity. One night as I returned from one of the frequent trips to see my parents, who were living in Kansas, I stopped at that place. It was late and there were few people there. The prairie sky was ablaze with stars that seemed so close you could touch them. There was occasional silence from the highway as I sat there on a picnic table watching the stars.

What if in the midst of that silence the heavens sang for joy? There were times during that brief moment on a prairie side I felt they were singing. Would I have heard them sing in my car if I continued the race home and had not stopped? Would I have heard them in any other place where traffic could have deafened my thoughts?

I think the shepherds sharing part of the eternal silence of quiet pastures when the heavens sang for joy! It was perhaps because of this silence that they were able to witness heaven's choir as they sang Glory to God. The angelic stars proclaimed a message that something wonderful had happened, so compelling the shepherds left their flocks and hurried to an otherwise sleepy town.

I wish for you during this Advent season on some evening that a few moments of stillness reigns around you until a seraph break it with a whispered voice and tells you God has good news of great joy which is for you. I hope you are close to some simile of a prairie side and that you pull over with your life long enough to listen for their song.

Prayer
Gracious God thank you for the music of the spheres. Grant to me moments to slow down and in the silence that reigns, if only for a time, may I hear your voice loud and clear-I have good news which is of great joy and it is for you-a savior has been born-Christ the Lord. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

God's Surprises

2010-11-29T07:16:00.000-08:00

Well the carnage of Black Friday has past and the dawn of Advent’s first Sunday has past. Of course it is easy to become jaded this time of year—to bemoan the missing Christmas greeting replaced by a generic Happy Yuletide or Happy Holidays. Just about the time you think it is time to throw in the towel some random act of cultural kindness comes your way and it occurs that God is not lost.

There is a such an random act that has had well over four million hits on Youtube. It takes place in the heart of a great cathedral of consumer worship—Macy’s. In the center of Macy’s is a huge organ that is played during the shopping days. Suddenly the early musical strains of the organ break into Handel’s Messiah chorus and a great combined choir begins to sing. Shoppers stop what they are doing and begin to sing as well.

The whole scene is transformed, and for a moment the child of Bethlehem’s Spirit pervades the whole scene. Take a few minutes and watch it. I think you’ll be moved to the same tears of joy and thanksgiving that has moved so many of us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU

Prayer
Almighty God who does appear in unlikely places and in ways we would not expect, surprise us this day with the joy of this advent season that we might follow you more faithfully as disciples of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

In God's World

2010-11-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hillside’s dew-pealed;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his heaven—
All’s right with the world.
—Robert Browning

The verse above reveals the sort of unbridled optimism for which Browning was sometimes chastised in his lifetime. Browning speaks of a majestic awe and perfection in the universe as if he is saying to us, Take a look around you. Everything is just as it should be. But we know better. We are well into fall and the leaves have fallen from the trees, we’ve raked the leaves as though they cluttered the view of the dead grass, the first frost has come and gone, and the lark’s song has disappeared. This morning we may not feel awe as much as may feel awful.

Rather than seeing ourselves as connected to this world, we often feel we are in it to push it around and make it conform to us and our view of perfection. Rather than accepting it, we twist it to feed our ego, creating havoc, imbalance, and what we than call imperfection. Then the ultimate iron, we blame God for the very conditions we create out of the real perfection that is our gift from God. The fall has its beauty along with the frost and the leaves that cover our grass.

Jesus was particularly good at accepting the world for what it is and the people who inhabit it. He spoke to people of the importance of loving God, one another and ourselves as a means of making the crooked paths straight, bringing low the powerful and exalting the impoverished (Luke 1:46ff). He chastised those who kept trying to perfect the world by loading rule after rule which neither they nor anyone else could keep (Matthew 23:1ff).

Okay. Life is not perfect today or any day for that matter, at least by our estimates. God is still in his heaven. There are things around you in which you may be in awe (you have life, you have opportunity, you have support if you reach for it). Give yourself five minutes to contemplate them. Focus only on perfecting your faith to live in an imperfect world. And when the world goes haywire remember that God is the One who will help you perfect the kind of faith you need to deal with it.

Prayer
Gracious God I thank you for your perfect love. Grant that I may take a few moments to contemplate the wonder of your love for me, and the others who care about me. For this day and for the bounty of your love and grace I give thanks in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Special Recognition

2010-11-16T12:55:00.000-08:00

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him,
'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; I want to stay
at your house today.' -Luke 19:5

The red plate is coming out at the Hamon house today. We are celebrating a birthday. We've had the red plate for years. The red plate has an inscription around the brim that says, You are special. I must confess as hokey as it may sound to you, it is something that has become quite a tradition for us.

Everyone likes to be recognized. We like to hear our name and have others notice something we have contributed if it is only another year of life. I believe that is why anniversaries of all sorts are important to us. Anniversaries help us recognize, not only milestones, but who we are and what we do.

Not all recognition is welcomed. Zacchaeus was a tax collector for the occupying Roman government. So, it goes without saying that he was unpopular. I would imagine that the recognition Zacchaeus usually received was negative. He was probably shunned by about everyone except his fellow tax collectors.

Along comes Jesus who gives him some hope that in spite of what he does, God recognizes him as a person of worth. This positive recognition made Zacchaeus happy. In fact it changed his whole life and the way he did business. He did not give up tax collecting, instead continued his career in a way that was fair and just.

I'm not claiming that the red plate will turn my life around. I do know this-it will remind me that I am loved and that alone will help me, at least for this day, to be more loving of others.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminders each day that you care for me. Help me to look for them in the small ways they often appear that I may accept your invitation to be fair and just in my treatment of others. Amen.

P.S. While you're waiting for that recognition from someone else, perhaps there is someone waiting to receive recognition from you.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

It's What's Inside

2010-11-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

Neither do I condemn you. Go your way and do
not sin again. -John 8:11

I heard an old religious man
But yesterday declare
That he found a text to prove
That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair?
-William Butler Yeats

The first quote is from scripture where Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery. It was an act of unconditional love-soul love. The poet Yeats speaks of the same thing-looking beyond the exterior to the interior person.

There is a part of psychology that deals with becoming a self-actualized person. Such a person is so comfortable with themselves that they do notice appearances but see only the unfolding of God in each person they encounter. I must confess that I have known very few such people over the years. Most of us will notice the yellow hair-whether it is styled or not. We'll notice the earrings and their placement or whether they are dressed properly for the occasion.
Jesus asks us to look beyond that. He looks into the soul of the woman and sees something that is lovely in spite of her unlovely circumstances. It is so with each of us-even when our souls are not what we would wish, God looks into each of us and as St. Augustine wrote, loves us as though we were the only one to be loved.

Each one of us desperately wants to reach a point of being our actual self, at least before God, that we can experience what being loved for our self alone is like. I would imagine when we truly experience that it will be less of a challenge loving others for themselves alone and perhaps less difficult tackling whatever the challenge before us may be.

Prayer
God of grace so let me set before you my soul with all of its light and dark hues that I may experience this day your love for me, meet the challenge that is before me, and so seek to love others in the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

What Does Your Heart Think?

2010-11-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

As a person thinks in their heart, so they are. -Proverbs 23:7

It is interesting to see how many times Jesus uses the word think in the gospels.

Think not that I have come to destroy . . . .
What are you thinking in your hearts?
You think in these you have eternal life?

Jesus says a lot about what we think in our hearts. Where our hearts/minds are there will be our treasure. Where our hearts/minds are will determine what comes out of our mouths. Where our hearts/minds are will say a great deal about who is our real God. Jesus knew to be true about us what the poet wrote, My mind to me a kingdom is.

What we think and how we think determines our response to both opportunities and challenges. If we have decided that we shall think in terms of compassion, when we feel compassion fatigue, our thinking will enable us to be compassionate. If we have decided in a thoughtful way to be forgiving, then when we set out on its path forgiveness will be our eventual destination. If we have decided to follow Christ, then when the challenges of life assail us, we will keep Christ as our companion even though we may stray.

So how are you thinking today? What decisions in the midst of opportunities and challenges will reveal where your mind/heart ultimately rests?

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what
is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. -Romans 12:2

Prayer
Gracious God be in my mind and in my understanding. Instill in me this day a right way of thinking that in the midst of the challenges of the day, I may serve you with all heart, soul, and mind to the glory of Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Have Mercy

2010-10-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. -Matthew 5:7

Nothing new about this teaching of Jesus. We have heard so many sermons over the years praising the qualities of mercy. Shakespeare celebrates it in Hamlet:

The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest,-
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:

We read and hear the altruism in the words of the poet and of scripture, and we embrace it in the general, but find it so difficult in the particular.

By the particular I mean the couple who has abused their child; hearing our son confess their abuse of alcohol; hearing that our daughter understands sexual activity more permissively than we do; learning that our neighbor has embezzled funds from their employer; reading that another government employee has been arrested for this or that offense. The list goes on.

Could it be that God meant mercy for certain sincerely penitent people or for everyone who has personally offended us? I think it was a pretty universal mercy he was talking about-everyone, who upon confession, is deserved of punishment. Jesus understood what Shakespeare expressed that mercy frees the one who offers it perhaps more than the one who receives it.

I'll wager that today somewhere in the midst of it, you will be challenged to extend mercy whether at your place of work, among your family, on the road, or in something you see or read. Jesus knew that extending mercy frees us from the sadness of carrying an eternal torch of punishment and judgment. Jesus knew that when we show mercy we are in possession of one of God's greatest attributes.

Prayer
Gracious God this gate to life is so narrow and the road so hard that I wonder at times if I can travel it. Alone, I know I cannot. With you I know all things are possible-even an act of mercy to one I may feel is quite undeserving in the name of Jesus. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Aim High

2010-10-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there", and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. -Matthew 17:20

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. -Michelangelo

Michelangelo lived a few days shy of eighty-nine years, still sculpting, painting, writing, and designing. When I see the size, the majesty, the spirit of his statue of David it is a work of hope. When he was asked how he could create such a masterpiece, he replied that David was already in the marble, he simply had to chip away the excess to allow him to escape. I believe sculptors are that way. They are people of hope who aim high.

We have read or heard quoted this passage of scripture where Jesus talks about mustard seed faith and wonder-how can such faith be possible. I believe the point of Jesus, like Michelangelo, was to aim high-see the possibility in the mountain before us and with God's help release the hope within it.

I see people do this who face incredible odds. We have witnessed the people working in the Chilean mountains as they tried to release the miners, exhibit this kind of hope. A pessimist might look at the challenge and throw up their hands in despair. Others looked at the mountain and saw in it the possibility for the miners to be released from it. And they were.

Okay, perhaps you are facing a mountain of challenge today. Aim high. Try to vision the hope in the midst of it that is trying to be released. The mountain may not move, but I'll bet something can be released from it that will free you from the despair that otherwise might entrap you.

Prayer
Gracious God, help me to look at the challenges of this day with faith sufficient to work with you lest I fail to see the hope that may be waiting to be released. Help me to remember that in my own life you are the potter and I am the clay. Mold me this day after your will in the name of Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Patience

2010-10-11T20:57:00.001-07:00

.. . . these are the ones who, when they hear the word [of God] hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance. -Luke 8:15

Infinite patience produces immediate results -from A course in Miracles

Both of these quotes address what is perhaps an attribute which many of us lack-patience. I hear more people wishing for patience than perhaps anything else. This desire for patience arises in a conversation when we are usually discussing issues around work and family. It often has to do with wanting to have something in our time rather than the time it will take for the topic in question to mature.

Several years ago a parishioner was telling me about their little boy. It seems the child was eager to plant a garden. Among those things he planted were radishes. As the first green leaves of the radish plants began to sprout, the little boy got very excited. His patience began to wane as he awaited the plant's further emergence. When it did not happen in his time, he started pulling on the leaves. He pulled so hard that the tender plant came up with no radishes on the end.

There is an Oriental proverb which says, With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown. It the throes of wanting our children to hurry up, we would do well to remember this. Like the plant we place in the ground some things by nature are geared to their own time rather than ours.

Jesus was talking about the patient endurance of nurturing our faith. The statement is drawn from his parable about the farmer who planted seeds. Sometimes we treat our faith like the little boy treated his radish. We want a stronger faith and as soon as we begin to see it emerge we believe it ought to be ready for anything that comes our way. So we stop feeding it and when the winds and rains of challenge and doubt assail us, there is nothing there to sustain us.

The playwright was essentially saying the same thing though it sounds quite contradictory on the surface. Infinite patience continues to build a reservoir of patience such that when the challenge comes we have the immediate reserves to draw from in order to meet them. Like plants, faith needs an enduring patience that feeds it daily if it is to bear the kind of fruit we need in tougher times.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, may I allow sufficient time today to nourish my faith with prayer and reflection that I may have the faith needed for the challenges of life. In the name of Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

2010-10-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

For just as the body without the spirit is dead; so faith without works is also dead. —James 2:26

There should be less talk; a preaching point is not a meeting point. What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone’s house. That says enough. —Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa, the diminutive spiritual giant who worked daily in the streets of Calcutta, seeing Jesus Christ in all of his distressing disguises, as she put it, offers us some profound wisdom. Words that are not backed by action as James says become simply a preaching point. If we want to make a point, we may need to create a meeting point with new and effective behavior.

The old aphorism, I hear, I forget; I see, I remember; I do, I understand, applies not only when we want to learn, but also to how we wish to be treated (Matthew 7:12). The most effective way to teach anyone what we would like them to know is through behavior, not words. The music teacher cannot teach us to sing by telling us how it is done—they must help us use our voice which gives birth to the notes. Eventually the student in driver’s education has to get out of the classroom and behind the wheel.

Our children will more often than not do as we do rather than as we say, which causes many of us a lot of frustration when they emulate those traits we do not like in ourselves. Someone said this experience is best expressed by the phrase, What you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you say. This point was vividly made one evening when watching a person being interviewed utter some of the most belittling, near hateful words toward those with whom she disagreed while wearing a cross around her neck.

We can preach the unconditional love of God for humankind, but if we are hateful or resentful toward those who see faith and life different than we do, then our words belie our actions. The scripture puts it this way:

Those who say ‘I love God’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for
those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love
God whom they have not seen. —1 John 4:20

Prayer
Almighty God you will come to me this day in some pretty distressing disguises. Help me to meet you, disguised as you may be, in such a way that I will be to them a word of grace and hope. In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

What Really Matters

2010-09-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

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

Do Unto Others

2010-09-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

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

The Wonder of the Real World

2010-09-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

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

A Call Back to Church

2010-09-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

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

Summer Break to Feed the Soul

2010-07-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

I will be taking a break for the next two months. It is a joy to share my insights with you, but also a challenge. Since these writings arise from my own soulful journey, I need to be sure that I take the necessary time to feed and care for it. So, I'll be using this time for reading and reflection.

In the meantime, let me suggest some passages of scripture that might be helpful for reflection and prayer each week:

July 6th - Matthew 5:1-12
July 12th - Matthew 6:25-34
July 19th - Matthew 7:7-12
July 26th - Matthew 6:19-24
August 2nd - Psalm 84
August 9th - Psalm 24
August 16th - Philippians 4:4-9
August 23rd - Colossians 3:12-17
August 30th - Luke 15:11-32

Don't forget your weekly appointment with the community of faith. See you in worship!

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Don't Make Comparisons

2010-06-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

A parishioner exited the sanctuary several years ago after a sermon that obviously resonated with them and asked, "Now how will you top that one?" One of the great dangers for appreciation of the moment is comparison. We could make it difficult to enjoy a present vacation, for example, because we may be constantly measuring it against another one. We could make it difficult to enjoy what may be good about our present job because we are comparing it to another. Or, it may be difficult for us to enjoy our present church because we are comparing it to another. Well, I could go on and you probably will, but you get my point.

I believe that is exactly why Jesus didn't want Peter, James, and John to build a booth to commemorate their experience when Jesus was transfigured (Mark 9:2ff). Jesus didn't want them to measure all future events against this one.

I would imagine that if you are struggling today one of the reasons may be that you are comparing this day to another or what you may now be doing to something else you'd rather be doing. Try looking at this day or what you are doing without making a comparison. So this day may not be as lovely as last Friday, but you are alive and able to enjoy what may be good about it. What you may now be doing may not be as glamorous or enjoyable as what you were doing on Tuesday, but you are able to perform the task.

Try some of the following:

- Use your own personal index for evaluating yourself and your performance. "Am I content with myself?" Rather than I'm not as good as my colleague.
- When you find yourself in the old habit of comparison stop right in the moment and catch yourself. Rather than condemning yourself for performing different than someone else rephrase, this is how I perform and I'm fine with it.
- Try to enjoy the unique gifts of each of your children rather than comparing them.
- In the midst of a task you may not enjoy compared to another one you do, try to remind yourself that at least you can do this task.

Prayer
I give thanks Lord for this day-that I am able to experience it-good and bad. Grant me the self-esteem I need to avoid comparing it to any other day lest I miss what joy I may discover today. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Remembering Our Father

2010-06-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

We're coming off a Father's Day that I pray was a good one. I know it is a time for me to give thanks for my children who made me a father, and for the gift of my father-limited those his time was on earth. I enjoyed his legacy to me of humor, generosity, faith, and courage.

I know not everyone's memory of their father is good. I am sad that this is true. I read a book several years ago that helped me understand the way one person dealt with their father when memories of him were not good. She started thinking of the good traits that were a part of his life. What motivated her to do this was realizing that if she could not remember the good ones, she could not own some of those same good traits in herself (The Wounded Woman by Linda Leonard).

I am glad that Jesus came into this world to show us a more loving side to the fatherhood of God. If we had only the First Testament as a guide we would have to work harder at finding these traits about God. It wasn't that God was not loving then, it was simply that people's view of God was incomplete and often thwarted by their own views of themselves.

Jesus shows us clearly a fatherly side of God that is at once strong and gracious. Indeed, it is a terrific model of dads today-strong and gracious. When we think about it, grace takes a lot of strength. Grace does not arise from a position of weakness. Strength and grace arises out of viewing others and ourselves with a sense of respect and gratitude.

So, I pray if your experience with your father was not all good, you'll at least try to remember some of the traits there were, so that you can own those good traits in yourself. At the same time let go of those fatherly images of God that make God harsh and weak. Replace those images with the fatherly God of Jesus who is strong enough to forgive even the most disappointing of us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father I give you thanks for your strength and grace. Let me bask in it, if only for these moments, that I might see those same traits in myself. In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Life Eternal

2010-06-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!—
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Longfellow wrote this verse as a part of his quest for a connection to God. He had lost two wives to untimely deaths, and longed for spiritual relief. Indeed, the poetry he wrote during the last twenty years of his life reflects this quest. These two parts from his poem A Psalm of Life indicates that in spite of the tragedies that befell him, he ultimately came to understand that life does not end at the grave.

The apostle Paul who also incurred a great deal of suffering during his life concluded the same thing. Paul wrote as he reflected on his suffering:

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our
inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction
is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond measure, because we look
not at what can be seen but what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is
temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
—2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Again, that great resurrection hymn resounds:

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

If that is not enough, we have witnessed one of the most glorious springs in recent memory! The beauty of it has done much to release us from the sting of winter. If God has so created the world around us, how much more does our God give the gift of life and hope to his children.

Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for this day. Life is real. Life is earnest. Let your grace enter in and bring healing to whatever may sting our souls for they are yours and we are your children. Alleluia! Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Sacrificial Giving

2010-06-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

So Easy a Saved Man Can Do It

. . . they gave themselves first to the Lord . . .

Pastor Bob led us in a great Bible study at our last campaign rally from 2 Corinthians 8. The apostle Paul was encouraging a reluctant Corinthian church to let go of some of their cash (which they had in greater abundance than other congregations), for the sake of helping the less fortunate. He was using as an example of generosity the churches of Macedonia.

What is striking about this passage is that Paul says their generosity began by first giving themselves to the Lord. That is where any action of faith must begin—by first giving ourselves to God. No act of sacrifice for the sake of this church or any other will happen without first giving ourselves to the Lord.

I think that sounds a little frightening to some of us. I sometimes wonder if being a member of a church without giving ourselves totally to the Lord is safer. Yet giving ourselves totally to the Lord is one of the safest things we can do. Paul tries to remind us of this when he wrote that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose (Romans 8:28). Even when paying down the debt on our beautiful facilities.

So, as we consider what sacrifices we are willing to make, let’s first give ourselves totally to the Lord and see what wondrous things he can make happen through us.

Equal sacrifice—not equal gifts

Mac Hamon, senior pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

2010-06-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Day

You wake with
no aches
in the arms
of your beloved
to smell the fresh coffee,
you eat a giant breakfast
with no thought
of carbs.
there is time to read
with a purring cat on your lap.
later you walk by the ocean
with your dog
on this cut crystal day,
your favorite music and the sun
fill your house.
a short delicious nap
under a fleece throw
comes later
and the phone doesn’t ring.
at dusk you roast a chicken,
bake bread, make an exquisite
chocolate cake
for some friends
you’ve been missing.
someone brings you an
unexpected present,
and the wine is just right with the food.
after a wonderful party
you sink into sleep
in a clean nightgown
in fresh sheets;
your sweetheart doesn’t snore
and in your dreams
an old piece of sadness
drifts away.
—Alice Persons

Prayer

Almighty God this day may not be perfect, but I know your presence can make it better. Let me dream a little about what might be, yet not lose what is lest I miss the presence of your grace while I work this day and sleep tonight. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

You can't take it with you

2010-06-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

It’s so easy a saved man can do it

. . . . for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take
nothing out of it . . . for the love of money is the root of all
kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have
wandered away form the faith. . . .
—1 Timothy 6:7, 10

Both of these verses from Paul’s letter to the young, aspiring pastor Timothy are quoted in various and sundry ways—often incorrectly. For example we hear someone say that money is the root of all evil rather than the love of money. The word for love in the Greek that is used in this passage is sacrificial love—the kind of love reserved for God.

What the apostle Paul is trying to teach Timothy is that money as a god is a pretty weak one. It is weak because we cannot take it with us when we die. It is weak because it often ruins our lives as we chase after it. Its strength is only in the way we can use it generously for the sake and help of others. With it [we] are to do good, [be] generous and ready to share (vs. 18).

Paul’s emphasis on how we are to treat the things of this world is on how we might use them in ways that enables us to focus eternity. It is easy in the midst of our daily tasks to forget that we are children whose life in this world is very brief. One day we shall be asked to give an account of what our life has said is our real God. When we sacrifice some of the things of this world, it is a discipline that keeps our material wealth in a proper perspective.

Equal sacrifice—not equal gifts

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

Beauty and Truth

2010-06-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
To live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.
—Psalm 27:4

Emerson described beauty as “God’s handwriting—a wayside sacrament.” I’ve contemplated this idea of beauty during one of the most magnificent springs I have witnessed in recent memory. It is as though after a harsh and dark winter, God’s handwriting has appeared in spectacular form. It has been at times almost sacramental for me—the very presence of drinking it in has been a religious experience of grace and truth.

John Keats was a poet who equated beauty with truth. For Keats truth was that which was real for you. Ultimate truth would be that which is ultimately real. For the Psalmist ultimate truth was connected with ultimate beauty and reality—beholding God in the world around and especially questing for God in his house.

Every time I see a rhododendron that survives the harshness of winter and thrives beyond imagination, I see God’s truth and beauty. Every time I hear our choir sing Beautiful Savior the truth and beauty of the words and music make Jesus more real. When I hear the band rock out on Grace is Enough the truth and beauty of God’s salvific presence stirs my soul.

I really don’t have to wait to behold the beauty and truth of the Lord—it is all around me. God’s handwriting and sacramental presence can only be missed if I am too busy to notice. The loss is mine when that happens. Today, make the poetic observation of the Psalmist bloom beautifully in your life. Examine what good is most real for you. Look for the beauty and truth of God’s handwriting in what might be considered the ordinary—the dandelion struggling upward through a crack in the sidewalk, the miracle of color and sight, the joy of taste, all God’s handwriting in life.

Prayer
Creator God, I give thanks for the truth and beauty of your presence. May I take the time during this day to behold your handwriting and drink of the sacrament of your presence in all that surrounds me. Amen.

Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
06.01.10

2010-05-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

So easy a caveman can do it—sacrifice

I have always marveled at the primitive church as it, almost euphorically, sought to establish itself. There was such marvel, wonder, and trust among them that generosity and sacrifice was the rule of the day.

One of the places we read about this generosity and trust is Acts 4:32-37. There were many such acts, but one in particular was noted—Barnabas’. Barnabas, which means son of encouragement, sold a piece of property, and brought the money to the apostles. The humility and trust of his offering is given emphasis in the scriptures by noting that Barnabas laid [the money] at the apostles feet (vs. 37).

I remember the man in my congregation years ago who borrowed what then was a large sum of money and gave it to the church for a building program we were starting. While I would not encourage anyone to borrow money, it was an indication of the sacrifice he was willing to make. I remember the student at another congregation who gave a semester’s tuition to a building program.

Our trust is that God will use our sacrificial efforts to strengthen this community of faith. Barnabas went on to become the stalwart companion of the apostle Paul. The student went on to become an advisor to one of our Presidents. The man who borrowed the money retired and lived a simple but full life.

God is good and will honor whatever sacrifices we make.

Equal sacrifice—not equal gifts

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
05.25.10

2010-05-25T05:45:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 24, 2010

So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
- Matthew 10:31

The phrase fear not or do not be afraid or have no fear appears three times in this short passage in Matthew 10:26-31. Various sources indicate that some form of the phrase fear not appears 365 times in the Bible—an encouragement for every day of the year.

I have written several times in Castleviews over the last few years about not being afraid. Certainly fear is a normal part of life. I don’t think the scriptures are saying never be afraid, but don’t fear the wrong things. In this passage in Matthew Jesus says, Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

In the most recent Newsweek (May 24 & 31, 2010) on the last page there is a list of the kinds of things people fear. Across from the list of those things we fear most is another list that generates far less fear yet has more potential for damage. Among those listed were 2.2 million burglaries versus 8.3 million identity thefts; 33 Americans killed by terrorist attacks verses 36,171 who die from seasonal flu; etc.

The point is made both by this scripture and this article that we often fear the wrong things. Jesus was making the same point—we fear for our bodies but not our souls. We so easily forget that these souls of ours are eternal—handle with care.

So, today care for your soul by laying aside some fear that has gripped you for too long. Lay that fear in the lap of God and let God care for it. As the scripture says, God is love . . . and there is no fear in love, but perfect love (the love God has for us) casts out fear (1 John 4:8, 18).

Prayer
Almighty and loving God, the world is ever with me and seems to shout in my ear that I should be afraid. Help me to be aware this day of your perfect love that I may lay aside my fears and serve you to the glory of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
05.24.10