Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday January 07, 2007
Jonah 1-4
There is a difference between a New Years resolution, hoping for change, and a fresh start, making change really happen. That difference might be understood as a big chasm between where we are now and where we know we should be. How do we get to the other side? Are we trapped with no way to move closer to becoming the person God created? A fresh start is in order.
Life change happens in climates that allow and foster change. We must change the climate as we begin to make change in our lives or we will revert back to our old ways and fail once again. I taught a Bible Study in Pod H of the Pott. Co. Jail for over a year. I quickly learned that the brothers being released were usually sullen and sometimes weeping in despair on what I assumed would be a happy day. They wept because they knew they could not go back to their old climate and survive. They also knew they did not possess the skill to magically make a new climate appear around them. They did not have the ability to make the jump across the chasm. Theirs is a difficult situation to which we can all relate.
We must have some outside source of hope to bridge the gap. Hope changes the climate. We find hope in our faith, our relationships with those who care for our wellbeing and by a change of life systems that provide a new set of boundaries and rules for us to follow. This is dangerous work. Some folks close to you will not embrace change in your climate. Do not be surprised by attempts to sabotage. Change in your climate will change theirs also. Consider what would happen if one day you decided to take control of the thermostat and change the temperature in your house. Climate change, even that change leading quickly to hope, needs to be planned and communicated.
Jonah is an interesting Biblical focus for this topic. Jonah wanted no change. He ran from God. After going through a terrible ordeal almost leading to his death he accepted God’s invitation to speak the prophetic word. Even as the story closes Jonah does not fully embraced the God’s hopeful plan for the world. And yet, there is a bridging of the gap in this story and we find a hopeful climate emerging which brings us all just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Jonah 1:1-4; 2:1-3 The Message
Sermon Title: “FRESH Start”
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Thoughts for December 31, 2006
Sunday December 31, 2006
Scripture Readings Leading to
Matthew 1:18-2:23 The Magi Rescue Jesus
Luke 9:18-36 Transfiguration
What to preach on the last day of the year? I am led to this passage from Matthew’s gospel which outlines the saving action of the Magi who came to honor and bless the child. These fellows were star watchers and had invested quite a bit of themselves into predicting the future. They were looking for the child who would become a king. Their search was to follow a peculiar star which led them to the very spot where the found Jesus. All of this seems so unexpected. But in a larger sense isn’t that how God works even today in our lives. I think so.
I also want to offer to you a sneak peak ahead into the FRESH sermon series beginning the first Sunday in January. There are seven sermons in this extended series and each deals with another aspect of how we go about making change in our lives in one of five areas: Finances, Relationships, Emotions, Spirituality, and Health.
On January 7 we will look at how we can make change happen. We may know what to do but feel unable to make the jump to start and maintain that new habit. On January 14 I will be about getting our finances into a Biblical perspective and working toward appropriate goals. The following Sunday we will focus on Relationships and we will take a hard look at the role of sacrifice. Next we will visit about emotions and ways we can work toward lives full of meaning even when feeling challenged. On February 4 we will take a fresh look at deepening our spiritual disciplines and walking closer to God than we ever imagined. Next we will take a look at our health and how we can make simple changes to profoundly effect our ability to eliminate physical restrictions and open new possibilities. In part, this particular week will be a personal testimony of my last 3 months to make the very changes I am suggesting are Biblical and possible for all of us. I will finish the series with a Sunday to suggest ways we can finish well in all the areas of our lives experiencing change.
I expect these will be a very powerful days here at Salem. I hope you will plan to make every effort to attend and bring a friend as we these days will surely bring us all just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-23
Sermon Title: “The Unexpected”
Scripture Readings Leading to
Matthew 1:18-2:23 The Magi Rescue Jesus
Luke 9:18-36 Transfiguration
What to preach on the last day of the year? I am led to this passage from Matthew’s gospel which outlines the saving action of the Magi who came to honor and bless the child. These fellows were star watchers and had invested quite a bit of themselves into predicting the future. They were looking for the child who would become a king. Their search was to follow a peculiar star which led them to the very spot where the found Jesus. All of this seems so unexpected. But in a larger sense isn’t that how God works even today in our lives. I think so.
I also want to offer to you a sneak peak ahead into the FRESH sermon series beginning the first Sunday in January. There are seven sermons in this extended series and each deals with another aspect of how we go about making change in our lives in one of five areas: Finances, Relationships, Emotions, Spirituality, and Health.
On January 7 we will look at how we can make change happen. We may know what to do but feel unable to make the jump to start and maintain that new habit. On January 14 I will be about getting our finances into a Biblical perspective and working toward appropriate goals. The following Sunday we will focus on Relationships and we will take a hard look at the role of sacrifice. Next we will visit about emotions and ways we can work toward lives full of meaning even when feeling challenged. On February 4 we will take a fresh look at deepening our spiritual disciplines and walking closer to God than we ever imagined. Next we will take a look at our health and how we can make simple changes to profoundly effect our ability to eliminate physical restrictions and open new possibilities. In part, this particular week will be a personal testimony of my last 3 months to make the very changes I am suggesting are Biblical and possible for all of us. I will finish the series with a Sunday to suggest ways we can finish well in all the areas of our lives experiencing change.
I expect these will be a very powerful days here at Salem. I hope you will plan to make every effort to attend and bring a friend as we these days will surely bring us all just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-23
Sermon Title: “The Unexpected”
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Thoughts for December 24, 2006
Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday December 24, 2006
Luke 2:1-20 The Birth of Jesus
Acts 14 Paul in Lystra
The Birth of Jesus, big deal. Matthew offers only seven verses to the birth of the Christ child. He does however give another chapter to the deception needed to flee and thus save the child from the wrath of King Herod. Mark, the first of the gospels written, does not mention the birth of Christ at all. John goes off on a whole separate track of imagery and metaphor sufficing for any sort of a birth narrative.
In contrast, Luke contends he is writing an “orderly account” “after investigating everything from the very beginning.” Luke gives 20 verses to the birth of the child. Twenty verses that offer the story the family of believers have come to cherish and look forward to hearing every year. We never tire of the story. It never ceases to amaze us. We are always ready to once again hear how Mary and Joseph traveled into the Judean hill country to the small community of Bethlehem. Once there, they found no room available for them. Mary gave birth to the child in a crowded cow barn with the awesome glory of God surrounding them. Even the poor shepherds out watching the sheep on the surrounding hillsides were informed of this great news by the angels from heaven who could not keep silent.
Luke makes a place for the story that had no place, so that our hearts might find a place for the child. Perhaps as Kim Brouse said in his sermon at Wednesday’s WOW, “God wanted our hearts to be the place for the Christ child to be born on Christmas.” Yes, I think so.
So as the days slip closer to that day, may we all pause to acknowledge Emmanuel; God with Us. May each of us make room, in our own way, in our own hearts make room for Jesus. The child sent from God changed the world 2000 years ago and is still changing ours today. Make a place, invite the whole family and lets move just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20
Sermon Title: “Make a Place”
Sunday December 24, 2006
Luke 2:1-20 The Birth of Jesus
Acts 14 Paul in Lystra
The Birth of Jesus, big deal. Matthew offers only seven verses to the birth of the Christ child. He does however give another chapter to the deception needed to flee and thus save the child from the wrath of King Herod. Mark, the first of the gospels written, does not mention the birth of Christ at all. John goes off on a whole separate track of imagery and metaphor sufficing for any sort of a birth narrative.
In contrast, Luke contends he is writing an “orderly account” “after investigating everything from the very beginning.” Luke gives 20 verses to the birth of the child. Twenty verses that offer the story the family of believers have come to cherish and look forward to hearing every year. We never tire of the story. It never ceases to amaze us. We are always ready to once again hear how Mary and Joseph traveled into the Judean hill country to the small community of Bethlehem. Once there, they found no room available for them. Mary gave birth to the child in a crowded cow barn with the awesome glory of God surrounding them. Even the poor shepherds out watching the sheep on the surrounding hillsides were informed of this great news by the angels from heaven who could not keep silent.
Luke makes a place for the story that had no place, so that our hearts might find a place for the child. Perhaps as Kim Brouse said in his sermon at Wednesday’s WOW, “God wanted our hearts to be the place for the Christ child to be born on Christmas.” Yes, I think so.
So as the days slip closer to that day, may we all pause to acknowledge Emmanuel; God with Us. May each of us make room, in our own way, in our own hearts make room for Jesus. The child sent from God changed the world 2000 years ago and is still changing ours today. Make a place, invite the whole family and lets move just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20
Sermon Title: “Make a Place”
Monday, December 04, 2006
Thoughts for December 17, 2006
Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday December 17, 2006
John 1 The Meaning of Incarnation
Luke 22:39-46, 23:26-49 The Crucifixion
In the beginning; is how everything starts. The story of creation in Genesis starts this way as does the gospel of John. John was recalling the story of Genesis and wants us to consider Jesus Christ as a part of that creative process. In the beginning has a nice ring to it. It feels comfortable when I say it aloud. In the beginning.
But, What? In the beginning, what? This is our question. Our minds and hearts are open for this question which we struggle to place something into a category such as spiritual, physical, or even meta-physical. What was in the beginning and what was going on? Simply put, Christ was. Jesus Christ was in the beginning and Christ had it “going on.”
When questioned, I find most folks outside the church see Jesus as a nice guy, a good person, who did good things. They see little more. More disturbing to me, I find a growing number of folks inside the church, even some clergy types, who think of Christ as a good prophet or nice role model. When pushed they struggle to find a deeper more profound quality to the life of Christ. My guess is that this is not new, and certainly is the main reason John wrote these words to a young church in hostile world who did not know that Jesus was more than just another nice holy guy.
John is clear. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. Simply put, this nice guy Jesus is God. Yes fully human, but also fully God at the same time. And no place other than in the idea of who created, who kicked off this biggest of all universal bangs, does the idea of Jesus as God become more clear in our understanding. He was in the beginning. Jesus is the co-creator of the universe along with the Father and the Spirit. Wow. All of sudden everything comes into view and I find I am just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: John 1:1-18
Sermon Title: “The One”
Sunday December 17, 2006
John 1 The Meaning of Incarnation
Luke 22:39-46, 23:26-49 The Crucifixion
In the beginning; is how everything starts. The story of creation in Genesis starts this way as does the gospel of John. John was recalling the story of Genesis and wants us to consider Jesus Christ as a part of that creative process. In the beginning has a nice ring to it. It feels comfortable when I say it aloud. In the beginning.
But, What? In the beginning, what? This is our question. Our minds and hearts are open for this question which we struggle to place something into a category such as spiritual, physical, or even meta-physical. What was in the beginning and what was going on? Simply put, Christ was. Jesus Christ was in the beginning and Christ had it “going on.”
When questioned, I find most folks outside the church see Jesus as a nice guy, a good person, who did good things. They see little more. More disturbing to me, I find a growing number of folks inside the church, even some clergy types, who think of Christ as a good prophet or nice role model. When pushed they struggle to find a deeper more profound quality to the life of Christ. My guess is that this is not new, and certainly is the main reason John wrote these words to a young church in hostile world who did not know that Jesus was more than just another nice holy guy.
John is clear. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. Simply put, this nice guy Jesus is God. Yes fully human, but also fully God at the same time. And no place other than in the idea of who created, who kicked off this biggest of all universal bangs, does the idea of Jesus as God become more clear in our understanding. He was in the beginning. Jesus is the co-creator of the universe along with the Father and the Spirit. Wow. All of sudden everything comes into view and I find I am just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: John 1:1-18
Sermon Title: “The One”
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