Read: Psalm 23 & Matthew 6:25-34
Overwhelmed
Fifth of Five Sundays in the Series: Life Changes
So many of our lives reflect the old story of the straw that broke the camel’s back. You remember, the owner kept loading the poor camel down with one straw after another until that one last straw was too much for the beast to bear. I have never personally worked around a camel, much less loaded one with straw. However, I have worked in environments that were almost unbearable. And we have all felt like we have bent under the weight of one too many problems or tasks.
The straw may be damaged family relationships, or job related stressors. We may find our straw to be of our own making or stacking. We may be guilty of piling on, both ourselves and others around us. Can we find a way to rethink the ways we carry our loads? Can we lighten up a little and keep moving forward? What does God have to say about our heavy burdens?
Author Max Lucado does a fine job of re-thinking the 23rd Psalm in a way which allows us to un-pack and un-pile our lives. He maintains we all attempt to lug around loads of stuff, baggage, we were never intended to carry. I think he is right. In addition the reading from Matthew finds Jesus in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount offering the disciples a new way to live. Jesus offers freedom from worry and baggage which is timely and refreshing for us to hear. I read this week that the most suicides occur on the Monday following the last Sunday in January every year. It has been a long cold winter already and we need to lighten up just a bit. Try smiling, even if you do not feel like it.
Book: Traveling Light. Max Lucado. 2001. W Publishing Group. Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear: The Promise of the 23rd Psalm.
And Yes, I believe we can move just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Psalm 23 & Matthew 6:25-34
Sermon Title: “The Camel’s Broken Back”
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Thoughts Leading to January 27
Read: Genesis 12:1-9 & Matthew 4:18-22 Another Move Fourth of Five Sundays in the Series: Life Changes
Our mobile society moves more than any society in history. This life change carries considerable stress. Moving to a new place carries with it financial, emotional and physical stress. We discount the time involved in finding our way in a new place and as such discount the very people who move with us, say goodbye and hello to us. Moving is regrettable but is currently a large and stressful part of our life change experiences.
Mobility of society dictates that we will be a mobile people, not unlike the tribal nurture of the early patriarchs of the Bible who were tent dwellers and nomadic. Even the apostle Paul in the NT was a tent maker and moved from place to place based on God's call. Jesus calls the disciples who leave family and home to follow him. We consider the many types of moves we will make in our lifetime; new room at home, college or apartment, military service, marriage and family growth and grief, job changes and moves, retirements, assisted living arrangements with or without family. All these moves tend to be frequent and solitary. Biblical moves surely have a word for us. Even moving to a new seat in the sanctuary can offer a glimpse of the stress of moving . We can identify some common stress themes and also some healing themes in just such a silly move as changing where we sit.
Movie: Go see “The Bucket List” and consider how we adapt through seasons of change. Or rent the old movie, “Funny Farm” and laugh about everything that can go wrong when moving.
And Yes, I believe we can move just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Genesis 12:1-9 God Calls Abram to Canaan & Matthew 4:18-22 Jesus Calls the Disciples
Sermon Title: “Another Move”
Our mobile society moves more than any society in history. This life change carries considerable stress. Moving to a new place carries with it financial, emotional and physical stress. We discount the time involved in finding our way in a new place and as such discount the very people who move with us, say goodbye and hello to us. Moving is regrettable but is currently a large and stressful part of our life change experiences.
Mobility of society dictates that we will be a mobile people, not unlike the tribal nurture of the early patriarchs of the Bible who were tent dwellers and nomadic. Even the apostle Paul in the NT was a tent maker and moved from place to place based on God's call. Jesus calls the disciples who leave family and home to follow him. We consider the many types of moves we will make in our lifetime; new room at home, college or apartment, military service, marriage and family growth and grief, job changes and moves, retirements, assisted living arrangements with or without family. All these moves tend to be frequent and solitary. Biblical moves surely have a word for us. Even moving to a new seat in the sanctuary can offer a glimpse of the stress of moving . We can identify some common stress themes and also some healing themes in just such a silly move as changing where we sit.
Movie: Go see “The Bucket List” and consider how we adapt through seasons of change. Or rent the old movie, “Funny Farm” and laugh about everything that can go wrong when moving.
And Yes, I believe we can move just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Genesis 12:1-9 God Calls Abram to Canaan & Matthew 4:18-22 Jesus Calls the Disciples
Sermon Title: “Another Move”
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Scripture Reading for Sunday January 20, 2008
Read: Philemon 1 Family Changes - Third of Five Sundays in the Series: Life Changes
Families now have to learn how to cope as fast as the changes coming towards them. Learning to balance this new skill along with the multitude of normal family building skills is possible, but difficult. How can we lower the learning curve and encourage stress reduction by acquiring new coping skills?
Using Philemon to Biblically balance family transitions may seem a stretch, but as we look at the context and focus of Paul's words we find they are very close to offering the same coping skills we will need to keep our families intact in a digital age of change. Life is moving so quickly that families are asked to change their family leadership priorities and skill sets on the fly with little or no accountability from the "experts." However, there appears to be some unchanging Biblical foundations found in Philemon which can give us a place to stand and move from as we embrace some new practices needed to keep pace with a mobile and digital society. Some of those foundations are: willingness to embrace change in others, in self, and a willingness to go home again. Forgiveness and acceptance are key pieces of this foundation as are communication and role identity. Powerful stuff.
BOOK: Families and Change: Coping With Stressful Events and Transitions, Patrick McKenry & Sharon Price Third Edition, Sage Publications Inc. (A text book for college classes, but useful ideas and suggestions)
And Yes, I believe we can move just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Philemon 1:1-21
Sermon Title: “Digital Families”
Families now have to learn how to cope as fast as the changes coming towards them. Learning to balance this new skill along with the multitude of normal family building skills is possible, but difficult. How can we lower the learning curve and encourage stress reduction by acquiring new coping skills?
Using Philemon to Biblically balance family transitions may seem a stretch, but as we look at the context and focus of Paul's words we find they are very close to offering the same coping skills we will need to keep our families intact in a digital age of change. Life is moving so quickly that families are asked to change their family leadership priorities and skill sets on the fly with little or no accountability from the "experts." However, there appears to be some unchanging Biblical foundations found in Philemon which can give us a place to stand and move from as we embrace some new practices needed to keep pace with a mobile and digital society. Some of those foundations are: willingness to embrace change in others, in self, and a willingness to go home again. Forgiveness and acceptance are key pieces of this foundation as are communication and role identity. Powerful stuff.
BOOK: Families and Change: Coping With Stressful Events and Transitions, Patrick McKenry & Sharon Price Third Edition, Sage Publications Inc. (A text book for college classes, but useful ideas and suggestions)
And Yes, I believe we can move just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Philemon 1:1-21
Sermon Title: “Digital Families”
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Scripture for Sunday January 13, 2008
Read: 1 Corinthians 13
Beyond Love Second of Five Sundays in the Series: Life Changes
Changes in our relationships, both positive and negative, cause us to feel the stress of this life change. It is easy to forget our Christian base from which all relationships have depth and meaning. We need reminding of these principals to keep them always in view in all our relationships.
...The Greek language has three words for love, which enable us to distinguish Christian love (agape) from passionate devotion (eras) and warm affection (philia). Jesus did not tell his disciples to fall in love with their enemies or to feel for them as they felt for their families and friends. Agape is a gracious, determined, and active interest in the true welfare of others, which is not deterred even by hatred, cursing, and abuse, not limited by calculation of results or limitations, based solely on the nature of God. Love does not retaliate, seeks no reward, and does not insist on it's own way.
We must go beyond what the world claims is love in our relationships, all the way to agape love. This is our task and it is difficult. Our lives will always be receiving new relationships and letting go of others too painful to hold. This Christian focus of agape love allows us to move with less stress in the midst of our life changes by offering a single purpose of life, not based in our personal needs or wants, but a full re-creating of God's love for us.
If you can, review these books to prepare for this topic:
Book: What's Agape Got to Do With It?, L.A. Wilkerson, GOSHEN PUB HOUSE. 2001. Cokesbury $8.80
My hope is you will consider inviting a friend who needs to hear a honest word about relationships and just how we can move beyond what the world calls love. Yes, I believe we can move just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13
Sermon Title: “Beyond Love”
Beyond Love Second of Five Sundays in the Series: Life Changes
Changes in our relationships, both positive and negative, cause us to feel the stress of this life change. It is easy to forget our Christian base from which all relationships have depth and meaning. We need reminding of these principals to keep them always in view in all our relationships.
...The Greek language has three words for love, which enable us to distinguish Christian love (agape) from passionate devotion (eras) and warm affection (philia). Jesus did not tell his disciples to fall in love with their enemies or to feel for them as they felt for their families and friends. Agape is a gracious, determined, and active interest in the true welfare of others, which is not deterred even by hatred, cursing, and abuse, not limited by calculation of results or limitations, based solely on the nature of God. Love does not retaliate, seeks no reward, and does not insist on it's own way.
We must go beyond what the world claims is love in our relationships, all the way to agape love. This is our task and it is difficult. Our lives will always be receiving new relationships and letting go of others too painful to hold. This Christian focus of agape love allows us to move with less stress in the midst of our life changes by offering a single purpose of life, not based in our personal needs or wants, but a full re-creating of God's love for us.
If you can, review these books to prepare for this topic:
Book: What's Agape Got to Do With It?, L.A. Wilkerson, GOSHEN PUB HOUSE. 2001. Cokesbury $8.80
My hope is you will consider inviting a friend who needs to hear a honest word about relationships and just how we can move beyond what the world calls love. Yes, I believe we can move just a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13
Sermon Title: “Beyond Love”
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