Sermon (Feb. 14/Ash Wednesday) by Rev. Robert McDowell "A Mind of Its Own"

     Today marks the beginning of Lent. It’s that season on the church calendar that invites us to think about our faith in a more intentional way. 

     Think of the season of Lent as the church’s spiritual boot camp. It’s a grueling six-week work-out. It’s not for the faint of heart. 

     This is why we tend to see more church announcements about bible studies, small groups, and serving opportunities during this time of year. Even preachers work a little harder on their sermons because they know that this is a season where people are more receptive to matters of faith. 

     Think about it. Why else would you be here in church in the middle February and on Valentine’s Day, no less? You could be at home binge watching some really cool shows on Netflix. But, no. You’re here. And when it’s all said and done, you’re going to walk out of here with ashes smudged on your forehead. What a way to spend a weekday!

     So, I’m operating under the assumption that what has brought you here isn’t any clever advertising that we have done on our part to get you here.  You’re here because deep down inside, you know that there is more about your faith that you want to explore, that you NEED to explore. 

     You’re probably here today because as much as we’d like to believe that being a Christian should come naturally, it actually can be the most challenging thing we ever seek to do. 

     This was illustrated very clearly to our family this past summer while we were on vacation. We spent a week at a lake home. The brochure said that our week stay would come with a boat, a golf cart to take get to a nearby restaurant, and several other wonderful amenities, anything you would ever want to enjoy for a peaceful and relaxing vacation away from home. Our daughter and son-in-law were with us. 

     Now, I’m the kind of person who likes to get his money’s worth so on that first day of vacation, I insisted that we take the golf cart to a nearby restaurant. It was an electric cart and the owner told us that it was all juiced up and ready to use. Off we go. 

     Well, about halfway down the road, it started to get slower and slower. Long story short, the four of us had to get out of the cart and push it the remaining way in 90 degree heat and high humidity. The same thing happened on the way back to the lake house. 

     We all joked that it had a mind of its own.

     The next morning, we all got in the pontoon boat for a relaxing ride on the lake. Kind of like the golf cart experience, it stalled in the middle of the lake. Somehow, by the grace of God, we got it to start again, and got it back to the dock. 

     I called the boat owner and told him about it. And these were his exact words. “That thing can have a mind of it’s own.” And he proceeded to rattle off some things I would need to do to the fuel pump so that it wouldn’t stall on us again.

     Because I can be super stubborn, I insisted that we take our chances again. The next day, we went out on the lake again. I did what he told me to do with the fuel pump. Same thing. We stalled in the middle of the lake. By the grace of God, we sputtered our way back to land.

     And so, the theme of last summer’s vacation became, “It has a mind of its own.”

     You know, you and I can become like that golf cart and that pontoon boat. We too, can have a mind of our own where we can be temperamental. We stutter and stall, and fail to be who God designed us to be.

     Ash Wednesday and Lent is a time set apart on the church calendar for us to not have a mind of our own, but to take on the mind of Christ. Our scripture readings for this Ash Wednesday service focus on the importance of training our minds through the practice of spiritual disciplines.

     Matthew talks about giving alms, praying, fasting, and storing up treasures in heaven. The prophet Joel talks about returning to the Lord and gathering with God’s people. The Psalmist talks about confessing our transgressions and allowing God to give us a clean heart and a new and right spirit. 

     All of these disciplines and spiritual practices are ways for us to renew our minds and have a single focus in growing deeper in our faith and have a growing relationship with God. Think of the season of Lent as a seven-week journey in practicing our faith in a very intentional way. 

     As we begin this journey together, here are some practical ways that we can exercise the spiritual disciplines that we read about in our scripture readings.

     The first thing we can do is to attend weekly worship serves. For this season of Lent, we are focusing on seven different robes of Jesus and how each robe can help us grow in becoming more like Christ.

     We started this series last Sunday when we focused on Jesus’ shining robe when he was transfigured in front of his disciples on the mountain. This Sunday, we’re going to look at Jesus’ healing robe and we’re going to offer the opportunity for people to receive the anointing of oil and be healed of any physical, emotional, relational, mental, or spiritual brokenness. 

    For the remaining five Sundays, we will look at Jesus’s serving robe when he washed the disciples’ feet, Jesus’ uniting robe when the soldiers tore his robe apart,  Jesus’ honoring robe, when people spread their robes along his path when he entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus’  redeeming robe when he was placed in a tomb after he died on Good Friday, and Jesus’ living robe when he rose from the grave on Easter Sunday.

     Our Chancel Choir is singing an anthem based on each of these robes during Lent. On Palm Sunday, they will sing a cantata that will include all of these songs. Our worship services during this season of Lent are to help us touch these different robes of Jesus and become more like him.  Attending weekly worship is a great way to grow deeper in our faith.

     The second thing we can do is to sign up for one of our small groups. We offer several small groups that meet on different days, times, and locations. Each small group meets for an hour and 15 minutes and they use the discussion questions from the previous week’s sermon. The discussion questions are designed to help us recognize God’s presence in our lives based on the worship theme. 

     For this season of Lent, our small groups will focus on the worship theme, “Come, Touch the Robe,” which I just spoke about a little bit ago. 

     Our small groups not only help us to think deeper about our faith, but they also are a great way to make new friends in the church, receive and offer encouragement, and pray with and for each other. 

     A third way to help us have the mind of Christ rather than a mind of our own, is to participate in our upcoming Bible Studies and Sunday School classes. You may have noticed that we are offering even more Learning Faith opportunities during this Season of Lent. These are great ways to give our faith a really good work-out.

     How do we grow in having the mind of Christ rather than a mind of our own that can easily stall and sputter? Worship, small groups, Learning Faith opportunities, prayer, scripture, fasting, repentance, giving, and there are many other spiritual disciplines that help us to grow deeper in our faith.

     And then just this thought as we embark on this spiritual boot camp called Lent. A couple of months ago, I was visiting someone in the hospital. This person was in a rehab unit. 

     When I got to this person’s room, he was in the middle of his therapy. A couple of nurses were helping him to walk down the hallway from his room. When he arrived back to his room and made it to his bed, I entered his room to visit with him.

     A few minutes later, a nurse came into the room and reminded him how to do his own therapy there in his room. The nurse then looked over at me while speaking to him and said, “Now, it’s great that your pastor is here to visit with you because encouragement and prayer are important, but I only want you to do the therapy when you don’t have visitors so you won’t be distracted.”

     And then she said something that I’ll never forget and what I want to share with you because I think it totally relates to what God is calling us to do especially as we begin the season of Lent. This nurse said, “The reason I want you to do the therapy when nobody is visiting you is because you need to be totally focused on this. That’s what is going to help you recover.”

     “You need to be totally focused on this.”

     I think those are good words for us on this Ash Wednesday. We need to be totally focused if we truly want to grow deeper in our faith and have the mind of Christ. And we can have the mind of Christ by practicing the spiritual disciplines of our faith.

     We need to be totally focused in practicing these spiritual disciplines so that we can have the mind of Christ. 

     Like the nurse said, “You need to be totally focused on this.”

Pastoral Prayer (Feb. 11/Transfiguration Sunday) Athens First UMC

[Yesterday was Scout Sunday at our church. The scouts did a great job of helping to lead worship and serving as greeters. They are a blessing to our church! Also, when the pastor comes down with an illness the night before worship, it’s always great when someone can fill in even though it’s short notice. A big thank you to our Office Manager/Communications Director, Jenaye Hill for filling in by preaching and leading the worship services. She did a great job! Click here for the sermon.]

Dear God, we are wearing many different styles of clothing today. We’re wearing suits and ties, jeans and T-shirt’s, dresses and slacks, scout uniforms and choir robes. Thank you that we are a church where all are welcome and where outward appearances are not nearly as important as who we are on the inside. 

And so dear God, help us to not worry so much about what we wear on the outside but if we are wearing the clothing you care about like the clothing of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and most importantly, the clothing of love.

Lord Jesus, on this Transfiguration Sunday when we think about how your robe was shining as Moses and Elijah appeared with you on the mountain top, help each one of us to have a shining faith, a faith that reflects your glory, your splendor, and your majesty. Help us to have a shining faith that would lead others to not see us, but to see you and be drawn closer to you. O God, let us not leave church today without having touched your shining robe.

As we prepare for his upcoming Season of Lent where we will be exploring more of your robes and what they mean for us in growing in a closer relationship with you, bless our small groups, our Sunday School classes, our bible studies, and our daily time with you in scripture and prayer. Guide us in what it means in having a shining faith, a healing faith, a serving faith, a uniting faith, an honoring faith, a redeeming faith, and a living faith. Help us to touch each of these robes so that we would become the people you are calling us to be. 

O God, on this Scout Sunday, we offer a special prayer of blessing upon our scouts and scout leaders. Thank you for their presence each week here in our church. Thank you for their involvement in today’s worship service. Thank you for our outdoor prayer cross which they helped to build two years ago. Thank you for how they clean around our church every year as a service project. Thank you for all they do here in our community.

O Lord, you call us today to come and touch the shining robe of Jesus, even as we pray the words you taught us to say together…  “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Sermon (Feb. 11/Transfiguration Sunday) by Rev. Robert McDowell "Come, Touch the Shining Robe of Jesus"

For the Season of Lent this year, our focus will be on a cantata called, “Come, touch the Robe.” It’s a cantata that includes anthems for each of the different robes of Jesus during his journey to the cross. 

These different robes include the Shining Robe, the Healing Robe, the Serving Robe, the Uniting Robe, the Honoring Robe, the Redeeming Robe, and we’ll also focus on the Living Robe when we gather for our Easter morning worship celebration.

On Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, our choir will sing the full cantata during our 10:30 Sunday worship service which will include all of these robes of Jesus. This is going to be a very special time for all of us as we journey to the cross and to the empty tomb with Jesus.

During these weeks of Lent, we are seeking to discover how we can truly encounter our Lord---the Lord of healing, of glory and authority, of humility, and of victory. Until we encounter these aspects of Jesus, we can remain unmoved and unchanged. But when we encounter these aspects of Christ our Lord, we are moved, we are changed, and we are transformed.

Today’s scripture passage, and the anthem we just heard tell the story of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain. He took three of his closest disciples, Peter, James, and John up the mountain with him to pray.

While Jesus was praying, his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white, so bright that it would have been difficult to keep looking at him.

Suddenly, Moses and Elijah were with Jesus. Moses represented the law, and Elijah represented the prophets, both key foundations that make up God’s Word, the Bible. Mark tells us that Jesus was transfigured and his robe was amazingly bright, brighter than if it had been bleached.

Then God’s presence was felt. The majesty and mystery of God was cloaked in clouds that covered the mountain. And suddenly God’s voice was heard saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

And just that quickly, the vision came to an end. Jesus was found alone. And Jesus and the disciples descended the mountain again.

That had to be an amazing day for Peter, James, and John! How would you even begin to describe a vision like that to someone who wasn’t there? Mark tells us that Jesus told them to not tell anyone what they had seen.

But after the resurrection of Jesus...when his identity as the Son of God became obvious to many more people...that’s when the story needed to be shared with the world. But what does this story about Jesus, and its inclusion in the “Come Touch the Robe” cantata have to teach us?

Well, clearly the Lordship of Jesus Christ...the shining bright transfiguration...the revelation on the mountain of Jesus greater than Moses, and greater than Elijah...God’s voice calling Jesus his Son...certainly sets Jesus apart from every other person ever! He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings!

When we accept who Jesus is, and make him the Lord of our life, then our life begins to change. Our life is no longer self-focused, but rather it becomes God-focused. We can no longer be self-centered, but instead we become God-centered, and others-centered.

When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, he comes to live inside each one of us. We are no longer our own, but we belong to him. That changes us!

We begin to take on the qualities of our Lord when we faithfully follow him. 

The prophet Isaiah talks about the salvation of God, or God’s deliverance in this way...In Isaiah 61, beginning in verse 10 it says,
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

When Jesus is our Lord, and we make a commitment to follow him, we are covered with his righteousness, with his salvation, like a garment, like a blanket, like a coat that covers us and protects us. All this is because of Christ and his power at work in our lives.

But when Christ comes to live in us, not only are we covered by his salvation on the outside like a garment, but we are also changed on the inside, and his light begins to shine from inside out!

Jesus told his followers in Matthew 5, “You are the light of the world!” He goes on to say, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

We are able to shine God’s light wherever we go because Jesus is the light of the world! In John 8, Jesus tells those who are listening, “I am the light of the world.”

When believers have Christ’s light burning inside of them, then we are part of Christ’s light, and we are also the light of the world! We bear Christ’s light on the inside, and we are covered with garments of Christ’s salvation.

When you got up to get ready for church this morning, how did you go about deciding what to wear? We probably chose something that looks good on us.

But what kind of clothing tells the world that we belong to Jesus? I’m not talking about a t-shirt that says we’re a Christian, or a necklace with a cross on a chain.

The question I’m asking is “What are the most important garments that a Christian should wear every day?”

Colossians 3 puts it this way, “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”

Did you remember to get dressed in this clothing this morning? Did you take compassion out of your closet and put it on, so you might see the world through someone else’s eyes today?

Did you remember to dress yourself in kindness that is real, and genuine, and doesn’t end at the first sign of difficulty?

Did you put on humility, thinking of others more highly than yourself?

Did you take meekness off the hanger and put it on so as not to get too puffed up?

Are you wearing your patience today?

Colossians goes on to say, “Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Above all else, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

There it is again, just like in 1 Corinthians 13...the greatest of these is love.

These are the clothes of a Christian. These are the robes we called to put on every single day, if the light of Christ from within us is going to shine to the world.

CS Lewis was someone who at one time didn’t believe in the existence of God, but who later became a Christian. He’s also known as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia.

In one of his most famous sermons, CS Lewis makes the point that if it would be possible to see someone as they will become in the future, we would have one of two reactions. The one reaction might be to cringe in disgust. The other reaction is to be tempted to worship that person.

CS Lewis was making the observation that every single person has the potential to be the person that God has created us to be. When the creation story in the Book of Genesis says that we were created in the image of God, this is what that phrase means.

We were created to reflect the love and goodness of God into the world. We were created to be shining examples of who God is so that when people look at us, it will lead them to say, “So that’s what God is like!”

Of course, we can also live in a way that is does not reflect the image of God in the world. That’s our choice. But if we choose to not live in the image of God, we will settle for a life that falls short of who we were created to be.

Jesus has shown us what it means to live fully for God. His transfiguration on top of that mountain was a vivid display of God’s glory at work in his life. What would it look like if we lived fully for God? 

I was at a two day clergy meeting this past week. I met a pastor in our district who believes in Jesus so much that I can’t imagine how someone spending time with her would ever not become a follower of Jesus.

She was so energized in her faith, so positive, so compelling. You couldn’t help but to see Jesus shining through her. It was that obvious. Do people see Jesus that clearly through me? That’s what I’ve been thinking about ever since that conversation.

Do people see Jesus in me?

A few years ago, a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night’s dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.

Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane just in time to board.

ALL BUT ONE!!! This salesman paused, took a deep breath, thought about what had happened, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. He then returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did. The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of the apples had become battered and bruised. He set aside those apples in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, “Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?” She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, “I hope we didn’t spoil your day too badly.”

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, “Mister...” He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, “Are you Jesus?”
He stopped in mid-stride...and he wondered. He gently went back and said, “No, I am nothing like Jesus— he is always loving and kind.”

The girl nodded: “I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples and you’re the one who came to help me.”

Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: “Are you Jesus?” 

The shining robe of Jesus leads us to ask, “When people look at us, do they see Jesus? Do they see someone who is reflecting the image of God? Do they see someone who is living out who God has called us to be?”

What clothes to do you wear as you live out your faith? Are they clothes of compassion, kindness, love, and forgiveness? 

If they are, then may I simply say...you look amazing! 

Come, Touch the Shining Robe of Jesus

Small Group Questions

Colossians 3:12-17 & Mark 9:2-9

February 11, 2018

Our church has just begun an 8 week Season of Lent series on "The Different Robes of Jesus" based on the cantata, "Come, Touch the Robe." This week's focus is on "The Shining Robe" from the Transfiguration story when Jesus appeared in a dazzling white robe in front of his disciples.

How do you think Jesus' transfiguration changed the disciples' perspective of who Jesus was?

When the disciples experienced Jesus' transfiguration, it became a "thin place" moment for them, meaning that heaven and earth overlapped in front of them in a way they never forgot.

Share a recent "Thin Place" moment when you have sensed the radiating splendor of Christ's glory. Remember, thin place moment are not always the overly dramatic or spectacular moments we experience. They can also be quiet and subtle moments where we can sense that we are in the presence of God.

Read Colossians 3:12-17. As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Which of these "articles of clothing" is God calling you to especially wear during this Season of Lent. How will you put on this clothing?

Sunday Worship Small Group Questions (Feb. 4)

Small Group Discussion Questions

Sunday, February 4, 2018 (Youth Sunday)

Isaiah 40:21-31

Isaiah chapter 40 was written during the time when Israel was exiled in the foreign empire of Babylonia. The people were living far from their homeland and wondered if they would ever return. This time period marks one of the most difficult times in Israel’s history. It is in this desperate time that the prophet Isaiah offers words of hope and comfort to the people.

Share a time when you felt disconnected from God and when you were in need of hope.

Isaiah offers hope to the people of Israel by reminding them that God the creator is more than the sum total of our negative and challenging experiences that we face in life. Specifically, Isaiah’s words of hope point us to a God who specializes in bringing power to the faint, strength to the powerless, energy to those feeling exhausted. Looking ahead to the New Testament, the ultimate display of how God can bring new life from death is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

When has God renewed your faith and hope during a difficult time that you were facing? In what ways did you receive power, strength, and energy? 

Notice that the prophet Isaiah offers these familiar words of hope: “Even youths will faint and be weary and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

If “waiting for the Lord” is the key to making it through a difficult situation or problem, what do you think Isaiah expects us to focus on or do while we wait?

Pastoral Prayer (Feb. 4/Youth Sunday) Athens First UMC

[The pictures above are from our Monday Community Lunch 20th anniversary celebration held after our 10:30 Sunday worship service in Fellowship Hall. Our Monday Lunch coordinator, Tom Murray thanked our many Monday Lunch volunteers and parter groups who have made Monday Lunch such a successful outreach over these twenty years. One of those partners is our neighboring Ohio University. Many OU students have volunteered and have benefited from this lunch. OU President, Dr. Duane Nellis presented our church with a certificate of appreciation for this community outreach. This anniversary celebration fit in nicely with our Youth Sunday services which focused on the story of the Good Samaritan who helped someone in need.]

[Pastor Robert Invited People To Gather Around Our Youth & Extend a Hand of Blessing During the Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer.]

Dear God, on this Youth Sunday, we are especially thankful for our youth. Thank you for their energy, their willingness to lead us in worship this morning, their creativity, their honesty, and how they help us to see the world from their perspective. 

We pray your blessings to be upon them this morning. Remind each of them that they have been created in your image. Your likeness is embedded within their very souls. You have given each of them a purpose. You have given them everything they need to reach their fullest potential. 

When they face any challenge or temptation, remind them that your grace is being extended to them in any given moment to empower them to make good choices. May they never feel that they are alone because you are always with them. Your Holy Spirit is with them in whatever situation they may be facing. 

During those times when they struggle, experience disappointment, or feel like they have failed in some way, come alongside them, so that they might know there is always a new beginning because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. During any time of discouragement, remind them that with you, there is always new life, forgiveness, hope, joy, peace, and love.

And as we surround our youth this morning to bless them, we confess that we have not always been there for them. We sometimes wear our generational blinders and forget to look at the world through their eyes. We also admit that we don’t always listen to their needs, their dreams, and their longings. Help us to become better listeners, O God.

Remind us that our youth are not simply the future of the church. They are the church of today. We are all your church together in this very moment. We are here for each other because that’s what it means to be your church. And as our scripture reading today says, “Even youths will grow weary, but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.” 

May this time of blessing and prayer, renew our strength today whatever our age. Together, we join in praying the words that Jesus taught his disciples to say, 

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Pastoral Prayer (Jan. 28/Kappa Phi Sunday) Athens FUMC

[Kappa Phi, a campus ministry organization that meets in our church each year helped to lead our worship services by offering prayers, reading scripture, providing special music, and serving as greeters. This ministry began back in the 1920s and we have a long history in serving as their host church. Kappa Phi Sunday corresponded with our Gospel lesson this week which emphasizes the teaching ministry of Jesus. Click here for the sermon.]

Lord Jesus, we call you by many names like savior, redeemer, friend, shepherd, king. But today, we refer to you primarily as our teacher.

 

Thank you for teaching us what it means to follow you. Thank you for teaching us what it means to love others especially those who are difficult to love. Thank you for teaching us in ways that challenge our preconceived notions of who you are.

 

Thank you for teaching us our faith story, that we have been created in the image of God, that you died on a cross and rose again for our sake, and that one day you will come again and make all things new.

 

Thank you for those who have taught us and continue to teach us. Thank you for Mrs. Maddox. Thank you for Mr. Smith. Thank you for my grandmother. Thank you for my Sunday School teachers. Thank you for seminary professors. Thank you for podcasts. Thank you for bible study teachers. Thank you for daily devotionals. Thank you for our Growing Tree preschool teachers. Thank you for the teaching ministries of the church. Thank you for school teachers. Thank you for elementary school principals. I just felt the need to throw that in.

 

Teacher, we all come to you with some kind of question this morning. Some of us might be questioning if you are really present in a situation we are facing. We have questions about what it means to live out our faith in the work place, in our community, and in the classroom. Lord, remind us that we are always in the process of learning and discovering what it means to be your disciples.

 

On this Kappa Phi Sunday, we are also thankful for our university community where there are so many opportunities to learn and grow. We pray your blessings to be with Kappa Phi in their ministry here on campus. Thank you for our partnership with them and especially for their awesome baked potato/chili meals!

 

Lord, you have so much you want to teach us. Even now, teach us to pray the word that you taught your disciples to say,

 

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Sermon (Jan. 28) by Rev. Robert McDowell "Teacher Man"

     How can one ever underestimate the influence of a good teacher?

     Who was your 1^st grade teacher?  I’ll start.  My first grade teacher was Mrs. Maddox.  Go ahead and turn to someone near you and tell that person the name of your 1^st grade teacher.

     Just in case you were traumatized by your 1^st grade teacher and have blocked that person out of your mind, turn to a different person this time and share the name of your fifth grade teacher.  Go ahead.

     My fifth grade teacher was Mr. Smith.  The first male teacher I ever had.  Besides wearing more cologne than any man should ever be allowed to wear, Mr. Smith taught me that you should be excited about learning new things.  Of all the teachers I had in elementary school, he seemed like the one who had the most passion for teaching.  I remember wanting to be just like Mr. Smith.

     How can we ever underestimate the influence of a good teacher?

     Frank McCourt, who wrote the book, Angela’s Ashes and then his second book, “Teacher Man,” had a 30 year teaching career in New York City’s public high schools beginning in the late 1950s.

     Frank McCourt became a great teacher and had a positive influence on his students because he was able to find ingenious ways to motivate them to learn.  To help students appreciate writing in all forms, he had them read cookbook recipes while other students played music in the background.  To help them to be better writers, he had them write critiques about the school cafeteria as well as restaurants in New York City.

     He tells of his second day teaching in 1958 when a fight broke out and one of the students threw a sandwich in anger.  To calm the situation, he simply picked the sandwich off the floor and started eating it much to the surprise of his students.

     In one of his chapters, he writes about a time that he took 20 to 30 rowdy teenagers to a play there in New York City.  He writes that it was one of the most challenging things that he ever had to do to get those teenagers safely to the play and back to the school.

     One of those girls, who was one of the more difficult young students on this field trip, ended up having such a positive experience, that it later changed her life.  All because of a teacher who was willing to go above and beyond his duties to help students explore and learn new things.

     In his book, Frank McCourt makes the observation that in America we don’t value teachers like people do in the countries of Europe.  I think he’s on to something. 

      Never underestimate the influence of a good teacher.

     So it shouldn’t surprise us in the least, to read in our Gospel Lesson this morning that one of Jesus’ first miracles happened to be while he was teaching in a synagogue.

     Jesus wasn’t known as a Priest or a Reverend.  People called him “Rabbi” or “Teacher.”

     And there he was one day, early in his ministry, teaching away right there in the middle of a worship service.  Wouldn’t you have loved to be a fly on one of those walls that day? 

     What was he teaching?  What did Jesus tell the people?

     I don’t know, but it must have been really good, since Mark tells us that the people were astounded at his teaching, because he didn’t teach like the scribes taught.  Jesus taught with authority.

     At a farm house retreat center in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1984, I sat in utter astonishment, as Dr. Paul Schaeffer was teaching on the Book of Acts.

     Dr. Schaeffer, or Paul as we often called him, was leading a spring retreat for the college students of the Philadelphia area.  I already knew that he was a brilliant man who could speak a thousand words a minute, but it was at that moment of his teaching, that I really began to feel a tug on my heart about entering the pastoral ministry.

     Here was a man who had a doctorate in the History of the Reformation and who knew the Bible backwards and forwards, but who also had the wonderful ability to teach the Bible to college students in ways that we would understand and apply it to our lives.

     I was drawn to him.  And I felt God calling me into some kind of teaching ministry.

     A few years ago, I got motivated to track down this wonderful teacher, pastor, and scholar.  Figuring that he was no longer at the same church in Philadelphia, I discovered that he was now the Chairman of Religious Studies at Grove City College located in western Pennsylvania.

     I must have caught him in between classes when I called him on the phone that day, because he indicated that he was in a bit of a hurry.  But I had just enough time to tell him that he was one of the reasons that I felt a calling into the pastoral ministry. 

     How can we ever underestimate the influence of a good teacher?

     About thirteen years ago in Maumee, Ohio, which is close to Toledo, I was sitting in the bleachers during a baseball game, minding my own business when these two giggly girls who looked to be somewhere in their early teens sat a few rows down from me.

     After about an inning, one of the girls happens to turn back to get my attention, and she says in this giggly voice, “Are you Mr. McDowell?  Are you Mrs. McDowell’s husband?” 

     I could just tell that my peaceful late afternoon was about to change dramatically.

     And the one girl says, “Oh goody.”  And immediately, both of them moved on up a few rows to sit next to me. I was afraid that was going to happen.

    And the one girl says, “Oh my gosh.  Mrs. McDowell is our teacher.  And we just love Mrs. McDowell.  We just love how she is so organized.  She has a container for everything.  For paper clips.  For books.  For pens and pencils.  We want to be just like Mrs. McDowell.  What is it like to be her husband?  Is she the same way at home?  Does she keep everything in its place there too? 

     (Oh kid, you have no idea. You have no idea!)

     We just love Mrs. McDowell.  She loves to read. She’s like read every book every written!  We love to read, too. We love Mrs. McDowell. Tell her will said hi. Tell her we’ll see her tomorrow in school.”

     And these two girls proceeded to talk to me non-stop for the rest of the baseball game.  They wouldn’t even pause to take a breath.

     How can we ever underestimate the influence of a good teacher?

     I think of so many people who have taught me the Bible from a very early age, from Sunday School teachers to my grandmother who gave me bible quizzes after school each day. Thanks to their teachings, I became very familiar with the stories in the Bible.

     When I went to seminary, the professors helped me to understand the Bible in an even deeper way. They taught me the importance of understanding the historical context when reading the bible, knowing a little about Hebrew and Greek, the original languages of the Bible and how it’s not always easy to translate it into the English language because words can have a variety of meanings.

     They taught me the different kinds of literature that we find in the Bible, why there are two creation stories and not just one, why there are four gospels and not just one, why the same story appears in different books of the Bible and sometimes have conflicting details.

     And to be honest, at first, a lot of this was unsettling to me because it wasn’t quite the way my grandmother taught me the Bible or the way my Sunday School teachers taught me the Bible. 

     I’ll never forget what one of my seminary professors said to all of us during orientation. He said, “Think of yourself as a brick building. During seminary, you may feel like you are exploding and bricks are flying everywhere because you are going to be intellectually challenged, but eventually, those bricks are going to be put back and you are going to have a much stronger foundation of faith as a result of it.”

     He was so right. Let’s put it this way. I am extremely thankful for my parents, my grandmother and my Sunday School teachers who taught me the stories of the Bible at an early age. Without them, I wouldn’t have had a spiritual foundation on which to build. 

     And I’m equally grateful to teachers and professors later in my life who have challenged me to dig under the surface of those scriptures that I knew by heart. Some of those scripture passages have taken on a whole new meaning for me and I’m still seeing things in new ways.

     I think as we mature and grow, we begin asking questions about the Bible like how do we reconcile all of the violence that we find in the pages of this book where in some cases, even God’s own people are commanded to wipe out a whole group of people? 

     And other questions like, where does our modern understanding of science fit into how we read the Bible and how do we decide on what commandments are meant for today, and what commandments were meant for that time period?

     Here at Athens First, we’ve been emphasizing the importance for every person to grow in having a loving faith, a learning faith, and a living faith. This year, Rick Seiter and I have decided to offer more Learning Faith opportunities. 

     And so, here’s what we have planned. This is exciting! Beginning Monday, February 19, I am going to teach a six week course on Intro to the Bible. Following that course, Rick is going to offer a six week class on spiritual formation called, Renovation. And in between those two courses, Jenaye Hill will be offering a Spiritual Gifts class, similar to what we offered this past Fall.

     So, during these upcoming winter and spring months, there will be a lot of additional learning opportunities. And every Sunday morning, our Trinity Sunday School class studies different topics related to our Christian faith.

     Let’s have 2018 be a year where we emphasize the importance of having a “Learning Faith.”

     If you like to listen to podcasts which I like to do, you might be interested in listening to “The Bible for Normal People” podcast. It’s led by bible scholar, Peter Enns. He always has a bible scholar join him as a guest and they discuss different topics about the Bible each week. You might not always agree with everything that is said on those podcasts but the wisdom of these bible scholars is invaluable. I have listed this podcast in the bulletin announcements.

     But what’s the point of all of this again? How can we ever underestimate the influence of a good teacher?

     Mark says that things got even more interesting while Jesus was teaching in the synagogue.  He says that “Just then, there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?’”

     Worship got interrupted and the real test of Jesus, the Teacher Man is on the line.  Is this man truly a teacher sent by God?  Can this man truly back up what he has been teaching?

     Jesus, not one to back down from an opportunity to bring healing, commands the unclean spirit to come out of this man and after a few cries, the unclean spirit leaves him.  And just like that, he was healed.

     Now, remember, that even before this miraculous healing, the people were astonished at Jesus’ teaching.   Imagine what they think of Jesus now.  And we are told that they were all amazed.  This Teacher Man is something other.  This Teacher Man brings healing.  And as you read through the Gospel of Mark, you see many more moments like this, where Jesus heals people and makes them whole again.

     I wonder if this isn’t the whole point of the teaching ministry of the church.  Our Sunday School program, our bible studies, our small groups, the Sunday preaching – to teach and preach God’s Word in such a way, that it brings healing to people who are in desperate need for more of God in their lives.

     Physical healing?  Perhaps.  Emotional healing.  Certainly.  Spiritual healing?  No doubt.

     Perhaps St. Mark is calling us to lift up special prayers this week for those who are involved in the wonderful and exciting ministry of teaching.

     It’s a ministry that astounds us and can even usher in healing and new life.  Allow your life to be changed and transformed by this Teacher Man, this Son of the Living God.

     Why?  Because, you just can’t underestimate the influence of a good teacher. Thanks be to God!

Teacher Man

Small Group Questions

Mark 1:21-28

January 28, 2018

Pastor Robert began his sermon by referring to teacher/author, Frank McCourt who wrote the book, Angela's Ashes. Frank was a very creative High School teacher who helped students who didn't want to learn discover the joy of learning.

Who was (is) your favorite teacher in school? What made that person a special teacher for you?

In our Gospel reading, one of Jesus' first miracles occurred while he was teaching in the synagogue. This shouldn't come as a surprise to us since Jesus was referred to as a rabbi and a teacher. Teaching was an important part of his ministry.

Share a time in your life when you learned something about your faith and it opened up a new way of looking at things.

This week's focus on the importance of Jesus' teaching ministry and the importance of learning more about our faith reminds us that it's perfectly OK to have questions about our faith. In one survey in which Christians were asked to share their troubling faith questions, these were the top ones: 1) Why does the bible sometimes portray God as violent when God is supposed to be loving? 2) Why does the Bible and our understanding of science not always agree? 3) Why does God allow evil in the world? 4) Is Christianity the only correct religion? 5) How can we believe in God and the bible when so many Christian treat each other so badly?

Share a particular question that you have about the bible or about your faith in general that you would like to give more focus. NOTE: Don't use this time to try to "solve" these questions. Just name them. 

Pastor Robert mentioned that he wants 2018 to be a year where we offer more “Learning Faith” opportunities. These include an Intro to the Bible 6-week course beginning on February 19, 6:30 pm at the church, a 6-week course on spiritual formation called, “Renovation” beginning in April, as well as a short course on knowing your spiritual gifts. Look for more information about these coming Learning Faith classes. He also shared a bible podcast, “The Bible for Normal People,” that includes a bible scholar each week. Also, don’t forget about our Trinity Sunday School class that meets every Sunday at 9 am in our 1st floor lounge.