Online Worship (Nov. 1/All Saints Day) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our (November 1/All Saints Day) 

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

Holy Hump Day (October 28) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

When You Have that Sinking Feeling

 

Sermon (October 25) by Rev. Robert McDowell

We’ve had an exciting time these past several weeks looking at what it means to “come to the water” and be transformed and renewed in our faith. Six weeks ago we began by discussing the importance of commitment. Today, we have an opportunity to make some commitments. 

We began this series with the idea of commitment as a way of priming the pump so the water will start to flow. We’ve talked about our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness.

In keeping with our water metaphor during this sermon series, my prayer has been for each one of us to have buckets that are overflowing.  Jesus, in using a reference to water said that this is possible by going after a pearl of great price.  

Now is the time to go and buy that pearl—whatever the cost because this is how we can have a growing and vital faith. It’s one thing to see the pearl or to acknowledge that it exists; it’s another thing to actually make the commitment to claim it.

As we we think about priming the pump for a new year of ministry here at Athens First, I want us to remember that we make commitments because God has first made a commitment to us.  We’re not initiating this commitment.  God has already done that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The psalmist says, “God always stands by his covenant / the commitment he made to a thousand generations.” God is faithful!

God invites us to not only receive new life in Christ, but to also respond to God’s gift of grace and love.  God sent Jesus into the world and invites us to live out our faith in Christ.  

This is what it means to come to the water by priming the pump. What does it mean for us to make a commitment in living our our faith? Here are some thoughts that might help us in making our commitments.

The first thing is that commitment involves establishing priorities. And we start asking ourselves questions like, “What does it mean for me to be generous in my financial giving? Or maybe God’s calling you to serve in some specific area, and we might be questioning “Can I do that?” Maybe we’re thinking about what it would look like if we made weekly worship more of a priority in our lives.

Let me share a quick story about someone who made a commitment to make prayer a priority in their lives. In one of the churches I served, an elderly member wanted us to know that she was praying for our church every day.

She pointed at a prayer card which our church had sent out to the congregation over a year ago. We had invited the congregation to take that prayer card and keep it in a place where they would see it often and pray that prayer.

         It was a prayer that said, “Dear God, thank you for our church. Strengthen us through the power of the Holy Spirit to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world through radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, and risk-taking service. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.”

It’s a great prayer and I remember how I made a personal commitment to pray that prayer each day. But to be real honest with you, there were many days that I forgot to pray that prayer.  And I’m the one who had encouraged our congregation to pray that prayer on a daily basis.

 Pointing to this prayer card there in her home, this elderly member said, “I’ve been praying this prayer every single day.”

 When I heard that, I thought to myself, “Wow, this member of our church is reminding me of the importance of not only making a commitment but keeping a commitment.  Her commitment shows just how much she loves Jesus and her church.”

This church member was making God and the church a top priority in her life. Commitment is what helps us establish our priorities and to know when we have fallen short.  

The second thing about commitment is that it involves sacrifice.  Today is Reformation Sunday. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a person who was from the Reformed tradition was a 20^thcentury Lutheran pastor who was executed by the Nazis during World War II.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer talked about the problem of what he referred to as “cheap grace.”  That is, we want something that doesn’t cost us much.  Real commitment, however, involves sacrifice.  Jesus said:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. (Luke 9:23–24)

  Commitment involves sacrifice.

The third thought about commitment is that it involves planning ahead and looking to the future as members of a church family. The church is an important way for us to live out who God has called us to be. 

 The church is the means by which God brings transformation to our community and world. And this involves thoughtful planning and participation. Commitment helps us to plan both individually and as a community.  

In Luke 14, Jesus says, “Don’t begin until you sit down and count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there’s enough money to pay the bills?” Planning ahead allows us to know where we’re going.  

God will provide everything that’s necessary for us to follow through as we follow God’s direction in how we are to live out that commitment. 

If we fail to plan, then we plan to fail. When a church knows who’s going to serve, what the financial commitment is, that it has people praying, and that it can depend on people committed to weekly worship, that’s a church that is on the move. That’s a church that has a clear mission and focus.  

All we have to do is just push back the boundaries that sometimes have limited the church, and God’s Holy Spirit will work through it.  Commitment involves planning ahead.

The fourth thing is that commitment involves making some choices.  We have to choose what is really important.  

Every Sunday morning when we get up, we’re going to make a choice as to whether or not we will worship.  If we’ve already made a commitment to be in worship during the year, then we don’t really have to make that choice when we get up in the morning.  If we make a commitment to be generous financial givers, then we know what we need to set aside.  We have already made some choices.  And this is what today is all about; planning ahead.   

Penny has a phrase that she has uses a lot. “Make good choices.” She likes to remind the children at her school that they always have a choice and that it’s important to make good choices.

I think the same applies to our faith. We always have a choice to make and it’s important to make good choices through our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.

         Today is all about making good choices. Here’s a thought worth pondering.  A year from now, the degree to which we will be growing in our faith, will be directly related to the commitments and the choices we are making now.

The sixth chapter of Romans says: “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.” We’re going to be making some choices in how we live out our faith this coming year at Athens First.

The fifth thing about commitment is that it also involves finishing the task and staying the course. Paul encourages us to persevere when he says in II Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me.” 

Earlier, he wrote: “This is a true saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him.” 

Commitment is what enables us to grow in our Christian faith.

So, commitment involves establishing priorities, sacrifice, and planning ahead.  It involves making good choices and then staying the course.  

There’s another side to all of this.  God invites us to be committed to one another. We are a team. Commitment helps us to be there for each other. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Pauls writes, “encourage each other and build each other up,” and then in Romans 15:7, “accept each other just as Christ has accepted you.”

In the church, there is a lot of diversity. We have different passions, different gifts, different personalities, different faith experiences.  But we are a team when the whole group comes together and each person is able to use his or her resources and gifts to be a blessing to others.  When that happens, the church comes together as the Body of Christ.

Sometime this week, many of us will be receiving a church mailing that will give us the opportunity to make a financial commitment to Christ and his church as we prepare for a new year of ministry.

After we prayerfully make our commitments, we are invited to return those commitment forms back to the church through the mail at our earliest convenience.

Last March, when churches began closing their buildings due to the coronavirus, pastors were wondering what would happen to their congregations. Would the people still participate through online worship? Would people stop giving to the church? Would the church even survive through a global pandemic with so many unknowns.

And what I found even at the very beginning of all of this is that churches are very resilient. Like, you are some of the toughest people I know! 

You haven’t stopped giving. In fact, our giving has been keeping pace as if nothing had ever happened. You haven’t stopped praying because every Tuesday, I see those prayer requests on our email prayer chain. You haven’t stopped worshiping because we continue to receive a lot of comments of how much you appreciate our online services. 

And you haven’t stopped serving because you have found a new way to restart Monday Lunch with curbside pick-up. You have provided a meal for the people at Good Works. And you haven’t stopped sharing your faith because you keep sharing your “thin place” moments over the phone or through your online small group meetings or through your posts on Facebook.

And I think the reason our church has been so resilient is because somewhere way back when, you made a commitment to live out your faith the best you can. You can always trace a church’s vitality back to the time when commitments were made.

And just think. This time next year, we will all be wondering, “WOW, how did our church not only survive, but even thrive after all we’ve been through? How can it be possible that our buckets are not only filled but they’re overflowing?”

And that’s when we’ll remember that it was because we spent these past several weeks priming the pump to be the best church we can possibly be.

[This sermon is based on the resource, Treasures of the Transformed Life, Abingdon Press, 2006.]

Come to the Water: Overflowing Buckets

Sermon Discussion Questions

II Timothy 4:1-8 & Luke 18:18-30

October 25, 2020 

Over the past several weeks, we have been exploring what it means to come to the water and find renewal in our faith. This involves making commitments in our prayers, weekly worship, financial giving, service, and sharing our faith. Today, we conclude the series like the way we started by focusing on the importance of commitment. This is what enables us to experience overflowing buckets of God’s grace in our lives. 

Share a time along your faith journey where you have experienced God’s overflowing grace. In what ways did prayer, worship, generosity, or serving play a part in that experience? 

This week, our congregation is invited to make commitments to God and the church as we plan for a new year of ministry. Making commitments that will last involves these five components. 1) Establishing priorities 2) Sacrifice 3) Planning ahead 4) Making good choices 5) Finishing the task and staying the course

How have you utilized these five components of commitment in your life? Why do you think these are important?

This has been a very challenging year for all of us in facing a global pandemic. Even though the church is not the building, it’s been difficult to not have opportunities to gather together for in-person worship, bible studies and fellowship. And yet, our church has been able to stay strong during this long and trying time.

How has your faith been impacted during this pandemic? How has our church been impacted during this pandemic?

Our church is sending out a mailing to the congregation this week inviting each of us to make a financial commitment for 2021. This is what we have been referring to these past several weeks as “priming the pump.” As we prepare to make our commitments for this coming year, we are invited to offer this prayer:

Holy God, during this week of commitment in which we will be given the opportunity to come to the water and offer you our prayers, presence, gifts, and service, remind us of your overflowing grace and faithfulness in our lives. We trust that you will strengthen our resolve to be your devoted followers especially as we prepare for a new year of ministry. We pray this through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Online Worship (October 25) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our (October 25) online worship!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

Holy Hump Day (October 21) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

Thoughts about the Upcoming Presidential Election 

Habitat for Humanity Thank You Video

[Ken Oehlers Thank You Video to Athens First UMC]

[Left to Right: HFH Director, Ken Oehlers; Pastor Robert; & Ken Edwards]



[Kitchen]



[One of Two Bedrooms]

Sermon (October 18) by Rev. Robert McDowell

         Our “Come to the Water” worship focus this fall is designed to help us experience the full and abundant life that God intends for each one of us and for our church. Water is a symbol of life, cleansing, and renewal. 

          Over the past few weeks, we have been thinking a lot about what it means for us to “Come to the Water.” And we have seen that it involves offering ourselves in making a commitment in prayer, in participating in worship, and in offering our financial gifts in support of Christ and his church. Today, we’re going to focus on another important way that we come to the water and that is through serving and sharing our faith with others.

         A long time ago, the church was separated into clergy and laity. That chasm was bridged by the Protestant Reformation where Martin Luther made the point that we are all priests. We are all called to share in ministry.

         The biblical take on the ministry of the church is that the church is the ministry of the laos, the people of God, the laity. So today’s focus is critical because it’s designed to help both laypersons and clergy live out our Christian faith in significant and meaningful ways.

         I’d like us to think about three important questions from a biblical perspective: Why we are called to serve and share our faith?  Who God calls to serve and share their faith? And how are we to serve and share our faith?

         First thing, why should we serve?  Serving is an essential dimension of the Christian life. It’s not meant to be optional.  It’s what we’re called to do. I love being part of our worship services on Sunday mornings. And we talked about the importance of worship a couple of Sundays ago when we focused on the importance of jumping in with both feet.  We emphasized how worship and offering our physical presence here on Sunday mornings or by worshiping online is an important part of experiencing the full and abundant life that God wants us to have.  But it’s also important to remember that the purpose of worship, the purpose of praying, and the purpose of the church is not so that we can simply sit and soak. We are to become stirred to action—to go out and serve and share our faith.

         Serving and witnessing are such important dimensions of the Christian faith. First of all, it’s part of our Christian faith because God serves us. Jesus came to be a servant.  He said, “For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many” Jesus serves us, and invites us to serve in his name.

      Jesus also said, “You know that in this world kings and tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.”

        The expectation that Jesus has for the church is that we are to serve and be a blessing to others.

         Now here’s an interesting sidelight to that: when we serve in the name of Christ and reach out to others, it gives us credibility in our community. If we are to become effective sowers of the message of Christ, one of the best ways to fertilize the soil in which that seed can be planted is to serve. Paul said in First Corinthians, “I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ” When we serve others, we open the door of opportunity for the good news of our faith to be shared.

         Peter pointed out, “Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words. They will be won over by watching your pure, godly behavior” The best sermons aren’t preached in sanctuaries. The best sermons are the sidewalk sermons preached by God’s people when we leave the sanctuary and go out into the world, where we reach out and serve those we meet. What we do often times speaks much more loudly than anything we actually say.

         Here’s another positive outcome when all of us are serving and sharing our faith with others:  It brings us together as church. The New Testament concept of the church is that we are the body of Christ, the community of faith that gathers together and serves together. As different as we are, we all have a common mission, to serve and to witness.

         The love that church members have for one another binds us together and frees us from ourselves and our selfishness. One of the best witnesses a church can give to its community is exhibiting unity in how it reaches out to the needs of others.

         The Apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 3, “We work together as partners who belong to God” and in Ephesians chapter 4, he says, “Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts to grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love”

         Our serving and witnessing give us credibility and it also brings us together as a team. And teams can get a lot more accomplished than individuals.

         The second question this morning is who should serve?  And the answer is that everyone is to serve and witness. There is a place for every person in the life of the church to use his or her God-given gifts to make a difference in our community and world. Here are just a few suggestions of how to determine where we should serve.

         First, we should serve where we can use the gifts and abilities that God has given us. 

         This past May, Don Shula, probably one of the best coaches in the history of the NFL passed away. We might remember him the most for when he led the Miami Dolphins in 1972 to an undefeated season and Super Bowl victory. 

          Another year that I remember him for is eleven years later in 1983 when he coached the the Miami Dolphins and they played the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl. That year, Don Shula was credited with a great deal of the Dolphins’ success because he evaluated the talents of his players and built his system around those talents. That was different from other coaches, who usually built a system and tried to make the players’ talents fit the system. 

          I like Coach Shula’s approach. I believe we as a church can be successful when each one of us uses the gifts and talents God has given us for the one common vision of sharing the love of Christ with our community.

         Part of the church’s task is to help people discover what gifts they possess and then provide an opportunity for those gifts and abilities to be used. In his letter to the Christians who were in Rome, the Apostle Paul said:

“God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. . . . If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

        God has gifted each of us in some way.

         It’s still exciting for me as a pastor to see people discover what their gifts are. If you’re not sure what your gifts are, there are resources such as spiritual gift inventories that can be used to help you discover them.

         In addition to using our gifts to serve and witness, God can also use our past experiences. All of us have been through some tough trials, and coming through them has given us a unique faith story to share with others. We’re advised in Galatians: “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that”

     Second Corinthians says something similar, “He comforts us all in our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 

     I’ve noticed that the people who are most effective at serving in the life of the church are those who have experienced Christ’s guiding hand through some difficult times in their lives. Coming through those adversities has taught them how to serve others who might be walking through similar situations.

         Another reason that we are called to serve is so that we can meet particular needs.

          If you look at the example of the church in the book of Acts, in the second chapter, that powerful passage of Scripture which begins with verse 45, it says that the people pooled their resources, found needs, and then began to fill them.

         So who should serve?  Every single person in the life of the church.  Why?  Because God has gifted each one of us.  God can use our unique experiences.  And because God can use each one of us to meet particular needs.

         One last question:  How should we serve?  First of all, we should serve enthusiastically: “Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically,” we find in Paul’s letter to the Romans. 

     When people are enthusiastic about what they do in the life of the church, it becomes an invitation for others to come. Those who are the most enthusiastic about sharing their faith are also the most enthusiastic about serving.

          Have you heard of the Pareto (Pah-Ray-Toe) Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule? This rule says that in most cases, only 20% of the people will end up doing 80% of the work.  If you do the math with a worship attendance of around 150 people, that means only 30 people in our church would be involved and actively serving and witnessing through the life of our congregation.  

     But can you imagine what it would be like if 80% or 120 people in our church would be actively using their gifts to serve and share their faith through the life of our church?  What a difference that would make!

          By the way, here’s a side benefit when the majority of people are serving and sharing their faith:  There’s a positive spirit and attitude. As the old saying goes, people rowing the boat rarely have time to rock the boat. When people are enthusiastically serving, they don’t look for things that are wrong, they look for the things that are right.

         In addition to serving enthusiastically, we are also to serve unselfishly where we are more concerned with the people we are seeking to bless than we are with the focus being on us. We are to serve unselfishly. 

         A third way that we are called to serve is with humility. We serve as Jesus served.  In I Peter, we read, “All of you serve each other in humility for ‘God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble’” The most beautiful mental picture I have of Jesus is of him kneeling to wash his disciples’ feet. In the church we’re not to look for the top, we’re to look for a towel—a place where we can serve in humility.

         And the fourth way that we are called to serve is with the intention of seeking to please God alone. The point of serving in the life of God’s church is not to please people or to draw attention to ourselves. The Apostle Paul says that we are to “serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or whether they praise us . . . ” 

          Serving is at the very heart of how we express our Christian faith, opening doors through which we can be messengers of Christ.

         Serving others is offering a drink of the water of life to others. Jesus said, “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water . . . because he is my disciple . . . will certainly not lose his reward.” (Matt. 10:42). 

          Notice that serving in the name of Christ can be as simple as offering someone a cold drink. Several years ago, I was on a mission trip to Guatemala. During the trip, we helped to dig a water line trench to help provide clean water for a small and impoverished community.

          I got sick from working in the soil and ended up missing two days of work because I became so dehydrated. One of the members of the mission team came back early from the work day and knocked on the door of my room and said, "Robert, I have an orange popsicle. Would you like it?"

          That sounded so good and I yelled back, "Yes! Thank you!" He might has well asked me, "Robert, do you want a million dollars?" because that popsicle was just what I needed! Not only did it lift my spirits, but he felt good to know that I appreciated it so much.

         I think this is Jesus point about when we offer something as simple as a cup of cold water to someone. When it’s given and received at just the right time, that simple gesture can mean so much.

         Serving and sharing our faith are essential parts of what it means to live transformed lives.

[This sermon is based on the resource, Treasures of the Transformed Life, Abingdon Press, 2006.]

Come to the Water: Offering Others a Drink

Sermon Discussion Questions

Ephesians 4:1-16 & Matthew 10:1, 40-42

October 18, 2020 

We are now in the 5th of a 6th week series on “Come to the Water.” This series has included a focus on the importance of commitment, offering our prayers, participating in weekly worship, supporting Christ and his church with our financial gifts, and today we focus on serving and sharing our faith with others.

Why do you think these spiritual practices are foundational in having a growing and vibrant faith?

We offered these three reasons for why it is important that each person actively serves and shares their with faith others. 1) Jesus came to serve us and calls us to serve in his name. 2) Serving others gives the church credibility. Our words match our actions. 3) Brings us together as a church.

Which of these reasons for serving stand out for you? Can you think of other reasons why our faith should include serving and sharing?

Here are three ways to serve and share our faith with others. 1) By using our unique gifts and abilities. 2) By using our unique past experiences that have shaped us. 3) By seeking to meet a particular need that will help others.

Which of these ways of serving stand out for you? Offer an example of how one of these ways has helped you to serve and share your faith with others.

Here are three important attitudes in how we are to serve and share our faith. 1) Enthusiastically 2) Unselfishly 3) Humbly 4) Reverently

Which of these attitudes in serving and sharing your faith with others stand out for you? Why are these attitudes important?

Next week, our congregation will be receiving a mailing that will invite us to make a financial commitment for this coming year in support of Christ and his church. Pray this prayer as we prepare to offer God our 2021 commitments:

O God, as we prepare to come to the water to be renewed and to receive the abundant life you so want us to have, we know that involves commitment on our part. Bless all the commitments that are about to be made next week as we think ahead to a new year of ministry.

Thank you for these past several weeks where we have been priming the pump to allow your living water to not only fill our lives but to also overflow through our church and into our community and world. We can’t wait to see what you will be able to do in and through us!

In the name of Jesus who offers us living water, we pray. Amen.