Upcoming Sunday Scripture Commentary - March 23

March 23 Sermon – “Who Were the Twelve Disciples of Jesus? Andrew & Phillip”

Psalm 63:1-8

The Psalmist feels disconnected from God as if he is in a lifeless desert. He remembers God and the Temple.

Verses 2 & 3 – Even greater than life itself is God’s steadfast love and being faithful to God’s covenant.

Verse 4 – God’s abundance is like a rich feast.

Verse 7 & 8 – God has helped and protected him and God provides him with strength.

John 6:1-14

John wants us to know that the feeding of the 5,000 took place around the Passover celebration. He wants us to know that just as God fed the Israelites manna from heaven when they were in the wilderness, Jesus offers us bread from heaven in the feeding of the 5,000.

Phillip and Andrew are known as the disciples who were most in touch with the need of the people outside of the inner circle of disciples. In this story, Andrew gets to know a little boy who had some fish and bread to share. This story helps us to identify what we have and offer it to Jesus.

How can we be more like Phillip and Andrew and offer what we have, even if it doesn’t feel like much, to Jesus and trust that he will be able to multiply it to be a blessing for others?

What does this story teach us about stewardship and giving to the church?

[Note: The resources used for these scripture reading commentaries are based on the Everyone series by NT Wright, The Wesley Study Bible, and the “Montreal-Anglican”lectionary commentaries.] 

Sunday Worship Preview - March 30

Sunday, March 30 - (9:00 & 10:30 Services) & Wednesday April 2 (6:30 pm Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Sermon - "Who Were the Twelve Disciples? James the Greater"

Features - Fourth Sunday In Lent

Scripture - Acts 11:27-12:3 & Matthew 20:20-28

Theme - During the Season of Lent, we are focusing on the twelve disciples of Jesus. Who were they? What can we learn from them? What does it mean to follow in their example? On this Sunday, we focus on James the Greater who reminds us that God's grace is costly.

Dave's Deep Thoughts - Growing Older

Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.

I tried to blame it on the hour change. 

But now, I think I need to blame on THE CHANGE,

that is the change in me.

When I was a teen,

my dad brought home this fancy television.

It had this thing called a "remote"

which allowed you to switch channels without getting out of your seat.

My dad thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.

I thought it was a sure sign the world was coming to an end.

As if I were a prophet years before Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign,

I told my dad this was his first step toward the nursing home.

"You mean a 50 year old man is too lazy to get out of his chair?"

I said incredulously.

Now as an 18 year old,

I couldn't "remotely" grasp what it meant for him to be 50.

But that gadget in my father's hands was for me,

the ultimate sign of slothfulness.

Add in the fact, that my dad was reclining

 on a piece of  furniture called a "Lazy Boy".....

'Nuff said.

Sure enough,

 this modern lazy gadgetry soon had my dad

sawing logs long before Johnny Carson hit the air.

Fast forward a few years,

okay, a lot of years.

I now live in a home with soft living room furniture,

a television that picks up hundreds of channels from outer space,

surround sound,

and three remotes.

So much for standing up against laziness.

I remember my college days when I would START watching a movie at 11pm,

and would remain conscious throughout.

My favorite baseball team was playing on the west coast??

I could tell you who won, even if it went to extra innings.

Then there were the twenties,

when I would end my day with The Tonight Show,

followed by a little dose of The Letterman Show.

By my early thirties,

I rationalized my increasingly earlier bedtimes

as "becoming an adult."

Being an adult meant responsibly going to bed after Jay Leno's opening monologue.

By my mid-thirties, my adulthood was rarely staying awake through the eleven o'clock news.

Then I hit 40.

That meant I had a 40% chance of making it through my favorite ten o'clock shows.

By the mid-forties,

my 9pm shows were in jeopardy,

so I did what any person in denial would do........

I started recording them so I could re-watch them during the next day.

At age 50,

I tried to rationalize that if I remained upright while watching television,

I could stay awake.

As a young person, I could never understand when I saw

 elderly people sound asleep while sitting in their wheelchairs.

Now I understand.......

that is after I found myself unconscious while sitting upright,

with drool running down my cheek by the midway point of my eight o'clock shows.

So I did what an self-respecting middle-age man who continued to be in denial would do.........

I resorted to caffeine, lot's of it.

Amazingly, caffeine didn't get me though prime time,

but it did give me 4 extra trips to the bathroom each night.

Finally, I had to accept the inevitable....

I had become my father,

just with two extra remotes.

And now that I am in my fifties, I realize that isn't a bad thing.

In fact, it is good.

In the almost 25 years that my dad has been gone,

I have come to realize how many mannerisms and tendencies I have

that come from him,

how many values and ethics that he taught  me,

how many lifetime lessons that he demonstrated to me.

What I was trying to deny is what I eventually embraced with love.

And so it is with our lifetime walk with God.

Our years on earth are formative years to become more and more like Christ.

We have been given the written Word,

the Word incarnated,

and the Word impressed onto our spirits.

We are without excuse.

So whether you are in the prime time

or in the late night time slot of your life,

the question remains the same.....

Are you more like Christ than you were a year ago?

It's not about earning our way into eternity,

We can't do that anyway.

It's about preparing us for the eternity.

which is already here in our midst.

Jesus repeatedly reminded His disciples

that the Kingdom of Heaven was already in their midst.

So, as we get older,

let's not pretend that we aren't changing.

In fact,

let's hope that we are,

 into His likeness.

Now let's get back to the Jay Leno Show.

What?

He's not on any more?

Wow, I must have slept through that.......

Now the Lord is the Spirit;

and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror

the glory of the Lord,

are being transformed into the same image

form glory to glory,

just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

                                             2 Corinthians  3: 17-18

The apostle Paul speaking on how we are transformed by Christ's divine glory.

Upcoming Sunday Scripture Commentary (March 16)

March 16 Sermon – “Who Were the Twelve Disciples of Jesus: James the Lesser & Thaddeus”

Psalm 121

Imagine walking a long journey up a hill to Jerusalem with your friends and family to attend an annual religious festival. Off in the distance, you can now see the Temple glistening in the sun as you sing these words from Psalm 121.

Psalm 121 is known as a Psalm of Ascent.  These include Psalms 120 through 134.  These short Psalms were sung by pilgrims on their way up to the temple on Mount Zion for religious feast celebrations.

Jerusalem and the Temple are located at the top of a long hill which is why verse 1 speaks of “lifting my eyes up to the hills.”

Verse 2 – The psalm reminds us that God is the creator of the universe.

Verses 3-8 – These verses remind us that God offers protection in all possible circumstances.

John 14:18-24

Our Gospel reading provides the only story in the scriptures about Thaddeus, also known as Judas, who is one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. This story takes place soon after Jesus' Last Supper with the disciples.

The disciple Thaddeus was also known as Judas, which is why verse 22 makes this distinction.

This passage is part of what is known as the “Farewell Discourse” of Jesus where he prepares the disciples for when he would be leaving them.

Jesus is telling the disciples that if they remain faithful to Christ despite tremendous opposition from the world that they will receive peace from God (verse 27.)

This scripture reminds us of our Psalm 121 reading for this Sunday which speaks of God’s protection in all circumstances.

[Note: The resources used for these scripture reading commentaries are based on the Everyone series by NT Wright, The Wesley Study Bible, and the “Montreal-Anglican”lectionary commentaries.] 

Christ as Our Central Focus - The Last Supper Painting

As we continue in our Season of Lent sermon series on the twelve disciples of Jesus, here is some additional information about "The Last Supper" painting by Leonardo da Vinci. For other background information, refer to yesterday's sermon.

Trisha Clifford Sprouse, an artist in our church recently sent this picture of the painting to help us appreciate da Vinci's creativity in making a theological statement. Trisha shares, "This is 1 point perspective and the Christ sits at what is known in perspective as the vanishing point on the horizon line. Da Vinci uses it to draw our eyes toward the Christ as the focal point, even though we turn away, question, or deny we are drawn back to Christ by his use of the formal art elements of line, space, light, color, pattern, and shape."

This was a mathematical codification of perspective that occurred during the Renaissance, 1400-1550 by Filippo Brunelleschi. Artists use this idea of creating a realistic picture plane that shows space to further emphasize the meaning or symbolism of their artworks.

I have a friend and spiritual mentor who always reminds me to "Stay focused on Christ." It's easy to allow distractions to get in the way of keeping Christ at the center of our daily living. We can identify with the disciples who all denied him in different ways. The good news of our faith is that because of the good news of Easter and Jesus' resurrection, we can turn our eyes back on Christ, receive forgiveness and continue to follow him.

Another important piece of information about da Vinci's painting is his subtle emphasis on the importance of the Trinity, the doctrine that God is one God but known in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Notice in the painting that da Vinci has arranged the disciples in four groups of three. and there are also three windows. The doctrine of the Trinity reminds us that God is present with us, especially during times of adversity and betrayal.

Sunday Worship Preview - March 23

Sunday, March 23 - (9:00 & 10:30 Services) & Wednesday March 26 (6:30 pm Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Sermon - "Who Were the Twelve Disciples? Andrew & Phillip"

Features - Third Sunday In Lent

Scripture - John 6:1-14

Theme - During the Season of Lent, we are focusing on the twelve disciples of Jesus. Who were they? What can we learn from them? What does it mean to follow in their example? On this Sunday, we focus on Andrew & Phillip.

Dave's Deep Thoughts - Faith for Every Season

Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.

To everything, there is a season.....

Sometimes I wish mine would follow the calendar a bit better.

I love the different seasons of the year.

Each one has its beauty and its unique challenges.

Spring has it's emerging beauty and life,

it also comes with 100 pounds of mulch that causes the back to ache.

Summer has warm nights and time to play outside,

it also has stifling heat and humidity.

Fall resounds with a palette of colors that thrill the senses,

it also has leaves to rake and another aching back.

Winter has snow that quietly blankets the earth in white,

it also has......well, it has a lot of things.

Most people like things to occur in their proper season.

But it doesn't always happen that way.

For me,

 the furnace service man comes to the house each summer,

and runs a 10 minute test of the furnace,

 when it is 90 degrees or hotter outside.

Or as a church musician,

when I receive Easter preview music in December,

and Christmas music  in July.

Or this year,  a polar vortex that hangs around into March.

Usually in March, I am thinking about my upcoming Shamrock Shake.

This March I am just shaking.............from the single digit temperatures.

If you live in the Northeast,

you know all about polar vortexes,

like the one we are currently experiencing.

You know its a polar vortex,

when ski resorts close.

You know its a polar vortex,

when escaped prisoners return on their own.

You know its a polar vortex,

when polar bears at the zoo choose to stay indoors.

You know its a polar vortex,

when you open the refrigerator to heat the house. 

You know its a polar vortex,

when people look forward to getting a fever.

and my favorite......

You know its a polar vortex,

that if the thermometer had been an inch longer,

you would have frozen to death.

Okay, enough with the polar vortex jokes..........

During a polar vortex,

some people like to get on a plane,

any plane that is pointed anywhere towards the equator.

Not this guy. 

During a polar vortex, I do things like.....

read a book by the fire,

take an afternoon nap under an extra blanket,

or make a hot cup of  cocoa with extra mini-marshmallows.

But not this polar vortex.

instead, I decided that a good use ofmy time was to

defrost my freezer.

Let me say this about that.

Defrosting a freezer during a polar vortex

in an unheated garage is not an easy thing to do

especially when it is colder outside than it is in Alaska.

Now don't get the wrong idea.

It's not that I WANTED to defrost the freezer.

 I have been known to do curious things at curious times,

like taking a nap before going to bed,

or brushing my teeth before a eating a meal,

or washing my hands before taking a shower.

Yes, I sometimes do things "out of season"

But this time.

I HAD to defrost the freezer.

Somehow, the door to the freezer didn't close completely.

Left partially open,

frost built up inside the freezer

till I couldn't see the contents in the freezer anymore.

It is not easy to defrost a freezer

when the temperature OUTSIDE the freezer is colder

than the temperature INSIDE the freezer.

So I came in full ski suit wear,

armed with every heating weapon at my disposal.....

candles, ceramic heaters, blow dryers

to melt the frozen tundra

She was stubborn.

But I was on a mission.

There were soups to be saved,

raspberries to be rescued,

and enchiladas to be emancipated.

It wasn't easy.

My first attempts to blow hot air

across the frozen wasteland

were met with frosty contempt.

My freezer vortex was not going to give up her hostages easily.

She had Mother Nature on her side,

but I had Father Time, plus a super turbo 2000 watt blow dryer.

It took hours, and days

but slowly I began to see the edge of my apple dumplings.

Eventually I pulled my  chicken breasts out from under the avalanche,

and ultimate victory was achieved when my pork loin saw the light of day.

Sometimes unusual things happen in unusual seasons.

During the course of my ministry,

I have worked with literally thousands of young people.

Sometimes, they are ready to hear God's Word and let it change their lives.

Sometimes, they are not ready.

Different youth, different seasons.

I have always understood that one of my ministry seasons is to plant seeds,

seeds that will someday bear the fruit of the Kingdom.

There are no guarantees that any one person

will enter a season of salvation and discipleship.

That is up to God.

My task was and is, is to plant seeds.

Yesterday I was given a gift.

A young lady names Sarah found me on Facebook.

Now in her late 30's

she told me how she never took the youth ministry seriously as a teenager.

She was only there because her friends came to youth group.

And if there was a more enticing alternative to youth group on any given Sunday,

she would choose it.

She got into trouble like many teens do and her life began to spiral out of control

But in a later season of her life, she found the Lord and they became friends.

She now lives with His Spirit in her heart

and her life has purpose and meaning.

She messaged me to thank me for planting those early seeds.

I was so grateful to hear from her and to know the Lord had found her.

It is easy for Christians to forget that there are spiritual seasons.

And sometimes we are in seasons of birth, growth, harvest, and rest.

When I heard from Sarah, I was in a season of discouragement.

In the midst of that personal season,

I was given a season of hope.

Sometimes our seasons surprise us,

much like a polar vortex in March.

But the good news is that no matter

how strange the season is,

the Lord has a purpose for each of our lives.

It just takes faith and encouragement to see it through,

and sometimes a super turbo 2000 watt blow dryer.

 Last item out of the freezer wasteland????

my bag of ice cubes.

God is faithful.

Now you be faithful as well.

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord

and in His law, he meditates day and night.

And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither;

and whatever he does, he prospers."

                             Psalm 1: 2-3