St. Patrick

 March 17, 2024 - or any year!

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, and I have a few questions for you to commemorate this important holiday.

1.    What do you get when you cross a 4-leaf clover with poison ivy? A rash of good luck.

2.    How do musicians show off on St. Patrick’s Day? They play their brag-pipes.

3.    What do you call a leprechaun prank? A St. Pat-Trick.

4.    Finally, who, exactly, was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Patrick lived a long, long time ago, and the people of Ireland believe that he is in heaven protecting and watching over them. Most countries have one or more patron saints. The most popular is the patroness saint Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is the patroness saint of the United States, in fact. But back to Ireland and St. Patrick…The interesting thing is, Patrick wasn’t Irish.

He was born in Great Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the 4^th century. His family was not particularly religious. When he was 16 years old, Patrick was kidnapped by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family estate. They took him to Ireland where he spent six years as a slave.

During this time, he worked as a shepherd, tending sheep outdoors and away from people. He became lonely, cold and afraid. He turned to the religion of his childhood for comfort, and became a devoted Christian.

Finally, Patrick escaped. He made his way back to Britain. He wrote that an angel told him in a dream that God wanted him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick studied Christianity for over 15 years, was ordained a priest and returned to Ireland with a two-part mission:

1.    To minister to the few Christians already in Ireland, and

2.    To tell all of the Irish people about God’s love for them in Jesus.

Patrick was a brave and faithful man. He did a lot of good for the Irish people—so much that the people of that country—Catholics and Protestants—agree that Patrick deserves to be the nation’s patron saint. Irish immigrants brought their love of St. Patrick with them when they came to the United States, and that’s why we all celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, whether we are Irish or not!

Hi, My Name Is...

Interim Pastor's First Day 
November 19, 2023

Today I start a new position as Bridge Pastor of a small congregation. Years ago, I read of a children's message for this occasion, in which the new Interim Pastor entered the sanctuary dragging a small suitcase behind her. During the children's sermon, she introduced herself, opened the suitcase and showed the children the items she had brought to outfit her office for the time they would spend together--things like a Bible, her in-home communion kit, her laptop, a collection of stoles, etc. Her time with them would be relatively short, she said. She would not be their pastor for years and years, like her predecessor. She explained how much she was looking forward to getting to know each of them, and of being their pastor, and of helping the church while it looked for a new minister. 

Then on her last Sunday, during the children's time, she packed up her suitcase with the same items, put in a couple of new things which would remind her of her experience at XYZ church, told them how much she had enjoyed being their pastor, that her job was done and they would now have the fun of getting to know their new minister. At the end of the service, she walked down the aisle, pulling her suitcase behind her. 

Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the person who posted this brilliant idea originally, but I do plan to use it this morning. Thanks so much to its creator!

Servanthood

 Mark 10:35-45

I have a confession to make.  I spend too much time on my phone.  Do you know anyone who has this same problem?  Sometimes I tell myself, "I'll just check Facebook real quick to see whose birthday it is so I can post "Happy Birthday" wishes.  Then, 45 minutes later, I'm still staring at my phone.  The other day, however, I read something on Facebook that was actually worth my time.

A woman named Darlene posted a story about a FedEx driver named Rondy, who was on the road, delivering packages.  As he drove by a mobile home park, he noticed an elderly gentleman in the ditch by the side of the road.  He seemed to be having difficulty, so Rondy pulled a U-turn and went to the older man's aid.  It turned out that the man was walking home from the food bank with groceries in a push cart, when he became overwhelmed by the heat.  He fell into the ditch with his cart, and could barely stand.  Rondy was helping the 75-year-old when two other people stopped to offer their service as well.  They helped the struggling man home so that Rondy could get back to his job, delivering packages.

Jesus calls us to serve one another; to be helpful and kind.  In this way, we serve God and help to make the world what God intended for it to be all along--a kind and loving home for all people.

Prayer:

Loving God, we thank you for Rondy and people like him, who put aside their own agendas to help those in need.  Help me to serve you by serving others, too.  AMEN.

      FedEx driver Rondy, lending a helping hand
      Posted on Facebook by Darlene Griffith Pittman
      June 15, 2023

New Season: New Life

 A Story for the Coming of Spring

Tomorrow, March 20, at 5:24pm, marks the Spring Equinox.  In other words, tomorrow is the first day of Spring!  

People of different cultures welcome the arrival of spring in a variety of ways—

·       Every year, hundreds of thousands of people climb 360 steps up the ancient Pyramid of the Sun near Mexico City.   When they get to the top, they throw their arms up to the sun and welcome Springtime.

·       In India, the first day of Spring is called the Festival of Colors.  During this festival, people walk through the streets, throwing colored powder on each other.

·       In Gloucester, England, they roll a huge wheel of cheese down a steep street called Cooper’s Hill.

     The people of Thailand reach for their cannon-sized water guns, buckets, pressure hoses, or any other creative way they can think of to drench their neighbors in water on the first day of spring.

·       And finally, each Spring Equinox, at sunrise, people living in the town of Zenica in Bosnia, gather at the Bosna River and enjoy a community breakfast of scrambled eggs.

Spring is a season worth celebrating!  It is a season of promise and hope as we see new life springing up all around us.  Each day in springtime grows longer and warmer.  There are fresh, new leaves coming out on the trees, and beautiful flowers like daffodils and crocus tell us that Spring has arrived.  

Christians around the world welcome Spring with joy.  When Spring comes, we know that Easter will soon be here.  And Easter is the most important day of the year for those who love and follow Jesus.

You’ll hear more about Easter and why it is such an important day in the coming weeks.  For now, let’s thank God for Spring and all the promise and new life it holds.

MOVING DAY

God's Call to Abram and Sarai

2nd Sunday in Lent, Year A
Genesis 12:1-4a
Prop: A moving box

Good morning!  How many of you have moved from one home to another?  How many of you have always lived in the same home?  When I was young, my family and I moved around a lot.  I was born in Hollywood, California.  Then when I was five weeks old (I barely remember it), my family and I moved to Western Springs, Illinois.  Then we moved to Park Forest, IL, then to Union, Missouri, then back to Park Forest, then to Belleville, Illinois, then back to California.  A few weeks later, I started third grade. 

Moving from one home to another is a lot of work.  You have to go through everything you own, decide whether to take it with you, sell it, give it away or trash it.  You put all of your toys, books and clothes in boxes which often get loaded into a big truck with your furniture and taken to your new home.  Once your stuff arrives, it has to be taken off the truck and put away at the new place.  It’s exhausting!

Many, many years ago—about 3,900 years ago—God asked a man named Abram and his wife, Sarai, to move to a new place.  Abram and Sarai were used to moving.  They were nomads, and their home was a tent.  They would set up camp in a place and live there for a while, and then move to a new place where there was new grass for the animals to eat, fresh water, a different view of the desert.  But God wanted them to move to someplace far, far from the land they called home.  It would be like starting over completely.  They wouldn’t be able to visit their old friends and their family would be far away, too. 

God had an important reason for asking Abram and Sarai to move away from everything and everyone they knew to start over again.  God wanted to do something brand, new.  He wanted Abram and Sarai to be the start of a new nation—a nation of people devoted to God.  God said, ““Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”

And do you know what?  They went.  They packed up their tent and all of their stuff, loaded everything onto camels and headed off to a new adventure, a new life, a new relationship with God.  They stepped outside of their comfort zones in faith.  God richly blessed Abram and Sarai and in turn they were a blessing to others.  

Thanks be to God!

The Art of Listening

First Sunday in Lent, Year A

Matthew 4:1-11

Good morning! Today I'm going to tell you about three super-talented, famous people. They have accomplished amazing things in their lives, but when they were young and just getting started, they were told they didn't have what it would take to make their dreams come true. Let me show you what I mean.

First, Walt Disney. Walt Disney was the person who dreamed up Disneyland and Walt Disney World. He created wonderful movies, like Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Dumbo. The first cartoon he drew to become famous was Mickey Mouse. But he wasn't always a world-famous artist. Before he drew Mickey Mouse, he was fired from the Kansas City Star newspaper in 1919. because, his editor said, he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”

That editor was wrong, wasn't he?

Next, Elvis Presley. Elvis was a wildly popular singer and also an actor. It is estimated that during his lifetime, Elvis sold more than one billion records--more than anyone else in record industry history (Graceland.com). But Elvis wasn't always so popular. After one of his early performances at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, Elvis was told by the concert hall manager that he was better off returning to Memphis and driving trucks (his former career).

That concert hall manager was wrong, wasn't he?

My final example is Stephen Spielberg. Stephen Spielberg is a famous director. He directed E.T., Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones, to name only a few of his movies. He has won 155 film-making awards, including several Oscars. But Spielberg wasn't always a household name. Spielberg was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television three times. The people at the famous film school thought Spielberg didn't have what it takes to make it in films.

The admissions committee at the University of California was wrong, wasn't it?

Here's the thing. We have people telling us stuff all the time. Some of those people just aren't worth our attention. When someone tells us we are "less than"--that we will never make it in this world, that we don't have what it takes, that we are untalented or unlovable, it is OK not to listen to those people. Their opinions are not worth listening to.

I'll tell you who IS worth listening to--God. One way we listen to God's message is in the Bible. Here are some of the things God tells us:



"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 106:1) God loves us, and His love lasts FOREVER! Not just yesterday. Not just today, but forever and always.

“You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14); the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).” Isn't that a great thing to be a light in this world?

“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are." (I John 3:1)

God loves you, and you, and you, and you, and you. You are God's beloved child. That is the most important message, the most important voice that you will ever hear. That is a message worth listening to.

Labor Day Sunday

Good morning!  The children and youth in our school district started school last week.  This got me to thinking of all the groups and committees which will start meeting again now that the summer is over.  Life is about to get a lot busier for many of us, students and adults alike!  Let me show you what I mean.  We’ll use me as an example.

Imagine that this plate is my life.  I have a lot of interests, activities and obligations which I try to balance on my plate, or fit into my life.  (Go through list, adding representative items to the plate one at a time.  For example, a spiral notebook and a pen could represent your work, a spatula cooking, a framed picture of your family, etc.)  Keep the plate balanced until the last item is placed on the plate, if you can, then let the whole thing fall to the ground.)

OH, NO!  What happened?  I put too much on my plate, didn’t I!  The same thing happens when we try to fit too much into our lives without taking time to pause.  To rest.  To regroup and refresh with God.  If we keep going, going, going without an occasional break, everything we want to do suffers.  We don’t do as well in school as we could.  We don’t have the energy and focus to excel in sports, or music, or dance, or whatever we like to do.  We can neglect our friends and family members. 

God tells us that we all need rest.  God rested.  After creating the heavens and the earth, God took a break.  Jesus, too, walked away from the crowds and spent time alone with his thoughts and with God every now and then. 

I encourage you to follow this example.  Take time out of your day and your week to unplug, unwind and spend quality time with God.  If you do this, the rest of your life will be in better balance and everything else will benefit.