Suncook United Methodist Church
Sunday June 26, 2011
Second Sunday of Pentecost
Matthew 10:40-42
“Ambassador for God”
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Let us pray. . .
Holy God, author of the Word made flesh, to whom belongs both the first Word and the last, open us to your Spirit, that as scripture is spoken and your word proclaimed, we may be comforted, convinced, and changed to the glory of Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
(Worship & Song ©2011)
Yesterday, I went to a Workshop at The Rockingham United Methodist Church. Now. . . there are times when I go to a workshop and I feel very anxious. . . nervous. . . because I am going someplace that I have never been before. I am not sure what they may think of me. . . what if I go and I make no friends. . . what if I don’t know anyone there? Well. . . when I went there. . . to this church. . . they made me feel so welcome there. There was a smile on these people’s faces and I could tell they were happy that I was there. Their actions took away all my doubt and fears and I had a GREAT time!
Have you ever gone some place. . . a place you have never been before and the people treat you like you are one of the family? I mean you have never met them before and they make you feel like you belong, you are accepted by them. It is such a good feeling when that happens. You feel welcome. It happens here all the time.
Unfortunately there are still those who do the opposite. They make you feel that you don’t belong; they treat you like an outcast. . . as the bible may say, like a leper, someone you need to avoid at all cost. There are still so many people who just don’t get it. . . they just don’t see that what they do hurts others. I mean if you don’t think or believe as they do you are treated like an outsider.
Over the past couple of days, I have received e-mails from someone from my past. . . someone who I thought was an accepting, loving friend. These e-mails I have received grieve me to my inner core. You see. . . he decided that me being a pastor. . . me being a leader of the church was all wrong. It was against God’s Word. He has decided to start a “crusade” against what I do. What I don’t understand is this. . . why are people so unwelcoming to some of God’s “elect”, why do some people feel so righteous that they make others feel that they are so wrong. . . that God is going to “smite them” for what they do? Unfortunately, an attitude like this is why some say “I would be a Christian but for the Christians I know.”
Matthew 10 verses 40-42 talks about how we are to act towards others. . . especially those who are brothers and sister in the faith. It reads. . . And I’m reading from the Gods Word translation this morning. . . (Read Scripture)
We are to welcome others. . . we are to be. . . to show. . . God’s love and grace to others. How can we be disciples of and for Christ when we decide to shun others for their beliefs. . . to shun others because they are not like us? We are to “run the race” with integrity and love. How can we receive the crown of glory. . . to receive the reward that is held for us if we decide to not let others know the “secret hand shake that is given through the cross” if WE decide someone is not worthy.
This saddens me. We are all sojourners on a journey. We are all sinners. We are all learning as we go along. . . .starting on July 17th. . . we are going to take a journey and look at this type of attitude some Christians have with others. . . we are going to look at why people are turning away from Christianity because of the words and attitudes of others.
We will take this journey with Adam Hamilton and be guided by his series “When Christians Get It Wrong.” My prayer is that we will self-reflect on what we will learn and be changed for the kingdom. . . that we will be welcoming people. . . each an Ambassador for God.
Let us pray. . .
Loving, Compassionate God, we thank you for your word to guide us through our journey of life. We pray that you would open our eyes to our attitudes and how we act towards others. May we be people of hope and love and not people of despair and “self-righteousness”. May we lead by the Spirit to new heights for you. May we truly be a people of “Open hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors”.
Amen.
==================
July 2, 2011
Commissioned by Christ
Matthew 10:40-42 (God’s WORD Translation)
Psalm 13
Worship Theme: “All
Are Welcome”
and sermon: “Ambassadors for God”
by Pastor Ruth L. Foss
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
8AM Live
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
June 26, 2011
Second Sunday in Pentecost
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted
by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. All rights are
reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for
usage. See all 47,180 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
Faith, God, Christ, love, grace, Methodist, Pastor Ruth
L. Foss, calling, witness, God’s purpose, Poetry Where You Live, Pentecost,
journey, Spirit, Psalm 13, Matthew 10,
#God #Christ #Word #faith #love #witness #calling #grace
#servant #worship #journey #purpose #Psalm13 #Matthew10
No comments:
Post a Comment