Saturday, September 21, 2013

Sermon, "You cannot serve God and mammon", by Raymond A. Foss, Portage Congregational Church, September 22, 2013

September 22, 2013
Portage Congregational Church
Raymond A. Foss

You cannot serve God and mammon.

Let us pray, Lord please speak to us a message in these words of holy scripture and may these words that I share be a blessing to all of us here. Lord, may your will be done through me or in spite of me. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.

A reading from Luke, Chapter 16, verses 1 to 13, “The Story of the Crooked Manager”. Listen for God’s message to us. . .

(read scripture)

Christ is saying something important here, something repeated in scripture many times. You can’t be listening to the world AND listening to God’s call.

I often joke with my wife Ruth that I am not as good at multi-tasking as she is. If we go back to the stone-age, the men were off in packs, with rudimentary spears and axes trying to kill wild animals. They needed to be single-minded because the hunters can soon become the hunted. Fear can be a great motivator to stay focused on the task at hand.

In the same way, the ancient women in the hunter gatherer days before farming started were already doing many things at once, taking the babies with them as they looked for food to live on.

I think I understand the story here, the push and pull of different masters in the story of this servant. He was torn between serving his master and looking out for number one; but when he was focused, he was driven, and for that he was praised. Fear was a great motivator; but he was focused on the dust.

I can relate; I have been pretty successful at a number of jobs. But I haven’t always felt fulfilled, or that I was following God’s call.

We have a similar story with Mary and Martha, maybe not directly the same but maybe another face of the same coin. That is found in Luke 10, verses 38-42. Even doing good may not be the best.

You see Martha loved Jesus and welcomed him into her home; but Martha was distracted, busy, making the dinner and cleaning the house. She asked Christ to chide Mary, who sat at his feet, to get her to help with the work. But Christ answered in beginning with verse 41, “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

It seems Jesus was saying something connected in these two stories, though the actors were very different. But it sort of goes back to that ancient dynamic and, ultimately, the need to choose what you are going to focus on and who you will follow. We need to be faithful always, to the One who created us, the One who saved us, and the One who guides us in life, our Triune God, Father, Son and Spirit. We need to put off the other issues, other interest, other focuses that can turn us away from God.

Martha had trouble on focusing on Christ and the crooked manager was focused on the wrong thing. Christ uses both stories, both people focusing on the things of this world, the things of dust, of mammon, of the earth. Mary, the younger sister, chooses to sit at the Lord’s feet and drink in the living water.

Yes, the crooked manager is complimented in the parable for being focused, be we must choose wisely in what we focus on. Our good work can keep us from doing what we are supposed to be doing. You can’t serve two masters. We must be single-minded in cleaving to God, to following His word, His message, and His call upon our lives.

I have had that struggle in my life, feeling that even though I was good at what I was doing, maybe I was being pulled in too many directions, or the one thing I was doing wasn’t what God wanted me to focus on.  I feel like I am on the other side. I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.

In 2004 after I finished studying for the NH Bar exam and had returned to my faith I began writing faith based poems. When I started, I had written 300 poems in my life. By 2007, when I went on a religious retreat called the Walk to Emmaus, I had written 1,600. That weekend, I committed to God that I would strive to share this gift of poetry.

By the Fall of 2009, I had written 4,700 poems. In the Laity Sunday sermon, I included this paragraph. “Should I give up my law practice and try to write poetry for a living? Am I not following Christ because I haven’t dropped this one life and picked up the cross and trusted that this was what Jesus wants me to do?”

Well, I tried, in a Martha kind of way. I welcomed Christ in and drafted a “closing my practice letter” and sent it out; but then I didn’t actually closed my practice. I limped along, trying to do both. To serve the law and God. Back in law school the Dean said on our first day, “The Law is a selfish mistress”. How true that is. Other people said I could do both; but I just couldn’t.

My poetry poured out like water. But my law practice died, until I only had one active case by this spring. But you see, God was preparing me for a radical change.

In May of this year, my wife Ruth got an appointment to Stetson Memorial UMC in Patten, and I was able to close my practice in less than a week, because God was ready when I was.
God closed one door and I was finally open for another door to open, in His time.

            I am still writing like crazy; I’m up to 25,000 poems and I have started teaching in Katahdin High School. I finally feel like I am actually using all of my skills for God’s glory, focusing on the one thing that was missing, sharing the gifts God has given me, out in the world.

            IS there something that you are doing that is keeping you from the one important thing, your purpose in God’s kingdom? Are you afraid to pursue your dream? Are you denying God’s voice inside? Are you too busy?

            Trust me when I say, it is better on the other side. Listen to God’s calling and don’t let anything be a stumbling block. Don’t let your own fear stop you. Trust in the Lord.

Amen.

September 21, 2013
Luke 16:1-13
Luke 10:38-42
and sermon “You cannot serve God and Mammon”
by Raymond A. Foss
Portage Congregational Church
Portage, ME
September 22, 2013


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 38,130+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Prayers of the People and Lord’s Prayer, Portage Congregational Church, September 22, 2013

Prayers of the People and Lord’s Prayer
September 22, 2013
Portage Congregational Church

Dear Lord –

These are times of great upheaval, of natural disasters, of changes in our weather, times of violence, of war, times of transitions, of our place in this world. We come to you hurting, in pain, needing rest, your peace. We come to you hopeful, knowing you are with us, in all that we face.

We have lifted up those who are in pain, those who are sick; we lift up our nation, the world, all of us. Watch over us Lord, come into each situation, heal us, mend us, we want to be your people.

We come to you waiting, trusting, believing, knowing you will provide, that you will heal us, that we can walk boldly, safe in your arms. Help us when we struggle, when we are anxious even in times of plenty. Guide us back to you, when we stray from your path

We bring our lives to you and we lay our joys, our concerns, our celebrations and our worries at your cross. We trust in You, our Creator and our Savior, your Spirit within us. We pray all these things in the name of our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ,

And we join together with all of Christ’s disciples sharing the prayer that he taught his first disciples, saying. . .

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. 

Amen.
September 21, 2013
Luke 16:1-13
Luke 10:38-42
and sermon “You cannot serve God and Mammon”
by Raymond A. Foss
Portage Congregational Church
Portage, ME
September 22, 2013

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 25,660+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Prayers of the People

These are times of great upheaval,
of natural disasters,
of changes in our weather,
times of violence, of war,
times of transitions,
of our place in this world.

We come to you hurting,
in pain, needing rest,
your peace, you presence with us.
We come to you hopeful,
knowing you are with us,
in all that we face.

We have lifted up those who are in pain,
those who are sick; we lift up our nation,
the world, all of us.
Watch over us Lord,
come into each situation, heal us,
mend us, we want to be your people.

We come to you waiting,
trusting, believing,
knowing you will provide,
that you will heal us,
that we can walk boldly,
safe in your arms.

Help us when we struggle,
when we are anxious
even in times of plenty.
When we are out in the world
guide us back to you,
when we stray from your path

We bring our lives to you and
we lay our joys, our concerns,
our celebrations and our worries at your cross.
We trust in You, our Creator and our Savior,
your Spirit within us.
We pray all these things
in the name of our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.
September 21, 2013
Luke 16:1-13
Luke 10:38-42
and sermon “You cannot serve God and Mammon”
by Raymond A. Foss
Portage Congregational Church
Portage, ME
September 22, 2013

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 25,660+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.


under the grime, the patina


hidden in the dust
under the grime, the patina
like brass being cleaned
or pottery after the kiln
the art emerging
the story unfolding
the inner beauty shining through
the harvest worth the toil
the shine, the elbow grease
all of it worth it
when these flower
bloom in time
take time to nurture
to nourish the harvest within


September 21, 2013
under the grime, the patina
September 21, 2013
their stories unfolding
September 21, 2013
an image emerging
September 21, 2013
a flower opening
September 21, 2013
an onion peeling
September 21, 2013
In the quiet moments
teaching at Katahdin Middle/ High School


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 25,650+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

their stories unfolding

their stories unfolding
each one unique
context, and purpose
welling us within
the pages opening
as petals on a bloom
different shades,
different colors
all coming into view


September 21, 2013
their stories unfolding

September 21, 2013
an image emerging
September 21, 2013
a flower opening
September 21, 2013
an onion peeling
September 21, 2013
In the quiet moments
teaching at Katahdin Middle/ High School


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 25,650+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

an image emerging


in faint brushstrokes
a sketch in charcoal
in daubs of bright colors
in more muted tones

an image emerging
vague at the beginning
more definition, details
context and meaning

a richer image
deeper, deeper
coming into focus
evolving, ready
when its time is come


September 21, 2013
an image emerging

September 21, 2013
a flower opening
September 21, 2013
an onion peeling
September 21, 2013
In the quiet moments
teaching at Katahdin Middle/ High School


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 25,650+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

a flower opening


petals unfurling
hidden in the blossom
a flower opening
in its own time
water added
good soil nourished
but a flower opening
in its time alone


September 21, 2013
a flower opening

September 21, 2013
an onion peeling
September 21, 2013
In the quiet moments
teaching at Katahdin Middle/ High School

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 25,650+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

an onion peeling


a story unfolding
layers of meaning
words no nearly enough
an onion peeling
context and rhythm
history, emotion
connections forming
over time, slowly
as an onion peeling


==============
edited February 27, 2016
formed within the stone – v11
(editing original)
edited November 17, 2015
formed within the stone – v10
(editing version 4)
edited November 17, 2015
formed within the stone – v9
(editing version 5)
edited April 30, 2015
formed within the storm – v8
(editing version 4)
edited August 28, 2014
formed within the stone – v7
(editing version 2)
in response to question
about whether the horse in the liquid glass
was first in the mind of the artist or within the glass itself
Edited October 14, 2013
formed within the stone – v6
(editing original again)
edited October 9, 2013
formed within the stone – v5
edited October 9, 2013
formed within the stone – v4
edited October 9, 2013
formed within the stone – v3
edited October 9, 2013
formed within the stone – v2
new poem, October 9, 2013
formed within the stone
Edited September 29, 2013
an onion peeling – v3
(editing original again)
Edited September 24, 2013
an onion peeling – v2
September 21, 2013
an onion peeling
September 21, 2013
In the quiet moments
teaching at Katahdin Middle/ High School


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. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 41,120+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

in the quiet moments


in the quiet moments
watching their expressions
when words will not come
when no one is looking
seeing their movements
their tired, their longing
when they are not talking
when no one is looking


==============
edited February 27, 2016
formed within the stone – v11
(editing original)
edited November 17, 2015
formed within the stone – v10
(editing version 4)
edited November 17, 2015
formed within the stone – v9
(editing version 5)
edited April 30, 2015
formed within the storm – v8
(editing version 4)
edited August 28, 2014
formed within the stone – v7
(editing version 2)
in response to question
about whether the horse in the liquid glass
was first in the mind of the artist or within the glass itself
Edited October 14, 2013
formed within the stone – v6
(editing original again)
edited October 9, 2013
formed within the stone – v5
edited October 9, 2013
formed within the stone – v4
edited October 9, 2013
formed within the stone – v3
edited October 9, 2013
formed within the stone – v2
new poem, October 9, 2013
formed within the stone
Edited September 29, 2013
an onion peeling – v3
(editing original again)
Edited September 24, 2013
an onion peeling – v2
September 21, 2013
an onion peeling
September 21, 2013
In the quiet moments
teaching at Katahdin Middle/ High School


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. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 41,120+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

If we are comfortable – 2 – v3


A challenge to us
members of this church
the cost of our judgment
on counting her sin
claiming our place
as if we are better than her

We are no better
able to judge them
we all are sinners
down to the last one

If we are comfortable
sitting in judgment
too sure of our position
we should remember Christ’s words,
the only One justified,
the One without sin

We should not judge
remembering Christ’s challenge
dropping our stones
only loving each other


Edited September 21, 2013
If we are comfortable – 2 – v3
(editing original again)
Edited September 21, 2013
If we are comfortable – 2 – v2
June 13, 2011
If we are comfortable - 2
&
new poem September 21, 2013
Standing with our Brothers
Edited September 20, 2013
Standing with our Sister – v3
(editing original again)
August 29, 2013
Standing with our Sister – v2
June 12, 2011 and June 13, 2011
Standing with our Sister
June 13, 2011
“Welcoming Christ”
&
Edited September 7, 2013
“Making the secular Holy – v2”
new poem September 7, 2013
“Making the secular Holy”
----
This poem is about my wife and me when we got married
in a civil service on December 17, 2004 in Concord, NH in White Park
and then before our church family at
Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord, NH
on April 23, 2005.
----
We celebrate 2 anniversaries because they both mean a great
deal to us, in very different ways.
I grieve for those who are able to marry civilly in so many
states now, such as NH, but are unable to marry in their
United Methodists churches and for the clergy who are put on trial
for choosing to go against the Discipline to marry them.
&
trials of Rev. Frank Schaefer
and Rev. Thomas Ogletree
and  Rev. Steve Heiss
&
Edited September 7, 2013
For Offering Love – v2
June 22, 2011
For Offering Love
&
John 8
&
Samuel Thompson’s
Inclusion Essay
shared at the New England United Methodist Church
Annual Conference
in response to call by Reconciling Ministries Network
for essays describing, “My vision for an inclusive church”,
June 10, 2011
&
Love on Trial,
the case against the Reverend Amy DeLong,
which begins on June 20, 2011
&
in part inspired by conversations with
the Reverend John Makokha
Riruta UMC
Children of Africa Hope Mission Project in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. http://rirutaumc.homestead.com/children_of_africa.html
&
Matthew 25:31-46
The Sheep and the Goats
&
Matthew 28:18-20
Great Commission

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 25,640+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

The Crowd Walks Away – v3


Needing to remember
that story of Mary
accused, before Jesus,
about to be punished
at his feet, afraid,
for we are no different

They dropped their stones
at the words of his challenge
the one sound them falling
remembering their sin;
none claiming the right
to cast the first stone

All of them guilty
none better than her
feet made of clay, disobedient
none of them standing in judgment
dropping their stones
the crowd walked away.


Edited September 21, 2013
The Crowd Walks Away – v3
Edited September 20, 2013
The Crowd Walks Away – v2
June 13, 2011
The Crowd Walks Away
&
new poem September 21, 2013
Standing with our Brothers
Edited September 20, 2013
Standing with our Sister – v3
(editing original again)
August 29, 2013
Standing with our Sister – v2
June 12, 2011 and June 13, 2011
Standing with our Sister
June 13, 2011
“Welcoming Christ”
&
Edited September 7, 2013
“Making the secular Holy – v2”
new poem September 7, 2013
“Making the secular Holy”
----
This poem is about my wife and me when we got married
in a civil service on December 17, 2004 in Concord, NH in White Park
and then before our church family at
Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord, NH
on April 23, 2005.
----
We celebrate 2 anniversaries because they both mean a great
deal to us, in very different ways.
I grieve for those who are able to marry civilly in so many
states now, such as NH, but are unable to marry in their
United Methodists churches and for the clergy who are put on trial
for choosing to go against the Discipline to marry them.
&
trials of Rev. Frank Schaefer
and Rev. Thomas Ogletree
and  Rev. Steve Heiss
&
Edited September 7, 2013
For Offering Love – v2
June 22, 2011
For Offering Love
&
John 8
&
Samuel Thompson’s
Inclusion Essay
shared at the New England United Methodist Church
Annual Conference
in response to call by Reconciling Ministries Network
for essays describing, “My vision for an inclusive church”,
June 10, 2011
&
Love on Trial,
the case against the Reverend Amy DeLong,
which begins on June 20, 2011
&
in part inspired by conversations with
the Reverend John Makokha
Riruta UMC
Children of Africa Hope Mission Project in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. http://rirutaumc.homestead.com/children_of_africa.html
&
Matthew 25:31-46
The Sheep and the Goats
&
Matthew 28:18-20
Great Commission

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 25,640+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.