Pastor’s Corner – May 2013

On May 12, Mother’s Day, the Chi Rho/CYF will lead worship.  Please make an effort to come and support our young people as they share their talents in worship.

If any of our church family will be graduating this year, please let me know by phone (478-718-8724) or email (pastor@fcc-wr.org) so they may be honored this month.  I would like to recognize any graduates on Pentecost Sunday, May 19.

On Pentecost, the former disciples, now Apostles came out of hiding and fear and began to share the Good News that God cares for all people, not just the wealthy and successful power brokers.  These fishermen, tax collectors, hired helpers, radicals, men, and women went out into the world they had feared and at once wished to be violently changed and began traveling and teaching and preaching.

We are now the ones to be “sent out” to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.   To quote the prophets about justice and righteousness for the powerless and to work for a time when swords are converted to plows and everyone will be free to rest in their own space confident that there is food for the family.  To love others as we have been loved by God.  To do all of these things knowing that people will think we are crazy, or peace-niks, or radicals.  To do all these things even we have to sacrifice our comfort, our security, our life.

Jesus dared the Disciples to take up their cross and follow.  This is not a reflection of some ache or pain that we experience.  It is not some hardship or discomfort through which we must pass.  Rather it is the willingness to put our very lives on the line to change the world that sees people as commodities and tools; that measures a person’s value by how much they are worth or by what they can offer to me; that releases the individual of being my brother’s and my sister’s keeper.

The Spirit of Pentecost upset the Apostle’s comfort zones; in fact, it blew their comfort zones apart.  Their comfort zone became service to others.  Look at Paul, how comfortable was his life?  He was shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, ridiculed, jailed, and finally executed.  All because he said that all power is God’s and that those who wield power in this world must answer to God and that everyone, regardless of where they are from are to be welcomed and not judged.

We have passed through the season of Lent, where we examined our walk with God to see if we are on the right path.  We have rejoiced through the Grace-filled gift of Easter.  Now is the season to roll up our sleeves and set to work preaching the gospel in all we do, and only when necessary resort to the use of words.  When you feel that Divine prodding to get out of the recliner and do, get up and go.  When your vision is opened by the Spirit to see the excess, give it away.  When you hear the call for justice and righteousness, answer it.  We ARE disciples!  We are Disciples of Christ!

Shalom, Darrell