The Kingdom of God is Near!

Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near! Those are the words of Jesus as he begins his three year ministry around the Sea of Galilee. I love the Gospel of Matthew as this apostle is always taking us back to the history; back to the Hebrew Bible, in order to support the claims and words that Jesus is stating. Why does Matthew do that? It’s simple, Jesus was constantly quoting the Hebrew Bible Scripture! (The Old Testament.) Jesus was always tying in the former to show why he had come. Jesus is forming this new community, this new covenantal community to be a reflection of the heavenly kingdom; God’s community. We pray this in the Lord ’s Prayer—Thy Kingdom come! We are to be a reflection of the heavenly kingdom on earth.

Jesus is trying to show us what that Heavenly Kingdom looks like. In a series of parables, especially in Matthew 13, Jesus is showing us what the Kingdom of Heaven looks like. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…..A sower who sowed some seeds; a Mustard seed; a treasure hidden in a field!

How can you describe that which is indescribable? We are constantly facing this challenge when we speak of the Heavenly Kingdom; when we speak of Jesus. I’ve tried to explain what it was like giving birth to my baby daughters. It is impossible. So, too, Jesus runs across this very same problem. He wants to tell us, tries to explain to us very patiently, about God’s Kingdom. Our limited language skills cannot comprehend.

And so we are stuck; stuck trying to describe the indescribable. Stuck trying to do what Jesus is calling us to do without a real picture of what that can look like, but we are trying.

The good news is that there are pockets of what Jesus is describing becoming a reality on earth. There are places where the face of Jesus has been seen shining so brightly that we know it can be nothing less than God on the move.

We are to be the ones to help usher in that Kingdom, that Kingdom of God. Where have you seen this Kingdom of God on earth? I have personally experienced that Kingdom of God in real life: When I first became a widow with two young children to raise, there were so many people who surrounded me to help me, to encourage me, and to love me when all else seemed lost. A church full of people I never knew, who surrounded me and encouraged me. A new community who loved me even though they did not know me. That is the kingdom of God in action. That is the Kingdom at its best. That is truly God’s light shining in the darkness.

So where can you help usher in the Kingdom of God this day? Where can you be that light for Christ that shines in the darkness? Where can you be the one who says, yes, Jesus. I am here, send me!

Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near, it is at the reach of your hand, it is at the end of your fingertips. Reach out, grasp the hand of God, and join in the ushering in of His Kingdom!

This song might inspire you to be a part of building God’s kingdom on earth.

A Future With Hope ~ day three

Day three saw many accomplishments. We will write more after dinner. Tonight we knocked off early, at 5 pm so that we could enjoy a concert and picnic on the beach. After all, the beach is five minutes away.

Accomplishments: tile placed by Rusty, needs to dry and gets grout tomorrow, most doors hung, base board half completed and filled in. We finished encasing most of the windows and putting trim around them. You might need the tumc team to build your house 🙂

We are honored and blessed to be here, thanks for your continued prayers. Prayers for a good nights sleep would be welcome.

A Future With Hope ~ Sandy Relief Mission Day Two

We have just had another day of great day of accomplishments. We have also had many God sightings. One of the sightings that resonated with some of our team members was seeing a worm. You might ask, “What does a worm have to do with rebuilding hope for people’s lives?” The answer is, “everything!”

Our homeowner took great joy in her flowers and garden before the storm. As we were raking debris from her former garden and filling it with dirt and rebuilding a stone wall, she spoke longing for this sorely missed garden beauty. We dug up a few random, unidentifiable bulbs which had not bloomed this year. As we worked together she relayed a story from past years of telling her grandson not to buy worms for fishing because her rich soil had plenty of worms. She then sadly recounted how she had seen none since the storm. Not ten minutes later I, Nan, dug up a fat and very much alive earthworm. What delight filled her face and her voice! Joy and hope presented itself as a big, fat juicy earthworm! We carefully covered him back up and were grateful for this harbinger of good times to come. Hope comes in many forms, even in the form of earthworms!

Hope continued to come alive as our team finished more and more of the inside of the home. It is beginning to look like it might be habitable within a week or a little longer. Many of us had sore knees after having finished laying down hard wood floors. We began to tile out the bathroom, we hung some more doors, and put trim around windows and doors. She also had three windows that were not operable, they are now fully functioning windows.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Youth Mission Camp

The first thing I noticed was the old white fence that was about to fall down. Our TUMC in house Youth Mission camp was partnering for the day with a sister group called the Baltimore County Christian Work Camp and we were there to build a ramp and fix a shed, but the old rickety fence stood out to me. We easily had enough youth to complete the 12 foot ramp, the shed AND paint a fence. The “J” in me, (Meyers -Briggs stuff) would not be able to take standing around waiting for a turn to help while there was a fence to paint. So, off I went to buy a few cans of paint, and once again, launch us into a new painting project, even though none of us had our painting clothes.

After receiving joy-filled permission from the owners we began our painting project, even as others of our team were completing the tasks of fixing the shed and making the ramp. The owner came out and the story came tumbling out–his wife had cancer, it was terminal; at first there was remission, now it was everywhere. Then he had been in the hospital; and her elderly mother lived with them. Life was overwhelming. I offered to pray with them, which we did do and will continue to do.

But meanwhile, we were giving that place an overhaul. A new coat of paint dresses up everything. A new coat of paint gives fresh vision out of which to look at life. A new coat of paint takes off the weariness and, if just for a moment, allows fresh air to come into the room. A new coat of paint gives the eyes something new to look at as they stare out of the window from a home that used to be the place of joy, and has become a prison of disease. A new coat of paint……

I wish the new coat of paint could take away the cancer. I wish we could slap a new coat of paint onto the organs of the woman that were covered by disease. I wish we could erase the disease by our work and our actions. Just for a day, we helped them smile.

But we are covered with a new coat of paint in a different kind of way. Jesus covers us with his blood, bought on a cross for your sins and mine, so that when we enter into eternity, we are like the picket fence that had the new coat of paint. We are covered in the blood of a savior who cares for us enough to redeem us with a different kind of a “new coat of paint.” Our new coat of paint brings us to the place where Holiness resides, and we can only stand there before the savior because we have been offered that new coat of paint. Like the owner of the house, we have to receive the offer of being painted with a resounding “yes.”

A ramp, a fixed shed and a new coat of paint will bring temporary smiles to those who have received. We were honored to be the servants for a day. Yet we have One who offers us a fresh coat of paint on a daily basis. One who is overjoyed to serve us. How will we respond when asked if we would like a new coat of paint?

TUMC Creation Story

Today we told the story of the genesis of TUMC. Every church has a beginning, which ultimately started from Jesus’ command to, “Go make disciples.” (Matthew 28) Some churches remember better than others that we exist for those outside the church. You see, as we grow and prosper we begin to turn inward, forgetting that we exist for those outside the walls of the church.

Today as we watched our “Year in Review Video” we remembered why we are here. We are here to serve and love as Jesus served and as Jesus loves.

It is a great honor and privilege for me to serve here at TUMC where we have a congregation full of servants. Thank you for the opportunity to be here among you, it is truly a blessing. As you watch this 12 minute video be thinking of the vision that Jesus gives us, to continue to serve in the world for nothing less than full transformation in the name of Jesus.

Finally, if you missed today’s message you may find it here. (Click on July 7th.) It is chocked full of scripture given by fellow members who believe these scriptures embody who we are as a church family.

Many Blessings,

Pastor Sarah

Kids in Church–Reposted with permission by “I Am Totally That Mom”

Sometimes we d0n’t know how to handle kids in church. Our motto at TUMC is that all are welcome and we hope that parents can relax even when the kids are a handful–bring the kids. They are welcome, it is important for kids to be in church. To that end, this is a great post by Jamie B from her blog,

www.iamtotallythatmom.blogspot.com

Jamie reminds us of the importance of kids in worship.

“You are doing something really, really important. I know it’s not easy. I see you with your arms overflowing, and I know you came to church already tired. Parenting is tiring. Really tiring.

I watch you bounce and sway trying to keep the baby quiet, juggling the infant carseat and the diaper bag as you find a seat. I see you wince as your child cries. I see you anxiously pull things out of your bag of tricks to try to quiet them.

And I see you with your toddler and your preschooler. I watch you cringe when your little girl asks an innocent question in a voice that might not be an inside voice let alone a church whisper.  I hear the exasperation in your voice as you beg your child to just sit, to be quiet as you feel everyone’s eyes on you. Not everyone is looking, but I know it feels that way.

I know you’re wondering, is this worth it? Why do I bother? I know you often leave church more exhausted than fulfilled. But what you are doing is so important.

When you are here, the church is filled with a joyful noise. When you are here, the Body of Christ is more fully present. When you are here, we are reminded that this worship thing we do isn’t about Bible Study or personal, quiet contemplation but coming together to worship as a community where all are welcome, where we share in the Word and Sacrament together.When you are here, I have hope that these pews won’t be empty in ten years when your kids are old enough to sit quietly and behave in worship. I know that they are learning how and why we worship now, before it’s too late. They are learning that worship is important.

I see them learning. In the midst of the cries, whines, and giggles, in the midst of the crinkling of pretzel bags and the growing pile of crumbs I see a little girl who insists on going two pews up to share peace with someone she’s never met. I hear a little boy slurping (quite loudly) every last drop of his communion wine out of the cup determined not to miss a drop of Jesus. I watch a child excitedly color a cross and point to the one in the front of the sanctuary.  I hear the echos of Amens just a few seconds after the rest of the community says it together. I watch a boy just learning to read try to sound out the words in the worship book or count his way to Hymn 672. Even on weeks when I can’t see my own children learning because, well, it’s one of those mornings, I can see your children learning.

I know how hard it is to do what you’re doing, but I want you to know, it matters. It matters to me. It matters to my children to not be alone in the pew. It matters to the congregation to know that families care about faith, to see young people… and even on those weeks when you can’t see the little moments, it matters to your children.

It matters that they learn that worship is what we do as a community of faith, that everyone is welcome, that their worship matters. When we teach children that their worship matters, we teach them that they are enough right here and right now as members of the church community. They don’t need to wait until they can believe, pray or worship a certain way to be welcome here, and I know adults who are still looking to be shown that. It matters that children learn that they are an integral part of this church, that their prayers, their songs, and even their badly (or perfectly timed depending on who you ask) cries and whines are a joyful noise because it means they are present.

I know it’s hard, but thank you for what you do when you bring your children to church. Please know that your family – with all of its noise, struggle, commotion, and joy – are not simply tolerated, you are a vital part of the community gathered in worship.”

A Faithful Life

Today as almost every day of my D. Min program, I went to the National Cathedral to attend the choral EvenSong vesper worship service. I took a colleague, and to my great disappointment they were celebrating the tenure of Mr. Paul Barrett, who was retiring as the Associate Headmaster from St. Albans School. Honestly, had my friend and colleague not been with me I doubt I would have stayed. I had already spent 8 hours sitting all day, I was not sure I could endure a longer time talking about someone I did not know.

Praise God my first instinct to flee was not the reality of what happened this evening. We stayed, we listened, we participated, we enjoyed the wonderful music and the time of worship. Most of all, however, it was a privilege to hear the story of a man whom I have never met, but sure wish I had the opportunity to know.

Speaker after speaker, in between Bible verses and lovely musical selections, spoke of a humble man who loved his students, who taught with patience, and who peppered everything with humor and “a spirit of joy.” This man was following his call to be in relationship with his students, a life of service of 34 years, in this institution alone.

I was reminded once again how God calls us out of our comfort zones to move into unknown territories. We never know where that call will lead, but we always know it will be an exciting ride, if we will only stay tuned to the One who calls us.

What will be said of each of us upon our retirement? Will we leave a legacy behind that will motivate and endure beyond our time on earth? One of the speakers stated that Mr. Barrett, “Does not leave behind an edifice that can be seen such as this grand cathedral, but his legacy in lives touched is so much larger.”

What legacy will we leave behind? Will the lives touched and relationships built be larger and more grand than the buildings around us?

Jesus formed community. Jesus taught us what it is like to touch lives in ways that superseded rules and regulations. It seems to me that Mr. Barrett has been forming his students in the same way that Jesus formed us, teaching us how to love each other with humor and sincereness.

Mr. Paul Barrett, I would like to know you. Thank you for your legacy. I am so grateful to have heard about your legacy today, and so grateful for time to ponder what legacy each of us can leave behind. Blessings on your days ahead.

Church Family

The following was written by one of our parishioners who was reflecting on her experience in the church. What does the Body of Christ mean to you?

I attended the funeral of a dear friend’s Mother this weekend. I did not know my friend’s mother well, but had met her before and found her to be very kind. I had also not been in this particular church before, and as I sat in the service, I was immediately impressed by how comfortable I felt being there with friends and family who were mostly strangers to me; like I had known them most of my life.
I began to ask myself why this was…it didn’t really make sense…..or did it?
As soon as I entered the church, I was immediately at ease. The folks were friendly–but that was not the only reason. As people told stories that celebrated her life, I felt like they could have been talking about my life. I was raised in a church, meaning, I attended Sunday School, Bible School, worked church suppers and eventually sang with the kids choir and then the adult choir. Now, I admit, I didn’t go every Sunday or attend everything all the time, but felt the connection of fellowship and knew I was a member of that church even at a young age. I was particularly blessed to be able to sit by my grandmother during the worship service and see how important it was to her. I also remember other members of the congregation fondly. They would smile at me, ask me about school and the activities I was participating in, and made me feel like I belonged. I felt loved in this place.
So all these years later, as I hear about a dear lady who lived her life in the church and was friendly and welcoming to all, I hope I can be remembered like that…but most importantly, I want to impress upon parents that belonging to a church family is a great gift given to us by God. Now, if we don’t welcome this gift, it’s like leaving a wonderfully wrapped present addressed to you – left under the tree….but with much more serious consequences. In our society today, many parents were not brought up in a church family (through no fault of their own) and they do not know about this opportunity that is open to them. They may be part of other groups, but kids outgrow their youth leagues, or move on to different schools, and things change. A church family remains constant. Members move, Pastors get relocated….but the body of the church as a whole stays constant.
I myself stopped attending church in college and then when I started working, I wanted my “days off“!! When my kids were born, I knew I wanted them baptized and took them back to the church I was raised in. This really didn’t make sense, looking back, since it was too far away to attend regularly, but it felt like “home” and I hadn’t bothered to find another church closer. When my kids entered elementary school, I really felt a tug to get us all back to church. Something was missing in my life- our lives- and I knew what it was. But I was “too busy” to give up our “weekends”.
As God would have it, my son’s best friend happened to be the son of the Pastor at a church close by. As we got to know the family better and the kids played together, we began attending their church. As God would also have it, the church loved us in and we became a part of this church family that helped raise my own children. My children have moved away now, but when they come back to visit, it is like they are conquering heroes as they are greeted by the members of their church family.
So feeling like you belong to something bigger is great- but when bad things happen, how do you cope? When you attend a church you see life happens in the folks around you….babies are born and baptized…..grandparents die and you see children sad…you go to funerals…you learn to pray for people who have great needs. You hear of healings..You learn that you take meals to folks when they are grieving or have loved ones in the hospital…. You learn to praise God for the great things that happen to you and you learn that He is there to help when the bad stuff comes. And you learn that God’s people are there when the bad stuff comes. You know that if you call a church friend that you will have a ride to chemo and that your whole church will pray for your healing…when your child is sick…your other children will be picked up at the bus stop safely by a church member, if only you are to ask…if your husband decides the marriage is over, you learn that God will never leave you….and that your church family won’t either…You sing songs that will help you learn Bible Verses and you don’t even realize it until you need it – it comes to you.…you hear a message that makes all the difference in your week. You love kids that are not related to you, but since they are part of your church family, you love them and can’t wait to see them each week. If you have lost your best friend, your church friends will help you through and will continue to pray for you….
What I am trying to say, is that God works on this earth through his people-the church. You can come and join in the blessing or you “can have your weekends to yourself.” It is your choice…..please, think about it…..