THE WIDOWS MITE

It’s one of those stories that whenever you hear it you can’t help but be challenged. The one where the rich person drops some money in the collection box, then along comes a poor widow who puts only two pennies in. Jesus asks the people who gave the most? But I’m ruining the story!

Mark 12:38-44 is the biblical passage and the sermon that goes with it can be found here.

Last week I challenged us to consider our stewardship, particularly in regard to our financial giving. I even suggested that we consider what portion of our income we may give to support our church. Now along comes a passage that tells us that its not about portions!

So what it is about? Well… … mostly THANKSGIVING! (Which conveniently is also the next celebration that will gather families together across the nation). And most of us have a lot to be thankful for.

Even if we didn’t;

• as may have been the case with the widow…


• or certainly was the case with the prophet Habakkuk who declared the crops had failed and the cattle had died…


• and even those hardy pilgrims who after sailing on the Mayflower faced trouble, trouble and more trouble… still we are invited to join with the prophets prayer;

"Yet, I will exult in the Lord, I will be thankful, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength." (Habakkuk 3:18-19)

So as our official stewardship season moves into the season of thanksgiving let me say again what I said in the sermon:- "Giving is a spiritual practice and an expression of a life that knows itself touched by the Grace of God. It is not a duty but a delight. It is not a requirement but a heart response to the love of God … It’s not about ‘making a donation’ but everything to do with ‘overflowing with thankfulness’."

Prayer: Lord, in my heart of hearts I know I have so much to be thankful for. Help me to express my thanksgiving in ways that bring joy to others and which help to grow Your Kingdom. Teach me to be a faithful steward of all that You have blessed my life with. Amen.

THE RIGHT ANSWER

In Mark 12:28-34 a scribe praises an answer that Jesus has given regarding the commands of God. "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'He is one, and besides Him there is no other'; and 'To love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself,' --this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

In our church we are currently in stewardship season. Seeing how this answer relates to the use of the many gifts God has blessed our lives with forms the core of this weeks sermon which can be found here.

Some thoughts about Biblical Stewardship.

1. Giving is related to our perception of what we have received. If we feel God has dealt us blow after debilitating blow then we are not likely to be overflowing with generosity towards the things of God. However if we feel our life is abundantly blessed, then we abundantly give in return.

2. Giving is about spiritual growth. The church is neither a social club nor a philanthropic cause. The Church is the family of the people of God. Within that community we are joint heirs of God’s promises as we seek to encourage each other to be faithful servants. Our financial input (along with the commitment of our time and the way we use the spiritual and natural gifts God blesses our lives with) is a barometer of our spiritual progress. Giving is an expression of our devotion.

3. Giving is about our values. The things we value in life are the things we invest in. Nobody throws thousands of dollars away on things they have no connection with! If we believe in our faith community it is the most natural thing in the world to commit ourselves in tangible ways to the growth of that community.

The Stewardship Challenge This weeks sermon invites us to do something specific. To personally consider what portion of our income God is inviting us to be giving in order to enable our Church community to thrive. Such is a challenge for us to prayerfully consider with an open heart and an open bible.

Youth 'Bash' at Baldwin

Sunday Night (1st of November) we held an event for our youth and were delighted with a good turnout of some of our own and their friends. Pizza and Brownies were consumed, time was spent just hanging out and a few wild games ensued! We also were able to talk about things we'd like to commit to in the future. Our next youth meet will be on Sunday 15th November at 7:00.p.m.

Prior to our youth meeting our confirmation class began in earnest with 10 youth embarking on what we hope will be a year long journey towards confirmation.

Some weeks ago I sought your prayers for the development of programs for our youth and children. With Kingdom Kids, Confirmation and a Youth Bash we can surely rejoice that God is good and pray that the works we have begun will prosper and grow! Please keep these ventures and their leaders in your prayers.

Visit of Moderator of the Church of South India

We were privileged this past Sunday to be addressed by Rev Dr. John Wilson Gladstone, the current moderator of the Church of South India, who spoke to our adult forum following morning worship. He talked of the challenges and joys of ministry in his nation.

Amongst the challenges were the predominance of other religions, particularly Hinduism and the fact that in some districts whilst religions were permitted to spread their message, conversion was not acceptable! Even though some faced persecution, the church was growing and new congregations were being added every month.

He shared some of the history of his nation, and in particular the caste system which still held great influence on peoples lives. When asked about the strengths of the church that produced growth he emphasized personal experience of Jesus Christ, a vibrant faith that trusted in God for the salvation of the whole person, and the deep commitment of its leaders.

More about Rev Dr. J.W Gladstone can be found at Wikipedia (and also links of interest regarding the Church of South India)

BARTIMAEUS

Mark 10:46-52 gives us the story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar man sitting by the road, pushed aside by the crowd. He cries out in desperation for Jesus to meet his need and finds healing.

The sermon can be found here.

1. Blind. Consider situations in your life where you are finding it hard to see. Maybe in a relationship that seems headed nowhere. Or changes in work. Or dealing with a particular issue. Blindness is not only a physical issue. It can very much be a spiritual condition. Prayerfully ask God to renew your vision.

2. Pushed Aside by the Crowd. Have there been voices in your life that suggest God is not interested in your particular circumstances? When Bartimaeus cried out for his need to be met he was met with the response that Jesus would have more important things to do than to deal with him. Don’t believe it! Don’t listen to the negative voices that belittle God’s love. In prayer thank God that His love is so awesome that if you were the only fallen creature in all creation Jesus would still have gone to the cross to set you free!

3. Keep Shouting. Bartimaeus didn’t listen to the voices that sought to silence him. He, in scripture’s terms “prayed without ceasing”. An important aspect of his prayer was its reality. It was whole hearted. Such is the kind of prayer that always seems to get results. When prayer life becomes barren, it is worth challenging ourselves to seriously consider the depth of our commitment. Ephesians 6:18 instructs us; “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying…”

Final Thought: It takes courage to go against the crowd. But in an age where the crowd seems to be heading away from God, we need to stand our ground and wholeheartedly pursue the reality of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

What do you want?

Our reading today came from Mark 10:35-45. It’s a passage in which James and John request to be seated at Jesus side when He comes to reign in power and glory.

The sermon can be found here

Today’s lesson challenges us to consider, not only what we want in life, but how our desires can be achieved.

1. It speaks to us about prayer. Our prayers can be self-focussed rather than God focussed. We tell God what we think God should give us. Sometimes we are even 'James and John-like' in that we have a sense that we deserve to have our requests answered in the way we feel they should be. That is not praying! Prayer is seeking what God desires for our lives and seeking the strength to achieve it. Of course we pray about our needs, but we need to first discern the difference between needs and wants.

2. This passage speaks about perseverance. Jesus asks the disciples if they are capable of drinking the cup that He will have to drink. His life is about to be submerged into deep suffering. They desire a crown, but fail to see that Christ’s glory came through a Cross. The Christian life does offer great things. But they do not often come easy. Spiritual life is the long haul option!

3. This passage is also about pride. “Everybody wants to rule the world”. (Or at least their small corner of it.) Jesus us calls to the abandonment of our quest for personal gain and towards embracing a servant lifestyle that keeps the needs of others always in our minds eye. Now that is not easy! It doesn’t grab the attention in the way winning a race or gaining a promotion may do.

Prayer. Lord Your Word invites us to consider what we want from You. By asking the question it challenges us to consider our motives. Teach us how to pray in a way that sets our life on the path You wish us to follow. Through your Holy Spirit preserve and protect us on our journey. Save us from the kind of misplaced pride that takes away our desire to serve others. All these things we ask in our Saviors name, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

CAMELS AND NEEDLES

This past Sunday we looked at a passage from Mark 10:17-30. Jesus made the statement that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Such an observation is the kind of thing that’s bound to raise some questions!

The sermon can be found here

In his book ‘A GOSPEL TREASURY’ - Poems Based on Lectionary Gospels, Andrew Daughters has the following reflection on today’s passage.

Lord, I almost wish You hadn’t said the words you said that day,
How it would be hard for those with wealth to climb the heavenly way.
For the people You were seeing had so little when compared
With what I just take for granted in the worldly things I’ve shared.

I’ve a home, a place more comfortable then any You had seen.
And I probably live better than the average King or Queen
Lived when You were on the earth and teaching people what to do.
Yet we think that we don’t have enough though real wants are few.

We own things that were not dreamed of. We enjoy them every day.
And they make our lives so easy. Yet we seldom think to pray
In thanksgiving for the much we have we don’t appreciate.
And that’s too bad. For if we did then we would really celebrate.

But, at least, Lord, I am grateful that You said it’s not for us,
In the end, to earn our heaven. I would never make it thus.
Though a rich man can’t buy heaven, still according to Your word,
As a gift he can receive it, like a poor man, from the Lord.

Lord, when I am taken home, I know that I can only take
what my lifeless hands can carry as that final trip I make.
Help me, Lord, convert my treasure into heaven’s currency.
That way, I won’t be a pauper when this life is gone from me.

Scratching For Peace

Our reading for today, (which here in Baldwin was also World Communion Sunday and the Sunday we received a Peace Making Offering) came from the Old Testament Book of Job 1:1, & 2:1-10.

In these early passages the situation of Job is put before us. He is suffering, not because of any action he has taken, but due to forces beyond his control. Such is the situation of many people throughout our world. In the midst of such a dilemma, how is Job to find peace?

The sermon can be found here.

We are confronted daily with issues that we have no control over. War, hunger, injustice, and poverty to name but a few. Most of the time they seem so overwhelming we feel there is nothing we can do. As Billy Joel sang, “We didn’t start the Fire”.

Job gives us some guidelines towards action.

1. Scratching for peace. Job is covered in sores. Naturally he begins to scratch. Such is where a search for peace or justice usually begins with us. Something gets under our skin and we can’t ignore it any longer. It becomes personal and we start to take action.


2. Questions for peace. Job is challenged to believe the conventional wisdom of the day. Bad things happened to bad people; therefore Job must be a bad person. He protests his innocence. His wife suggests he should curse God and die. Job expresses surprise that one so close to him had been taken in by such shallow arguments. He will not curse God but rather protests that God was not subject to the same ground rules as mortals! We should not stop at scratching, but start to ask questions about the issues that draw our attention.

3. Surrender for peace. Job s powerless to change the events that have befallen him through his resistance. Instead he seeks a path of surrender in the hope that through his situation God would work some unknowable purpose. In a similar way, our hopes for change must rest in God, not in our own self-sufficiency. It is through ordinary lives such as our own that the Kingdom of God is being constructed.

Prayer. “Thy will be done on earth as in heaven”. Lord, as we pray such words help us to respond to the challenge of being Kingdom builders, of bringing Your perspective and love to bear on issues that trouble and disturb our lives. Create within us a servant heart. Help us to accept that whilst we can never fully understand, there is still so much we can do! Amen.”

World Communion Sunday, Peacemaking Offering and Crop Walk.

This coming Sunday there's a lot to enjoy!

First of all it's WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY. We'll be opening worship with different translations of John 3:16 before sharing around a table laid with bread and wine with folk all over the world. Following our service will be a chance to sample breads from around the world in the Beyer Hall.

We'll also receive during worship our Peacemaking Offering. The Peacemaking Offering was created in 1980 to support the efforts of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to live out a deeper commitment to peacemaking as part of our faithfulness to God. It is one of four special offerings designated by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s General Assembly.

In the afternoon a number of folk are taking part in the 'Crop Walk' at Baldwin Park (From 1 till 3) supporting the work of the Church World Service in seeking to eradicate hunger around the globe.

Hope you can be an active part of the day!

Who’s in Charge?

In Mark 9:38-50 the disciple John comes upon a group of religious people doing the work of God. He hears them pray “In Jesus name”. This makes him mad. Who did they think they were? He was the disciple! What right did they have to be doing disciple stuff!

The sermon can be found here.

1. Today we’d probably call John’s problem a control issue. Somebody was in his space, operating in his personal domain and he did not like it. Maybe we can identify areas or issues in our own experience where we feel threatened because we feel that the particular area is all about us. Jesus suggests to John that it is never all about us. That it’s all about God and God’s purposes being done.

2. This passage also gives us what critics suggest are some of the harshest words spoken by Jesus. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.” Plainly this is not a passage to be interpreted literally! A less dramatic way of interpreting these verses about cutting off hands and gouging out eyes would be to say; “If something is damaging your life, cut it out!” As I suggest in the sermon, Jesus is here saying, ‘John, if you want to control something, then work on controlling yourself”

3. The passage closes with a call for Christians to ‘Have salt in themselves, and be at peace with one another’. When a person has a sense of their own worth before God and a desire to live in the will of God they exert a positive influence on those around them. They are not afraid to seek peace. They look for the image of God in others.

Prayer: Lord we all have control issues. Help us to realize that it’s not all about us and allow You greater room to move in and through our lives. Where we are involved in practices that may be damaging to ourselves or others, help us to take Your advice and ‘cut it out’. Teach us what it means to be ‘salt’ in our world and live at peace with one another. Amen.

Bike Ride Rescheduled

Due to the rainy day the bike ride had to be rescheduled. We did however enjoy hot-dogs and hamburgers, birthday cake for Matt Wilson and much singing in the Beyer Hall! On the afternoon of Sunday October 18th we shall attempt once more to put pedal power into action!

Bike Ride and Picnic

This coming Sunday (Sep 27th) we have an all-church bike ride and picnic at Bethpage State Park. Riding begins at 2:00… hot dogs and light supper follow. If you don’t want to bike, that’s fine! Just come along and enjoy a time of fellowship.

Hope to see you there :-)

Who is the Greatest?

We often measure greatness in terms of personal achievement. The great ones are the ones who have become noticed and the ones whose names we all remember. Even in our own lives we can fall prey to seeing our own greatest moments as those when we were the center of attention or the most noticed.

In Mark 9:30-37 Jesus redefines the notion of greatness by placing a child before us, and teaching us "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

The sermon can be found here.

1. Think of the people you most admire. What are the qualities that inspire you about their lives? How do those qualities match up with the qualities of greatness that Jesus spoke of?

2. We are called to have a childlike (but not a childish) faith in God. Where in our life are we living like a child of God? Where may we need to make some changes?

3. "Then Jesus sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35 NAB). What might it mean to place our selves last of all? In what ways are we expressing our service to God both in our personal life and in the life of our community?

Kingdom Kids

Our first Kingdom Kids meeting took place this past Tuesday, attracting 8 children who played, sang and ran around like crazy things as well as listening in to the story of Jonah. Please pray for the growth and success of this new venture.

If any folk would be interested in helping out, either through arts and crafts or with other skills they think the kids would enjoy, then please do be in touch!


Kingdom Kids is a group for children, grades 2 thru 5. that meet on Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m in the Beyer Hall.

What Sort of Messiah?

In Mark 8:27-38 the expectations that the disciples have for Jesus as the Messiah appear very different to those that Jesus lays before them. They seem to be expecting somebody to take away all their woes and bring them to some significant position of worldly prestige whilst Jesus proclaims; ""The Messiah must go through great suffering. Even the elders and religious authorities will reject Him. He will be killed and in three days rise again."

Time after time Jesus goes beyond our expectations, throws us a curved ball and everything becomes pear shaped! Things do not become easier when He lays down the requirements for true discipleship.

The sermon can be found here.

Think on each of these invitations Jesus offers. Prayerfully seek for God to show us how these verses apply to our own situation.

"If any want to be my followers let them take up their cross and follow me." "Lord, what does taking up a Cross look like for me in my life, right now? What are the things I need to do today that will enable me more faithfully to follow You?"

"For those who seek to save their life will lose it, yet those who lose their life for me and the Gospel will save it." "Lord… help me discern the things I need to let go of in order for Your love to truly be in charge."

"For what do you gain if you gain the whole world and lose your life?" Lord… teach me to place greater value on the things that outlast this life rather than be consumed by the passing things of the moment. AMEN!

Baldwin Herald Article

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