No Leftovers

/ Jason Morris / Leave a comment

This Sunday’s message will be focusing on stewardship. At Center Chapel, we are attempting to help people view and practice stewardship holistically.

When we hear the word “stewardship”, many of us are tempted to think only of money. Many churchgoers, at the mention of the word stewardship, begin to prepare themselves to hear a bunch of babble that will make them feel guilty about not giving enough money to the church. We tread on dangerous ground when approaching the topic of stewardship because a lot of damage has been done in this area. People should not feel guilty about stewardship…they should feel joy and excitement.

The guilt is easy to lay on…And, in all honesty, many already feel guilty enough. Not too many of us need reminders that we are fallen, sinful people. Most of us need constant reminders that, in spite of being fallen, sinful people, there is a Great Hope in the world. But, too often, guilt wins out and we quote verses like Malachi 3:8, which says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings.” Following this verse with a great sermon on robbing God leaves many stricken with guilt…But does it produce any life change?

The challenge is to help people find joy, passion, excitement, and a desire to give. And, not just give of their money, but of their time, talents, material resources, etc. Stewardship isn’t just about our finances. It’s about our work, our play, our possessions, our families, our environment…any thing and every thing God has given (which, by the way, is everything…hence the holistic view of stewardship).

This Sunday, we just might explore that passage from Malachi (because when you look at the whole passage and not just one verse, it’s pretty powerful). We just might look at what Jesus had to say about stewardship (let’s just say the whole idea of a tithe might get thrown out the window). We just might explore why we give, how we give, when we give, what we give, and all that jazz.

I’d be interested in learning some of your thoughts on stewardship. What thoughts come to mind when you hear the word “stewardship”? What positive images do you have? What negative associations do you have? Any good stories on stewardship? Give me a shout.

“Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”               (Mark 12:43-44)

Mother’s Day

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This Sunday is Mother’s Day. If you’re reading this, you have no excuse if you fail to do something nice for the mother’s in your life as you have been reminded.

Special days, like Mother’s Day, present an interesting dilema in the church. While we want to take time to recognize all of the mothers in attendance, we don’t want to neglect the non-mothers. The congregation is made up of a wide-array of people. There will be men, children, and women who do not have children in attendance. So, how dow we appropriately recognize mother’s and still have a service that will help connect all with God? Of course, we all have mothers (unless you were born in some kind of weird science lab). So, there should be some elements of a Mother’s Day celebration that we all can connect with. But, is that enough of a connection for all? Is this a Sunday where our main goal is to simply “make mom happy”? Well, I guess you’ll just have to “come and see” how we approach Mother’s Day at Center Chapel.

Psalm 139:13- You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. (NLT)

Psalm 22:10– I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born. (NLT)

Making a Name

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Each day this week, when I turn on the news (daily) or Christian radio (which isn’t very often) one of the stories I hear most often is about the Miss America runner-up.

The big news is that she shared her personal feelings about a question Perez Hilton asked concerning gay marriage.

First, I think Hilton fully knew what he was getting into. And, in all honesty, I think he got the answer he wanted because her conservative answer provided a soap box for him to stand on.

Second, I think her answer that has some upset has actually turned out to be the best PR she could have received. Most people cannot tell you the name of any Miss America runner-up from years past. Most people cannot tell you who actually won this years pageant. But, this runner-up is all over the news.

Third, I heard today that she is a student at a small, evangelical Christian college. She keeps saying that she has these conservative values that have shaped her stance on gay marriage. I guess modesty would not be one of those. I mean, in these pageants the girls basically parade their outer beauty in skimpy outfits in order to be told “you’re beautiful.” So, gay marriage is wrong…but parading around in a bikini on national television is okay??? Maybe that’s a poor comparison, but I think you get my point.

Fourth, I would say “good for you” to this young lady for actually being honest. She answered the question truthfully. She could have lied and given Hilton the answer he wanted. Instead, she gave the answer that she really holds in her heart and mind. And, it’s been a major PR payoff. Would she have been on the “Today” show if she had just come in 2nd place? I’m not saying I agree or disagree with her answer. I’m just saying that I applaud her honesty.

Fifth, I truly don’t understand the debate on gay marriage. I know that it’s not for me. However, I believe that it’s an issue of civil rights. I believe that all couples, regardless of race, orientation, or age should be granted the same civil rights. Many in the Christian circle talk about gay marriage being a threat to the sanctity of marriage. I’ve got to be honest…if two men or two women get married, it’s has absolutely no effect on the sanctity of my marriage. I sometimes wonder what’s a bigger threat…gay marriage or Christians divorcing??? And, as Christians, I really believe we have things that should take more of our time, energy, and focus (like feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, caring for the orphaned, widowed, the least of these, etc).

It’s a difficult issue. I know that the United Methodist church has open doors for those in the homosexual community. At the same time, we define marriage as the union between one man and one woman. We do not support gay marriage. However, this is an issue that we continually wrestle with…and I think that’s healthy. I think it is a good sign that we are at least having the conversation. Looking at Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason…this is what we’ve come to. But, we continually re-visit these issues to make sure we get it right. And, that is one of the reasons I’m proud to be a part of the United Methodist church.

Sacrilegious?

/ Jason Morris / 1 Comment

This weekend, I decided to watch a couple of movies that have been somewhat controversial (at least in conservative Christian circles). The main argument surrounding both movies is that they are somehow sacrilegious. I’m not quite sure I’d go that far. 

The first movie I watched was the documentary Religulous by Bill Maher. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Maher. I think he is quite arrogant and annoying. And, throughout the film he only proved my generalized judgment of him to be correct. However, in the film, he brings up some very important questions that the church needs to wrestle with. He basically went to speak with fundamentalist Christians, Jews, and Muslims to ask them why? Why believe in God? Why have faith? Why have your particular faith? It was very interesting, thought-provoking, and challenging.

My only complaint would be that he was very wise in choosing those he interviewed. He made sure to interview people who would have difficulty in providing thoughtful answers. He really went to extremists in all circles. As a Christian, I would have loved to have seen him interview someone we’d all be familiar with…Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Shane Claiborne…heck, even Driscoll, Osteen, or TD Jakes would have been better at providing decent answers. But, he knew what he was doing.

At the end of the film, I found myself thinking…”Yep, these are the questions people are asking.” And, “do we have any answers?”

Last night, Emily and I viewed the second of the so-called sacrilegious films. That’s right, last night we watched Hamlet 2. It was entertaining. It was funny. The “sacrilegious” part (Rock Me Sexy Jesus) was actually hilarious and bared some truth. The whole idea was that if Jesus wanted to make a difference in the world today, he would have to use different methods to get his point across. I find that line of thought not to be too far removed from all of the “new” stuff out there in the church. Also, let’s just think about some of the latest contemporary Christian hits…they aren’t all that different from Rock Me Sexy Jesus. 

It was funny. And, we have to be able to laugh at ourselves sometimes. I’m awfully cynical and liberal….So, I found myself wondering, “What’s the big problem with either of these movies?” If it’s offensive to you…don’t watch it!

Maybe as Christians, we should spend less time getting upset about movies that seem sacrilegious and spend more time living out the lives that Jesus calls us to. Maybe we should spend less time standing against things and more time standing up for something.

Miserable People

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It happens all the time…you run into someone and politely ask him how they are doing. Then, within fifteen seconds of his answer, you are deeply regretting having shown any kind of interest. You have just opened the door for Mr. Negativity to begin his long lists of complaints, worries, problems, and so on. While trying to listen, you are rapidly (yet silently) exploring ways to get out of this uncomfortable conversation. I often find myself wondering, “doesn’t this person have one thing to be thankful for today?” Then I begin to think, “why couldn’t he have just said, ‘oh, I’m doing fine.'”

There are just some people who have a negative outlook on life. It is difficult for them to focus on any thing positive. All of the negative things in the world just heavily weigh them down and they are incapable of seeing just a small beam of joy, pleasure, or happiness. There are just some who can’t (or simply refuse) to see the good in life. 

Sure, the newspapers and media outlets overwhelm us with negative stories. But, we don’t have to focus on those. In fact, if you are a person who is easily drawn to the negatives and quickly become a “Debbie Downer,” let me suggest that you take a break from reading, watching, or listening to the news. Instead, take that time to invest in something positive that will bring you joy.

If you are a Christian, you should always be able to find something positive…even in the midst of life’s greatest struggles…because for those who believe…this isn’t the end of our reality. There is a better world, a better day ahead. 

So, the next time I ask “how are you doing”, please don’t begin a list of all the things that are wrong in the world. If you can’t find something good to say, just give me a “Oh, I’m doing okay!” Of course, I guess it’s my fault for even beginning the conversation in the first place.

“…if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world.” (1 Corinthians 15:19, NLT)