02/28/2024
It’s Not What You Know,
But Who You Know…
We ran out of time Sunday, during the reception of new members. I wanted to ask them a series of questions of which they had to get three of the four right in order to be welcomed into our fellowship. Here are the questions I proposed:
1. How many years has Carmel Church been around?
(hint—it’s more than 174 years)
2. Name one of the two streets on which Carmel UMC currently sits.
3. On which national holiday are the church restrooms most in demand?
4. On which month of the year does pastor appreciation fall?
Obviously, the last question is the most important of the bunch (October for those of you neophytes). We do ask questions when women and men become an official part of our community of faith, but just not these. Joining a church is not a matter of mastering facts or displaying a certain depth of knowledge. The questions we ask are more about who you know and what you do with that knowledge.
1. Do you know Jesus and intend to become more like him every day?
2. Do you recognize the authority of scripture in the practice of your faith and over the choice you make every day? (We don’t ask the name of Moses’ wife or what Canaanite warlord Deborah defeated. You can always look those up!)
3. Will you support the people of Carmel Church with your prayers, your presence, gifts, service, and witness?
It’s really helpful to be able to pray the Lord’s Prayer when you don’t know how to pray; to memorize the Apostle’s Creed is to have a concise outline of our beliefs at your fingertips; knowing the top Ten Commandments seems like a prudent way to make sure you’re avoiding the worst and aspiring to the best of God’s guidance. And yet all of that is icing on the cake of knowing God, following Jesus, and investing ourselves in the lives of those who have joined us on this leg of our journey to God’s kingdom. Love—in the biblical sense—is about knowing and being known and responding to the other with mercy, openness, and faithfulness. Love is neither diminished nor amplified by ‘fact.’ Agape love rises and falls on its unconditional commitment to the other.
The old adage is true: it’s not what you know but who you know. Welcome New Members! We will do our best to both know and love you, and to share with you our ‘knowledge’ and love for Jesus Christ.
Archived Posts
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Key Takeaway from Sunday
If I had to identify a specific take away from
Sunday’s sermon it would probably be this:
The Rest of the Story
I mentioned Russell Conwell in Sunday’s message. He was a famous preacher, educator, and lecturer. His sermon/lecture “Acres of Diamonds” was turned into a book and sold rather well. I used Conwell’s illustrations to talk about sharing the good news of Jesus with those closest to us first—family, friends, coworkers, and church family. The wider world is our ultimate aim, but until you invest in the people God has already put in your life, you are unlikely to have much success.
No One Said It Would be Easy
To love Jesus first is to learn to love all the other people in our lives with greater intensity and less selfishness
What’s Saved Is Often Lost
Here’s the benediction we didn’t have time for yesterday (Sunday, November 3). It’s one of my favorite quotations (portions of a newspaper column). I hope you find it as inspiring as I have
Leftovers Continued…
It’s not just the fact that God is un-impressed by our leftovers, it actually goes deeper than that. In a sense, Jesus is passionately and purposely opposed to anything leftover. To be a follower of Jesus Christ is to work diligently to make sure that in the end nothing at all is left over.
Less Stuff and Fewer Wants
Here’s a point I left off Sunday’s sermon due to time and length. In dealing with an Entitled mindset it is very helpful if you can Reduce Materialism and Consumerism.