04/24/2023
Yesterday, after Pastor Daisy’s excellent sermon, I had a few moments with the 10:30 folks and I mentioned two other ways God’s mission becomes our mission.
First, we are a congregation are working on refining our mission statement. My current favorite is this:
We’re called to be the Heart of Jesus,
in the Heart of Carmel:
helping our neighbors
make a difference in the lives of their neighbors
for Christ’s sake.
Secondly, I always think it’s helpful to have a personal mission statement, especially when it comes to guiding how we relate to others with the heart of Jesus. Here is one of my favorites in that category as well:
When it comes to those closest to you:
If you find a need, fill it.
If you find a hurt, heal it.
If you encounter a problem, help solve it.
If you cause a division, bridge it.
And pray that you can be to them
what you would like them to be for you.
I’ve been reminded by the baptisms we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing over the last few weeks, that God has a unique purpose and plan for each of us. Discerning that plan and hewing to it is a big part of what it means to live a faithful life. May the Spirit fill you with everything you need to grab a hold of that plan and make it your own.
Archived Posts
Gandhi and the Sugar
I wasn’t preaching Sunday, Reverend Jackie Chandler was. And she talked about the power of influence you get when you practice what you preach. This famous illustration came to mind. It fits Jackie’s points quite well. Enjoy!
Not Just for Parents
Our current sermon series is about How To Talk Parent, but it doesn’t require any of us to be parents to appreciate the bits of wisdom OUR parents shared with us growing up.
If Not Higher
Here’s a story I wanted to use when talking about ‘what you do when no one is looking’ yesterday. It’s a wonderful illustration of what Jesus was saying in Matthew 6:1-6—do what you do because of who you want to be, not so that others will take notice and praise you.
The Perfect Church
There is an old joke about the perfect church. We talked just a little about the perfect pastor, but turnabout is fair play. It goes like this:
The Clothes You Wear
Sunday I talked about Joshua the High Priest having his filthy clothing replaced by a cleaned and beautiful garments. I also used the illustration of a boy becomes a dragon—who ‘wears’ dragon scales—and is stripped of those scales in order to be restored to a boy. In fact, I could have done the whole sermon around all the clothing imagery in scripture.
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.”
One of the Longest Benedictions I Ran Out of Time to Share
Maybe you know the story of how Joseph and Mary accidentally left Jesus at the gas station on their way home from Jerusalem. Well, not the gas station bathroom in Jesus’ case. Joe and Mary are far down the road before they realize Jesus isn’t with them...