Below is an unaltered statement of the former pastor if the church I am serving, my congregation. The pastor wrote this statement to say that anyone is welcome to come through the doors. The congregation did not make it an official statement of the church to not pigeon hole me (the new guy) into something that they did not necessarily believe in. I whole heartedly agree with this statement and would love to see it adopted at all congregations. Everyone is welcome here, because none of us are good enough. None of us would be able to stand if not for Jesus.

So I invite your comments on this statement.

We at Hosanna proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and the new life he brings. We welcome all to join with us in our journey of faith.

May God give us the grace to welcome and forgive one another as Christ has welcomed and forgiven us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son to die for it.” (John 3:16)

We want it to be known that “we are justified by the grace of God, which is a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 3:20)

We want it to be known that those of different nationality, ethnicity, culture and heritage are welcome here.

We want it to be known that those who suffer from addiction to drugs and alcohol (whether they are recovering or not) and their families are welcome here.

We want it to be known that women and children are welcome here and that they will not be harassed or abused.

We want it to be known that in this congregation you can bring children to worship and, even if they cry during the entire service, they are welcome here.

We want it to be known that those who are single by choice, by divorce, or through the death of a spouse are welcome here.

We want it to be known that if you are promiscuous, have had an abortion, or have fathered children and taken no responsibility for them, you are welcome here.

We want it to be known that gossips, cheats, liars, and their families are welcome here.

We want it to be known that those who are disobedient to their parents and who have family problems are welcome here.

We want it to be known that gays, lesbians, and members of their families are welcome here.

We want it to be known that we offer hope to the hurting, refreshment to the ones who are tired, encouragement to those who are overworked in busy lives and renewal to the people who are “burned out.”

We want it to be known that we take seriously the apostle Paul’s statement, “all have sinned and fall short to the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The young and the old, the rich and the poor, all of the broken are welcome here.

We offer welcome here because we believe that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly,” (Romans 5:8) that is, us. Christ did not die for us after we showed signs of “getting it all together.” Christ loved us and still loves us while we are yet sinners. Sinners are welcome here, sinners like you and me and our neighbors. Let us not condemn the world, but let us proclaim God’s forgiveness and grace to a broken and hurting world.

We want it to be known that, since we are a sinful people, we will not always be as quick to welcome as we should. Let us be quick to admit our sin and seek forgiveness.

We want it to be known that we do not think that we have all of the answers. We are merely travelers on the journey. We invite you to join us as fellow travelers in the journey. You are welcome and are invited to join us as we seek God’s grace together.

Have you ever felt like no matter what you did that it was always wrong? You try to help others at the expense of your family. You try to spend more time with your family and someone who needs you is left out. You try to do something that is asked for, and it is not what some one else wants.

Have you ever just stopped and wailed that you can not do it. Through the tears and frustration you scream at God and ask him to come and take it because you can not possibly do it any more. You can not possibly even think about being the person that everyone needs and/or wants you to be. You can not do it. And do you know what you are right. I can not do, you can not do it. God is the only one who can. We are merely tools in the hands of the creator of the universe. In todays slang, or at least my generations slang a tool is somebody who does not get it, who is not all together. But to be a tool for God is the best thing you can do. Scream it our through the tears, God will never let you down. I will, and everyone around us will let us down, we will drop you and hurt you and get it all wrong, but God will never leave you nor forsake you. God is the one who wants you as a tool.

So do nothing right, but allow the one who does it all right to use you to do what he needs to.

Are you ready to stand on the edge? Are you ready to go somewhere and do something most people would think was not a good idea, or silly, or completely insane?

God has called us all to leave behind our complacency, to leave behind our fears and inhibitions. God has called us to live a life in him and completely trust him. He calls us to pray and worship him. But he also wants us to trust in Him and believe that he will help us do what we ask Him to do if it is His will. He will ask us to do things that we do not want to because we do not think we can. He will ask us to do things that we do not want to because it is not they way we have done them in the past. He will ask us to do things that we do not want to because of how it will make others look at us. He will ask us to do things we do not want to because people will ridicule and make fun of us.

God is calling us to stand on the edge, and do things His way, which is not our way, He is calling us to stand on the edge…

Are you ready to stand on the edge.

Todd the pastor at the Well in Pineville wrote this morning on his blog about Worship Wars. Here is the link: Deep Water.

I commented on this posting from my thoughts on the subject, and how things are here right now. We wonder about not changing, and the answer we have to come to is that no matter what we do things are going to change. The only consistent thing in any of our lives is that change is inevitable. No matter what we do, or where we go, things are going to be different than they were. Now somethings will be the same, but not everything. It is how we react to these situations that shows the foundation we are on. Do we allow changes to rock our very being? Or do we try to flow with what is happening? Do we shout that is not how we do it? Or do we try to see if this might not work, and maybe just maybe be better?

Somethings when they are changed do not work and need to be set back, but somethings are wonderful.

And just like Todd says, at one point the Old fashioned things we fall back on, where the new crazy idea that was causing all kinds of problems.

We all think of Worship as something we come to to get something. Worship is that 1 hour a week I can come and get refreshed for the rest of the week. If this is how you think about worship, than I want to tell you that worship weakly, and not weekly! Worship is not the refreshing hour that gives us our fuel for the week. Worship is not the hour we come and get from God. Worship id the time we gather together as the communal body of Christ to pay homage and respect to God. Worship is not about what I get, but about what I give. It is not about me getting refreshed, it is about me being in the presence of God and giving my respect, my awe, my love, my money, my time, my life to him.

In Genesis Abraham is willing to give up more than most of us would ever conceive of giving. Abraham was promised to have offspring that out numbered the stars, but had not had a child from his wife, the slave girl of his wife had produced for him a male offspring, but not from his wife, no one of his own origin. He was devastated. Well finally God gave him the promised child from Sarah. And then God tests Abraham, by asking Abraham to take his only son, Isaac up to a place God will show them and sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering to God. This is found in Genesis 22. Abraham is willing to give his only son to worship God. What are you willing to give?

God asked Abraham to take his son and sacrifice him as a burnt offering, and once God saw that Abraham feared and loved the Lord and was willing to give up his most prized possession, God provided the sacrifice, so the beloved Isaac did not have to be the offering. God will provide, but are you willing to give?

Think about what your most prized possession is. Would you be willing to lay it on the altar and sacrifice it to God when he asks. That’s right, when he asks. Not if. God requires you to love him more than anything else. Are you willing to give up everything to worship God. What are you willing to give?

Marks of Discipleship. What in the world are marks of discipleship and why should I be worried about this? Is it some kind of disease that is going to take over my body? Is it something that could attack my children?
No it is not a disease (although some might say you are infected with something if you do these things). It is not going to attack your children, but they may become lights shining in the darkness of this world if you practice these and help them to practice them also. Let’s understand what a disciple is, then move on. According to Merriam Webster Online dictionary a disciple is “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: as a : one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ’s followers according to the Gospel accounts b : a convinced adherent of a school or individual.” So a disciple is one who follows the teaching of someone else. The 12 who were called by Jesus were His disciples, as we can aspire to be disciples.
That’s right, I said we can aspire to be disciples. Just because we are a member of a church does not mean we are a disciple. In fact the summer series on the marks of discipleship, or P_oW_eR S_uRG_e is to get us to look at ourselves differently. Just because you are a member of a church does not mean that you are a follower of Jesus. And I am speaking about me to here. I am not always the best follower of Jesus. I do not always pray, or read the Bible. I will have to say I am pretty good at being at worship, but there is more than just being there. I am in the same boat with you. We can help it rise to the top and be a mighty ship in God’s fleet, or we can try to keep it floating by bailing out the water, hopefully putting it out faster than it is coming in.
This summer I want us to take a deep hard look at the Bible and ourselves. I want us to rediscover the early church and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. I want us to move from being a church built on how many members we have to a church that talks about the number of disciples we have. Not boasting, but relational with God, not on the number of people on the books, but the number of people truly in the Book of Life. Just as Walt Disney World has no employees, only cast members. Everyone is responsible for the creation of a great experience, from the person who plays Mickey, to the person who empties the garbage cans!
Michael Foss in his book, Power Surge, which is were the sermon series this summer comes, talks about the Walt Disney no employee only cast members on pages 51 and 52. He says on page 52 “Just as Disney World communicates over and over that it has no employees, only “cast members,” how do we communicate that we have no members, only “disciples”?” Can we do this? Are you ready to do this?
I believe Hosanna I am ready to move forward in the mission God has called us to. I am to commit living the Marks of Discipleship, to make my relationship with God better and to help build up yours. Are you ready to join me?

It is truly amazing that God does the things he does. He still continues to provide for me. When I wonder how things are going to happen, where financial resources are going to come from, where the time to do everything I have to is coming from, He creates a way. He gives the resource, He clears the calendar.

God is simply amazing, if we will only step aside long enough and trust Him, great things will happen.

I have been rereading Power Surge by Michael Foss and ELCA pastor in Atlanta. In this book he discusses how the church has gone away from the way church was in the bible to making members in the church. We are more worried about the number on our annual report to the synod then we are about how many people are truly in a relationship with Jesus Christ. We are more worried about making sure that the budget get covers, then we are about our relationship with Jesus Christ. We are more worried about maintaining our congregation so that my status quo is not upset, rather then being Jesus Christ to the world.

We even try to keep Jesus out of our discussion as much as possible. We will not pray or read the bible….

Consider this quote from the book found on page 3:

Consider the following sobering statistics:
• 91 percent of all households in the United States own at least one Bible
• 80 percent of adults name the Bible as the most influential book in human history
• Yet only 38 percent of adults read the Bible in any given week
• Only 25 percent of adults volunteer to help a church during a typical week
• 96 percent of adults believe in God
• 93 percent believe in the virgin birth
• Yet 39 percent say Jesus did not have a physical resurrection
• 61 percent say that the Holy Spirit is not real
• 56 percent say a good person can earn his or her way into heaven
• And still 72 percent of those polled say that they are church members

As I am preparing for the summer sermon series with the same name as the book. I wonder:
How many of us have more than one bible? (ME)
How many of think the Bible is influential? (ME)
How many if us read the Bible once in a week? (ME, only because I am preparing for sermons)
How many of us volunteer at our home congregations? (Not me… I am here all the time)
How many of us believe in God? (ME)
How many believe in the Virgin Birth? (ME, it really happens all the time!)
How many of us believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus? (ME)
How many of us believe in the Holy Spirit? (ME, but do I always allow the spirit to work through me?)
How many of us would say we can earn our way into heaven? (Not me, I know there is no way I could ever be good enough to get there on my own)
How many of us would say we are church members? (ME, but I do not think this is what we should be worried about.)

Michael Foss makes his case for us looking differently at church. We need to not be worried about members, and start being concerned for the disciples of Jesus Christ that are being formed by our gathering. We should not be concerned with the bottom line of the number of butts we have in the pews, or chairs. But how many people are fostering a relationship with Jesus?

The title of our thought for the day comes from the book on pages 51 and 52. Here Foss talks about Walt Disney world, and how they have no employees. Everyone who works at Walt Disney World is a cast member. Everyone from the person who is Cinderella, or Mickey Mouse, to the person who makes cotton candy to the person who empties the garbage cans. They are all responsible for creating an atmosphere of fun and excitement for the guests. Are we ready to say like Disney we have not employees, only cast members, or more appropriately for us, we have no members, only disciples!

The question is whose faith is it? Is it my faith that I must produce, or is it God’s faith that is given to me?
Faith is a gift, that we can not of our own will do enough to receive, but yet it is freely given to us, by God working in us. If we say that it is our faith, then it is something we are working on, and have it to be ours, and it will not allow us the freedom of the gift, because it will not get us to God’s kingdom. If however we understand that the working of God in us gives us the faith that he has for us, then it is a gift that will allow us to do good works, over abundantly. These works will not be forced, yet flow from us, and we will amaze even our selves if we do not get in God’s way working out the faith in us.

God loved us and gave us this gift, so that we might be free from sin, yet slave to grace. Slave to grace in that we serve God, through the freedom His grace has given us.

To see where this answer comes from and what the question is go to Deep Water

I have been doing a lot of looking into things…
We are beginning a nursery, so I am looking into this, and the legal issues of background screening for volunteers. I feel like I am hitting my head against the wall sometimes with the things that are happening, looking for what is best for the ministry, and what is best for those being ministered to, and when there is an apparent gap, how do we deal with that?
I am also looking into stewardship things…
One of them is a book by Mark Allen Powell Giving to God. In this book as well as one of the Giving Magazines he talks about where your treasure is, your heart will be also.
We hear Jesus say this, and automatically think we know what it means, as Powell says, we have heard the sermons, that since you spend your money on this that or the other thing that is the kind of person your are. But according to Powell, and I have to agree, this is not what is being said. The way you spend your money, does not tell what kind of person you are, but what kind of person you will be. The place you put what you treasure does not speak about who you are this day, but who you will be.

But we must understand what our treasure is in this. In the book, Powell says it is money, which is the meaning I believe Biblically we have to go with, yet could not we look at this as being something else? I mean realistically, how many people do not go to church for the longest time, then they have a kid, and suddenly, God now seems to be important… Where your treasure is, in your child, there will your heart be.

The think I am getting at is that we think we have to get our hearts right in order to give to God, or to any other charity. The point of this is not that, we can not get our hearts right, we are sinful and human and we will mess it up. That is how we are created, but if we give our treasure up, no matter what it is to God, then our hearts will follow. If we allow our treasure to be used for something that will tell us where our hearts are going.

So where is your treasure? Is it in the hands of God, in the bank down the street, in the back yard playing, in the garage, on your desk, in your pocket, ________ (insert your answer here)? Where is your treasure?