A Spirit of Adoption

Life Notes—May 31, 2012

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.  For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.  When we cry, ‘Abba!  Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God…”  Romans 8:15-16

I did not grow up in the Methodist church, where baptism is performed on infants.  Infant baptism symbolizes God’s claim on our lives; a gift we can never earn but is given freely to us.  When a child reaches adolescence they are given the opportunity to respond to that claim during a Confirmation process, when they can join the church as a full member if they desire.  The church I grew up in christened babies, but did not offer baptism until adolescence or older, when the recipient was old enough make their own decision to be baptized or not.  Receiving the Spirit of God through baptism was a conscious choice in that tradition, made as one was beginning the transition from childhood to adulthood. 

I found the Methodist tradition of baptizing infants curious, at least at first.  But now I love the symbolism of God’s love being poured on us long before we can pretend to have done anything to earn it.  For that unfathomable gift of love and grace is not contingent on what we do.  The various choices we make reflect our response to God’s grace, but do not determine whether or not we receive it.  As children enter the transition to adulthood in the Methodist tradition they make a conscious decision about their response to the gift of God, already given, including whether to join and support the church or not.  But their choice is never whether to receive the gift, for God’s adoption of us is given regardless. 

Just as the Spirit of God descended on Jesus at his baptism in theJordan River, so our baptism symbolizes the Spirit of God descending upon us. As Paul says in his letter to the Romans, we do not receive a spirit of slavery so as to remain the captive of our fears, but a spirit of adoption—adoption into the family of God that not only spans the space of this earth, but all time and eternity.  That adoption makes us children of God and that is the gift, freely given, that we can neither earn nor fully understand.  We are adopted because we are wanted—valued and loved and committed to. Neither a new-born baby nor a full-grown adult can earn that kind of love—all we can do is respond to it.  When we respond in love to our fellow family-members, we live out and demonstrate our kinship with Christ and honor and acknowledge our adoption. 

This Sunday Mitch will be preaching downtown, where Life worship is at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00.  His sermon title is “Night Vision,” based on John 3:1-17.  Tom is preaching at the west campus where contemporary worship is at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  How have you responded to your adoption?

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

The Spirit of Truth

Life Notes—May 24, 2012

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine.  For this reason I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you.”  John 16:12-15

Have you tried to cram a whole lot of information into your brain in a very short period of time?  One summer I thought it would be a good idea to take a five-hour Chemistry class over the summer and get it out of the way in half the time it would take in a normal semester. It was a nightmare.  Another time I thought I’d try an intersession class.  That is a class taught during Christmas break that covers a semester of material in one week.  That was a disaster.  Both experiences were enticing to me because of the time they would save.  Unfortunately, whatever I learned did not have adequate time to absorb in my overloaded head.  I am not even certain I saved that much time.  Both classes essentially consumed my life for their duration and all I remember from either is the utter and complete exhaustion, mental and physical, at the end. 

Jesus tried to cram a lot of information into the minds of his followers in his final days on earth.  Even so, he hardly scratched the surface of what he desired to share.  In the passage above he says, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”  I know the feeling, and I’ll bet you do, too!  Jesus knew there was too much to know about thekingdomofGodto be learned in a short time.  It must be absorbed over a lifetime, requiring a lifelong companion to teach and shepherd us. 

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost—the coming of the Holy Spirit into and onto our lives.  The Spirit is the third manifestation of God in our lives.  The first is God the Father.  The second is Jesus the Son.  The Spirit of God is the aspect of God we accept into our lives as Christians, that wise “voice” in our heads that guides and informs us in the truth.  The Holy Spirit is with God, just as Jesus is with God.  They make up the Holy Trinity, three manifestations of the same eternal being.  This is confusing to some, but in my mind it is similar to my manifesting as husband, father, son, friend and co-worker.  Each role is a unique manifestation of the same person—me! The Holy Spirit is our life-long companion and teacher so we can learn at our own pace and in the ways we learn the best.  And God knows some of us are very slow and difficult learners! 

This is Pentecost Sunday and Mitch will be preaching downtown, where Life worship is at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00.  His sermon title is “Red means GO!”   Tom is at the west campus where worship is at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me (and you)…

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

Moving On

Life Notes—May 17, 2012

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”  2 Corinthians 5:17  

May is a crazy busy month.  It is full of graduations and weddings and various celebrations.  It is a time when we transition fully from the winter months to the summer months.  Flowers are planted, vegetable gardens begin full-scale production and life swings into full gear.  For families there are a host of end-of-the-school-year activities and children and teachers who simply cannot wait for school to end.  Friends and family gather on patios and in backyards.  Swimming pools are cleaned and opened.  It is an active month, to say the least.  The energy levels of May simply cannot be contained as rapid-fire changes abound and the new pushes out the old.

Although it is widely recognized as a month of new beginnings, May is also a time of endings—the danger of late freezes killing tender new plants ends, snow shovels and boots and sleds are packed away for the season.  For graduates, it is the end of an era—the closing of another chapter of life.  We celebrate Memorial Day in May and remember those influential people in our lives that have passed on to the next life.

But just as the passage above from 2 Corinthians extolls, there is a new creation.  Certainly some will say it is the same creation; but it is the same creation made new!  Life is reborn and there is no time like May to recognize and celebrate everything becoming fresh!  It is time to let go of the old and embrace the new.  A couple weeks ago, I whined in Life Notes about my children graduating to adulthood and that I was not ready to embrace that transition.  Well, ready or not, the time is here.  I can welcome it or not, but it will happen regardless.  Changes in the world around us do not depend on our acceptance of them.  But how those changes affect us depends a great deal on how we respond.  Well, I am ready to respond to and rejoice in this new version of my life.

It is May and the days are long and the sun shines brightly and the grass is green and the air is warm and flowers are in bloom and my world is welcoming me to a new-born reality.  Never mind that it looks much like a younger version of the old.  It is still new and fresh and beautiful.  The old familiar views have new clothes.  May is welcoming us to another graduation, into a changing reality, into a new and improved version of the old.

Tom returns to the pulpit downtown, where Life worship is at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00.  His sermon is “Chosen to Witness,” based on Acts 1:15-17, 21-26.  Mitch preaches at the west campus where worship is at 9:00 and 11:00.  His sermon is “How Bright Are You,” based on Matthew 5:13-16.

Come home to church this Sunday.  What new realities waiting for your embrace?

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

Honoring Our Parents

Life Notes—May 10, 2012

“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”  Exodus 20:12 

When I was young I thought my parents were awesome.  They were so smart and strong always there when I needed them.  As a teenager I thought my parents were lame.  What little they knew was from another era that bore little relevance to my world.  And they were everywhere I did not want them to be.  As an adult I began to realize their knowledge wasn’t as dated as I once thought.  I also understood their presence around me protected me from much I could not see.  However, I never fully appreciated the incredible challenge of parenting until having children of my own. 

In Exodus we are told to honor our parents “so that (our) days may be long.”  This can be interpreted in at least a couple of different ways.  Long days are what the parents of many teenagers experience—arguments, petty bickering, excessive drama, late nights wondering who, what, where and when.  Cosmic justice occurs when challenging children give birth to children of their own—and the grandparents smile knowingly… 

Another interpretation is that honoring our parents is a vital component for a long and fruitful life.  Honoring the role they played in caring for us from birth to adulthood, standing up for us when no one else would, loving us at our most unlovable.  Our parents are our earthly models for God, so honoring good parenting is also honoring to God.  Both masculine and feminine traits were created from God and both are required for a healthy upbringing.  Unfortunately, not everyone has the benefit of strong mother and father figures and must seek to fill those voids elsewhere. 

This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day and those providing the vital feminine influences we so desperately need—the nurturing, the gentle touch, encouragement and unconditional love.  Having lost my mother some 18 months ago I will not be calling or sending a card or taking her to dinner.  But she will be near in my thoughts.  When I remember how she filled a God-ordained role in my life I rejoice in her willing sacrifice.  Her influence will be passed to my children, and to my children’s children.  There is an eternal impact to motherhood, which should come as no surprise since mothers are one of the primary vehicles through which God cares for and blesses us. 

Reverend Dennis Ackerman will preach downtown, where Life worship is at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch preaches at the west campus where worship is at 9:00 and 11:00.  His sermon is “Agree to Disagree,” based on Matthew 18:14-20. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Make your mother proud…

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

A Cruel Reality

Life Notes—May 3, 2012

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1

The other day my wife reminded me of a conversation we had 25 years ago.  We were having a premarital discussion about children.  I told her I thought I would be fine if we did not have children.  I had participated heavily in the raising of my sister and brothers and felt I had already experienced parenting.  As has been true so many times in our married life, I was wrong. 

Since the moment I laid eyes on Grace at her birth, when she wrapped her tiny fingers around my little finger, I was hooked!  Then Reid was born and grew, trying to imitate everything I did—I was a goner!  I have loved every phase my children have grown through.  I thank God everyday for this amazing experience of parenting and have wished I could freeze my children in time at every phase and keep them there forever.  Of course, they continued to grow and change and with each new phase I found new things to love and appreciate about fatherhood. 

But a major change is coming and I am not happy about it.  My children are no longer children.  This month Grace will graduate from college and head off to graduate school.  Reid will graduate from high school and head off to college.  And me, I will graduate from “daddy” to I know not what.  Many of you have been through this and feel no sympathy for me.  Others of you have wished with all your heart for the amazing parenting experience I have been given.  Even so, I am feeling terribly sorry for myself. 

As parents it is our job to raise our children to become independent, productive members of society.  We are to shepherd and love and care for them from birth to adulthood.  I believe Carrie and I accomplished both directives.  But I was not prepared for the end to come so quickly.  It feels like a cruel, cosmic joke is being played on me.  While I rejoice mightily in the wonderful young adults Grace and Reid have become, I selfishly mourn the coming loss of their daily presence with me.  As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, “For everything there is a season.”  The past 21 years have been the “daddy” season for me, and what an incredible season it has been.  I cannot envision the season ahead of me, but my faith assures me it will be another amazing chapter of life and love.  But for now, it is a season to whine and mourn because I am not ready to move on. 

Tom’s sermon downtown is “We Believe in Life Everlasting,” based on John 11:17-27.  Life worship is at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch preaches at the west campus where worship is at 9:00 and 11:00.  His sermon is “Hunger is not a game: Spiritual Hunger,” and is based on John 6:30-40. 

Come home to church this Sunday. The winds of change continue to blow…

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

Light

Life Notes—April 26, 2012

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”  1 John 1:5-7

My children always slept with a night light.  It was part of their bedtime ritual for us to tuck them in, say prayers and turn on their night light before turning out their room lights.  It made them feel secure at night, knowing if they were to wake up they could see the familiar surroundings of their rooms.  We also had a night light in the bathroom, so if they had to go during the night they would not walk in darkness.

I was 16 when I first flew on a commercial airline. It was a rainy, dreary day when we left Kansas City and I was amazed when we flew out of the clouds and the sun was shining brightly.  My spirits lifted as the gloom was replaced with light.  It is amazing what a little light can do—a flashlight on a camping trip, headlights on a dark road, a full moon on a cloudless night. It may go without saying, but light is the remedy for darkness.

What is it about darkness that creates fear?  I think it is the unknown.  Even places familiar to us in the light can become fearful places in the dark.  It is the result from a medical test we wait anxiously to receive.  It is the anxious wait for a grade on the final exam.  It is the amount due in taxes on the yet-to-be-received tax forms from an accountant.  The unknown makes us uneasy.  We imagine the worst.  We know the shadow in front of us is just the couch, but is there something on it?  Is something hiding behind it?  Is there someone behind me?  We imagine the worst when we do not know.

The Bible tells us God is light—an amazing analogy and a literal truth.  Light cures darkness. Knowing overcomes the unknown. Shedding light on anything provides knowledge.  Knowledge makes it unnecessary to continue to imagine the worst.  Shining light in our darkness is what God does.  We may not be able to see what lies ahead of us, but with God we know we need not be fearful.  God lights our way and, following in that light, we are never left in the dark.

Tom’s sermon downtown is “We Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins,” based on 1 John 1:5-2:1a.  Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch preaches at the west campus where worship at 9:00 and 11:00.  His sermon title is “Hunger is not a game: Our World,” and is based on Matthew 25:32-40.

Come home to church this Sunday.  Reacquaint yourself with the Light!

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

Not As The World Gives

Life Notes—April 19, 2012

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”  John 14:27 

We live in a competitive society.  We are capable of finding countless ways to separate ourselves from others.  We are male or female; black or brown or red or white; Democrat or Republican; rich or poor; old or young; or…well, you get the idea.  I played in bands as a teenager and we used to scrutinize other bands and seek out things they did poorly.  I work for a company today that compares itself to other companies and measures its worth, at least in part, by how much better we are than others.  It is true in our schools, our families, our circle of friends—even our churches.  In order to build ourselves up, sometimes it seems we must tear someone else down.  That is simply the way of this world, at least according to some. 

Jesus distinguished between realities, but not in a competitive way.  In the passage above he says, “I do not give to you as the world gives.”  Jesus distinguishes between his world and ours.  It is confusing because both worlds appear the same.  The sun rises and sets in both worlds.  The rains fall and the flowers bloom in both worlds.  People are born and people die in both worlds.  The difference is not found in the physical characteristics of the worlds, but in the Spirit’s application to the physical realities.  In the verse prior to the one above, Jesus says, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything…”  The difference between the worlds is the presence of the Holy Spirit and the applied knowledge the Spirit brings.  As we learn to turn to the Spirit for wisdom and guidance and perspective our world changes.  But not physically, as some expect.  Rather, our experience changes.  It still rains when we wish it wouldn’t.  People still get sick.  Loved ones die.  But as the knowledge of the Spirit is applied to the world, negative experiences are seen as less-than-pleasant phases in an amazingly beautiful journey. Coloradois a beautiful state, but certain necessary aspects of the journey from easternKansascan be less than thrilling. 

We all desire to be a part of something greater than ourselves, so we seek groups to identify with and belong to.  But it doesn’t have to be at the expense of others.  We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.  Jesus invites us into his world, joining with our Christian brothers and sisters in a love “our world” cannot comprehend. 

Tom’s sermon downtown is “We Believe in the Holy Spirit,” based on John 14:15-18, 25-27.  Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch preaches at the west campus where worship at 9:00 and 11:00.  His sermon title is “Hunger is not a game: Our Community,” and is based on Isaiah 58:6-10. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  All are one at the foot of the cross.

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

Doubting Christians

Life Notes—April 12, 2012

“But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’”  John 20:25b

Many of us feel guilty for our doubts.  “Have a little faith,” we’re told.  But still we worry.  When my children were younger, they would say, “Trust me, daddy, I know what I am doing.”  Either I had little faith and doubted they actually knew what they were doing, or I had faith that they did not know what they were doing.  Either way I doubted and felt it my place to keep a watchful eye on them. 

Jesus told his followers if they had faith the size of a mustard seed they could move mountains.  Given the size of a mustard seed that probably wasn’t a compliment.  So we know faith, properly exercised, can be a powerful force. Most of us have a lot of faith in some things, like the sun rising in the east.  And most of us have very little faith in other things, like winning big in the lottery.  It is in the area between the extremes where our faith differences become more pronounced.  I saw a sign in a store once that read, “In God we trust, all others pay cash.”  I remember former President Reagan saying, with regard to relations with theSoviet Union, “Trust, but verify.”  Surely, there are times that doubting is perfectly appropriate.  In fact, it is often our doubts that inform and develop our faith.  If we do not question what we are told, how are we to learn?  For me, memorization is a poor teacher.  I learn much better from wrestling with something. 

Some religions teach trusting God entirely for healing, shunning the health system altogether.  Others believe God blesses us with knowledgeable and competent healthcare workers who should be utilized in times of need.  God works through physicians and nurses and other professionals and to not access those resources is akin to ignoring any other vital resource God provides for our needs.  Who is exercising greater faith?  Perhaps it is not so much a question of faith as a question of degree.  How much do we trust God to work through others, as opposed to how much do we trust God to act alone? 

I do not believe having reasonable doubts conflicts with Christianity.  In fact, I believe it is very Christian to doubt and search for answers.  In the passage above, one of Jesus’ original, personally-selected disciples refused to believe Christ had risen from the grave until he could feel the marks of the nails on Jesus’ body.  Thomas needed tangible proof.  And sometimes we do, too.  I think God understands.  Sometimes, it is the search for answers that draws us closest to God. 

Tom’s sermon downtown is “We Believe in Jesus Christ,” based on John 20:19-31.  Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch preaches at the west campus where worship at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Bring your doubts to the altar of Christ.

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

Rise Up!

Life Notes—April 5, 2012

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen.”   Luke 24:5b

The church I grew up in served communion every Sunday.  There was barely a sip of grape juice in tiny glasses held secure in silver serving trays.  The blood of Christ spilled for me.  On silver serving plates was the bread.  The body of Christ broken for my sins.  What passed for bread in that church was unlike anything I had ever called bread.  It was tiny, flat, rectangular objects that resembled medicine more than bread.  I remember thinking if that was the body of Christ, he was not very healthy.  Years later, I learned those pasty, life-less morsels were unleavened bread—bread with nothing to make it rise. 

Leaven, in a literal sense, is “a means of lifting, something that raises.” Yeast is added to bread to make it rise so it will be fluffy and soft and delicious.  Yeast is actually alive—a conglomeration of microorganisms that cause fermentation in the bread dough.  (That grape juice probably could’ve used a little fermenting, too…)  The use of unleavened bread finds its significance many times throughout the bible, but one time was when the Jews were fleeingEgypt.  They had to leave so quickly there was no time to let the bread rise.  The unleavened bread reminds us of our Jewish ancestors’ flight to freedom. 

It is fascinating to me that the addition of a living substance, leaven, to an otherwise bland substance like bread dough, causes a transformation to occur that makes the bread much more desirable—full of life and beauty and taste.  And the same thing happens in us.  When we add a living substance to our lives—the Holy Spirit—we are reborn into new creatures, full of life and beauty and taste!  We rise up from our drab former selves and live richer, fuller lives. 

And that’s not all that is rising.  Did you know when we are asked to “Rise” in church, it not only is an instruction to physically stand, but also an invitation to lift our spirits high?  We stand up to symbolize being raised up, spiritually.  (Of course, it also helps keep us awake through the sermon…)  I am pleased to be a United Methodist where I am among those who celebrate good food, including bread that has been raised!  We are never hesitant to raise a hearty cup and plate in fellowship and praise.  With Christ, our risen and living Savior, we rise to richer, fuller lives in service to God, and to our brothers and sisters on earth. Christ has risen, and we can, too! 

This Sunday is Easter.  Many of our service times change for Easter.  Tom will preach downtown where Life worship begins early at 9:30 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:00 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch preaches at the west campus where there will be a sunrise service at 7:00 and contemporary worship at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Don’t be unleavened: Rise up and live!

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

Palms and Passion

Life Notes—March 29, 2012

“Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields.  Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”  Mark 11:8-9

“All of them condemned him as deserving death.  Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, ‘Prophesy!’ The guards also took him over and beat him.’”  Mark 14:64b-65 

The final week of the earthly life of Jesus was a whirlwind of contrasts.  It began with his triumphal entry intoJerusalem, hailed as Messiah, King of the Jews, and ends with his crucifixion as a blasphemous, insubordinate liar.  We recognize the entry intoJerusalemon Palm Sunday with parades and the waving of palm branches.  We recognize the Passion, or the suffering of Christ in other ways. On Holy Thursday we remember his arrest by theTempleleaders.  Black Friday recognizes the handing over of Jesus to the Roman authorities for an excruciating crucifixion. His death and burial occur late that afternoon.  The week begins on a high note, but quickly turns very, very low.  What happened to change the fate of Jesus so quickly and completely? 

I was twelve when I pulled my dad’s old guitar out of basement storage, found a few dusty song books with chord charts and began the tedious process of learning to play.  It was exasperating because there was so much I didn’t understand.  I didn’t even know what I didn’t know.  I knew what I expected and hoped to hear, but the reality manifesting in the sound from the guitar did not match my expectations. 

That life experience was maddening because I didn’t understand the realities of learning to play guitar.  That is similar to what happened to Jesus’ followers in his final week—their expectations did not match reality.  They mistakenly believed that Jesus had come to set them free from Roman oppression.  They expected a ruler, like the Roman governors, but a ruler who would be one of them.  They did not understand the reality—and Jesus knew they didn’t get it.  Once they discovered his Kingdom was not of this earth, and his authority was of a different source and power from that of the Romans, he knew his followers would turn on him and he would die the miserable death of a murderous criminal.  He also knew he had to go through it—for our sake, as well as to complete his mission on earth.  And so, this Sunday we celebrate the Palms and the Passion—the bookends of Jesus’ last week on earth, and two vital stops in our journey to Easter. 

This Sunday is Palm/Passion Sunday, the Sunday before Easter.  Mitch will preach downtown where Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Tom preaches at the west campus where contemporary worship is at 9:00 and 11:00.  Communion will be served at all services. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Matching expectation with reality requires knowledge.

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator