From Pastor Paul

I thought I’d share with you this Christmas story I came across this week. It’s one that I received a number of years ago in an e-mail. I believe we can all learn, and grow, from it as we enter into the Christmas season.

THE BEGINNING OF LEE

Lee, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and a self-professed atheist was sitting at his desk on Christmas Eve. A slow news day he found himself reminiscing about the Delgado family that he had featured while writing a series of articles about Chicago’s neediest people a few days earlier. The Delgado’s were comprised of a grandmother named Perfecta and her two granddaughters, Jenny age 13 and her sister Lydia 11 years old.

He remembered how unprepared he was when he walked into their two-room apartment on the west side of Chicago for the interview; bare halls and bare walls, no furniture, no rugs, nothing but a kitchen table and a handful of rice in the cupboards. He learned during the interview that Jenny and Lydia only had one short-sleeved dress apiece, plus a thin gray sweater that they shared. On cold days when the girls walked the half mile to school, one of the girls would start with the sweater and then give it to the other at the halfway mark. It was all they had. Perfecta wanted more for her granddaughters and would gladly have worked, but her severe arthritis and age made work too difficult and painful.

Since it was a slow news day Lee decided to check out a car and drive to Chicago’s west side to check up on the Delgado’s. When Jenny opened the door, he couldn’t believe what he saw! His article on the Delgado’s had touched the hearts of many subscribers who responded with furniture and appliances, rugs, dozens of coats, scarves and gloves. The girls wouldn’t have to share a sweater any longer. There were cartons and cartons and boxes of food everywhere. They had so much food that the cupboards and closets couldn’t contain it. Someone had even donated a Christmas tree, and under it were mounds of presents and thousands of dollars in cash!

Lee was astonished! But what astonished him the most was what he found Perfecta and her granddaughters doing. They were preparing to give most of it away. "Why would you give so much of this away?" Lee asked. Perfecta responded, "Our neighbors are still in need. We cannot have plenty while they have nothing. This is what Jesus would want us to do." Lee was dumbfounded.

After regaining his composure, he asked Perfecta another question. He wanted to know what she and the girls thought about the generosity that was shown to them. Again, Lee was not prepared for the answer. She said, "This is wonderful, this is very good." "We did nothing to deserve this; it’s all a gift from God. But," she added, "It is not his greatest gift, Lee. No, we celebrate that tomorrow. Jesus."

Lee was speechless as he drove back to the office. In the quiet of his car he noted a couple of observations. He had plenty and along with it plenty of anxiety, while the Delgado’s despite their poverty had peace. Lee had everything and yet wanted more, but the Delgado’s had nothing and yet knew generosity. Lee had everything and yet his life was as bare as the Delgado’s apartment prior to the article running. And yet the Delgado’s who had nothing were filled with hope, contentment and had a spiritual certainty. Even though Lee had so much more than the Delgado’s, he longed for what they had in their poverty.

Indeed, during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season let us not forget that everything that we have is a gift from God. And let us never forget the greatest gift of all, Jesus who we celebrate on Christmas Day (and hopefully every other day of the year)!!!

See You Sunday,

Pastor Paul

From Pastor Paul

Mark 4:23-25, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.' And he said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and for the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away'” (ESV).

John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (ESV).

The different contexts of the above passages is not what I would like to focus on for this devotional thought. What I do want us to focus on is the emphasis Jesus puts on hearing in both cases.

You know what I find interesting? How easy it is for us to remember the lyrics of songs from all genres. Whatever type of music we listen to it seems we absorb what we hear and can often name a song or remember lyrics as soon as we hear the first few notes. Just ask Lisa, this happens to me all the time. I was thinking about this recently and Jesus' phrase in our reading from Mark came to mind, “...anyone who as ears to hear, let him hear... Pay attention to what you hear.” The words made me stop and think for a moment: “Do I really listen to words from God as I should? Do I focus with as much intent and pay as much attention to Scripture, sermons, etc., as I do (whether consciously or subconsciously) to songs playing from my speakers? Why can I recite lyrics without a problem, yet Scripture memorization seems to be such a struggle?”

My intent is not to make anyone feel guilty, it's simply to point out the importance of hearing and listening to what God may be “saying” to us. This is vital because paying careful attention to Scripture, sermons, lessons, and the “whispers” of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds helps us immensely with growing in our faith and Christian Walk. If we devote as much of our attention to listening carefully to God, as many of us do with music, we will grow in our understanding and insight. Not only that, but we will also find ourselves growing in our relationship with Him as well. However, if we don't pay attention, we risk the chance of losing our perception of Christ and of God's kingdom. Not to mention possibly missing an area of God's will for our lives. If we dedicate ourselves to listening to God through his Word and Spirit with focused attention and eagerness, we will deepen and strengthen our faith.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Paul

From Pastor Paul

Mark 4:23-25, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.' And he said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and for the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away'” (ESV).

John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (ESV).

The different contexts of the above passages is not what I would like to focus on for this devotional thought. What I do want us to focus on is the emphasis Jesus puts on hearing in both cases.

You know what I find interesting? How easy it is for us to remember the lyrics of songs from all genres. Whatever type of music we listen to it seems we absorb what we hear and can often name a song or remember lyrics as soon as we hear the first few notes. Just ask Lisa, this happens to me all the time. I was thinking about this recently and Jesus' phrase in our reading from Mark came to mind, “...anyone who as ears to hear, let him hear... Pay attention to what you hear.” The words made me stop and think for a moment: “Do I really listen to words from God as I should? Do I focus with as much intent and pay as much attention to Scripture, sermons, etc., as I do (whether consciously or subconsciously) to songs playing from my speakers? Why can I recite lyrics without a problem, yet Scripture memorization seems to be such a struggle?”

My intent is not to make anyone feel guilty, it's simply to point out the importance of hearing and listening to what God may be “saying” to us. This is vital because paying careful attention to Scripture, sermons, lessons, and the “whispers” of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds helps us immensely with growing in our faith and Christian Walk. If we devote as much of our attention to listening carefully to God, as many of us do with music, we will grow in our understanding and insight. Not only that, but we will also find ourselves growing in our relationship with Him as well. However, if we don't pay attention, we risk the chance of losing our perception of Christ and of God's kingdom. Not to mention possibly missing an area of God's will for our lives. If we dedicate ourselves to listening to God through his Word and Spirit with focused attention and eagerness, we will deepen and strengthen our faith.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Paul

From Pastor Paul

Does fellowship with people at church make you happy? Does fellowship with God make you happy? The Apostle John says in his first letter to the Church that his goal in writing was to “make our joy complete.” (1 John 1:4) He says the means for finding this “complete joy” is through having fellowship with God, and with the community of followers of Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:6-7)

The word fellowship is defined as “companionship; friendly association; a mutual sharing; a group of people with the same interests.” (Webster Concise 2ed) Translated from the Greek, the word fellowship is koinonia: meaning -- a deep closeness and connection; a spiritual unity.

The common connection for Christians is our shared faith in Jesus Christ. This shared life in Christ is described as living in the light. Most of us would never choose to live in darkness if we had the choice. It is easier and more effective to live in light than in darkness. John says, “God is light.” (1 John 1:5) God wants us to choose to live in Him.

A joyful life is one that is lived continually in the light of God’s presence and God’s truth. A life of truth and moral integrity is a life that is positive, effective, and meaningful. Those who live in darkness are confused and cause harm to themselves and others as they stumble about trying to grasp at some unidentified happiness. We all are attracted to the darkness at times, but it is crucial to recognize that darkness really stands for everything that is the opposite of what is most cherished in life. God is light!

The Church is called to be a community of light. We share the light of the presence of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We share the joy of salvation through Jesus Christ. We share the freedom of a God-directed morality. We share the truth of a worldview that is revealed by God in His eternal Word.

There is nothing in this world that gives greater joy than being in God’s flock and following Jesus the Good Shepherd. No matter what denomination or church a person belongs to, we still share a common central goal: to follow Jesus Christ in the way of light.

I am thankful to the Lord for having fellowship with all of us through Jesus Christ. and I am thankful for all of you having fellowship with me. I pray that the interior Light of God’s Spirit will give each of us an unshakeable joy.

See You Sunday,

Pastor Paul

Faith vs Works

An old boatman painted the word "faith" on one oar of his boat and "works" on the other. He was asked his reason for this. In answer, he slipped the oar with "faith" into the water and rowed. The boat, of course, made a very tight circle. Returning to the dock, the boatman then said, "Now, let’s try ’works’ without ’faith’ and see what happens. The oar marked "works" was put in place and the boatman began rowing with just the "works" oar. Again, the boat went into a tight circle but in the opposite direction.

When the boatman again returned to the wharf, he interpreted his experiment in these strong and convincing words, "You see, to make a passage across the lake, one needs both oars working simultaneously in order to keep the boat in a straight and narrow way. If one does not have the use of both oars, he makes no progress either across the lake nor as a Christian.

I have grown to understand over the years that if we are to become the church that God wants us to be we must have both oars in the water. James said that” faith buy itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deed, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:17) Is your faith producing good deeds? If not, then it is an empty faith. It is my prayer that all of us will find a way to use the gifts God has given us to serve the church and reach out to those around us in need.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Paul

                                               Website: www.syracusecalvaryumc.org
From Pastor Paul

Building Bridges

There once was a carpenter who visited one of two brothers who had recently grown embittered with each other over a misunderstanding over the farm they had managed together for the past 40 years. The carpenter was in need of work; or so he said, and he asked the one brother if there was anything he might do to help him out.

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence, an 8-foot fence - so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore." 

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day -- measuring, sawing and nailing.

About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide; his jaw dropped. There wasn’t a fence there at all. The carpenter had fashioned a bridge... a bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, hand outstretched, meeting them in the middle, "You are quite a fellow, you know; to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done." Then hoisting his toolbox onto his shoulder, the carpenter departed. "I’d love to stay, but I have many more bridges to build.”

That’s just like the carpenter, isn’t it – that is the carpenter from Nazareth, our Lord Jesus Christ, who would tear down the dividing walls of hostility, not just between us and God; but between us and others too? It’s just like our Lord who bridged the gap of sin with His cross and gifted us with His love that we might love one another more like Him.

See You Sunday,

From Pastor Paul

It was the first day of basketball practice at Wingate High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Coach handed a ball to each player.
 

“Boys,” he said, “I want you to practice shooting from the spots you might expect to be in during the game.”
 

One of the boys (who was pretty much there as a substitute for the star players - in fact he was substitute #12) immediately sat down on the bench and began shoot the ball toward the basket from there.

You might say that boy didn’t expect to get to play much. And I suppose he was just trying to get a laugh out of his teammates. But there are some people who sit on the bench, because that’s where they’ve gotten used to being. They never strive to much more than that - because they don’t believe in themselves enough to put in the extra effort and practice to change their status. And because of that: they’re always going to sit on the bench.

It’s as if we’ve made Christianity into a spectator sport. We just sit back in church and listen to the music, and the sermons and never really get involved in the game. We need some Christians today to get off the sidelines and get on the front lines. There is a special position that God has for all those who are in Christ, but we will never discover it as long as we watch safely from the sideline. We need to put action to our faith and get involved in ministry opportunities and be about the business of “Making disciples for Christ for the transformation of the world.”

See You Sunday,

Pastor Paul

From Pastor Paul,

In Luke 9:46-50 the disciples argue over which of them is the greatest. Jesus takes a small child and puts him next to himself and tells the disciples that anyone who receives such a child in his name receives him. When a person receives Jesus, he is receiving the one who sent him. Jesus then tells his ambitious disciples that the least among them will be greatest.

In the next verse John is puzzled because an unauthorized person has been casting out demons in the name of Jesus: the disciples forbade the man from doing this. But Jesus says not to forbid him stating,  “Whoever is not against you, is for you.”

Sometimes in life we are so busy focusing on our own accomplishments that we fail to recognize that others are quite capable of achieving greatness and doing good things. In this story Jesus reminds us that even the most unassuming people in our midst are part of a much larger plan. Until we are aware that we are all part of the body of Christ we will not be able to be effective in making a difference in the world. It is my prayer that we will all find ways to work together. Building one another up in our common mission to reach others for Christ in a world that so desperately needs it.

See You Sunday,

Pastor Paul

From Pastor Paul,

This is a story I received via email and thought I’d share it with you.

Bibs or Aprons?

I recently visited a fast-growing church in Minnesota to learn from their staff. It was a privilege to witness their passion for doing high quality ministry in Jesus' name. I left with some new insights and renewed passion for the Gospel.
 
One of the phrases that I heard while I was there was, "We want our members to wear aprons, not bibs." Here's what they meant:
 
Bibs are for people who only want to be fed.
Bibs are for those who are not yet ready or willing to feed themselves.
Bibs are for those who are more interested in being served than in serving.
Bibs are for those who insist that the church exists for them and their needs.
Bibs are for babes in the faith, those who haven't caught God's vision for the church, or those who are not yet of the faith.
 
Aprons are for those who have a heart to serve others in Jesus' name.
Aprons are for those who know that they are the church.
Aprons are for those who don't mind getting their hands dirty.
Aprons are for those who take the time daily to feed their spiritual hunger.
Aprons are for those who are growing in faith, and hunger to help others grow.
 
Church growth consultant, Win Arn, interviewed thousands of Christians in America several years ago and asked them, what they though the church existed for. Eighty-eight percent said, "The church exists to serve my needs and the needs of my family." In other words, 88% of Christians in America are still wearing bibs.
 
On the night when he was betrayed, just hours before he was crucified, the very Son of God took off his outer garments, wrapped a towel around his waist, and washed his disciples'
feet. When he was done he said, "I have just given you an example to follow." In other words, Jesus called his disciples to wear aprons, not bibs.
 
In Matthew, Jesus is recorded as saying, "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." He also said, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it."
 
Jesus calls us to wear aprons, not bibs. Which are you wearing?
Bringing It Home:
 
1. How would you answer the question, "Why does the church exist?" Does your answer reflect your bib or your apron?
2. How can you help others in your Christian community to trade their bib for an apron?
3. If you're not already serving in a ministry in your church, make a commitment to begin this month.
 
"For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
Matthew 20:28
 
Prayer: "Lord Jesus, thank you for feeding me daily with your word. Fill me with your redeeming love. Open my eyes to clearly see the needs of those around me, and then open my hands to serve them. Each day, strengthen me with your Spirit, so that I might choose to wear an apron, not a bib. This I pray in your name. Amen."           ~Author Unknown~
 

In Christ Service,

Pastor Paul

From Pastor Paul,

Why Go to Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time, and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes in the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment! (Email forward from unknown author)

It is my prayer that over the course of the past year that our worship services and my messages have in some way provided you with the spiritual nourishment you have needed in your daily lives. It is also my prayer that in the coming year you will make an attempt to be a part of worship here at Calvary United Methodist Church. Church is not only a place where we come for our spiritual nourishment. Church is also a place where we come to be a part of the family of God. Church is a place where God’s plans can be worked out through a group of believers with a common cause. Church is a place where God’s love is on display weekly as we find new and unique ways to minister to, not only one another, but to others. Church is the physical body of Christ in action.

I would like to personally thank all of you for your role in making Calvary United Methodist Church a vital part of this community. You are truly a blessing and I pray that God will bless you as much this coming year as He has my family and I in 2023. See You Sunday!

In Christ Service,

Pastor Paul