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I got ready for church wearing my Sunday best and sat in MY PEW just before the service began. Bowing my head in prayer as I closed my eyes, I saw the shoes of the person next to me touching my own shoe. I sighed and thought, with plenty of room on either side why must his dirty shoes touch mine?
It bothered me, his dirty shoe touching mine, but it didn’t seem to bother them. A prayer began, “Our Father” I thought about this person sitting next to me and how he could not have pride. They’re shoes are dusty, worn, and scratched. Even worse there are holes on the side of them.
“Thank you for the blessings,” the prayer went on. The person next to me with the most awful looking shoes said, “Amen.” I tried to focus on the prayer but my thoughts were on his disgusting shoes, as I thought, “Aren’t we supposed to look our best when walking through that door. Well, this certainly isn’t it.” I thought, while glancing at the floor.
Then the prayer ended and the song of praise began. The person next to me with the dirty shoes began to sing, standing proud as he proclaimed Jesus’ name. His voice lifted the rafters; his hands were raised up high. The Lord could surely hear his voice up in the sky.
It was time for the offering and what I threw in the plate was steep.
I watched as the person next to me with the dirty shoes reached into his pockets so deep. I saw what was pulled out and what he put in the plate. Then I heard a soft “clink” like when silver hits tin.
The sermon really bored me to tears and that’s no lie. It was the same for the person next to me with the dirty shoes for he had tears in their eyes. At the end of the service, as the custom is here, we must greet new visitors, and show them good cheer.
But I felt moved somehow and wanted to meet the person with the dirty shoes. So after the closing prayer I reached over and shook his hand. He was old and his skin was dark and his hair was truly a mess. But I thanked him for coming, for being our guest and inviting him back. He looked me in the eyes and said, “I’m glad to meet you.” He wiped tears away from his eyes as they said, “Thank you for your kindness, I’ve been coming here for months and you’re the first to say hello. I know that my appearance is not like the rest. I always clean and polish my shoes before my long walk here but by the time I get here they are dirty and dusty.
My heart filled with pain and I swallowed hard to hide my tears. As he continued to apologize for daring to sit so near. Then he said, “I know when I get here I must look like a sight. But I thought if I could touch you with my shoe, maybe then our souls might unite.”
Open your Bible to our Scripture lesson, Matthew 9:9-13
As Jesus passed on from the man who was the paralytic and the scribes who questioned Him, Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office; and Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me.” And Matthew rose and followed Jesus. And as Jesus sat at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and His Disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus’ Disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard it, He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I come not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Last Sunday I asked you what is success to you and shared how Mrs. Thompson believed in Teddy and because of this Teddy was not afraid. I shared with you that one day Mrs. Thompson received a letter asking her to sit where “My mother would sit at my wedding” and signed, Dr. Teddy F. Stoddard M.D.
In our Scripture Lesson, Matthew was well off probably because he took advantage of those he saw. Matthew was an outcast, disliked. Maybe so, but Jesus still welcomed Matthew.
I need to ask you this Sunday, “Why would anyone want to come and worship at the Tremont City United Methodist Church?” In the words of Hollywood, forgive me Father God, “What is the drawing card to attract others to come and worship at the Tremont City United Methodist Church? If we said, as Jesus said, “Follow me,” would they follow us to the church we are worshipping in?
Do visitors feel welcomed and appreciated; when they sit down next to us, or are we just another for the church-shopping list?
When the Pharisees look at this church family what do they see?
Bunches of people in their Sunday best, makeup on just right, comfortable in MY PEW?” Who are we as a church family eating with and associating with? What would you do if someone with dirty shoes sat next to you and then touched your shoe with his or her dirty shoe?
In the year 2008 many look at life through the eyes and mind of Solomon. With words of a philosopher rather than of a testimony of belief that we find in the Old Testament Book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes1: 1-11. Keep in mind: When you hear in verse 1: “The words of the preacher: they are saying “the words of Solomon,” and in verse 2 “Vanity of vanities” means “Life is short.”
In the words of the preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says Solomon, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains the same forever. The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes round to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on the circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the stream flows, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new?”
It has been already, in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to happen among those who come after.
What Solomon is saying is relevant even at this moment in 2008. “Life is short, nothing lasts long and what goes around comes around. And nothing is going to change and who cares or remembers anyway?”
In the June Steeple Newsletter I shared with you the wisdom and insight that Brian Ervin shared with me of his vision of the Tremont City UMC. Brian shared his vision per my request of him before he graduated from Wittenberg University and moved to the Athletes in Action Camp in Colorado. Listen to Brian’s vision:
“As I see it there are three things a church can do-three dimensions a church can be measured in. These are moving non-believers closer to Christ (“working the fields - the sower”), actually converting people-people accepting Christ (“harvesting”), and helping believers grow in their faith and in their walks (“the good shepherd keeping the fold”).
The illustrations I use are, John 4:35-38, John 10, Luke 10/
Matthew 9:35-38.
I see TUMC as very good at keeping the fold, which is something often overlooked at larger churches. It’s the personal relationships in smaller churches that keep its members on the path. The other thing the TUMC does well is sowing. Planting a seed so one feels better about Jesus Christ and comes to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The one thing the TUMC is not good at is converting or harvesting. With the culture the way it is, non-Christians are not going to come to a “Keep the fold” church, but rather an exciting church that is fun and not very intimidating.
The problem with only counting members and “new converts” (I say “new converts” in quotes because I became a member of a church before I really had a relationship with Christ) is that if these are all the Church focuses on, there will be no follow-up, no substantial growth after accepting Christ, which is to me, where the good stuff is.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” we are told in Matthew 22:39, five simple words that are one of Scripture’s most basic commands.
With this simple yet meaningful command, how do we as a church family, how do I as your shepherd, “convert” or “harvest” the crop so that the crop will grow and be nourished and in turn nourish others?
In the words of Mother Teresa ‘A COMPLETE AUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY’, by Kathryn Spink, page 155, from a letter Mother Teresa wrote to the elderly Prime Minister Desai and Members of the Prime Ministers Parliament:
“I was told that Gandhiji (Gandhi) had said: “If Christians would live their lives according to the teachings of Jesus Christ there would be no more Hindus left in India. You cannot give what you do not have.”
Gandhiji also said, “He who serves the poor serves God.”
In today’s Scripture lesson, Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus is walking though town and I wonder as Jesus was walking if he came across a store shingle that read, “Matthew: IRS AGENT.” But the locals didn’t need a sign for they all knew Matthew was the one who ripped them off and took advantage of them financially because he could because in a word Matthew was “corrupt.” Yet Jesus told Matthew, “follow me” with no concern as to what others would think of Him, Jesus.
Many people come to church assuming church is about getting their own needs met. How do you, how does the Tremont City United Methodist Church, transform that assumption into an attitude that a healthy church means we work to redeem the world around us?
The saying is, “Keep the faith,” but we all know it is easy to say, “Keep the faith.” It is another thing to keep the faith when one is struggling. At the same time if we as a church family keep the faith to ourselves our faith will die within ourselves.
The motto of the Tremont City United Methodist Church and Teens For Christ is: Our mission is to Grow, Show and Share: Grow and mature in our life with Christ. Show with our life that we love the Lord, Share Jesus’ love with others. We pledge to live our lives as servants of God.
Our church website states: We would love to see yours among our friendly faces. If you’re looking for a church home or just in the area, please give us a try. We offer a warm, loving atmosphere. Bible based teaching and preaching. You can be sure you would never be a stranger among our church family. We’ll greet you with a hug, pray with you, sing with you and share with you. We are a family, with God as our Father. We’re always ready to adopt new brothers and sisters.
The person with the dirty shoes did not feel welcomed because the church was looking down instead of looking him or her in the eyes. The congregation was busy judging instead of listening to God and in their judgment; in building their house on the sand, they missed out on the rock, on seeing Jesus in the eyes of the person next to them.
Harvesting a crop is repetition after repetition of work, Bible study, and prayer, sweat, questioning God in one breath and loving God in the next breath. Harvesting a crop involves many sleepless nights and wondering at times is it worth it?
I am here at this moment to tell you the time, toil and sacrifice of harvesting a crop is well worth every second of our time.
The key, the point of this sermon, as long as we keep looking at what is wrong we will never see what is right. As long as we look and say, “OH NO HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE!! REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME?
I CHALLENGE YOU TO LOOK AT HARVESTING A CROP IN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. I CHALLENGE YOU TO LOOK AND SAY:
"They followed Him on dusty roads wherever He would lead. multitudes would gather as He healed each disease.
With eyes of wonder they would watch, as He would stop to pray.
When He spoke the word of faith you could hear them say, Here comes a miracle. Oh can’t you feel it? Here comes a miracle can’t you feel it in the air? That look is on His face His glory in this place. And I know a miracle is near.
The lame could walk, the deaf could hear. Blinded eyes could see and those who had been bound for years were suddenly set free. They came in desperation, the hurting and the poor. But when they saw Him through the crowd they knew what was in store.
Here comes a miracle, here comes a miracle. Oh can’t you feel it? Can’t you feel it in the air? That look is on His face; His glory is in this place. And I know a miracle is near.
And still today we follow Him. We claim His Word is true and nothing is impossible. What He says He will do. And though this world may doubt us. And though they may laugh and stare. Someday all men will see the Truth when we see Him in the air.
Here comes a miracle, here comes a miracle. Can’t you feel it in the air? Soon we will see His face; His glory will fill this place. And I know a miracle is near. I know a miracle is near. Here comes a miracle."
(by Ray Boltz and Steve Millikan.)
I was shocked, confused, bewildered as I entered Heaven’s door. Not by the beauty of it all, nor the lights or its décor. But it was the folks in heaven who made me sputter and gasp. …The thieves, the liars, the sinners, the murderers, the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade who swiped my money twice. Next to him was my old neighbor who never said anything nice.
There was the guy who I always thought was rotting away in hell, was sitting pretty on cloud nine, and looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, “What’s the deal? I would love to hear your take. How’d all these sinners get up here? God must’ve made a mistake.
And why’s everyone so quiet, so somber? Give me a clue.”
Hush child said Jesus, “They’re all in shock. No one thought they’d see you.”
Father God, it isn’t easy to plow, to sow, to water. It can be a joy to watch your work grow. May we remember in our lives when we harvest, we reap what we sow. May this family, individually, and collectively not just plant but nourish the crop and harvest it in your name. Amen
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