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Where is Tremont City United Methodist Church? In Tremont
City, Ohio, of course. 98 N. Mulberry Street – corner of Mulberry and Center Streets – some might say it is on Upper Valley Pike - - - Oh yes, I know------ Tremont Church - that’s the red brick building right across the street from where Andi lives. The answers are all true. So let’s consider another question - - Where is Tremont church on Monday morning? Is it just a quiet building in Tremont waiting to be brought to life by the next activity OR on Monday morning is the heart and soul of Tremont Church scattered throughout the county in homes and businesses as we – the human components of the church go about living our lives - dealing with everyday routines and unexpected situations. We are the church: we are the ushers, the committee members, the liturgists, the acolytes. We support mission projects, we worship together, we combine our prayers, our presence and our gifts to keep this church alive. But do we confine our Christian service just to the Church and its related activities or do we carry our Christian service into our everyday lives - outside the church? On Sunday morning, we gather here to worship God, to give thanks, to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, to seek comfort, to gain strength and to pray for guidance for the week ahead. We renew ourselves and then in an hour or two we scatter into neighborhoods all over the area. We should leave this sanctuary ready to SHARE God’s love and by our actions be witnesses for Jesus Christ. We should be renewed and ready to go out and serve. In the second chapter of James we are reminded, “Faith without works is dead” Let us imagine that we see over our exit doors, a sign printed in red - “SERVANTS ENTRANCE” - yes, ENTRANCE. As we leave here we will be entering the world where we are to be servants for God. I Corinthians 12:27 reminds us: “Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.” We are also a part of over 9 million people who are called United Methodists – Christians who worship, study, and fellowship together so that we can be enriched and prepared to go forth and share the love of God that we experience. Our scripture lesson this morning is from the book of James – a book of only 5 chapters – just reading it aloud would be the best message any person could hear. The advice reads as if it was written for 21st century Christians – and it was. James was one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, originally he wrote this letter to the first Christians to teach them the practice of Christianity. It is just as relevant now as it was then. There are several themes presented in this writing of James but we will focus on just one this morning. James 2:17 – “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.” Faith comes first - -but that faith without accompanying action is not a living faith. In one contemporary translation called The Message, this verse reads, “Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?” Consider this: A Christian woman was telling some of her friends about the value of a first- aid class she had recently completed. “Just yesterday, she said, I was driving down the street when I heard this awful crash. I jammed on the brakes, ran back and found a car wrapped around a telephone pole. When I got to the injured driver, I saw a horrible sight. My knees went limp, and I didn’t know what to do. But all at once I remembered my first-aid training. Immediately I bent down, put my head between my legs and it worked! I didn’t faint!” That’s not the conclusion you expected, is it. The woman’s knowledge helped her but she did nothing to use her training to aid someone who needed her. Would she get a Good Samaritan award? Definitely not! Are we using God’s love to just strengthen ourselves or are we letting it flow through us to help someone else who may be floundering ? Johann Bach, the musical genus, often wrote the letters INDNJC at the bottom of a manuscript - - these letters stand for the Latin words translated “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” You and I are not geniuses composing music. We are just ordinary people living ordinary lives. But everything we do ought to be done INOlJC, “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 3:17 states this clearly – “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” It is ordinary people who help do God’s EXTRAORDINARY work. It is ordinary people who make IHN successful – it is ordinary people who adopt a family to make that family’s Christmas happier, it’s ordinary people who buy school supplies for children who cannot afford them, it’s ordinary people who visit the homebound, it’s ordinary people who are alert and reach out a helping hand to someone who is faltering. It’s ordinary people who smile when it is hard to smile, love when it’s difficult to love. You fill in the blank, “I’m an ordinary Christian but I can __________________” Faith without works is not a living faith. I read about a man who died at the age of 63 without ever having had a job. He spent his entire adult life attending college. An inheritance he had received made this possible. He acquired so many degrees that they looked like an alphabet when written after his name. He spent thousands of hours listening and studying but never DOING. His expertise was of no benefit to anyone but himself. James admonishes us “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” James 1:22 God doesn’t hold us accountable for what we cannot do - He knows our abilities, He wants us to use the skills we do have - - to be alert and recognize the opportunities that are presented to us personally and then put our faith to work. We are God’s chosen people – we don’t want to become God’s “frozen people”. Jesus said “You are the salt of the earth. . . . Matthew 5:13-14 Salt is a seasoning but it is useless until it is mixed into food to flavor it.Jesus calls us to “flavor” society in His name by putting our faith into action. He said “You are the light of the world ........” Light is meant to be seen. We as believers need to come out of the shadows and radiate with the light of God’s love. Dwight L. Moody said, “Lighthouses don’t use cannons to call attention to their shining. They just shine.” Remember the children’s song, “This little light of mine – I’m going to let it shine” Let’s make that our theme song. Today, August 16, 2009 - - what better time to make sure our light is in good working order. As we leave the church this morning, let’s remember that invisible sign above the door, SERVANTS ENTRANCE. May it be a reminder that the church exit is also an entrance to a world that needs the love, mercy, understanding and concern of Christ’s servants. Where is Tremont City United Methodist Church? Part of it is wherever you are. |
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