Lake Mills United Methodist Church Pastor's Blog. For everyone who wants to explore the life of the spirit and the love of God in and through this growing and sharing congregation.
(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this blog are the personal views of Reverend William R. McBride and may not necessarily represent the views of Lake Mills UMC or the Wisconsin Conference UMC. Every attempt has been made to accurately represent the above entities on this blog.)
Anyone hear today who dislikes a warm welcome? I suspect not. We all want to feel welcome and appreciated.
God created us for relationships and for interaction. This is in part, what I believe, makes us distinctly human and spiritual. We enjoy getting together with family and friends. We crave companionship and warmth. Seems like churches would be best served by always putting out the welcome mat and doing everything the can to make their congregation "a welcome place to be."
In my mind a warm welcome goes a long way toward success and fulfillment in life. What can you do this week to make your heart and your home a welcome place for yourself and for others?
Last weekend the Lake Mills church crew, 40 folks, spent their annual weekend getaway at Pine Lake United Methodist Camp in Westfield, Wisconsin. I thought you might enjoy this movie I produced depicting why this place and these people do such a good work of welcome and are so fun to be around.
We are gong again next year, the last weekend in July. Come up for the whole weekend or just for Saturday. This is a "Welcome Place to Be."
Abundance is highly relative. Now this statement has nothing to do with how much money Aunt Sadie or Uncle Harry has stashed away.
The relativity of abundance means that we always measure our abundance, our net worth, our money, our accumulation of things and toys in relationship to someone else; usually someone whom we suspect has more than we.
You may say “I lack abundance compared to so and so down the block that just won the 'Powerball' lottery." But what about your abundance compared to a third world citizen awash in drought in Kenya? See, it is all relative.
Jesus warned about hiding and hoarding our treasure. For he knew that where our treasures were there would be our hearts as well. By the phrase “Our Hearts” I think he meant that this is where our attention, our priorities and our love would be.
ABUNDANCE AND GRATITUDE GO HAND IN HAND
THE MORE GRATEFUL YOU ARE THE MORE ABUNDANT YOU WILL BE
I am here to tell you it is perfectly fine and really spiritual to possess your abundance. Just do not let it possess you.
FIRST: Understand where all your ability, talent, inspiration and creativity came from in the first place that you put together to earn your keep and amass your treasures.
SECOND: Freely and eagerly find ways every week to give some of your abundance to others and take some time to help someone else learn and grow in their ability to earn like you. This last point is a great way for you as I say, to “share the wealth.”
THIRD: Abundance, especially money is NOT a zero sum or finite sum game. There was never and will never be a limited amount of capital to go around the world. Folks that proclaim that if you have much that must mean that there are others whom have little and you are depriving them of "theirs" and you need to give your's away to equalize things are misled and out of touch with how the universe and the laws of physic really operate. Everything we see, touch, taste and use including money, is atomic, made up of atoms. And there is an infinite supply of atomic energy; atoms out there in the universe to combine so to make more money, green paper and gold. So, go ahead make oodles of cash. Just remember that with much comes extra responsibility to give eagerly not because others need it but because you have a heart of love and an eagerness to keep your heart in the right place.
Just imagine what your church, your favorite charitable organization, or your local helping agency can do when you give freely and well.
Today we answer a question that is on the lips of folks of all ages and stations in life. How Do I Get FULL-Filled?
(Watch the special video on prayer at the bottom of the post)
Allow me to illustrate an answer with a lawn mower. I am privileged to have as part of my extra benefits at my church the chance to use a John Deere X-300 riding lawn mower. Since I live right across the parking lot from church and the church has their X-300 in the shed behind the church building, I get to use this “bad boy” to mow my yard and take care of other yard chores. Talk about a great deal!
For me yard, flower and garden care are a form of outdoor therapy. Plus, Loretta and I enjoy keeping the place looking spiffy and neat.
Now when “my” X-300 needs gas in its tank do you think I go over to the little powered push mower in the shed and siphon out a cup of gas and put that into the John Deere X-300? Of course not. Right next to the X-300 is a five gallon gas tank, which I take to the corner gas station and get plenty of gas, from the source, for my mower ride and work. It never fails. When I keep my x-300 fueled up with gas I can fulfill my lawn mowing needs in wonderful time. Plus, I have a better time riding and mowing.
If my X-300 is not FULL-filled or has just a taste of fuel, it will never run the way it is supposed or get the job done. Catching the lesson here?
Back to the spiritual matter at hand.
If we really want to run our lives on FULL and keep on task and target, we need to go to the source and get all the fuel we need to FULL-fill ourselves from the inside out. This is how a FULL-filled spiritual life really works.
How are you doing this week and getting yourself FULL-filled?
Try these four tips for fulfilling yourself with the important fuel from God
Go to your God and tell God you want to grow.
Talk often with your God.
Trust that your God can and will fill you FULL.
Behave like it is true; because it is.
This is how to get FULL-filled.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PRAYER TODAY
PRAYER IS THAT OPEN HEARTED & HONEST SOUL ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
We live in what has been called the "Information Age." For the purpose of our topic today, I’d call this age by another name. We have more information at our disposal than any generation before us. We are flooded with bits of information, or as a shrewd person once said- "bytes"?
A much better description of our time would be the "Age of Distraction." Everybody and everything are out to get our attention. Once “they” have your attention, they have a chance at getting your money when you buy their stuff, or your time when you tune in to them. And one way to do that is to distract us from whatever we may have been doing or are trying to do.
So, how do we handle the information overload, as it has been called and how do we handle distractions?
THE KEY TO HANDLE DISTRACTIONS IS TO FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY IS IMPORTANT
A good place to fix our attention upon is the Bible in the story found in Luke 10:38-42. It is the story of Jesus paying a visit to the home of Mary and Martha. In that visit we uncover a woman with focus and attention and a woman who got distracted and frustrated.
Martha – became distracted with many tasks and things to do
Mary – was attentive to Jesus and stuck close to him and his teaching moment.
Here is what Jesus says to busy and distracted Martha: “Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken from her" (Luke 10:42). Just what is this better part? Mary has decided not to miss out on what she can learn from Jesus while he's in their home. She sits at his feet and listens to what he had to tell her. She's bent on gleaning all she can from the time she has with Jesus. Rather than being distracted by all these other things, she sits in raptured attention, hanging on his every word.
The better part Mary chose was to be able to focus on what really mattered at the moment. To sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from him. That's something that will last long after the meal is over and the dishes have been done and put away. It's something we need to learn today as never before. Our well being depends on it; maybe even our sanity. I venture that's why Jesus is so insistent on it.
Everyone has an opinion on what the “Main Thing” is that we must focus on and attend to everyday. What is the “Main Thing” for you?
Making money
Paying the bills (goes along with previous one)
Having fun
Building/Establishing a good relationship
Staying out of trouble
It is always wise to get some good wisdom when a person has to really focus on A MAIN THING. After all, there can only be one number one.
The main thing is exactly what a lawyer asked Jesus about one day. “What must I do to inherit eternal life? (Luke 10:25). Actually, he was trying to test or trap Jesus, but in the answer we see what Jesus Christ, unquestionably a very wise man had to say about the main thing.
He referred the lawyer back to the law, the Old Testament written instructions for living and asked him back, “What is written in the law?” And then, the lawyer found the answer to his own question and revealed the “main thing” for all of us to do…….LOVE
Yep, love is the main thing. It is as simple and as challenging as this. But we sure miss the mark sometimes don’t we? Sometimes we get off target don’t we? Even churches sometimes get off track and off target don’t they?
Our calling is to always keep the main thing the main thing, at home, at work, in church even when we play.
Have any kind of opinion and express any type of strong notion and you will surely receive some criticism. Like that true saying, "Criticism Happens.
The questions I challenge you to answer this week are what are you going to do about criticism and how do you handle it?
We can not avoid it so we might as well handle it.
One major lesson we learn from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ is that we must have a goal and dream big enough that captivates us so strongly that it keeps us moving ahead even in the face of criticism. In Luke’s Gospel we learn how “Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem,” and nothing go in his way from completing the role that the creator had for him to play. Yes he was criticized and ridiculed a bunch, but he made it all the way to his intended dream, to give his life so to show the world best how to live.
HOW TO HANDLE CRITICISM
Hold on to a big God-given dream, one that captivates and motivates you for a long, long time.
Know that when you lead and step out in faith you will be criticized and ridiculed.
Learn from criticism, sometimes it is constructive.
Believe that you are loved and lovable no matter what others think and say about you.
Your Thoughts are very powerful things. Thinking clearly can help you deal with criticism.
I have a small yet large on wisdom book in my library. It is entitled “101 Ways to Find God’s Purpose for Your Life.”
As I have preached on before, we need always to live not by accident but “on purpose.” Let me share three ways from this book for you to find a BIG purpose for you life.
1. DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS. “we all have a calling. We all have a purpose in life. Not all of us are meant to be artists who paint on canvases, but we all have a gift.” –Mark Victor Hansen, writer.
Make a list of those things you do well. List the ways you are using your “gifts” in the tasks you perform. God’s purpose for your life can be found in the passions, dreams and in what you have talent in. a lot of times we may understand our talents and skills, but we only see them being displayed in certain ways. Just maybe God is seeking to use you in many different ways to let your gifts, strengths and talents shine.
2. SEEK DIRECTION. Have you ever tried to navigate through a strange city or area without a map or directions. At best it is a guessing game. We all need to seek and get directions so we can get there in the best and the healthiest way possible.
In order to uncover God’s purpose for your life you need to be headed in the right direction. Ask God to help you get your life pointed in a direction that honors the Creator, helps you and shows love to others.
3. ENGAGE YOUR SPIRIT. Great people are often remembered because of their spirit, their determination to consume every drop of their cup of life, despite the circumstances. It is NOT what are the challenges and problems facing you, rather it IS what are you doing about them. How are you using them to grow, learn and become a better human being.
Wholeheartedly participate in life today. See things with spiritual eyesight as well as your physical eyes. Notice the beauty of creation, the glorious colors, smells, and sounds that surround you.
