3 Simple Rules
Based on the best-selling book, Three Simple Rules, now hear the author, Rueben Job, teaching and explaining his ideas on this thought-provoking book.
Each class will meet at 2:00 pm on the dates listed below at Sheridan United Methodist Church.
November 2—Do No Harm
November 9—Do Good
November 16—Stay in Love with God
Classes will also meet at 10:00 am on the dates listed below at Norway United Methodist Church.
November 5—Do No Harm
November 12—Do Good
November 19—Stay in Love with God
You can attend one or all of the sessions that you are interested in. Please let Pastor Melissa know if you will need child care.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Mission:Possible
Mission: Possible
What is the mission of the church? (wait for responses). The Church is called to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The cyclical mission of the church is to proclaim the Gospel, invite and lead people to make a commitment of faith, continually nurture believers in faith, and prepare and send believers out into the world. These are as a response to the grace of God given to all and are not done in order to ensure salvation, but because of salvation. This task is done in a variety of different of ways.
The Church is the body of Christ in the world. As such, the mission of the Church is to bring Jesus and his ministry of reconciliation to the world. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:19, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.” This means that the Church is called to reconcile others to God by making disciples of Jesus Christ and also provide support for those who are oppressed and marginalized by the world.
While mission is a word that many people in the Church toss around as something that the youth do in the summer, it is not the sole example of “mission.” I know that some of my most formative spiritual experiences happened while I was working on mission trips. I have worked in some poverty-stricken areas rebuilding homes and repairing landscapes and I have worked in affluent areas spreading the Gospel through various forms of evangelism. Both are legitimate forms of mission work and are complements to making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Mission work is very important for that reason: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. If the Church stops working in mission, it will begin to deny the roots of its formation and the charge Jesus Christ gave in His ministry. We are to take care of the poor, the orphaned, and widows, and to share the Gospel—the Good News! Methodism has roots in mission in order to bring people the Gospel. Because of the itinerant system—which is the system by which as United Methodists we still participate in…As a United Methodist clergyperson, I am called to follow the appointment of the Bishop which means that as United Methodists, we move to different churches after a certain period of time… But, that’s not a new concept and actually goes back in our history to the circuit rider system of the early Methodist church…Circuit riders rode on horseback throughout an area to share the Gospel to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world….Because of their mobile habits-- the preachers were able to go into areas most people either forgot or to which others were not sure how to spread the Gospel. The interconnectedness of the United Methodist Church is founded in a belief in mission and connectionalism. The two rely on each other for advocacy, support, and other resources.
You may have heard about various areas of mission in the United Methodist Church by way of agencies or special projects…United Methodist Committee on Relief or UMCOR is one that many people may be familiar with…UMCOR provides relief and aid in more places than most people are aware of…As a matter of fact, UMCOR is allowed in places where Christian churches are not…UMCOR was one of the fastest and most effiecient responders to the relief efforts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…Their efforts were recognized as so effiecient and effective that the United States Government gave UMCOR $66 billion to continue their efforts…That is just one of the ways that we as United Methodists are in mission to the world. Now, the way the UMCOR and the other agencies and mission communities of the United Methodist Church function and operate is through our support…When we pay our apportionments it provides the funds for these agencies to work throughout our world…That means that we are helping to support the message of the Gospel go throughout the whole world…We are supporting the mission of the church to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
One part of the Church’s mission that is important to the United Methodist Church is the social justice component. Social justice is something that is deep in the core of United Methodism and continues to be important. For example, at the 2004 General Conference, it was approved that the United Methodist Church boycott Taco Bell. The boycott was on behalf of migrant workers who are being treated unfairly and unjustly by the larger corporations. The migrant workers who are picking tomatoes for Taco Bell are not receiving proper compensation or proper working conditions; therefore, the United Methodist Church officially decided to perform this boycott. And at the 2007 Northern Illinois Annual Conference, we also voted to boycott all fast food restaurants for the same reason. The boycott has ended because all fast food chains voted to give a 1 cent increase to their workers--which was a significant victory for justice. While this particular situation a current event, it has not been unusual for the United Methodist Church to take a stand against situations that are hindering the journey to perfection. These situations include but are not limited to, gambling, prohibition, slavery, and war. Did you know all of that was done through the United Methodist Church?
Over the course of this month, you’ll hear different ways of being in mission to the world…Next week, you’ll hear the story of our cluster mission trip to Cincinnati…You’ll hear from Mary Thomas about her mission trip to Uganda Africa…and You’ll also hear the story of Rob Borchenius’ work to collect some stories & songs of Norway…and in that will also be the Mission Street Fair next week! All ways the message of the Gospel is shared to…Make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
That is our mission as the church…Our mission is not to collect stuff…Our mission is not to maintain…Our mission is not to wait…Our mission is to act now…Our mission is to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world…It’s not an impossible mission…Because it’s something that is quite possible!
The message of the Gospel—the good news is a message that is transformational…Jesus made the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear…Do you not think that through making and creating disciples of Jesus Christ the world will be transformed??? Jesus’ message is revolutionary! Love the whole world?!? Love your neighbor as you love yourself?!? Blessed are the poor?!? Blessed are you when you are persecuted!?! Jesus’ message is revolutionary and one that contains hope beyond expectations…It’s hope that means we have put our faith in something bigger than ourselves…In One who does not fail…In One who loved the whole world that who so ever believes in Him will not die, but have eternal life…What an amazing hope! What an Amazing God…What Amazing Grace!?! How can you not want to share that Good News with anyone and everyone? It is precisely that message that causes us to want to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world…Not impossible, but surely possible through that grace and love of God…
We come to the table this morning gathered as a united body of Christians…We all receive the same grace from God and we all have the same mission…Let us be filled this morning with the food of God and the grace of God to…Make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
What is the mission of the church? (wait for responses). The Church is called to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The cyclical mission of the church is to proclaim the Gospel, invite and lead people to make a commitment of faith, continually nurture believers in faith, and prepare and send believers out into the world. These are as a response to the grace of God given to all and are not done in order to ensure salvation, but because of salvation. This task is done in a variety of different of ways.
The Church is the body of Christ in the world. As such, the mission of the Church is to bring Jesus and his ministry of reconciliation to the world. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:19, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.” This means that the Church is called to reconcile others to God by making disciples of Jesus Christ and also provide support for those who are oppressed and marginalized by the world.
While mission is a word that many people in the Church toss around as something that the youth do in the summer, it is not the sole example of “mission.” I know that some of my most formative spiritual experiences happened while I was working on mission trips. I have worked in some poverty-stricken areas rebuilding homes and repairing landscapes and I have worked in affluent areas spreading the Gospel through various forms of evangelism. Both are legitimate forms of mission work and are complements to making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Mission work is very important for that reason: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. If the Church stops working in mission, it will begin to deny the roots of its formation and the charge Jesus Christ gave in His ministry. We are to take care of the poor, the orphaned, and widows, and to share the Gospel—the Good News! Methodism has roots in mission in order to bring people the Gospel. Because of the itinerant system—which is the system by which as United Methodists we still participate in…As a United Methodist clergyperson, I am called to follow the appointment of the Bishop which means that as United Methodists, we move to different churches after a certain period of time… But, that’s not a new concept and actually goes back in our history to the circuit rider system of the early Methodist church…Circuit riders rode on horseback throughout an area to share the Gospel to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world….Because of their mobile habits-- the preachers were able to go into areas most people either forgot or to which others were not sure how to spread the Gospel. The interconnectedness of the United Methodist Church is founded in a belief in mission and connectionalism. The two rely on each other for advocacy, support, and other resources.
You may have heard about various areas of mission in the United Methodist Church by way of agencies or special projects…United Methodist Committee on Relief or UMCOR is one that many people may be familiar with…UMCOR provides relief and aid in more places than most people are aware of…As a matter of fact, UMCOR is allowed in places where Christian churches are not…UMCOR was one of the fastest and most effiecient responders to the relief efforts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…Their efforts were recognized as so effiecient and effective that the United States Government gave UMCOR $66 billion to continue their efforts…That is just one of the ways that we as United Methodists are in mission to the world. Now, the way the UMCOR and the other agencies and mission communities of the United Methodist Church function and operate is through our support…When we pay our apportionments it provides the funds for these agencies to work throughout our world…That means that we are helping to support the message of the Gospel go throughout the whole world…We are supporting the mission of the church to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
One part of the Church’s mission that is important to the United Methodist Church is the social justice component. Social justice is something that is deep in the core of United Methodism and continues to be important. For example, at the 2004 General Conference, it was approved that the United Methodist Church boycott Taco Bell. The boycott was on behalf of migrant workers who are being treated unfairly and unjustly by the larger corporations. The migrant workers who are picking tomatoes for Taco Bell are not receiving proper compensation or proper working conditions; therefore, the United Methodist Church officially decided to perform this boycott. And at the 2007 Northern Illinois Annual Conference, we also voted to boycott all fast food restaurants for the same reason. The boycott has ended because all fast food chains voted to give a 1 cent increase to their workers--which was a significant victory for justice. While this particular situation a current event, it has not been unusual for the United Methodist Church to take a stand against situations that are hindering the journey to perfection. These situations include but are not limited to, gambling, prohibition, slavery, and war. Did you know all of that was done through the United Methodist Church?
Over the course of this month, you’ll hear different ways of being in mission to the world…Next week, you’ll hear the story of our cluster mission trip to Cincinnati…You’ll hear from Mary Thomas about her mission trip to Uganda Africa…and You’ll also hear the story of Rob Borchenius’ work to collect some stories & songs of Norway…and in that will also be the Mission Street Fair next week! All ways the message of the Gospel is shared to…Make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
That is our mission as the church…Our mission is not to collect stuff…Our mission is not to maintain…Our mission is not to wait…Our mission is to act now…Our mission is to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world…It’s not an impossible mission…Because it’s something that is quite possible!
The message of the Gospel—the good news is a message that is transformational…Jesus made the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear…Do you not think that through making and creating disciples of Jesus Christ the world will be transformed??? Jesus’ message is revolutionary! Love the whole world?!? Love your neighbor as you love yourself?!? Blessed are the poor?!? Blessed are you when you are persecuted!?! Jesus’ message is revolutionary and one that contains hope beyond expectations…It’s hope that means we have put our faith in something bigger than ourselves…In One who does not fail…In One who loved the whole world that who so ever believes in Him will not die, but have eternal life…What an amazing hope! What an Amazing God…What Amazing Grace!?! How can you not want to share that Good News with anyone and everyone? It is precisely that message that causes us to want to make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world…Not impossible, but surely possible through that grace and love of God…
We come to the table this morning gathered as a united body of Christians…We all receive the same grace from God and we all have the same mission…Let us be filled this morning with the food of God and the grace of God to…Make and create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
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