Sermon Notes for February 18, 2007

February 18, 2007
“I have found my lost Sheep”
Luke 15:1-10

1. If I were to say, “Let’s have a Bible study” – what images would come to your mind?

Would you say “Great?”
Would you say “Interesting – Maybe?”
Would you say, “I’m interested – but I don’t have time?”
Would you say, “No, I am not interested, it doesn’t sound like
Something I want to do.”

Or, would you say, “I don’t know, I have never been to a
a Bible study”
Or, would you ask, “What kind of Bible study is it?”

2. Now the problem is today, as Protestants, we are supposed to
Take the bible seriously. The doctrinal standards of the Methodist Church state that:

Our forebears in the faith reaffirmed the ancient Christian message as found in the apostolic witness even as they applied it anew in their own circumstances. Their preaching and teaching were grounded in Scripture, informed by Christian tradition, enlivened in experience, and tested by reason.

And there you have again – the four principles of Methodism which I keep pointing out. For in our religious life we are to be grounded in Scripture, informed by Christian tradition, enlivened in experience, and tested by reason.

So, what does it mean to be grounded in Scripture?

3. Does it mean that we should know the Bible backwards and forwards? Does it mean that we should have it memorized? Does it mean that we should take it literally and believe that every word and period is the actual unalterable word of God? Or, in the words of theologian Marcus Borg – we are to take the Bible “seriously but not literally.”
Just how important is understanding the Bible to our faith and our lives today?

This reminds me of the time I was taking a class on Russian history in college. The professor was well respected and always assigned a lot of books to read. On the last day of class one of the students ask if it would be necessary to have read Isaac Deutscher’s biography of Joseph Stalin (600 pages long!). The professor, who was a devout Easter Orthodox Christian, replied: “Let me just say this – he who has not read Deutscher’s Stalin before the final will be like he who goes before the Last Judgment without reading the Bible on earth!”

Well that sent a chill through the crowd, as they say!

4. So, are we supposed to read the “Good Book” from cover to cover before we die? Is that what it is all about?

Well, I once had a friend who one summer while he was in college read the whole Bible cover to cover – and never went to church again! Better than most people, I guess. But, just reading it didn’t do it for him. In fact, because he didn’t understand it (I assume) or didn’t want to understand it – it never came alive for him. It was just words on a page. An interesting book – no doubt – but not a book that had any personal relevance for him. In short, He didn’t understand what he was reading because God wasn’t real for him.

So, the Bible alone, we realize, is not enough. And when I drive by some church which says they are a “Bible Based Church” – I always want to ask, “What is it you mean? Since all Christian Churches are based on the Bible – after all the whole story about Jesus and how it all go started and everything else comes to us from the Bible – Right?

And so the United Methodist Church is also a Bible Based Church, too.

5. The difference is in how we interpret the Bible, I guess. And this requires Bible Study. But how to do it?

Ideally, according to John Wesley, everyone in this church should be engaged in some kind of Bible study either in a group or on their own. Isn’t that right? But, we don’t do it. So, what happens is that main contact we have with the Bible is on Sunday morning when we read the scripture and I comment on it in the sermon. But, is that enough? Can we, from time to time, do more? But how to do it?

And, if we did do it, what kind of Bible study would it be? How would we interpret the Bible when there are so many different people in this congregation with different backgrounds, experiences, and ideas about what the Bible means and doesn’t mean. I mean, what if we don’t all agree on what the Bible says, what then?

I remember back in my church in St. Paul we tried to have a bible study with some of the younger families. It was a disaster. One couple said that they started coming back to church after seeing “Star Wars!” You know, the part about “may the force be with you!” That just about did it for some of the more conservative folks in the bible study. So, we quit, and just focused on raising our kids and getting along – which worked out much better.

And, along those lines, I suspect that most people in this Congregation really don’t want to go back to the old days when the minister mainly did all the talking and explained what it all meant and you just parked your brains outside the door on the way in.

Well, enough objections you might say, maybe it would be better if we leave the Bible alone for now.

6. However, I have another plan and since this is the beginning of Lent … what better time than to take another look at the Bible.

Now, in the old days, Lent was supposed to be a time of penitence, self examination and spoke about guilt, sin, repentance and all that stuff. We have all been there – right? Got it down, memorized it … and, at least for most people, it no longer creates much enthusiasm. Now, I am not saying these are bad ideas in themselves – but if you have already done it … it doesn’t make sense to keep beating them to death – which means that maybe we are ready to move on to something else – maybe God is ready for us to take it to another level.

TALK ABOUT WESLEY 3 STAGES
PORCH – CONVERSION, BEING SAVED
DOORWAY - FAITH

HOUSE – GROWING IN SPIRITUAL WHOLENESS


7. Now I suspect that most people here believe in one way or
Another that they are saved, that God loves them, their sins
Are forgiven, and things like that. Right? If not, then I think
It would be good for you to come and see me – in fact I would
Welcome it.

Secondly, I suspect that most people here have in some way, lesser or greater, faith in God. And if trouble happens, you are capable of some form of prayer … and you trust, deep down, that God will see you through whatever is happening … and, on the other hand, if life is going good, you take time to give thanks to God and to share your good things with others. This, then, is the doorway … of faith. And this is what we were all taught growing up. “Just have faith” … how many times did you hear that?

And yet I wonder if, at one time or another, it has ever occurred to you to ask the question -- now that I “have faith” – “Is that all there is to it?” Or, to wonder "isn’t there more to my religious life than this?”

8. Now, as we all know, or would like to believe, America is a very religious country … and it is my observation that it just might be that in the last 40 years a lot of people in this country, who were raised in the church and who were taught to have faith … and have faith … have asked the same question. Isn’t there more?

But, for the most part the church has left it at that … except of course for enlisting people in various social causes to help the poor and fight racial prejudice. And I am not knocking those causes at all. But, without spiritual growth, one can just get burned trying to help people out (which is what happens a lot of the time). And because the church has not been challenging people to grow spiritually they are going other places. Why, for instance, do we have people doing yoga, Zen meditation, and going on monastic retreats? Why, because they want something more in their spiritual life.

So, I suggest that what is going on is that a lot of us are inside the house and wondering what to do now – and the church isn’t helping much. Or, we are just going along with the way it is … because we, too, can’t think of what to do about it. Or, outside of Sunday morning we are pursuing a lot of other things …in our life looking for answers. But, I wish to point out; you can’t indefinitely meet your spiritual need for God by just doing hobbies or trying to entertain yourself in other ways. God is, after all, God. And substitutes won’t really cut it when it gets right down to it.

9. So, back to the plan. And, this is something I have given quite a bit of thought … over some length of time. How to involve a diverse group of Christian people in some kind of Bible study that will be interesting, challenging, and valuable … and won’t require a huge amount of effort on anyone’s part. In short, something that can be done by each person – on your own – at your leisure – and yet can be pulled together on a weekly basis on Sunday morning.

One way, of course, would be to do it online. And I think this is not a bad idea … but not enough people in this church are into blogging so that will have to wait for a while.

No, instead, what I am proposing is a self study project which will include personal Bible reading, prayer, meditation, and even a little contemplation – all taking about 20-30 minutes per week.

Can it be done? Well I have a lot of confidence in this congregation. I am not bragging when I tell people, to use the words of Garrison Keller, “Well above average.”

And, yet, as we know, that can be a danger -- because we can become complacent – and spiritual complacency is not a good thing.

Secondly, this past year I have seen people respond to new ideas and challenges -- such as the “prayer partners” idea. Lots of people jumped right on that one – and it works.

10. So, I am guessing that you are ready for another challenge. And here it is:

Eric’s Lenten Bible Study – Based on the Parables

EXPLAIN THE PROCESS.

EXPLAIN THE SCRIPTURE READING – AND THE
THE LOST SHEEP

11. Now, I have a lot more to say about meditation, prayer, contemplation, the parables, and a whole lot more … but, for now let’s get started. We have 4 – 5 more weeks to get into all of it in more detail. So, this is not a one shot deal. This is a process which, if you follow along, will leave you with a much better understanding of who God is and help you to be aware of how God is involved in your life and other people’s as well.

Now, just take your time. Don’t expect miracles. Don’t expect everything to fall into place right away. It’s like riding a bicycle for the first time. You might fall off. Don’t go too fast at first.

In fact, the whole point is to not go fast at all. After all, this is a process which is basically about slowing down – even coming to a stop … and listening to God … the still small voice within you that is trying to get your attention in the midst of your busy life.

12. So, I am giving you a two week head start. Because, next week, Rev. Alan Bolte will be here and we will be hearing from him. This means that you have two weeks to work on your first assignment … which will be discussed in church on March 4th. Then after that we will continue through Palm Sunday.

Lastly, if you decide this is not for you … or it doesn’t work … then you don’t have to do it. And, you can still come to church on Sunday and get in on the discussion just the same as always. In fact, some of you may want to wait before doing the exercise until after it is discussed on Sunday. But either way, I hope you will give it a try and in a few weeks we will see where we are along the way.

And in the meantime, “may the force be with you!”

Let us pray