Whiteboard: More Than Crumbs

This is a strange story.

A Syrophoenician woman (read: Gentile) has a sick daughter, or as they said that back in the ancient world: her daughter is "tormented by a demon."

The Syrophoenician woman approaches Jesus and asks for his help. But Jesus ignores her.

Did I mention this was a strange story?

Yes, Jesus ignores her cries at first. And so she keeps crying out to him. She begs him to cast the demon out of her daughter. Jesus says to her, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

Strange story, right? Not what you were expecting Jesus to say. Well, it is about to get stranger.

The Syrophoenician woman and Jesus start to argue. Jesus talks about why you wouldn't take the children's bread and throw it out to the dogs (which is basically calling this woman and he sick child dogs, right?) and then she counters "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table."

Then something amazing happens. Jesus concedes the point. He recognizes the strength of this woman's faith and commitment and he grants her request.

I've always joked that the easy comeback is sitting right there for Jesus. The Woman says, "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table," and Jesus could have quickly retorted, "Well then the dogs need to stay outside where they belong."

But the point of the story isn't that Jesus is quick with a one-liner, or even that he respects a good comeback when he hears it (plenty of folks make a big deal out of the fact that this is really the only time in the Gospels when someone is able to change Jesus' mind). No, the point of the story is that the kingdom of God is expanding. That this religious movement Jesus is spearheading is getting bigger. That it isn't simply about one religious community hearing the power of the good news of the Gospel, but that it is about sharing it with the world, and particularly sharing it with the outsiders, the foreigners, the people that society tells us aren't worth wasting our time on.

It is not just crumbs that Jesus offers, it is the fullness of the good news of the gospel, and he offers it to everyone.

So we do too.

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Mark 7:24-37
The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet.Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Jesus Cures a Deaf Man

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesusordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’

The Fifth With First at Vista del Camino

This past Sunday was The Fifth With First!

Folks who attended the Worship Service in the Sanctuary had the opportunity to hear our Pastor Emeritus the Rev. Don Jones preach the word (you can listen to the sermon audio by clicking here) and then make Plarn (if you don't know what that is, then click here to learn more).

I lead our Workship Team in a Prayer Service at Chaparral Park and then a work project at Vista Del Camino where we packed 560 Healthy Packs for local school children who otherwise wouldn't have enough food to eat on the weekends.

Here are some pictures (and you can find more on the Church's Facebook Page) from the Workship Service:

2015 Elders Training Event

Last Saturday a half-a-dozen of our Elders and I attended a Region-wide Elder Training Event in Casa Grande. 

And when I say Region-wide, I mean it. We had over a 100 Elders present at the event!

It was a wonderful opportunity for us to talk best practices, learn about the role of Elders in Disciples congregations, and hear from our special guest presenter the Rev. Dr. Dick Hamm.

For folks who do not know, Dick Hamm is the former General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He is a tremendous thinker, speaker, and faith leader for our denomination and I can think of no one better equipped lead our Elders Training. It was a great day!

Here are a few photos (with short captions) from the day:

Don't worry, my journal didn't stay empty for long.
By the end of the day I had 13 pages worth of notes from
 the event, and plenty of good ideas to bring back!

Our Regional Minister Denny Williams calling us to
order to start the day.

All told we had 105 Elders from 16 Disciples congregations
from  all over the great state of Arizona
present for the Elders Training.

The Rev. Dr. Dick Hamm (former General Minister
and President of our denomination) led the event.

After some A/C problems forced us to relocate to the Sanctuary,
the Rev. Isaac Varner (pastor at Capilla del Sol in Tucson)
led us in a conversation about "Best Practices for Elders"
at our congregations. 

The Rev. Dr. Dick Hamm leading a very important afternoon
session on everyone's least favorite topic: Conflict!

The Fifth With First

August has an extra Sunday, which could mean only one thing…

…THE FIFTH WITH FIRST IS COMING!

That is right, August has five Sundays which means our next opportunity to put our faith into action is coming up on Sunday August 30.

A quick refresher: The Fifth With First is our church-wide shorthand for “The Fifth Sunday with First Christian Church” and on those months with an extra Sunday (it happens four times a year) we use that additional Sunday to put our faith into action in our local community. We do it by having two services. We have a Worship Service in the Sanctuary that is followed by a Mission Project opportunity in our Fellowship Hall and we have a Workship Service (see what we did there!) where I lead a team of volunteers from the church in a brief prayer service at Chaparral Park before we head out to do direct service with one of our ministry partners.

On August 30 we have special things lined up for both services!

For the Workship Team: We’ll meet at Chaparral Park at 9AM for our prayer service and then we’ll head over to Vista Del Camino (one of our longest standing mission partners) to pack Healthy Packs for local school children who do not have enough food to eat on the weekends (a growing mission project that was started right here at FCC Scottsdale by Rev. Judy). It is a great project being hosted by a great partner…and it is air conditioned! Learn more about Vista Del Camino by clicking here and learn more about Healthy Packs by clicking here.

For the Worship Folks: I’m happy to announce that our Pastor Emeritus the Rev. Don Jones will be leading the worship service in the sanctuary at 10:15AM and preaching the sermon. Then after worship you’ll learn how to make Plarn. Plarn stands for “plastic yarn” and is a remarkably resilient knitting material made from old plastic grocery bags. Once the bags are transformed into the Plarn (and it is a quick and easy process) it can be knit together into bedrolls for local homeless men and women. These Plarn bedrolls are soft, lightweight, practically indestructible and can be used to provide shade in the summer and warmth in the winter. Learn more about Plarn by clicking here.

Whiteboard: What to Wear

Alright, this is one is my favorite picture in some time.

You are going to want to look closely at this one...or perhaps the more apt word choice is: You are going to want to read closely.

If you still don't see it, then this Sunday's sermon scripture should help.

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Ephesians 6:10-20 The Whole Armour of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

Whiteboard: Thank You

I knew that I would be preaching about the power of the words "Thank You!" this week. After all, our guiding text this Sunday is Ephesians 5:15-20 which reminds us to "Give thanks to God at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

What I didn't know was that my Facebook feed would be flooded this week with links to videos, articles, and talks about...the power of saying "Thank You!"

It is great when the Spirit works like that.

Here are some of my favorite links so far, and don't be surprised if a story, a quip, or an anecdote from one of these excellent resources works its way into my sermon on Sunday:

Growing and Changing the World One Thank You at a Time
In this deeply insightful talk, Rajesh Setty showcases his research on gratitude, the REAL cost of forgetting people, and most simple and effective ways to maintain a gratitude practice. The video is a bit long (21-minutes) but it is well worth watching.

Ted Talks Playlist: Giving Thanks

Are Ted Talks more of your thing? Well it turns out they have collected seven different segments on gratitude into a "Giving Thanks Playlist." I particularly recommend "Remember to say Thank You" by Laura Trice.

The Importance of Saying Thank You

Even the business world is recognizing the importance of saying "Thank you." This article from inc.com explains how "these two simple words can help you in many different professional and personal situations."

The Two Most Important Words
Need further proof that the business world is getting into this? Well, The Harvard Business Review ran an article from recently retired Mattel CEO Robert Eckert that gives five handy tips for saying "Thank you."

Claim the Power of Thank You
Our friend Bruce Barkhauer over at the Center for Faith and Giving penned this excellent Five Step Guide for churches to get better at saying thank you and fostering communities of gratitude.

Research Shows Importance of Saying Thank You
About a year ago Professors Monica Bartlett and Lisa Williams released a study with the first known evidence demonstrative that gratitude leads to perceptions of interpersonal warmth, and creates fertile ground for relationships to bloom. 

More SAIL Pics!

Carol dropped off a memory card full of photos from the S.A.I.L. Program!

I've uploaded the whole collection to the Church's Facebook Page, but I wanted to share some of them here too. Enjoy!

 

Whiteboard: Imitation

I put The Whiteboard to use in a new way this week.

Typically I have some sort of sketch, logo, or drawing on filling up The Whiteboard.

But this week that didn't happen because, frankly, drawing "imitate" is beyond my limited artistic abilities!

So instead, something new: A dictionary definition!

Imitate can mean "to copy or simulate." Although it didn't make it onto the board, imitate can also mean "to copy (a person's speech or mannerisms), especially for comic effect." But that is not what the Apostle Paul was talking about in Ephesians 5. He didn't want us to simply copy what God was doing or to talk in a way that we sound like God.

No, it is that last definition on The Whiteboard that really fits the bill. When Paul says 'imitate'  what he means is "take or follow as a model." That is to say, "imitate God" is like saying "take God as your model" or more simply "follow God."

So this Sunday we'll be talking about what that looks like. What does it look like to follow God? How can we be imitators of God who "live in love"? How do we move past empty mimicry and toward a life of genuine faithfulness?

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Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Rules for the New Life

So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members of one another. 

Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. 

Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labour and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy.

 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. 

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Three Things: Administrative Council

Administrative Council held their regular meeting after worship on July 26, 2015, and here are "The Three Things You Should Know" from that meeting!

1. Multiple Dream Fund Projects Approved!At July’s Admin. Council Meeting the following projects were also approved:
   -- Hired Max Beckman as the newest member of the Praise Team!
   -- New Playground Equipment will be going in for our youth!
   -- New screens and projectors will be going in to the sanctuary!
   -- An upgraded soundboard with the ability to fully record the entire worship service will be installed!
   -- We will be hosting a "Thank You...Now Let's Keep Dreaming!" Event on September 19!
   
2. Budget Numbers Look Great!Our Treasurer did a happy dance in reporting that we are ahead of budget through the midway point of the year and that we are on track for the rest of the year!
   
3. Celebrating the S.A.I.L. Program We celebrated the good news that the S.A.I.L. Program (a project that grew out of the Dream Fund, by the way) was such an overwhelming success! Thank you to Julie and Carol for organizing it, to our church members from volunteering and participating, and our youth and families for taking part in the Summer Adventures In Learning!

Church Buildings and Mission

This morning I attended the seminar "Holy Spaces, Batman!: Putting Your Church Building to More Faithful and Creative Use."

The Rev. Jim Michel from Church Extension led the seminar, and he started things off by giving us this handout...

...and asking us to fill it out. Interesting to think about, right? What 10 organizations, ministries, and community programs come to mind for you? Who could and should we be partnering with and sharing our space with?

While you thin up your list, let me share the seven guidelines that Jim lifted up for us.

Guidelines for Effectively Using Your Church Building

1) Get the congregation as a whole to buy in

2) Start with existing relationships

3) Look for partners with a common mission/vision

4) Have a clear understanding of the agreement upfront

5) Address zoning/insurance/code issues

6) consider wear and tear on the building and any increased demand on church staff

7) Assess your building to determine how it can be put to use