DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE

Once upon a time two men held a conversation:

“I have a mountain of credit card debt”, one man told another. “I have lost my job. My car is being repossessed and our house is in foreclosure, but I am not worried about it.  No, I’ve hired a professional worrier. He does all my worrying for me, and that way I don’t have to think about it.”

 “That’s fantastic!” his friend replied.  “How much does your professional worrier charge for his services?”
“$50,000 a year”, the first man answered. “$50,000 a year? Where are you going to get that kind of money?” “I don’t know”, responded the first man.  “That’s his worry.”

 

From today’s reading from the SERMON ON THE MT., Jesus says, , please repeat after me, “ Do not worry//about your life.”

 

EASY TO SAY.  HARD TO DO. For Americans living in the 3^rd millennium ---we are a people bombarded by stress, anxiety, and worry, according to one author reporting on recent polls. He writes,

·       43% of all adults suffer health effects due to worry and stress.

·       75% - 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are stress & anxiety related complaints or disorders.

·       ·        Worry has been linked to all the leading causes of death including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis and suicide.

 

Wow.  That’s a lot anxiety.

 

It think it’s safe to say that most of us expect some short term and minor anxieties, which we typically face in a normal day of life. Most of the time, we can deal with them,  using our own personal resources and coping skills.   But the type of anxiety that Jesus is discussing  is what I call MAJOR WORRIES.    The English word “worry” is actually rooted in old English and German words, which mean to “strangle,” or to “choke.”

 

When faced with upon problems, which we cannot  resolve with our own efforts and resources, many of us frequently react with “life choking worry.”

·      For example--declining health and disease, like cancer, heart trouble, Alzheimer’s may threaten us, or those we love.

·      Or think of the many, many dangers that our children face, including drug & alcohol abuse, car accidents, predators, immorality, and the like.

·      Financial concerns and loss of employment, in a very uncertain economic climate, can cause us to worry. 

·      Caring for infirmed parents or spouses can be worrisome—just wondering if you have the strength to carry on.

 

The potential dangers we face are real---but what about our many unnecessary worries, that are self-imposed?  I am convinced that many of us, including me, have lost many precious years of our lives by overindulging in unnecessary anxiety and worry.

 

Unnecessary worry has happened in my life when a potential or real problem emerges, and I ponder it , in my mind, mushrooming the problem into some catastrophic disaster. So, there was a time in my marriage when my wife and I would had a knock down, dragged out fight, and we stopped talking to each other . I began worrying that we would divorce. While that was a genuine fear of mine, it was not entirely realistic.  The truth is, there is conflict in all  healthy marriages, which never results in divorce. But by anxious spinning out the worse case scenario, I denied the power of God and the commitment of my to me. 

 

·      In this, and in many other ways, Anxiety had taken over like some bully tinhorn dictator. Well, that was it.  I had had it.  I wanted to over throw that dictator, and put Jesus back on the throne of my life, where he belonged.  So, I decided to take some action.  Now, it didn’t happen quickly.  Indeed, there were lots of fits and starts over the years, involving prayer and many conversations with my loved ones, friends, and a therapist. But eventually, the Lord led me to win over worry. And there were three major factors that led to that victory: 

 

1.  FIRST, SOME OF US NEED NEW PRIORITIES.   Across our whole culture, too many of us are consciously or unconsciously on a quest for materialism, which adds unnecessary anxiety to our lives. Materialism is doomed to let us down, because the love of things can separate you from loving God. 

·        Jesus points out that some Christians are so worried about worldly rewards, riches, and pleasures, that they cannot hear God’s word.   They are like seeds, planted in the thorns, which are choked to death before bearing fruit. 

·        It’s interesting that the root word for “worry” in the Greek, means being of a double mind.  This is what Jesus means when he says, “No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Rather than elevating money to such an important place in our lives and being choked with worry, Jesus has a different idea.  He says, “Seek first my kingdom anomy righteousness, then all things will be added to you.”

 

 

2. SO, SOME OF US NEED NEW PRIORTIES, AND WE ALSLO NEED A NEW PERSPECTIVE.

Instead of living life, where we are whacked around by anxiety and worry, we need a champion who can help us. For some of us, we need to confess our excessive worry as sin, and receive God’s forgiveness.

 

When I choose to ask for God’s help in that way---most of the time, I begin to feel my burdens lifting.  

·      Would you please take out the tricolored insert, and look at the line in blue, on the right side of the center page:   Repeat after me, “Rest in my love.”  (REST IN MY LOVE.)   That comes from Jesus words, when he said, “Come unto me, all you who travail and heavy laden burdens, and I will lift your burdens, and give you rest.”   (Mt. 11:28) When I come to God in this way, I feel released from oppressive worry, because I have humbled myself before God, and articulated before Him and me, the true priorities of my life.

·      God’s word is so encouraging in helping to change our perspective from exhausting anxiety, to resting in faith.  Let’s look at another word: This one is printed in red, and is one the right hand center page, above the red tulips.  Please repeat after me, “Trust me, and I will not fail you in anyway.”

·      As each of us grows to more fully embrace God’s perspective that 'we are important to Him,' we will also learn to trust him more, and not be so anxious.

 

 

 And that leads to our third point of winning over worry, which is to remember and to receive GOD’S PROVISION.

·      Let’s look at the top right hand corner in blue, and read together, where God says, “I am your provider.”

·       Then let’s look at the very last line in blue on the page, saying together, “I will give you good gifts.”

·      And next let’s read the read line above the center, which is in red, “Nothing that is good will be withheld from you.”

·      The there is one last piece, in black at the top left side of the page.  Let us read in unison, saying, Do not be anxious about anything.”   That particular verse goes on to give us the antidote for worry.  Listen:  “DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING, LET YOUR REQUESTS BE KNOWN TO GOD.”

 

      The key word in this section is “THANKSGIVING.”  Tell God you are thankful for what he has already given you.  If I give you a present, and you never thank me, can you expect me to give you another?  Giving thanks to God is a powerful force that acknowledges the truth that we proclaims every Sunday, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

·       When we thankfully remember the ways He has already helped us, we find greater inner confidence to believe Him.   For the last while,  I have spent some of my prayer time listing ten or more things for which I am grateful to God---without repeating the same one two days in a row.  So, I can thank God  for a nice note that I just received; thank God for a beautiful day; and thank God that my new grass is growing.  But then I will thank God how He helps me to address issues and problems at church; thank God for you all; for my family; for all little and big things. Consequently, my heart is  not filled up with worry, but with faith.  Yes, I have anxieties like everyone else, but they no longer  dominate my life.  

 

So, three steps to diminishing anxiety involve perspective, priorities, and provision.   1) Get God’s fresh perspective; 2) set Godly priorities; and 3) remember & and receive God’s provision. 

 

You see, like the man in the story at the beginning of the sermon, God hired a man to take all your worries upon himself.  He carried them to the cross and died.

THEN HE rose from the dead, lifting those burdens for all who come to Him. Through Him you have been set free; AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.  AMEN.  

"Blessed arfe the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."

Note:  This sermon was preached on Sunday, Oct. 8, the week following the sniper attack in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 1.

This past week, people kept saying,

·       How could that happen?    Why did he do it?

·       Dumfounded by another senseless massacre of innocent people; we all know that we have previously been here, and many of us worry that we’ll cOme back here again.

But many faithful people, also ask another question:  “How could God let this happen?” Silence

·       Boy, when people are grieving and shocked, there is just no answer to that question. How could a loving and all powerful God let this happen? This seems to be just another example of how our world is going down the tubes.

·       Most of us feel powerless to stop it.  We just stand back in  horror, one more time.   And where is God?

You know, evil can take many forms. But this man of flesh and blood worked so hard to put this plan of massacre together---meticulously arranging the details.

·       And his brother, in absolute shock, says that he was just a normal guy.

·       Evil can be deceptive. Jesus warned of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

This massacre makes no sense, unless you factor in the problem of evil; indeed, those who try to make sense of such horror just go around and around in circles; because , as the bible says, nonbelievers cannot understand the workings of  spiritual world, which directly impact our material world.

The Bible tells us that the devil has been at work opposing God and murdering his children, ever since the dawn of time. And on God’s part, his heart has been broken by the cries of anguish from his children.  Since God is love, he does what we do. He cries.

·         The prophet Jeremaiah  quotes God saying, “Let my eyes run with tears, day and night let them not cease, for my hapless people have suffered a grievous injury, a very painful wound." Jeremiah 14:17 (JPS)

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One author puts it this way:

1. PRE-FLOOD in the times of Noah. "The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth… and it grieved Him to His heart" (Gen. 6:5,6 NRSV). YES, GOD CRIED.

2.  EUROPE (1096-1100). During the crusades, Christian soldiers enroute to the Holy Land slaughtered Jews on the way. Some were herded into their synagogues. Cries of anguish shrilled unto heaven as the wooden structures were torched.   All this, plus the countless slaughter of Muslims; followed by the Muslims slaughtering Christians.   AND GOD CRIED

3.  EUROPE (1204-1799). Protestant blood flowed freely in Roman Catholic countries. The victims of the so-called "Holy Inquisition totaled in the millions. AND GOD CRIED.

4.  CHRISTIAN WORLD (1490-1850). Over 20 million Black Africans killed in Middle Passage on way to slave markets for purchase by white Christians.

 AND GOD CRIED.

5.  EUROPE (1941-1945). Six million Jews were hunted, hounded, driven, butchered, gassed and burned in the Holocaust. AND GOD CRIED.

6. HIROSHIMA (August 6, 1945). A single atomic bomb claimed 129,558 victims and terrified the world. AND GOD CRIED

q THE WORLD (1914- now)....an estimated 225 million were killed as a result of the insane policies of governments like Germany, Communist Russia, Cambodia, radical Isalamic terrorists, other horrors etc. AND GOD CRIES.

Then there are the personal tragedies of loved ones endured daily by hundreds of thousands—senseless death or mutilation on the highways, babies born physically deformed or mentally deficient and victims of senseless crime. Hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other disasters steal the lives of millions in their onslaughts of destruction and deprivation. Psychological tragedies of dysfunctional families, drug addiction and the multitudes of lonely, neurotic, homeless people in turn have left tens of thousands of families emotionally scarred. AND GOD CRIES.

Yes, these statistics fill the daily news, but only when they strike us or our loved ones are we overwhelmed with the pain of tragedy. Everyday these statistics have faces—millions of faces of real people shattered emotionally and mentally. The cries of sickness, sorrow, suffering and death encircle the globe. Not one of us can comprehend the enormity of the total sufferings of all humankind. Only God can and does see this humongous picture of human miseries. AND GOD CONTINUES TO CRY.

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So, we worship a God who shares our sorrows.  But crying is not his final word.  God decided to take defintitive action to defeat this evil. He sent the Mighty Warrior, Jesus Chirst, head of the Angel armies.  For God so loved the world, that He send His one and only Son, so that all who believe in Him would not perish, but have ever lasting life.”

·       Under Jesus, God is creating a force of resistence, whom he calls “peacemakers.” Please repat after me, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”

·       And God trains us not with guns and weapons , but with what the Bible calls the sword of His Word.  This training revolves around the changing of our own hearts—so  that we would be inspired to fully commit ourselves to his work.

What is his work?

·       As we heard today, instead of hating our enemies, we are to learn to love them the way that Jesus can inspire us to love.

·       Instead of nursing hatred and anger in our hearts, which is the root of violence,  we  seek Jesus to help us to forgive, the way He forgives us.

·       Instead of passively sitting by when we see conflict in our lives, we are to be reconcilers and peace makers.  Indeed, God’s Word says that we are to be Ambassators of reconciliation, so that Jesus can make his case to the world. through us.

God’s word also calls us to pray for peace. This past week, I was rather incensed to hear public figures ridiculing those of us take a moment of silence and who pray for those who were wounded and murdered.  They claim that “Prayer is simply an excuse for inaction. What we need is legislation.”  Well, I say to that that prayer is the best action.  Through prayer, we support God and his angel armies who are winning the battle against evil.

 

Because Jesus Christ, who was torutured and murdered, because He rose from the dead—the definitive battle has been won.  Jesus promises to return to defeat Satan and all his allies, sending them to hell where they belong.

·       Then, as we heard in today’s prophecy from Isaiah, Jesus, the prince of peace, will establish his kingdom of peace on earth, with good will for all people.

So, in the end, it comes back down to us.  Previously we have sung the old hymn, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”  I know that some of us think that this song is quite corny, but the lyrics tell the truth.  

And today, I have one concrete way that you can be a peacemaker. Inside you bulletin, you will see a homemade greeting card.  On the outside, it says  “I value you because…”  On the inside, it is blank so that you can write your message to the person of your choice.

·       I want to encourage you to use this card to reach out to someone for whom you care, someone with whom you may have lost contact, or someone with whom you have been estranged, or to someone  whom you need to forgive.

·       I have given out these cards previously.  One man in my last church sent this card to his estrange daughter.  This was the first step, which eventually resulted in reconciliation with her.

·       Indeed, this past week I sent a copy of this card to someone one, with whom I need reconciliation. Whether it works or not, I will seek to be a peacemaker, as Jesus leads me.

You can choose in small and large ways to be a peacemaker—you can even use your card.

Then, in our lives, the Peace of the Prince of Peace will bubble up; and Jesus will be glorified...and the world will be filled with the glory of God, as the waters cover the sea.

George Sarris as "Jesus" Sermon on the Mount

Did you miss George Sarris' one act play on "The Sermon on the Mount" on Oct. 1? You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A21VdV9xITY
Many thanksto Andrew Peck for taping it.

SERMON ON THE MT: Beatitudes, Part 1

It is my pleasure to announce the beginning of our  new sermon series on Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount,” which may be found in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 5-7. This is Jesus’ quintessential proclamation that you are important to God, and that you, with Him, can change the world.  You see, Jesus was a change agent.  As we spiritually grow in our relationship with Him, he makes us change agents to bring His Kingdom values into our homes, neighborhoods, schools, churches, places of employment, and the like.  This is Jesus ambitious vision, which he lays out for all who have ears to hear.

Today we are discussing the first part of this sermon knowns as the “beatitudes.” The beatitudes is simply a Greek term for “becoming happy.”  Following the values of Jesus can make us, and our world, much much happier.

The ‘beatitudes” are meant to compare and to contrast with the 10 commandments, which we just recited.

·      Moses, the patriarchal figure of the Old Covenant, received the 10 commandments on the mountain of God, from which he announced them to his people as the way to be blessed.

·      Jesus, the patriarchal figure of the New Covenant, sits on the mountain and teaches his people about a new way to be blessed.

·       Jesus made it clear, elsewhere in the sermon on the mount, that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law through grace. His approach is totally positive in contrast to the “Dos” and “Do nots” of the 10 commandments.

·      The 10 commandments were laws given by a distant God. Whereas the beatitudes are positive attitudes meant to be voluntarily cultivated in our hearts, given by personal God in the form of the human Jesus.

Please open your bulletin to page _____, and let us look at the Gospel.   Does anyone notice anything different about the translation?

·      Yes, it says “happy,” where other translations say “blessed.”  Here is the deal.  In the Greek and Hebrew, the word “blessed” means, please repeat after me, “TO BE SET APRT FOR HAPPINESS.” Indeed, this is the title of our upcoming Small group study, which begins next week, where we will study the beatitudes in depth.

·      , favor. So, Jesus is speaking to his disciples, both then and now.  Disciples are those who have made a commitment to follow and to learn from Jesus. Jesus is saying that we are a people of privilege…we are a people of great privilege.  We are insiders in the 2000-year-old Jesus movement, and insiders of his grace.

So, let’s look at this Gospel verse by verse:

Would somebody read verse 3 for us? HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO KNOW THEY ARE POOR IN SPIRIT.  THE KINGDOM OF GOD BELONGS TO THEM.”

In 1989, I was standing on the Mt. of beatitudes in northern Israel, at the very spot where Jesus had preached the sermon on the mt.  I had heard the words of today’s gospel 100s of times, but on this occasion, it pierced my heart—and I felt loved.

·      “Happy are those who are poor in spirit…or, happy are those who know they need God. Why? Because it is only when we admit to God and to ourselves that we really need Jesus, that we can receive him.

·      Am I spiritually poor? Yes. I sin. I lie. I envy. I dishonored my parents. I made my career and idol, and put it above God and my family. Although to the world I may have looked like a strongman of faith, but inside I knew that I had tried to operate on my own power and not Jesus’

·      You see, we who are poor in spirit are empty without Jesus forgiveness and healing. By making that admission to God and ourselves, Jesus instantly and automatically comes by our side.

Okay, moving to verse 4, let us all read this in unison, saying, ’HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED.”

·      Think of all the millions of people who mourn man’s inhumanity to man.

·      Think of those Christian in the Middle east, who mourn the martyrdom of their loved ones at the hands of Islamic terrorists.  Think of the millions of refugees who mourn the loss of their homes.

·      Speaking of mourn the loss of their homes, think of the hurricane victims who have lost everything.

·      Think of ourselves, when a loved one dies; or a marriage dies; or when our dreams die, and the like.  How can we, who mourn, be happy?

Well, Jesus’ mission is comfort the grieving.  He does that when we come together to cry when it’s time to cry; to listen when mourners tell their stories; to visit when it’s time to visit; to pray when it’s time to pray; to give hope to the hopeless; and finally, to encourage our mourners to accept the reality of now, and to accept that there is new life in Jesus. Jesus is there is to help us resurrect from mourning, to find new life for the rest of our lives, and beyond.

·      And when you comfort those who mourn, you are doing the work of Jesus.

Moving ahead to verse 5, the meek are those who are content with their lives and what they have.  They are not people who will push the other guy aside, or stab him in the back, just to get ahead. They are not the folks who are so anxious about money, that they obsess about it and make it an idol.  Meekness does not mean you are weak.  Meekness means that you take a courageous stand against the rat race of the world, because you have found contented and peaceful way to live, inspired by your faith.

Looking at verse 6, let us read that together. ‘HAPPY ARE THOSE WHOHUNGER AAND THRIST FOR JUSTICE.  GOD WILL SATISFY THEM FULLY.’

 We look at the world, and see people starving because their crazy /evil dictator is spending all the nation’s money on build bombs.

We look at the corruption and selfishness in business and in government, realizing that others are receiving illegal preferential treatment at our expense.

When we seriously consider the millions of children who are hungry, both at home and abroad, many of us wonder if God will do anything.  And God’s word says, “Let justice roll down like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

What that means is that one day, the Lord will bring justice to the needy, and retribution to their oppressors.

Meanwhile, as we act with fairness towards all people, Jesus promises us that He will treat us fairly.

We must stop here for now; we will finish up on the beatitudes next Sunday.

But I want to direct your attention to this door picture, which has the 8 beatitudes printed on this.    To sum up what we have heard today, one might say, “Blessed are you when you are poor in spirit, when you mourn, when you are meek, and when you act and work for justice, because yours is the Kingdom of heaven.

·      So, this door, represents heaven.  The keys to open it here on earth are spiritual poverty, mourning, meekness, and doing justice, and the like.  This is how we will live together in heaven once we go to our reward.  Jesus is encouraging us start practicing now—so that we can find our heaven on earth.

Testimony by Cathy Lee

                                             

                        TESTIMONY by Cathy Lee, Small Group Leader

       Christ Church has so much to offer, not just to the children of our parish with Sunday school and our youth group. There is also a great opportunity here that shouldn’t be missed with our bible study groups for adults in order to strengthen one’s self in Christ and their family, weather young or old, married or single, and all newcomers are welcome as well.

                I attended my 1^st bible study group over 3 years ago, and have learned so much with each session, that I now look forward to each new study program.

                The inspiration and knowledge I have gained through the study materials, daily prayer, and learning with other fellow Christians have all helped to stretch my faith and keep me seeking the Lord.

                Each class has provided something valuable to me to walk away with and utilize, like communion now having a deeper meaning for me, the importance behind Jesus choosing the cross and the nails, my prayer time now feels more connected, and the unexplainable peace I feel through any circumstances.

                I treasure the friendships that have been made in our group and how we share our accomplishments in Christ as well as our obstacles, and there’s nothing like having other fellow Christians helping each other with the support of prayers, ideas, and a deeper understanding of the Gospel. We have even shared in the joy of obstacles that have been turned into beautiful victories.

                I encourage everyone seeking to learn more about Jesus and looking to experience the miracle working power of his word, or looking to have a deeper relationship, or understanding of the Lord in your life, to join one of these small groups.

                This year’s material is titled “Set Apart”, which is a study on the Beatitudes of Jesus. This covers such a powerful message of Blessings that Jesus is willing to produce in us through the work of the Holy Spirit, and is available to each of us, as we yield our hearts to him.

                The presentations in this study are inspiring, as they relate to everyday people living everyday lives just like us.

                We welcome you to open your heart and come share in some great fellowship and learn what Jesus holds in store for all of us, as we unlock his promises for us to use in our lives, with an in depth understanding for those that are meek and who they are, those that feel empty, ones that need comfort, the merciful, those pure in heart, and one’s searching for peace.

                This is just a highlight of some of the material we will be covering in this coming session, and I’m sure we can all relate to one or more of these in our lives.

                Coming to church shouldn’t just be an obligation we think we have to God. It should be for fellowship with other believers in Christ, to worship God, and to learn to live the life Jesus died for us to have and enjoy. I am reminded of the passage in 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.” In essence: By remaining attached to Christ’s body we become one by worshipping, loving, caring, & sharing together.

                This promises to be an encouraging study to experience real happiness and comfort, and to feel the abundance of God’s grace that is available to each of us, as well as, the promises of his power working in us to accomplish what we alone cannot. With a positive and heart changing study, the positive effects can radiate out into our circumstances, relationships, and into the world, allowing others to see the Jesus in us.

                There’s the added bonus of the deeper friendships you will gain with those you see on Sundays, and with a variety of groups running at different times, there are options to fit any schedule.

                I hope you will take the time to attend one of these groups for a most fulfilling experience as a member of this beautiful family at Christ Church.

                If you haven’t already signed up, there should be a card in your pamphlet today, so please join us by completing the card to attend, because we look forward to sharing this valuable life living & heart changing study with all of you.

Thank you

CHARLIE

Hello.  My name is Charlie.  I have lived in the Naugatuck Valley all my life. Growing up, we lived in Seymour. I went to Western Connecticut State University, where I met my future wife, Mary. After my son was born in 2010, we bought a fixer upper and moved to Oxford. For the past 15 years, I have been selling pharmaceuticals. I have made a good living and provided for my family.  In 2013, I was named my company’s national salesman of the year.  I work hard, and I am proud of what I can give to my family.

Now I am not what you would call a religious guy.  I didn’t like church growing up, and I don’t care much for it now.  OH, my wife, she goes to mass every week, and makes sure the kids go to their CCD classes. I go with her every now and then.  To be honest, I find it kind of dull. It is just the same old, same old over and over and over again—blah, blah, blah, week in and week out. I’m not really friends with anybody their…except some hypocrites, who are trying to look better than they really are.  The priest may not know these folk, but I went to school with them and I will tell you what…they are no angels.  I hate when I meet these folks at church because I must put on a fake smile and act like I like them. Then, like a herd of cattle we go up to receive communion. I suppose it’s a good thing, but it doesn’t do anything for me.

Besides, I am not a church person.  I don’t claim to be a church person.  I cuss. I lie. I cheat on my income tax. I cheat at poker. There are all sorts of associates at work, who have stabbed me in the back, and I don’t forgive them.  I don’t claim to be a saint. I have been faithful to Mary, but I flirt too much with the girls in the office. And to be honest, I envy some of the fat cats at the office, who work too little and earn too much. Now, I work hard, and I am proud of what I can give to my family.  I wish I had more.  I wish we could have a bigger house, like one of those McMansions.

No, I don’t fit in with religious people. Ah, I believe in God.  But I like to have fun. I don’t want to walk around with a prune face. Always going to confession to ask for forgiveness. That’s not for me.

Well, about a year ago, Fed invited me to attend a discussion at his house one, and then to go out for a beer.  I thought it was a good excuse to get out of the house. When I told Mary where I was going, she laughed, saying that I had better put in my sunglasses so that no one would know me.  I arrived at Fred’s house, and I felt a little embarrassed as I walked in the door. But then I recognized one of the guys. The rest looked like regular folks.

After introducing everyone, Freed played a DVD of this crazy pastor, who wears a Hawaiian shirt. He didn’t preach like others pastors; he just spoke to us, like we were his equals. He said that most people really don’t know their purpose in life.  After the DVD, we spoke about his ideas for a while. No one was pressured to talk, and so I just listened.

During the next week, I got to thinking about it. I work hard and I am proud of what I can give to my family.  But to be honest, I feel like I am in a rut. I work hard. I avoid the people I don’t like, and gossip with the people I do like. I come home, talk to my family, go to bed, and then I start all over again the next day.

 

Well, I went back to the group the next week, and saw another tape. Then, I began to realize that there’s more to God than just church. Some of the folks in the room spoke about God as if was their friend. Then I got to thinking—working hard is good. Giving to my family is good. But I wondered if I might be missing out on something?

 

The following week, one of the women in the group told us how her career had been flushed down the toilet, and how devastated she was when that happened.  She spoke about learning to pray, not like a priest, but all by herself, as if God was in the room with her.

 

Perhaps the thing that stands out in my mind the most is the fella who told us about a severe illness in his family. Now we keep everything confidential in in our group, so I am not going to tell you about this fella.  But I will tell you about the group.

·       Everyone is the group listened to him. Everyone was concerned. Someone even shed a tear.

·       Several questions were asked, so that fella spoke some more. One guy had had a similar experience, so he shared that. He talked about how hard it was, but how he got through it with help from his church friends,

·       One guy then said that he wanted us to pledge to do everything possible to help this fella over the next several months.  Everyone agreed.

·       The one older woman had us pray for the fella and his family.  She said all the words, and I just listened; but others joined in, adding to her prayer.

·       By the time, we were done praying, the fella was smiling. He said he felt better. He said that he had never had friends like us before.

Well several weeks have passed, and I have attended the group each week. I’ve even gone with Fred to his church a couple times. Boy, this church is not boring like mine. This church has great music and friendly people, who smile and laugh. But their priest—this Father John—he gives such great sermons. 

 

I have never seen a church like this. My kids are going to come with me next week.

 

Now, I am still not what I would consider a religious guy, or anything. But I am so grateful that Fred invited me to come to his group. I am learning that God is much bigger and more loving than I ever imagined.  I am learning that I am important to God. This is like the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life.

 

So, the reason I am telling you this is because you probably know a Charlie like guy: someone who might come to your small group, if only you invited him or her. All Fred did was to ask me to come one time.  And guess what? If I had said “No,” then it would have been NO BIG DEAL. But now I understand that Fred is not just my poker buddy, but her is a true friend.  I bet you know someone who could use a good friend or two.

 

If you have not signed up for a small group, give it a try…you might like it.

 

And if you have signed up—what is to stop you from inviting a Charlene or Charlie to go with you?

(NO AMEN)