1^st Sunday in February

Romans 1:16, 17; 8:1-39 and Luke 4:1-15

This year where I live we have had an endless season of clouds and rain. It seems like there has been constant darkness, drizzle, and dampness. What little Christmas spirit lingered has now been officially drowned. Maybe it’s a different month for you. It reminds me of the rainy seasons in the southern hemisphere. Here, February has more suicides than any other time of year. Some authorities say it is not just emotional, but physiological, and encourage people to seek out artificial tanning salons for extra vitamin D. It doesn’t really work. So other artificial stimuli tempt us ... alcohol, drugs, coffee, pastries, X-Treme entertainment, comfort purchases on credit. The more artificial the search for hope, the more addicted we become to hopelessness. Is there a real hope? Is there a hope that will not ultimately enslave us, but free us? Desperate housewives and other inquiring minds really, really want to know.

Tom Bandy

Team Meditation: Resisting Secret Selfishness (Luke 4:1-15)

Recently I received a telephone cry for help. On New Year’s Eve, a new Christian had gone out with her unchurched friends to celebrate and she’d had a drink. One. It was the same amount of drinks she’d had the year before, when she hadn’t been a Christian. She didn’t see a problem with her behavior. She didn’t get drunk, she didn’t act inappropriately, she didn’t go home with some strange guy—or any guy, for that matter.

So, what was the problem? I asked. The problem was she’d mentioned her evening to her small group at church and they’d gone ballistic. They’d told her that being in that situation was dangerous, that there were temptations there, and that she shouldn’t have gone. Never mind that no one in her small group had bothered to ask her over to celebrate New Year’s Eve differently.

There’s some sort of fantasy in the church that temptation is somehow more potent in the world than it is in the protection of the church. It was dangerous with her friends? Should she abandon them so she can cloister herself with her church buddies (and lose any hope of evangelizing them)? Was it really safer in the company of church members? Where can anyone go to find sanctuary for temptation? Let’s fact it, there’s plenty of temptation within the sanctity of the church: gossip, pride, selfishness, even adultery runs rampant in the church.

If Jesus couldn’t escape temptation, how will we? How will you?

Bill T-B

Worship Theme: Total Commitment (Romans 1:16–17; 8:1–39)

Dr. Phil has made a fortune on the phrase, “So, how’s that working for you?” I’m tempted to say, “I wish I’d thought of it first,” but the truth is, I’ve that phrase has been bandied about for decades, maybe even for a couple of millennia. In fact, Paul sort of implies the question in the scriptures this week. It hinges on the question of who’s in control.

According to Paul’s spiritual physiology, our spirit is controlled by one of two forces: God or Not-God; the Spirit or the Flesh; the Holy Spirit or the Sinful Nature. The bad news is that there are no other choices—it’s kind of like being a light switch, we’re either off or we’re on. The good news is even though there are only two choices, we get to make the choice.

Life in the Spirit works. In the best of times our hope is assured and we know God as our daddy. In the worst of times our hope is assured because we’re never left alone, we’re strengthened in our weakness, and when there’s nothing left for us to give, the Spirit takes up the slack and goes intercedes before God on our behalf.

But we have to ask and answer the question, “Who’s in control?” If you’re still in the driver’s seat, take a good, hard, and honest look at your life. Are you fulfilled? Is there ultimate hope and purpose in your life? Are you confident that no matter what may be happening in your life—or what may happen in your life—that it works for the ultimate good? 

How’s that working for you?

Bill T-B

Worship Design: Total Commitment (Romans 1:16–17; 8:1–39)

The third of the Twelve Steps is about control: “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.” Giving up our will and the control of our lives is both difficult and frightening. Who’s going to drive?

Total commitment means giving up control. It means surrender. It means letting go of the steering wheel of our lives and trusting God to do the driving. To introduce and explore this theme, use two different movies: Rain Man (1988) and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005).

Begin the service by running a clip from Herbie. Use the scene when Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan) takes Herbie out for a drive and the car totally takes over by entering her into a race with Trip Murphy (Matt Dillon). Make sure to get the clip where Maggie is fighting the steering wheel for control.

Use the scene to open up how difficult it is to relinquish control.

Continue this theme by using a clip from Rain Man. Use the clip where Raymond Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman) assures his brother Charles (Tom Cruise) that he’s an “excellent driver.” The scene exemplifies our own ineptitude, even though we may be confident of our abilities, to navigate this life without the Spirit firmly in the driver’s seat.

Bill T-B

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2^nd Sunday in February (Luke 15:11-32 and Luke 19:1-10)

The seeker cycle intentionally exchanges the scriptures scheduled for the 2^nd Sunday in February with those of the 3^rd Sunday in February in order to address the “pagan” holiday of Valentine’s Day. Remember that the calendar year is flexible. Some holidays will fall closer or further from a specific Sunday. The list of holidays and public observances in the right column of the schedule does not assign the weeks, but simply identifies some of the key events seeker sensitive worship planners my address in the month. Unlike other lectionaries, the Uncommon Lectionary encourages leaders to plan ahead and adjust their Biblical focus to the calendar year ... rather than assume the calendar year should adjust to their Bible study routine. This is an example of that freedom.

Tom Bandy

Team Meditation (Luke 19:1-10)

Valentine’s Day is just two days after your Sunday worship this year. That means worship is caught up in the anticipation of the pagan holiday. If it fell later in the week, worship would be focused on reflection about the consequences of the holiday. As a general rule, the attention span of the public is so short, and the corporate marketing strategies today are so rapid and aggressive, that you cannot assume the message of worship will be remembered by the end of the week. This is why the schedule this year has switched the scriptures between the 2^nd and 3^rd Sundays of the month.

Seekers will come to worship caught up in the hype about Valentine’s Day. They will be obsessing about romantic love, intimate relationships, and pervading pagan assumption that “happy endings” are tied to “romantic liaisons.” The pagan god “Eros” is ascendant. Yet as with all the pagan gods, the public today is profoundly ambivalent about them. Their cynicism is deep. About half the general public anywhere in North America is single, but I think it is a justifiable projection to assume that the vast majority (single or not) are still coping with brokenness from the past. Many are very lonely, fearful of being lonely, or soon to have their hearts broken again and become lonely. If happy endings are tied to loving relationships, these people profoundly doubt that they are loveable in the first place.

They are Zacchaeus, but their experience of being “lost” is a special variety. It is the end result of chronic loneliness. They are lost because they believe themselves unlovable. Jesus’ salvation is also a special kind. It is the readiness to accept the unlovable, and even do honor to the unloved by being a guest in their house and heart. Many seekers do not invite Christ in because they have a history of rejection that has already defeated them. Jesus asks himself in. He comes uninvited. Your worship message must be tied to an especially designed hospitality strategy ... one that is designed to proactively accept the unacceptable, and which raises the self-esteem and confidence of the visitor.

Tom Bandy

Worship Theme (Luke 15:11-32)

Worship Design

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3^rd  Sunday in February 6

(Deuteronomy 5:1-21, 6:1-9 and Luke 12:35-13:5)

[As noted last week, this year the scriptures for the 2^nd and 3^rd weeks in February have been exchanged with each other to be more adaptable to the pagan calendar.]

There are rules ... there are consequences ... and there are judges. It’s a pretty basic concept to civilization. It’s also a basic concept to the realm of God. It sounds like it should be simple, straightforward, and clear. It’s not. Life is complicated, temptation is subtle, judgments are hard to make, and justice is difficult to apply. This is a time of year when feel most oppressed by limitations, and most tempted to break all the rules. It is easy to take refuge in glib excuses: “Life is complicated.” “Hey, shit happens!” “Rules are made to be broken.” “If it feels good, how can it be wrong?”

We need clarity about what right and wrong. And when things get so ambiguous and uncertain that it is difficult to tell, we need a principle with which we can at least live our lives with integrity. But what if even that fails to help us live a good life? What if no matter what we do, we still fall short? We have to throw ourselves on the mercy of God.

Tom Bandy

Team Meditation: Leadership Humility

(Luke 12:35-13:5)

 From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace. (Jer 6:13-14 NIV)

“That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows....Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:47-48, 51 NIV)

Let’s be honest. There are some things we wish Jesus had never said. They make us uncomfortable and feel, well, icky inside. Jesus is supposed to be the nice one of the Trinity, but here he’s talking about getting beaten with many blows and bringing division to the earth. We really, really don’t want to hear those things.

On the other hand, we do wish he’d given us a litany of exactly what we need to give up and not do so that we can be assured of a good life both here and there. A Ten Commandments kind of list. Because, what does God really want from us? How are we supposed to know what all goes with “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbors”? Just give us a list, then we’ll know the Master’s will.

If only it were so easy. The problem is, we do know what’s required of us...but we know full well that’s beyond us. We’ll never reach those heights. Oh, who will rescue us from this untenable quagmire? Who indeed?

Bill T-B

Worship Theme: Grace Beyond Rules

(Deuteronomy 5:1-21, 6:1-9)

There are ten of them. Just ten. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” asked the rich, young ruler. And Jesus quotes six out of ten, tells him to give everything he owns to the poor, and to become a disciple who follows Jesus (Mark 10:19-21). Six rules and poverty. Steep costs, but there you have it. Black-and-white, easy stuff.

Well, maybe not so easy. Isn’t there another plan? A list of other rules to follow? Maybe something like “Be a nice person. That’ll be enough.”

“Hear O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one” (Deu 6:4).

Shema Yisrael Adonai eloheinu Adonai echad.

“Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deu 6:5).

That’s the rule. That’s the only rule. It’s more than golden. More than platinum. It’s the rule. It’s not ten out of ten. It’s not six out ten. It’s not even the two Great Commandments. It’s the one commandment. The shema, the “Hear O Israel,” the law of the land, of the seas, and of the heavens. It’s the most expensive law there is because it cost God everything.

Bill T-B

Worship Design (Deuteronomy 5:1-21, 6:1-9)

It’s that time of year. We’re starting to think about filling out our 1040s for the IRS, it’s cold and still too dark too early, and frankly a lot of us have cabin fever and we’re tired of being Mr. or Ms. Niceness. It’s time to break some rules.

But our question is, which ones can we break and get away with?

What if we never get caught? What if...?

This week’s service looks at all those laws, the Ten Commandments, the 365 “thou shalt nots” the Rabbis imposed on the Sabbath day (so everyone would know what was breaking the Law and what was not), and even the two Great Commandments. How much “being good” is enough?

Launch into the deep by running a scene from Family Man (2000). The premise of the movie is Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage), a successful investment broker, is taken back in time in what can only be described as a parallel universe where instead of being rich and successful, he’s married and sells tires for a living. Except Jack doesn’t know what’s happened and is stuck trying to figure things out: “And you may ask yourself, how do I work this? And you may ask yourself where is that large automobile? And you may tell yourself This is not my beautiful house! And you may tell yourself This is not my beautiful wife!” (Talking Heads Same as it ever was).

Use the clip when Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) is at the bowling ally with his friends and Evelyn Thompson (Lisa Thornhill) makes a suggestive pass at Jack—who’s always “been” faithful and true, but as “new Jack” entertains the idea, much to the horror of his bowling buddies. The clip is PG and Jack doesn’t succumb, but it sets up this week’s theme of wondering about what we can get away with, rules, etc.

And just for fun, here’s some actual excuses for breaking the rules from claimant’s statements made to the insurance industry.

Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don't have.

The other car collided with mine without giving me warning of its intention.

I thought my window was down, but I found it was up when I put my head through it.

I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way.

A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.

The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve several times before I hit him.

I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother in law and headed over the embankment.

In an attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole.

I had been shopping for a plant all day and was on my way home. As I reached an inter-section a hedge sprang up, obscuring my vision and I did not see the other car. 

I had been driving for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident.

I was on the way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident and damage my big end.

As I approached the intersection a sign appeared in a place where no stop sign had ever appeared before. I was unable to stop in time to avoid the accident.

To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front I stuck a pedestrian.

My car was legally parked as it backed into another vehicle.

An invisible car came out of nowhere, stuck my car and vanished.

I told the police that I was not injured, but on removing my hat I found that I had a fractured skull.

I was sure the old fellow would never make it to the other side of the road when I struck him.

The pedestrian had no idea which direction to run. So I ran over him.

I saw a slow moving, sad faced old gentleman as he bounced off the roof of my car.

The indirect cause of the accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.

I was thrown from my car as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by some stray cows.

The telephone pole was approaching. I was attempting to swerve out the way when I struck the front end.

The accident was caused by me waving to the man I hit last week.

I knocked over a man, he admitted it was his fault as he'd been knocked over before.

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4^th Sunday in February

(Hosea 4 and 14, Luke 7:36-50)

The hard core of winter is difficult to endure.  The ground hog has seen its shadow (or not)—and we don’t know what the oracle means. Valentines Day has come and gone—and we still feel lonesome. The Super Bowl is long over, and your team didn’t win—and in another week you won’t remember who played. All these events have taken place and the adrenalin rush hasn’t lasted. There is a sense in which we have been chasing fantasies, but as each one disappoints we rush after another.

In Biblical language, we are caught up in a “spirit of harlotry.” We are rushing after one beautiful, appealing, sexy fantasy after another. Fantasy may well spill over into reality. The latest figures from the National Center for Health Statistics in the USA reveal that in the recent year 1.5 million children were born our of wedlock. After a decade blitz of information, and several years of decline, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases are again on the rise among young people. And one in four workers read blogs so obsessively that 9 percent of the workweek is wasted. That adds up to 551,000 years of wasted time in 2005 alone.

It is a “spirit of harlotry.” We chase after yet another woman or man, yet another orgasm of activity, yet another opinion about life, heedless of the consequences. What are we looking for is something. Let us introduce you to Christ. By the time you meet him, you may not feel very worthy of him. You may feel dirty, worn down, or even ashamed of yourself. No matter. Christ has a big, big heart.

Tom Bandy

Team Meditation: Everyone Has a Ministry (Luke 7:36-50)

Let me tell you about Crazy Joan. True story, name’s been changed, but the rest is intact. Joan has been a part of the Christian Church since 1964. During that whole time she has suffered from schizophrenia and back in the seventies she had a couple of episodes at church. Harmless episodes, but she never recovered her reputation even though she’s been on meds ever since and hasn’t had a repeat performance. Every time a new pastor would take the helm, someone would warn them about Crazy Joan.

The women’s group tolerated her. The Sunday school class ignored her. And she never had a “job” at the church. Not bringing cookies (she might use salt instead of sugar); not making coffee (what would people think if they found out she made it?); not make phone calls (is that really who we want representing the church?); not anything. Still, she continued to come.

In 2004, forty years later, Crazy Joan was invited to attend a new Bible study group being headed up by some of the new people who didn’t know Crazy Joan was “crazy.” She started to attend and soon the leader discovered that Joan was a believer in prayer. We’re not talking give a prayer list and she’ll remember to mention the list sometime during the day. We’re talking praying all night for people who need healing. Literally—all night. And God’s been answering those prayers. The infant that had a deformed heart suddenly didn’t need surgery. The woman in hospice for untreatable cancer was discharged because she’s recovered. The eleven-year-old with spinal cancer whose Make-a-Wish trip was expedited because she wasn’t going to make it is suddenly pain free and no one knows why.

Forty years and no one thought to ask Crazy Joan to pray. No one thought she would have anything to add to Kingdom.

Except Jesus.

Bill T-B

Worship Theme: Ultimate Acceptance  (Hosea 4 and 14)

And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not increase, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves prostitution, to old wine and new, which take away the understanding of my people. They consult a wooden idol and are answered by a stick of wood. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. (Hosea 4:9–12 NIV) 

Imagine the pastor gets up and launches into a hellfire and brimstone sermon that rails against the church for its worship of foreign gods. Imagine wagging fingers and pointed barbs about the way the church has committed adultery against God Most High by bowing down to idols. Imagine the Church Board forming a pastoral search committee the next evening because their beloved leader has obviously fallen off the high dive into the deep end in February when the pool was empty. Imagine.

That’s nearly the scenario when Hosea got up and slammed Israel’s priests and people. Let’s face it, Israel was by in large monotheistic. What got into him?

What’s the idol du jour in your congregation?

     Obesity? 64.5 percent of US adults are overweight.[1]

     Alcohol/Drugs? 7.3 percent are addicted, many more than that use and or abuse socially.[2]

     Consumerism? The average USAmerican household is $84,454 in debt.[3]

     Workaholic? Over 40 percent of the US workforce puts in more than fifty hours per week.[4]

     Tobacco? Over 20 percent of the US are cigarette smokers.[5]

Let’s be honest, God isn’t really first in very many of our lives—even those of us in the church, since we know the Christians reflect the national norm for virtually every statistic, including misdemeanors and felony convictions.[6]

Funny thing is, God loves us anyway. Just like Hosea’s message to Israel, God keeps calling us back. But going back means returning to God without our foreign gods—without our wooden idols (or ice cream, Bacardi, MasterCard, pay stub, etc.).

Bill T-B

Worship Design: Ultimate Acceptance  (Hosea 4 and 14)

Idolatry isn’t one of those sins we hear about much in our culture. I mean, we really bows down to a “foreign gods”? Happy  Buddhas with round tummies at the import market (and on our mantles) don’t really mean anything. We don’t worship them.

But keep your prying eyes off my bank statement, my scales, my liquor cabinet...well, you get the picture.

To launch into this week’s message, start with the interview scene from the movie SuperSize Me (2004).Use the clip at the front of the movie when Morgan Spurlock asks the folks on the street about their McDonalds patronage (there are some rather interesting conversations). Use the clip to launch into subtle idolatry (but let’s not imply eating at Micky-D’s is idolatrous...at least not for some of us). This is likely to be a touchy subject, since it’s dealing with the “S” word and it’s okay to talk about someone else’s sin (I’ve heard more sermons on anti-homosexuality to 100 percent straight congregations than I’ve ever heard on compulsive eating, television watching, computer games like Mine Sweeper, FreeCell, or Spider Solitaire, smoking, workaholism, consumer debt combined).

The bad news is it’s difficult to give up our household idols—our spouses are even likely to hold on to them for us (Genesis 31). The good news is with God, all things are possible. We can give up our idolatry. Indeed, we have to.

Bill T-B 

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