Category: January 2016

“No Traffic Jam in the Second Mile”

Galatians 5:22-23 Matthew 25:31-46

 

I like Paul. In his letters he makes it really clear. He told the Galatians the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In a different way…in today’s Scripture from Matthew…Jesus tells us the same thing. That is this…interacting with others as people did and continue to do…traveling that first mile with the crowd …is just not sufficient. We’ve got to travel the second mile. And in that second mile there is no traffic jam. With just a little change…just like the disciples…we can make a great difference…in our lives and in the lives of those we touch. It’s traveling in that second mile…where there is no traffic jam that has made a world of difference…that has built the Christian church and Jackson Grove United Methodist Church. As we approach our future planning retreat this morning I want us to ask ourselves if in any way we are stuck in the slow…heavy traffic in that first mile that we and many others have long traveled…and what will it look like if we’re traveling in that second mile where so few others are traveling…a mile that makes all the difference…a mile for which God has given us all the time…talent and resources we might need. Two weeks ago I told you about a book entitled “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.” Its author is Reverend Robert Schnase…currently bishop of the Missouri conference of the United Methodist Church. He has a track record of helping strengthen local churches throughout his years of ministry. He calls those five practices…”radical hospitality”… “passionate worship”…”intentional faith development”…”risk-taking mission and service”…and…”extravagant generosity”. This morning…I’ll offer descriptions of three of those practices …and invite you to ask whether his descriptions apply to us today…or describe what we want to become. And as you do the asking…also note the time…talent and treasure…it will take to achieve these practices. You’ll probably find that going that second mile will not be so difficult…and it will produce the strength we seek for our church family to transform the world by making disciples for Christ. First a brief review of the two practices we covered earlier. The first was “radical hospitality.” The greatest contribution we can make to the Body of Christ is inviting someone else or helping a newcomer feel genuinely welcome so that she or he receives the love that we have received. It is an opening of ourselves and our faith community to receive others. A church grows one person at a time…and it’s radical hospitality that brings that person to the church. With less than half of Americans attending a church there’s no traffic jam in the second mile of inviting and truly making welcome. The second practice is “passionate worship.” Without passion worship becomes dry…routine…boring and predictable…keeping the form while lacking the spirit. Passionate worship means an extraordinary eagerness to offer the best in worship…honoring God with excellence and with an unusual clarity about the purpose of connecting people to God. In churches marked by passionate worship…people don’t merely show up and sit passively in their pews; they are actively engaged…genuinely connected…personally addressed…and deeply challenged. The message touches them. The music moves them. The service changes them. Are we just comfortably and safely parked in the pews or going the second mile with “passionate worship?” Today we’ll spend some time with three more practices described by Bishop Schnase… intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity. As we do…please ask whether these are practices we now have or would like to have in our church family. Those who heard Jesus talk of sheep and goats that day…and today…will mature in their faith by learning together in community. Churches that practice intentional faith development offer high quality learning experiences that help people understand scripture, faith and life in the supportive nurture of caring relationships. Those churches help people probe God’s will for their lives and for the world. Learning in community is the way Christ taught his disciples. He taught us to learn our faith this way. We learn in community…also…because others keep us faithful to the task of growth in Christ. Intentional is a critical word here. It means a deliberate effort…purposeful action toward an end…a high prioritization. It points out the significance of faith development and creates a contrast with those congregations that take it seriously and those that offer it haphazardly and inconsistently…without new initiatives…plan or purpose. Intentional faith development describes the practice of churches that view the ministries of Christian education and formation…small group work…and meaningful Bible study as absolutely critical to their mission. They constantly offer opportunities for people of all ages…interests and faith experiences to learn in community. They regularly offer opportunities for new possibilities for people to engage Christ by engaging one another. Congregations that practice intentional faith development also start new groups particularly adapted to the needs of new members…visitors… and people not yet attending the church. These churches rely not only on their pastors to lead teaching and formation ministries. They also invite…support and train lay people to lead small groups…teach Bible study and coordinate small groups. These congregations display a willingness and eagerness to make their facilities available to reasonable requests of support organizations whose purposes are consistent with the church’s mission. In this second mile…there is no traffic jam. On that day with his disciples on Mount Olivet…Christ spoke to the fourth practice…risk-taking mission and service. Outreach or mission initiatives can change the lives of those who receive help and often change the lives of the volunteers giving the help. Those missions are expected…a basic part of the church. Risk-taking mission and service includes the projects…efforts and work people do to make a positive difference in the lives of others for the purpose of Christ…whether or not those people will ever be a part of the community of faith. Risk-taking congregations often focus on projects within their own community…such as after-school programs for at-risk children…food banks and soup kitchens…and ministries of witness aimed at helping to shape public policy. Others get involved in ministries to senior adults in retirement centers…regular services for those in jail…and efforts to challenge and change unjust or inhumane systems that affect the poor. Failure to practice risk-taking mission and service often results in the deterioration of the church’s vitality and ability to make disciples. When churches turn inward…using all resources for their own survival and caring only for their own people…then spiritual vitality wanes. The real qualifier is risk-taking. That takes us into greater uncertainty…a higher possibility of discomfort…resistance or sacrifice. Risk-taking mission and service takes people into ministries that push them out of their comfort zone…stretching them beyond the circle of relationships and practices that routinely define their faith commitments. God uses such ministries to expose church members to people…situations…and needs that they would never ordinarily encounter and that reveal to them spiritual qualities and practical talents that…apart from their deliberate intention of serving Christ…they would never discover. In risk-taking mission and service there is no traffic jam in the second mile. John Wesley and the early Methodists practiced generosity as a necessary and indispensable aspect of discipleship, essential for the maturing of the soul and for the work of the church. Wesley taught Methodists to “Gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.” The practice of generosity describes the Christians unselfish willingness to give in order to make a positive difference for the purposes of Christ. So, what’s this extravagant generosity? The words describe practices of sharing and giving that exceed all expectations and extend to unexpected measures. It describes lavish sharing, sacrifice, and giving in service to God and neighbor. Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations thrive because of the extraordinary sharing…willing sacrifice…and joyous giving of their members out of love for God and neighbor. Such churches teach and practice giving that focuses on the abundance of God’s grace and that emphasizes the Christian’s need to give rather than on the church’s need for money. In the spirit and manner of Christ, congregations that practice extravagant generosity explicitly talk about the place of money in the Christian’s walk of faith. They view giving as a gift from God and are driven to be generous by a high sense of mission and a keen desire to please God by making a positive difference in the world. The practice of tithing blesses and benefits the giver as much as it strengthens the mission and ministry of the church. Despite saying we believe this Americans live in an extraordinarily materialist and consumerist society. We are immersed in a culture that feeds acquisitiveness, the appetite for more and bigger, and that fosters the myth that self-worth is found in material wealth and that happiness is found in possessing. With only about five percent of professing Christians actually tithing…and only two percent of personal income in America going to all charities including houses of worship…there is no traffic jam in this second mile. Hospitality that isn’t radical. Worship that isn’t passionate. Faith development that is not intentional. Mission and service done without risk. Generosity that is not extravagant. They’re common…a basic part of churches that are stagnant…churches in that crowded first mile. Radical hospitality. Passionate worship. Intentional faith development. Risk-taking mission and service. Extravagant generosity. They are routine practices of fruitful congregations… congregations with all members going the second mile. God changes lives through congregations… and this places on pastors…church leaders…and all church members…the awesome and joyful responsibility of cultivating strength…health…clarity of purpose and faithfulness in practice in congregational and individual life so that the mission of Christ thrives. Congregations are called to change the world…not just keep their doors open. God works through congregations and the members of the church family to transform lives. From the 1967 Indianapolis 500 there’s an important additional note especially for those of us who want to say, “Why get exercised? Jackson Grove United Methodist Church has been here since 1831. It will always be here.” I was at that race…in the infield…near the third turn. That was the year that Parnelli Jones had what was considered a revolutionary turbine car. It was believed to be unbeatable. Sure enough….Jones was leading going into the third of four turns in the next to last lap…in fact he had a good lead. I was among those who heard something snap in the car as he came into the turn. I was listening on the radio while watching the race. The announcers heard the snap…it turned out to be a $6 part on a race car costing close to a quarter million dollars. The radio announcers said the crew chief and pit crew were so in awe of Jones and his car that they thought he could coast to a win. He had done so well to that point in the race. He coasted…but he crossed the finish line in sixth place. As we leave this sanctuary and walk down the hill to our social hall…consider this reminder. For each of us here…and for so many others…the race has not been fully run. None of us here has seen the checkered flag or been the first to go through the tape at the finish line…and coasting to the finish does not get the job done. Let us not coast thinking we’ve done a great job and now it’s up to someone else. Let us not put on the brakes by saying “We’ve always done it this way”…or “We’ve never done that before” immediately upon hearing a new idea. Let us not be stuck in the traffic jam in the first crowded mile with so many others. Let us…instead…with the guidance of the Spirit…open our hearts…our minds…and our mouths…and discover…to our delight… there is no traffic jam in the second mile?

“No Traffic Jam in the Second Mile.”

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 Matthew 5:38-48

How would you feel if you had been one of those disciples with Jesus? He had just told you that four of the basics of the Law you had learned all your life were not quite correct interpretations of what God had meant…that the Pharisees and teachers had taught you incorrectly. What’s next? Well…He’s about to tell you that two more interpretations of the Law were wrong…and that you should strive for perfection. Are you going to stick around…or…is it time to leave? Fortunately for us the disciples stuck around so that Jesus could share with them…what some would consider the defining characteristics of Christians. Putting it another way…Jesus was telling them that interacting with others as they had been doing…traveling the first mile with the crowd as they had always done…was not sufficient. They had to travel the second mile. While Jesus did not say it…we know from our observations of the world…from some of our own experiences…that there is no traffic jam in the second mile. With just a little change…just like the disciples…we could make a great difference…in our lives and in the lives of those we touch. It’s traveling in that second mile…where there is no traffic jam that has made a world of difference…that has built the Christian church and Jackson Grove United Methodist Church. As we approach our future planning retreat in three weeks I want us to ask ourselves if in any way we are stuck in the slow…heavy traffic in that first mile that we have always traveled…and what will it look like if we’re traveling in that second mile where so few others are traveling. Before I tell you how we’ll do that asking…let me give you a simple piece of real data that we’ve all experienced. You see…as we’ve discussed the need for this planning retreat over the past three months I have heard this from more than one person. “Jackson Grove was here long before us…since 1831…and it will be here long into the future. Why get excited and change anything?” Here’s the piece of data. A few weeks ago we celebrated All Saints Day. At that time we celebrated the lives of nine faithful members of Jackson Grove United Methodist church…members who had died in the previous two years. During those same two years no new members joined our church family. Some have suggested that the arrival of a new preacher would change things. So far, I have had second-hand inquiries on behalf of two persons looking for a church home…but none has become a member. How many more pairs of years can we do as we’ve been doing…and as a result lose nine members and add none? Here’s how we’re going to ask ourselves whether we’re stuck in the traffic jam in that crowded first mile and what it will take to get into the second mile…a mile that isn’t all that difficult to travel…a mile that makes all the difference…a mile for which God has given us all the time…talent and resources needed. Once again we will use a resource of the United Methodist Church to support us. In this self-questioning we’ll use a specific and quite successful and uniquely helpful resource. You see…the United Methodist Church wants us to succeed…to walk in the second mile. The resource is Reverend Robert Schnase. He is currently bishop of the Missouri conference of the United Methodist Church. He has a track record of helping strengthen local churches throughout his years of ministry. He has written for all to read a book entitled “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.” He calls those five practices…”radical hospitality”… “passionate worship”…”intentional faith development”…”risk-taking mission and service”…and…”extravagant generosity”. Over the next three weeks…leading to our retreat planning our future…we’ll look at these practices. As we do so I invite you to ask whether his descriptions apply to us today…or describe what we want to become. And as you do the asking…also note the time…talent and treasure…it will take to achieve these practices. You’ll probably find that walking that second mile will not be so difficult…and it will produce the strength we seek for our church family. This week we’ll look at the practices Bishop Schnase calls “radical hospitality” and “passionate worship”. Out of genuine love for Christ and for others…laity and pastors…all laity not just pastors… take the initiative to invite…welcome… include and support newcomers and help them grow in faith as they become part of the Body of Christ. This is what Bishop Schnase calls “radical hospitality.” Just as Jesus…and we…were once strangers…just like Jesus does…the church family welcomes those who are now residing outside our church family. And…as the community of faith receives and assimilates newcomers and accepts their spiritual gifts and natural talents, their life experiences and perspectives, the church changes and ministry expands. God uses newcomers to breathe new life into churches. The greatest contribution we can make to the Body of Christ is inviting someone else or helping a newcomer feel genuinely welcome so that she or he receives the love that we have received. With less than half of Americans attending a church there’s no traffic jam in the second mile of inviting. Sometimes the greatest strength of churches is also their greatest weakness. Church members love each other so much that their lives are so intertwined and their interests are so interwoven that church groups become impenetrable to new people. Closeness can close out new people who feel like outsiders looking in…and those on the inside don’t even notice. Church members feel content because their own needs are met. Hospitality is a quality of spiritual initiative…that takes many forms…more than opening the door for a meal or worship service. It is an opening of ourselves and our faith community to receive others. There’s no traffic jam in that second mile. Those practicing radical hospitality never miss an opportunity to woo people into the life of the church. They focus on how to communicate better with greater numbers of people…constantly develop lists of visitors, active and inactive members, Christmas and Easter attendees and infrequent guests in order to invite them to special services…new ministries…new service projects. They don’t give up on anyone. No traffic jam in that second mile. In churches practicing radical hospitality members look at the church as visitors would look at the church. Do all signs clearly give directions to the church and facilities inside the church? Are the signs well maintained? Are cleaning items stored in accessible, but out of sight places? Are all lights inside and outside in working order? Are all records and reports complete…easily understood…and readily available. No traffic jam in that second mile. A church grows one person at a time…and it’s radical hospitality that brings that person to the church. In the second mile that creates “passionate worship” there is no traffic jam. Through passionate worship God draws people to Christ…many for the first time…deepens understanding and relationship with Christ…and over time…transforms lives as disciples grow in the image of Christ. Worship plays an essential role in the making of disciples. Without passion worship becomes dry…routine…boring and predictable…keeping the form while lacking the spirit. Passionate worship means an extraordinary eagerness to offer the best in worship…honoring God with excellence and with an unusual clarity about the purpose of connecting people to God. Flexibility to change the way of presenting God’s Word runs through the United Methodist heritage. John Wesley stretched himself beyond his own traditional tastes and practices and, in his own words, “submitted to be more vile” when he began to preach outdoors in fields to reach those beyond the church’s touch. Wesley kept the end in mind …helping people find a way to God and helping God find a way to people…even if it required forms he himself found distasteful In churches marked by passionate worship…people don’t merely show up and sit passively in their pews; they are actively engaged…genuinely connected…personally addressed…and deeply challenged. The message touches them. The music moves them. The service changes them. Special emphasis is placed on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday services because of the greater opportunities these services offer for the church to touch the lives of visitors and infrequently attending members. In addition to Easter and Christmas spiritually passionate congregations plan one or two exceptionally high quality, widely publicized special services per year. Widely attended special services strengthen the sense of belonging and identity, reinvigorate infrequent worshipers and attract visitors. Worship soars on the God-given gifts of members of the congregation. There’s no traffic jam in the second mile when every person offers themselves and their best to serve and participate in worship? Passionate worship begins with our love for God…our desire to open ourselves to God’s grace…and our eagerness for relationship to God. Is that the kind of attitude and eagerness we bring to each worship service…and we take away from every worship service to share with others? Worship is God’s gift and task…a sacred trust that requires our utmost and our highest. There is no traffic jam in the second mile of passionate worship. “Radical hospitality” and “passionate worship” are just two of the practices Reverend Schnase calls characteristics of fruitful congregations. For each of these he gives many more examples. I encourage each of you to read his book…ponder his suggestions…and note that none of them is beyond the capability and the time…treasure and talent God has given to each one of us here today. Are we stuck in the traffic jam in the first mile…or can we discover…to our delight… there is no traffic jam in the second mile?

“Risen Light”

Isaiah 60:1-7

Matthew 2:1-12

 

As the new year starts I look at our Jackson Grove United Methodist Church family…and what has transpired over the past two years. And, I am reminded of something that occurred in my life a few years ago. I was having trouble with my knees. After a round of examinations and tests the doctor said that I should have both knees “scoped.” He said the surgery would have to be followed with a number of recuperative activities that I would control. Now, I’m not entirely afraid of surgery, but I did ask for a second opinion….took the exam and test results to another doctor in another practice and asked for her opinion. She concurred with the first doctor. So…on the Thursday before the Fourth of July I went for the surgery. Just before they wheeled me in to the surgery suite the doctor came to my side. He told me how long the surgery would take and reminded me that it would be up to me to follow through on the recuperation activities. Then…he said something that was most encouraging. He said…”This is all in God’s hands…I’m just His tool.” The surgery went well. I was amazed that I walked out of the hospital later that day…walked on my own two legs…not in a wheel chair. I was so amazed that I thought the recuperation was also done…and that was the end of it. All that was left was for the doctor to remove the bandages when I went for my follow up appointment on Monday. When the doctor removed the bandages I was shocked and frightened. Both of my legs were blue and looked badly bruised from my hips to my ankles. He said that was normal and that all of the recuperation regimen he had prescribed would end that problem. I became a believer quickly….followed the recuperation regimen…and was healed. The knees work fine to this day. You’ll understand why this incident reminds me of where we are today in just a few minutes….but do keep this true story in mind. As I was reading today’s passage from Matthew I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite short stories…one I first read in high school. You may have read it…also…O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi.” Della had a habit of saying little silent prayers about the simplest everyday things. Now she whispered, “Please God, make him think I am still pretty.” What heart wrenching words! Della’s knee-length…cascading…beautiful…brown hair was her most prized possession…but she had just cut it off to sell to a wigmaker. She did it in order to have money to buy her beloved husband…Jim…a Christmas present. With the money from the sale of her hair she was able to buy a gold watch chain on which Jim could hang his most prized possession…the gold watch that had been his father’s and grandfather’s. Della and Jim were a newly wed young couple barely existing in near poverty. They had little money for finery in their hovel of an apartment…let alone money for extravagant Christmas gifts. Without knowing what Della had done…Jim would return home on Christmas Eve to find that Della had shorn her beautiful hair…all to buy the gold chain for him…the chain that he could not possibly afford to buy for himself. She prayed that he would still think she was pretty. But…in a tear-jerking twist in this classic story …we found out that Jim had sold his cherished watch to buy a set of tortoise shell combs with jeweled rims for his beloved young wife’s beautiful hair…the very set she had yearned over for so long but could never hope to buy for herself. Della’s hair was now cropped…but she had the finest gift her young husband could sacrifice to buy. And…Jim…now had no watch…but with the most precious gift his young bride could sacrifice to bring to him for Christmas. At the close of the story…O. Henry wrote… “Here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat…But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these are the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts…such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.” O. Henry certainly touched an element that is basic in all of us…sacrificial giving prompted by love. It’s an act that defines what it means to love one another. The magi in Matthew’s story may have been moved by that kind of love in their worship and gift-giving to the child they believed to be the King of the Jews. Their gifts were magnificent…and certainly of great value. Remember…the magi were members of the priestly class in their communities…not rich themselves. Yet…their gifts were the kind suitable for a king…or for one for whom one has sacrificial love. It is this kind of sacrificial love that God and Jesus have given us. How do we return the love? The answer comes in Scripture that we so well know. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whomever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” At this time in the life of Jackson Grove United Methodist Church how can we show that belief? We have had some difficult times over the past two years. During those times God has been with us. Along with God…the United Methodist Church has been with us. And…both remain with us…showing their continued faith in us…and in our future. It was the United Methodist Church that paid the bonding insurance premium and the district superintendent and bishop who fought with the insurance company to assure a significant payment to Jackson Grove United Methodist Church when the insurance company said no payment was justified. It was the United Methodist Church that chose to send this preacher with four simple instructions. Preach the gospel in truth and love. Visit the ill and shut-ins. Get a proper financial reporting system in order. Use as many of the resources of the United Methodist Church as needed to lead the church to recovery and growth. The first three instructions have been followed. With the help of the United Methodist Church consultant…at no cost to us…we are engaging this month in the fourth instruction. Just like the surgeon told me I had to go through a self-directed recuperation process…so do we….so that we will be healthy for a long time….and we will return to Jesus the love he has given us…even if it means some sacrifices on our part. As we…everyone in our church family…not just the United Methodist Church consultant…the planning committee…and me…go through the next month to prepare then gather for the planning retreat on January 31st there is much we need to do as part of the recuperation process. We need to ask ourselves and God: What is the true status of the church…and our individual commitment to its continued success in the mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ? What ministry…outreach…opportunities are there…just outside our doors…not a check-writing activity somewhere many miles away…that we can pursue using our time…our talent and our resources….time talent and resources we long ago pledged to Jesus Christ and his church? What new ministry opportunities exist within the church family…that we can pursue with those very same resources of time…talent and treasure? How do we maintain the best of the tradition of Jackson Grove United Methodist Church as a place for our current church family and for families in our nearby community…and blend that tradition with the ever-changing definition of what constitutes family? How do we enhance our worship and study experiences so that those who visit and those who have been here for a long time leave those experiences ready to go make disciples and ready to invite others to join them in study and worship the next time we meet? Know that as we ask these questions…the answer will come from God if we go to him in earnest prayer. In addition to God and the United Methodist Church we are blessed by God with the time…the talent…and the treasure to enable us to return to Jesus the most precious gift we can give…a thriving…family serving…community building…Jackson Grove United Methodist Church…a church as alive as we experienced during our Lord’s Day celebration a few weeks ago. The surgery has been performed. We’ve walked out of the surgery center. There are indications of the possibility of future success. Now is the time for serious personal engagement in recuperation activities… activities that will make us like the star that guided the magi…a shining risen light in our community…an effective tool in God’s hands.

“Renewal”

Deuteronomy 31:9-13

2 Chronicles 34:29-33

Jeremiah 31:31-34

1 Peter 1:13-25

Matthew 25:31-46

 

Many years ago when I lived in the poor immigrant ghetto of Syracuse, New York, I had the privilege of walking six blocks to and from my elementary school. I’m not sure why God put me in that place…but He certainly blessed me by doing so. You see…at that elementary school I encountered a teacher…Mrs. King…who instilled in me a very strong love for reading. I can still see her standing next to me…quizzing me on what I had read…and showing great emotion as I told her about my latest reading experience…then putting a silver star next to my name on the chart at the front of the classroom. Luckily…halfway between our small apartment and the school…was the public library. The library was open in the late afternoon as I walked home. Instead of going to our empty apartment I often stopped in the library…to find a good book and read it. On a good day…a day when I had a penny…I’d stop in the candy store next door and buy a root beer barrel to put in my mouth while I read. After a couple years of doing this I became old enough to check books out and take them home with me. It was then that the librarian explained renewal to me. She said that I could check the book out for a week at no charge. If at the end of that week I hadn’t finished reading the book I could take it to her to have it renewed for another week…to be able to keep it for another whole week so I could finish reading it. My guess is that some of you have done the same thing…renewed a book at the public library…because you didn’t get to read it in the time originally allotted. Life does get in the way sometimes. Or, maybe you wanted to read it again…it was so good. John Wesley was a man of the people…and highly educated. He knew the importance of the covenant with God…and he also knew that life sometimes got in the way…and that the people didn’t do the best job of keeping their part of the covenant. Wesley had read the story from Second Chronicles about the king of Judah…who called together the men of Judah…the people of Jerusalem…the priests and the Levites…all the people from the least to the greatest. They went to the temple and there the king renewed the covenant with the Lord. Wesley also knew the promise from Jeremiah that God would put a new covenant on our hearts. He also knew that sometimes life touches our hearts in such a way that despite the promise of God’s forgiveness and forgetting our sins…we don’t feel worthy…we don’t reach out to the least among us…we don’t love our neighbor as ourselves. But…it wasn’t just reading…study and observation of others that convinced Wesley of the need for renewal…and God’s willingness to give it. He experienced it…personally…more than once. Like the librarian…Wesley reminded us that the story in the book doesn’t change…and we can renew our reading and our following. While God does not forget or back away from his covenant promise God has given us the ability to renew… renew our promise of covenant with God. Because of this gift of forgiveness and forgetting …and the opportunity for renewal we have shared the words we have spoken today…and now we come to the Lord’s Table to be with each other and with Jesus Christ…remembering and renewing.