A sermon/testimony/witness in which I introduced myself to Abilene First United Methodist Church. Preached on July 7, 2013. My texts were Philippians 2.4-13, Genesis 32.22-31, and Luke 24.13-35.
Upcoming Meetings
A gentle reminder of some upcoming meetings:
- Board of Stewards (Church Council) — Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 7:00 pm in Room 200
- Board of Trustees — Monday, July 15, 2013 at 6:30 pm in Room 200
- Outreach Committee — Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 6:30 pm in Room 200
- Staff Parish Relations Committee — Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 7:00 pm (I’m guessing in Room 200).
Thanks for the Warm Welcome
Jenny, Liz and I really enjoyed our first two worship services as the pastors at Abilene First today. We were very well and very thoroughly welcomed. I realized somewhere through the second service that I was not helping to lead worship, but experiencing worship for myself. (It’s somewhat hard to explain, but often when leading worship it’s hard to focus on God as opposed to thinking about the mechanics of the service.) Thanks be to God and the congregation for a wonderful opportunity.
Voice of the Day: The Light of Faith
A year or two ago, I read a book by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch titled The Faith of Leap: Embracing a Theology of Risk, Adventure and Courage. I used the book extensively in a sermon series, and I was reminded of it today when I read an article by Kyle R. Cupp on the new papal encyclical, Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith), that was begun by Pope Benedict and finished by Pope Frances. His short summary makes me think I should take the time to read the whole thing.
“We read that ‘faith opens the way before us and accompanies our steps through time,’ summoning us to an unseen future, but then the encyclical says something striking: ‘the sight which faith would give to Abraham would always be linked to the need to take this step forward: faith “sees’” to the extent that it journeys, to the extent that it chooses to enter into the horizons opened up by God’s word.’ In other words, to see by the light of faith, you first have to take a step in the darkness. Faith is a choice to move, to journey, and only on this journey is the path illuminated by faith. The light shines after the taking of each step, and as faith is a choice one must make at each moment of each day, the sight of faith is neither immediate nor constant. The light and the dark go together. In the words of the Lumen Fidei: ‘Faith by its very nature demands renouncing the immediate possession which sight would appear to offer; it is an invitation to turn to the source of the light, while respecting the mystery of a countenance which will unveil itself personally in its own good time.’
I think this highlights two very important points: 1. faith is not a matter of mere intellectual assent, which is often a very small aspect of the kind faith and faithfulness that God calls us to; 2. Faith is more about a choice, a decision, a commitment to trust God. (You might want to see this previous post.)
I’ve also just finished searching this blog and found that I didn’t make any posts on The Faith of Leap. I’m going to try to rectify that soon.
Voice of the Day: John Wesley
Today’s voice of the day comes from the founder of Methodism, John Wesley:
“One of the principle rules of religion is to lose no occasion of serving God. And since he is invisible to our eyes, we are to serve him in our neighbor; which he receives as if done to himself in person, standing visibly before us.”
This Coming Sunday: "A Spiritual Autobiography"
Relationships are one of the most important aspects of the Christian community we call church. Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3.32, NRSV). The relationships we have with one another are to be so close knit that Paul goes beyond the analogy of a family, and refers to the church of the body of Christ. But it’s hard to be in relationship with those you don’t know. For that reason, Jenny and I are trying our best to learn your stories. It seems only fair that we should also share ours. With that in mind, my sermon for Sunday is titled “A Spiritual Autobiography.” I’ll be preaching on three texts that have been particularly important to me in my life of faith: Genesis 32.22-31, Philippians 2.4-13, Luke 24.13-35.
Church Office Closed Today
A friendly reminder that the church office is closed today. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July.
The Best Ways to Contact Us
Jenny and I love being part of the life of Abilene First UMC and we want to be available whenever possible. The best way to contact us is by cell phone (the numbers are printed on the back of the bulletin), text message or email (john@revcollins.com and jenny@revcollins.com).
Abilene First Now Has a Facebook Page
Abilene First UMC now has an official Facebook page. Thanks to Andra Dunn and Joann Hettenbach for getting it set up.
A Great First Day
Jenny and I had a great first day today. We got some things carried in and unpacked before enjoying a staff meeting / full breakfast buffet at 9:30 where we heard about upcoming activities. This was followed my more unpacking. Then we had lunch from Mr. K’s Express (I ate at my desk) before visiting the hospital with Annie. We ran a few church-related errands and then returned to plan this coming Sunday’s service with Clark. I then began teaching myself the church membership software program (I got far enough to export names, phone numbers and addresses to my iPhone). I enjoyed all of it and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
Email Addresses
Jenny and I will continue to use our revcollins.com email addresses: john@revcollins.com and jenny@revcollins.com.