Monthly Archives: June 2015

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 14, 2015
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The Weed You Cannot Control — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 14, 2015
Sunday

“He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32

“What if the key to reading the parable of the mustard seed were to understand what a peculiar seed it actually is? The things about mustard seeds, you see, is that while some varieties were used as spice and others medicinally, in general they were considered at the very least pesky and often somewhat dangerous. Why? Because wild mustard is incredibly hard to control, and once it takes root it can take over a whole planting area. That’s why mustard would only occasionally be found in a garden in the ancient world; more likely you would look for it overtaking the side of an open hill or abandoned field. Looked at this way, Jesus’ parable is a little darker, even ominous. As John Dominic Crossan puts it:

The point, in other words, is not just that the mustard plant starts as a proverbially small seed and grows into a shrub of three or four feet, or even higher, it is that it tends to take over where it is not wanted, that it tends to get out of control, and that it tends to attract birds within cultivated areas where they are not particularly desired. And that, said Jesus, was what the Kingdom was like: not like the mighty cedar of Lebanon and not quite like a common weed, [more] like a pungent shrub with dangerous takeover properties. Something you would want in only small and carefully controlled doses — if you could control it (The Historical Jesus, pp. 278-279). Mission Possible, David Lose, June 10, 2012 (DearWorkingPreacher)

We spend so much time in the church trying to control everything. We want to control the service: the noise and the temperature and the time and the length of it all. We want to control the ministry: the places, the people, the frequency, and the cost. And here we are trying to control everything while Jesus says that the Kingdom of G*d is like something that cannot be controlled, will spread to places no on wants it, and that it will attract people we do not necessarily want. The question becomes, then what are we to do about it?

The answer sounds simple enough, but it is not easy to implement — and that answer, at least in my opinion is “trust the Spirit”. “So, Pastor Dave”, you may ask, “What is so difficult about that?” Well, the Spirit is unpredictable, uncontrollable, unexpected, and unbelievable — and yet it is the Spirit that builds faith, and drives ministry and worship. And, building faith, and doing ministry is not always simple. We have tried and tested models through which many are still trying to build faith (like traditional bible studies and Christian Education models) that don’t seem to be working anymore. Perhaps the Spirit is trying to tell us that we need to step out of our box of understanding and trust the Spirit to try some new models. This would also apply to doing ministry.

Trust the Spirit. How can you Trust G*d today to allow you to step out of the box and try something new?

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 8:34 am on June 13, 2015
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Boastfully Boasting not to Boast — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 13, 2015

“But whatever any one dares to boast of — I am speaking as a fool — I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one — I am talking like a madman — with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea…And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak…? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:21b – 30

“Man is naturally exceeding prone to be exalting himself and depending on his own power or goodness, as though he were he from whom he must expect happiness, and to have respect to enjoyments alien from G*d and his Spirit, as those in which happiness is to be found. Hath any man much comfort and strong hope of eternal life, let not his hope lift him up, but dispose him the more to abase himself, and reflect on his own exceeding unworthiness of such a favor, and to exalt G*d alone.” Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758) The Works of President Edwards, vol. 4 “For All The Saints” volume II (p. 152)

Have you ever known someone who seemed to always have the need to boast about themself? Do you have a co-worker who feels the need to tell you about what great thing they had accomplished that day, or what accolades they received that week? We are, by nature and our sinful ways, prone to only talking about ourselves and even boasting about our accomplishments. Paul makes it clear that he had the most to boast about, but he would boast about his weaknesses.

We all have the need to be recognized in some way, but this is not why we live the Christ-like life. We live the Christ-like life because this is what we are called to do — not so that others see it — but because it aligns us with Christ. What more could we want to boast of than the secure knowledge of Christ dwelling in our hearts. If we live the Christ-like life we need not boast — because others will know it by our actions.

Pastor Dave