Monthly Archives: October 2015

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on October 15, 2015
Tags: , Guilt   

Living Into the Gospel Challenge — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

image          October 15, 2015

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:38-42

“Some thieves came one day to the dwelling of an old man and said to him, “We have come to take everything that is in your cell.” He said to them, “My children, take what seems good to you.” So they took what they found in the cell and went away. Now they forgot a purse which happened to be hanging there. The old man picked it up and ran out after them, calling out, “Take this which you have forgotten from the cell.” Filled with wonder at the old man’s long-suffering, they put everything in its place in the cell and did penance, saying one to another, “Truly this is a man of G*d.” (The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers, Agathon (3rd – 4th century) “For All The Saints”, volume II (p. 934))

Who was Agathon? Agathon was an Athenian tragic poet whose works have been lost to time. He is best known for his appearance in Plato’s Symposium, which describes the banquet given to celebrate his obtaining a prize for his first tragedy at the Lenaia in 416.

We hear the words “Give to everyone who begs from you” and we cringe at the thought. As a pastor, I have certain people who regularly come to the church asking for money – or assistance of some kind. Most of the time I can give them something, but we have limited resources and I have limited patience. And then I go to a city or some local area and encounter people who are asking for help to get a ride somewhere, or are holding a sign that reads “will work for food”, etc., and I must admit that soon I suffer from compassion fatigue. And yet I hear Jesus saying in Matthew “give to everyone who begs from you.” Should I feel guilty that I won’t, or feel guilty that I help too much, or should I give myself some kind of a pat on the back for what I do? The beauty of the Gospel is that it offers us unconditional forgiveness, and also challenges us in numerous ways to put our faith into action. We may not always be able to live up to the Gospel challenge, but we can continue to learn to live “into” the blessings of the Christ-like life, knowing that G*d loves us when we are right and when we are wrong as well.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on October 14, 2015
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Seeing G*d in the Ordinary — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

image  October 14, 2015

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 2 Kings 5:9-13

“You see, there is a considerable difference between looking for G*d and finding him. You and I are always tempted to think G*d is to be found by way of kings and protocol, that he ought to act the way we would act if we were G*d, instead of taking him at his word. Naaman found out and so can we. For Naaman, like the prodigal in the far country, came to himself and accepted himself for what he was in the eyes of G*d, no captain of the host or man of distinction but simply a man in need of health.” Edmund A. Steimle (1907 – 1988) Are You Looking for G*d? “For All The Saints” volume II,
(p. 925)

In the church, we are always interested in putting forth our best for G*d. This is the tradition that has been handed down for generations. It used to be that people had two outfits to wear: one for the days Monday-Saturday, for work, and the other for Sunday church. The communion ware is polished silver – the communion plates the same – the offering plates a shiny gold. When we offer our own gifts to G*d, we do our best to do our best. It is no wonder then that the process of offering the best, that doing the best, that presenting the best becomes the understanding that G*d is only found in the best. And yet this could not be further from the truth. Scripture teaches us that G*d is not just found in the best, but is also found in the ordinary, in the broken, in the weak and in the powerless. This was Naaman’s discovery, though he protested so vehemently – because he expected only the best for the best. But G*d is found everywhere – both in the best and the worst, in the strong and the weak, in the abled and the disabled. We simply need to be people in need – and then to remember to be open and willing to see G*d in the ordinary and in the extraordinary.

Pastor Dave