Worship This Week at Overland Park Christian Church, Overland Park, KS

Looking for Jesus

5/30/2014

"We wander the streets,
yearning to find you,
calling your name,
but it is only

a single mother who turns
and wearily smiles,

a street person
who whispers 'hello',

a little girl who pirouettes
and takes our hand.

Gone...

But you are still here, Lord,
Help us to see."
- Howard Thurman

Luke 24:45-53
Then Jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures. He said to them, "This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and a change of hear and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Look, I'm sending to you what my Father promised, but you are to stay in the city until you have been furnished with heavenly power."

He led them out as far as Bethany, where he lift his hands and blessed them. As he blessed them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem overwhelmed with joy. And they were continuously in the temple praising God.

Reflection:
When we think about the stories of Jesus, more often than not in the Disciples tradition, we aren't often focusing on the Ascension of Jesus. While it is an important part of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the story of the ascension in the days following that first Easter morning are often confusing and full of question.

Some theologians say that the ascension points directly to the divinity of Jesus, that after living on this earth, he ascends to be with the Divine God who sent him in the first place.

Theologian Normal Pittenger actually suggests the opposite, saying that the ascension points to Jesus humanity. Because like humanity, at some point Jesus must have an "end," and his life must be defined in some way.

What do you say? Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead he continues to appear to his disciples and point to the Creator that continues to pour out love and grace through Jesus Christ. But we do know that his earthly ministry DOES end, and Jesus ascends to be with God, promising the Advocate, the one that will continue to be present. Does this speak more to Jesus divine nature? Or does it highlight his human-ness?

Come join us on Sunday morning as we explore this paradox in the life of Jesus Christ. We will also bless and commission our Costa Rica mission team as they will head off to Costa Rica during church next week. All are welcome here at OPCC - no matter where you sit inside (or outside) this paradox of Jesus' life!

Surviving the Beatitudes

1/29/2014

"For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). But, often with tears in their eyes, we demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course, that's Moses, not Jesus. I haven't heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere.
"Blessed are the merciful" in a courtroom? "Blessed are the peacemakers" in the Pentagon?” – Kurt Vonnegot, A Man Without a Country

Matthew 5:1-16 (New Revised Standard Version)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be fulfilled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. IN the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Reflection
Who can survive in attempting to live into the spirit of the Beatitudes? Their poetic beauty and hopeful instruction are inspiring for sure, but who can actually live up to their standards? They are quite impractical in the world in which we live now, practically turning our understanding of blessing upside down. We can want to live up to these standards so much, but how realistic is it to think that we are even able?

How often have you heard someone say something to the effect of, “I feel so blessed. I am thankful for my friends and family, a job I love, a roof over my head, and the church family I walk with,”? We typically think of blessings as those positive things that enrich our lives and for which we give thanks. While we may give thanks for God’s presence, guidance and comfort during difficult, or nearly impossible times, not many of us would continually call those blessings. God’s presence and guidance, yes, but difficult moments – are those always a blessing?

On Sunday we will take a look at the Beatitudes as the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, and toss around our understanding of blessings. Perhaps there are more blessings that we can think of, and perhaps what we call a blessing rarely is? Won’t you join us on Sunday worship as we discern what it means to “Survive The Beatitudes”? We also hope you will join us for our SOUPer Bowl Sunday Fundraiser for our Mission Team to Costa Rica. The team will provide us with a soup meal following worship and would love your support. See you at the table!

You Don't Have to Die

1/17/2014

Lamb of God - Teresa Carter

"When your character is built on spiritual and moral foundation, your contagious way of life will influence millions."

- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

John 1:29-42 (Common English Bible)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.’ Even I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him. Even I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testified that this one is God’s Son.”

The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus walking along he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, “What are you looking for?” They said, “Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying? He replied, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon peter. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ). He led him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Reflection: Once there was a minister surrounded himself at the church chancel with children during worship and began to talk to them about the upcoming holiday national holiday. When asked whose birthday would be celebrated in January, the well-informed group responded, "Martin Luther King, Jr." The minister inquired further by asking what kind of work Dr. King did. How much prompting it took is not certain, but the answer being fished for was given. "Martin Luther King, Jr., was the minister of a church."

In an attempt to draw an obvious parallel, the minister reminded the gathered faithful that was also his life's work. At that point, with a straightening of the necktie and some posturing which made him look a bit taller and a lot more distinguished, the minister wondered aloud about the possibility of a holiday being named for him. Across a couple of rows of pews came an innocent whisper that must have sounded like Jesus himself: "You have to die first." (story from the book And Then Came The Angel: Gospel Sermons for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany by William B. Kincaid, III)

In our Gospel reading this week we see John the Baptist identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God very early on in Jesus' ministry. And then his disciples begin to follow him and also identify him as The Lamb of God and the Messiah. We see that one of John's most important roles is to point to the Messiah, to point to The Lamb of God, that everyone around him would see the wondrous works of God in Jesus Christ.

So often when we try to "be the hands and feet of Christ," here on earth, or show Christ to others through our own actions, we forget that we do not have to be Christ. In taking up our own cross, our job is not to be Christ, it is to point to Christ so that others may see the work of Christ here in our world. Surely Christ is within each of us, but our job is not to be Christ, rather to point to Christ, to show who Christ is through our actions. It is easy to think, "well of course I'm not trying to be Christ," but we might need to be reminded of the fact every now and again that our job is to point to Christ as John the Baptist did.

"The Lamb of God has shown us what selfless acts look like, and it is his example that calls us to lose sight of our own lives so that we and all of God's children might know a greater life," and we can know this greater life by pointing to Christ. (from the book And Then Came The Angel: Gospel Sermons for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany by William B. Kincaid, III)

Is Thanksgiving Dead? - 11/24 in 9:30 Worship

11/22/2013

“At the center of God’s personality is a profound generosity. When it comes to blessing and loving the human family, God holds nothing back.” – Broderick Greer

Reading: Colossians 1:11-14 "May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Reflection: Recently I have been trying a lot of different kinds of exercise just to stay active and keep moving. I love running, but sometimes I need a change. So the other day I went back to something I haven't done in years, but remember with great fondness: ballet.

I joined the State Ballet of Missouri (now The Kansas City Ballet) when I was in 3rd grade and danced through my middle school years, sometimes six days a week. (My parents were saints and drove me to downtown KC ALL the time!) I remember a lot of the terminology from my time there, lots of technique and have many great memories, but I haven't put it into use in about 15 years.

My work-out was ROUGH. I knew all the right places my feet SHOULD be, but they didn't always go there at first. I knew what my posture was supposed to do, but I have no idea how I did that 15 years ago.

Recently you may have heard that Thanksgiving is “dead.” Many retailers that formerly would not have dared open on Thanksgiving are now opening at 6am to sell, sell, sell as the official Christmas shopping season gets underway. Some people are saying that this, specifically Macy's opening its doors, is the death of Thanksgiving.

Colossians 1 reminds us that Christ has given us strength to endure (sometimes a lot) with patience as we give thanks to God in all we do. It's not that we give thanks after we have endured something difficult, it's that it is second nature to give thanks while we endure with patience. It may take some practice, and the practice might be difficult or rough. We may even forget a few steps in the process, but the exercise of giving thanks is always there, deep inside us, and difficult to forget.

Society may take a hiatus from the Thanksgiving holiday while they open their doors for “Christmas” shopping, the way I took a 15 year break from ballet. But we know that the Thanksgiving federal holiday on the 4th Thursday in November is not the only thing that prompts thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is such a part of us; it is so ingrained in us that it will never "die." We too may take a break, and our muscles may ache as we step into that first position as we remember back. But our muscles do remember, and we remember, because it is second nature.

You are invited to come worship with us this Sunday as we continue to think about both thanksgiving and Thanksgiving.

We also invite you to come participate in our “Better Than Black Friday” event on Friday, November 29. As an alternative to the rush and spending of Black Friday, we will celebrate the season with a FREE community meal. You are invited to volunteer, to bring a pot of soup, or to come join us if you are looking for community.

No matter where you are, you are invited here. Won’t you join us?

The Christ Who Reigns - 11/17 in 9:30 Worship

11/15/2013

Picture of a statue of Christ under construction

Piously we produce our images of you till they stand around you like a thousand walls. And when our hearts would simply open, our fervent hands hide you.
– Rainer Maria Rilke

Readings: Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.’ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Luke 23:33-43
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’ One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

Reflection: I find it ironic that the liturgical church year begins and ends with a sense of waiting and yearning. From the waiting through December’s darkness for Emmanuel – God with us – to be born to Mary and Joseph; to the yearning for the fulfillment of all things in God’s exalted Christ, we seem to spend much of our time scouring the horizon for something we don’t yet have. On one hand it is appropriate to wait for God’s final redemption because, let’s face it, we ain’t found the promised land yet. There is still plenty of brokenness in our world; plenty of darkness, greed, and corrosive spirit.

On the other hand, however, we spend our time scouring the horizon because we are so polished at ignoring the presence of God in our midst, so practiced at thwarting God’s efforts to work in and through our lives, so insistent on putting off until eternity what we can begin to enjoy today.In my estimation, Rilke describes precisely how we are able to perform this feat in the poem cited above. We insist on painting over God in our own image, so that we control how we interact with God and determine what God is to do for us. We can wait forever, for example, for God to bring our enemies down in utter defeat; because that’s our vision… not God’s. The psalmist is beginning to glimpse something of this God who, rather than using the angel armies to ravage and destroy, employs them to make war obsolete.

Yet this is nothing compared to the Jesus on the cross described by Luke responding in compassion to a convicted thief. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” This one who has rejected violence altogether in favor of the power of Love in its many refractions: grace, peace, compassion, forgiveness, gentleness, kindness, patience, generosity… and more. I have a suggestion for a fresh approach to Reign of Christ Sunday. Instead of focusing on when the Christ will usher in the final fulfillment of all things, let’s focus on the nature of the Christ who Reigns… not the Christ spoken about in apocalyptic literature, but the Christ revealed in the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth. This might lead to a few surprises.

Forward>>

Looking for Jesus

Surviving the Beatitudes

You Don't Have to Die

Is Thanksgiving Dead? - 11/24 in 9:30 Worship

The Christ Who Reigns - 11/17 in 9:30 Worship

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