The Power of Belonging

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The Power of Belonging

(Fourth Sunday after Easter)

May 18, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

John 10:22-30                        Acts 9:36-43               Revelation 7:9-17

If you watched television, read newspapers or magazines, or even saw any roadside billboards between 1987 to 1996, you will remember the successful advertising campaign used by American Express. Everywhere you went, you were confronted with the message, “Membership has its privileges.” It was successful at high levels because it was a message that stuck in people’s heads, built brand awareness, drew new customers to their products, and became such a part of our culture that despite the end of the advertising campaign by American Express in 1996, the phrase is still widely remembered in the public consciousness, and is being used by other companies and organizations almost thirty years later.

The message that American Express wanted to communicate was that possessing their card conveyed advantages that their competitors’ cards did not. Amex card holders could get preferred travel arrangements, access to exclusive lounges, free travel insurance, global emergency services, free checked bags, concierge service, and all sorts of other things. For many people, the benefits given to Amex card holders may not be especially valuable but, if you are a frequent flyer or regular international business traveler, some of those rewards are worth having. But, what many of us have learned is that, aside from credit cards, there are advantages to belonging and having membership in any number of groups and organizations. If you want to be involved in eradicating global disease and contributing to local causes, groups like the Rotary Club, Lions Club, and Kiwanis can provide a place to do that while, at the same time, also providing a place to meet other people in your area and network with other businesses and community leaders.

But all of us have realized by now that there is a deeper kind of belonging. We made jokes when we were in our twenties and thirties that you can know who your friends are by watching who shows up to help you load the moving truck, or, who shows up when you build a deck, or paint your house, or who sits with you as you mourn the loss of a parent or child, or takes care of your cat when you are unexpectedly hospitalized, or shows up at your door with food when you return home. When we start to list the people in our lives who do those things, our list starts to get incredibly short. But it is that list of people, often family, and sometimes our closest friends, among whom we feel as if we truly belong. And it is this sense of belonging that we should keep in our minds as we read our scriptures for today because you will see it, hear it, or feel it in each of them. We begin this morning by reading from John 10:22-30 where we hear Jesus tell the people who had gathered around him one of the benefits of following him and belonging to God.

22 Then came the Festival of Dedicationat Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

This passage begins with people in the temple courts asking Jesus to tell them plainly whether he was or was not the Messiah promised by the prophets, and Jesus’ answer was that he had already done so, but they had chosen not to believe him. Jesus continues by saying that to anyone that was paying attention, the things that he had done were a testimony to who he was. The people who did believe in him saw clearly what he was doing and what he was, and because they did, they also listened to what he was teaching. Jesus points out that whatever he does, and has done, he gives the credit to God and not to himself, and this action also indicates who he is regarding his being, or not being, the Messiah.

But again, the people who do not follow Jesus do not recognize this evidence even when it stares them in the face. Just as each sheep knows the voice of their shepherd and can find him or her in a group of shepherds, those who follow Jesus know him, listen for his voice, and can pick him out of a crowd both literally and figuratively. This is often what we are doing when we ask, “What would Jesus do?” or when we question one another, or ourselves, and ask, was that action, or that decision, something that represents Jesus. Likewise, when we see and hear religious or political leaders who claim to be representatives of Jesus but who do and say things that are clearly not things that Jesus would do, then the sheep that follow Jesus can know that this is not someone that we should be following. But, this is also why it is so vitally important that we study, and know, scripture for ourselves so that we can know what Jesus looks and sounds like when we hear others who claim to speak for him.

It is at this point that Jesus offers one of our reasons for belonging. Jesus says that the sheep who follow him, who do more than offer him lip service and really follow him, listen for, and hear his voice, are given eternal life. Moreover, Jesus himself will guard them so that no one else can take them away and they can never lose their membership in God’s family so that they will always belong. But we should notice that Jesus goes a step further because he not only says that “no one will snatch them out of my hand,” he amplifies that statement by saying that anyone who follows him has been given to him by God and that “no one can snatch them” out of God’s hand because “I and the Father are one.” This clearly is a claim to being the Messiah, to being sent from God, to being a part of God, and that if you follow Jesus that you automatically belong to God. We see from Jesus’ own words that there is no separation between following Jesus and belonging to him and belonging to God’s family. These two are one and the same.

But belonging to Jesus is more than eternal life and a home in the sky, by and by. Belonging to Jesus also offers us gifts, graces, a mission, and a purpose during our mortal lives here on earth and some of those gifts can exceed our expectations and imagination. We witness this as the people of Joppa reach out to Peter and ask for his help while he is traveling in the city of Lydda in Acts 9:36-43:

36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so, when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying, and showing him the robes and other clothing, that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

There are many things that can be said about this passage, but for today I just want to focus on what Peter has just done. Tabitha’s friends did not seek out Peter because she was sick. It was too late because Tabitha was dead. I’m not certain what the widows of Joppa hoped that Peter would do, but I suspect that they may not have expected Tabitha to be raised from the dead. Given what they knew of Jesus, resurrection was certainly a possibility, but they also knew that Peter was not Jesus. Perhaps they hoped that he would mourn with them, or be an encouragement to them, or to pray that God would raise up another woman like Tabitha to become the kind of leader that she had been, but I doubt that they were certain of what Peter would do, or what he would be capable of doing.

 But Peter does the most powerful, most extreme thing that they could have imagined. He prays, and then commands Tabitha to get up, and she does. Remember that Tabitha has, at this point, been dead for at least the better part of the day, and possibly more. She had already been stripped, washed, redressed, and taken upstairs in preparation for her mourners and her funeral. But while Jesus had walked with the disciples, taught them, given them the power to heal, cast out demons, and had even given them the gift of the Holy Spirit, this goes a step further. By raising Tabitha from the dead, Peter is demonstrating that he has, and by extension the disciples and all of Jesus’ followers (including us), have been given the same power as we had previously witnessed only in the person of Jesus Christ. When we choose to follow Jesus, when we put our trust in him and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are given the power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and even to raise the dead.

We are reminded that when Peter gives his speech at Pentecost in Acts 10:37-38, he explains to the crowd that Jesus’ power to perform miracles was power that was given to him by the Holy Spirit because he says:

37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

And then after his resurrection, Jesus gave the gift of the spirit to his disciples in John 20:21-22 when “Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” And of course, we remember the story of God pouring out his spirit on the followers of Jesus on the day of Pentecost, after which they spoke in foreign languages and preached to a crowd that had gathered from all over the known world.

Taken together, we are reminded that following Jesus has never been a spectator sport where we look over the fence or down at the playing field to watch our heroes play the game and do the work of God’s kingdom. Instead, following Jesus requires our active participation down on the field where God shares with us the same gifts that he gave to Jesus and the disciples so that we can continue the work that Jesus began. Because we have been baptized and given the gift of the Holy Spirit, we share with Jesus the power to transform lives, heal the sick, and even to raise the dead.

We aren’t just outsiders looking in, we belong to God’s family.

Membership has its privileges……and its responsibilities.

That is the power of belonging.

How will you use your power this week?

*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Being Intentional

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Being Intentional

May 2025

by John Partridge

Good things don’t happen by accident.

This year, as always, seems to be quickly passing us by. Lent and Easter are behind us, and we have begun the season of Eastertide which leads to Pentecost. The school year is winding down, next week is my last class of the semester, and I know that the schedule is similar for our friends at Mount Union, the Alliance school system, and other local schools. Summer is approaching, the sight of lawnmowers has once again become common in our neighborhoods, and it’s now warm enough for us to get out of the house and start doing some of the yard work that we thought about during the winter months. Before long, we will be planning family vacations, weekend getaways, camping trips, summer camps, and all the things that we associate with the summer season.

But what plans are you making for the warmer months?

Certainly, many of us are planning vacations, hikes, boat trips, kayaking adventures, sightseeing, family picnics, back yard cookouts, and all sorts of other things, and that is to be expected. But none of those things happen by accident. They happen because we are intentional about planning them. We pick up our phone, call a friend and ask if they’d like to meet after work. We make plans with our family to meet on a particular day and discuss what everyone will bring. We talk over the dinner table about what we will do over the weekend, and so on.

But being intentional about our spiritual life is equally important. We aren’t likely to trip over the family bible and decide to read a few chapters. Instead, we need to be intentional and to plan our spiritual growth just as we do our family outings, dog walking, and trips to the gym. If we want to read scripture, we need to make time in our schedule to do so. Maybe we set our alarm half an hour earlier or turn off the television earlier in the evening so that we have time to do that. The same level of planning applies if we want to set aside time to pray every day. Athletes do not become competitive by accidentally working out whenever the mood strikes them. They intentionally set aside time, sometimes daily, to work out and to practice the event in which they choose to compete.

Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident. Just as we have all met folks that are physically mature and yet remain emotionally immature, spiritual maturity doesn’t happen just because we grow older, or even if we attend church. Spiritual maturity requires that we intentionally invest in spiritual growth. And so, as we make plans for the spring and summer months, let us also make plans to invest in our spiritual growth.

Blessings,

Pastor John

*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

More Than Fish

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More Than Fish

(Second Sunday after Easter)

May 04, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

John 21:1-19              Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)                              

Have you ever visited any of the Civil War battlefields in the United States?

Do you remember studying the American Civil War in school?

If so, here’s a one question quiz: What was the American Civil War about?

If you stood on a busy street and asked that question, you would likely get one of two answers. Either people will say that the American Civil War was about slavery, or they will say that it was about states’ rights. And while those are both partially correct answers, when we begin to dig even a little bit deeper, we find that yes, it was about slavery, and yes, it was about states’ right, but it was also about property rights, human rights, family law, interstate commerce, the role of the federal government, the authority of the federal government, and a whole bunch of other things. The same is true about most other wars and conflicts in which our nation has been involved throughout its history. Every conflict has a great many more root causes than one or two presenting issues that often appear on the surface. It’s easy to say that World War One was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, but it’s harder to explain, or understand, all the political and personal intrigue that led to that triggering event. And that concept is true of everything from high school bullying to divorce and all kinds of other things that we encounter and experience throughout our lives. And much like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, sometimes, the trigger or presenting issue that everyone talks about isn’t even the main issue.

And that is what we find as we read the story of Jesus’ third appearance to the disciples following his resurrection that we discover in John 21:1-19 where it says:

21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

There are a lot of things happening here, many of which I am sure that you have discussed in your Sunday school classes and heard your pastors preach about. There are the miracles of catching fish when professional fishermen had failed to do so all night long, as well as catching so many at one time, and also that although the fishermen were in the habit of mending tears in their nets every single day even from ordinary wear and tear, after an entire night of fishing, and after such a large catch, the net was not torn. There’s a lot there. But after the miracles that involve fish, Jesus looks at Peter, who had left Jerusalem, left off from following Jesus, and had returned to his profession of fishing, and asks him, do you love me more than these? Peter, do you love me more than fish? And Peter answers, “You know that I love you.”

But we all know that Jesus wasn’t really asking about fish, don’t we? Jesus may have met the disciples while they were fishing, he may have performed several miracles that involved fish and fishing nets, but his meeting with Peter and the disciples, and his question about fish, wasn’t ever about fish. Jesus tells Peter that if he loves him, then he should feed his lambs, and then asks the same question and answers himself saying “take care of my sheep” which, incidentally, has nothing to do with lambs or sheep but Jesus’ human flock. What Jesus is asking Peter isn’t about fish, or lambs, or sheep, it’s about more than fishing, or employment, or work, it about more than boats, more than vocation, or the camaraderie, beauty, or solitude of being out on the water. Jesus tells Peter that following him means that Peter will have to follow, even when he is led to places that he doesn’t want to go, just as an elderly person is dressed by someone else and led by the hand.

Keep that in mind because we hear echoes of that as we read the story of God’s call to Saul the persecutor, who will soon become Paul the apostle in Acts 9:1-20:

9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. So, they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

Although the influence of the temple leaders ebbed and flowed as their relationship with their Roman overseers shifted from generation to generation, we can see that at this moment, Jewish leadership in Jerusalem had been given significant latitude to the degree that they could write an arrest warrant for other Jews even when they were in an entirely different administrative district in another country. Typically, entirely different Roman rulers oversaw the provinces of Judea and Syria, so this is an interesting, and important, detail. In any case, as Saul is traveling north along the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, he is met my Jesus himself, knocked to the ground, struck blind, and sent into the city to wait for further instructions. And then, because of his blindness, he is led by the hand just as Jesus had described to Peter.

But there is one more character in this story that we need to consider, Ananias. Jesus comes to Ananias in a vision and sends him to the home where Saul is staying. At the same time, Saul received a similar vision and was told to expect the arrival of Ananias. But… and this is important, Ananias knew who Saul was. They hadn’t met, but Saul had a reputation for violence, and those who believed in Jesus had heard of how Saul had been arresting, torturing, imprisoning, and otherwise bringing harm to Jews who had chosen to follow Jesus. Ananias knew who Saul was and what he had done and, not surprisingly, didn’t want to do what Jesus was asking him to do. But Jesus emphatically orders Ananias to go… and he does, Saul is healed of his blindness, is baptized, spends several days learning from the disciples of Jesus in Damascus, and immediately begins to follow Jesus and preach in the synagogues about him.

Every disciple and every follower of Jesus from that time until now has been asked the same question, and it is important that we understand the question the way that Peter, Saul, and Ananias did. When Jesus asks us, “Do you love me?” he is not just asking us to love him. Jesus made it clear to the people in our scriptures this morning, as he essentially said, “If you love me, then you must follow me… even when I lead you to places that you don’t want to go, and even when I call you to do things that you don’t want to do.”

You can hear Jesus asking the question that has echoed down through the ages…

“Do you love me?”

How will you answer?

*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Confusion, Understanding, Belonging

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Confusion, Understanding, Belonging

(Easter Sunday)

April 20, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Luke 24:1-12 Acts 10:34-43 I Corinthians 15:19-26

You are likely aware that SpaceX, the company whose Falcon9 spacecraft is currently contracted to carry our astronauts to and from the International Space Station, is also regularly launching satellites into orbit. Most of these are for their own constellation of Starlink satellites that provide internet coverage anywhere in the world, but they also launch satellites for the Department of Defense, foreign nations, and anyone else who can afford their services. Because SpaceX alone has been launching more rockets than any other nation on the planet, they also launch at night more often than anyone else. And the night launches, particularly those that travel north up the east coast of the United States, as well as a few from Vandenburg Air Force base in California, have been witnessed by many who live in the large population centers on both coasts.

As a model rocket hobbyist and space geek with a science background, what I find interesting is the number of people who, despite almost 20 years of launches, remain unaware of the SpaceX nighttime light shows. Depending on weather conditions, the light from rocket exhaust, especially as the first stage burns out and the second stage ignites, as well as when the first stage reignites and flies back to land in Florida, can be unusual, amazing, spectacular, and a little confusing. It doesn’t seem to matter that this has been going on for fifteen years or twenty years, with every night launch, there are people who see these light shows for the first time and many of them are terribly confused. Some of them flood 911 operators with calls about strange lights in the sky and worries about alien invasion, and others post pictures on the internet asking anyone and everyone what it is that they saw. And some of those folks, even when they hear a rational and accurate explanation, refuse to believe the truth, believe wild conspiracy theories, and remain confused.

All of that comes to mind as we read the story of Easter morning. Something amazing and wonderful has happened, the women receive an angelic explanation, carry that truth to the disciples, the disciples see the evidence for themselves, refuse to believe the truth, and remain confused. We find this story in Luke 24:1-12:

24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” 8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

When the women discover that Jesus’ body is not in the tomb in which they had buried him less than 36 hours earlier, as one might expect, they are confused. But as they are trying to figure out what happened, two angels appear and explain it to them and, when they do, the women remember that Jesus had told them that he would be crucified and be raised on the third day. So, for the women, the process was straightforward. They saw something that they did not understand, they were confused, the answer was explained, and they remembered what Jesus had told them. But this was big news that they couldn’t keep to themselves, so they returned to where the disciples were staying and explained what had happened and what they had heard.

But the men refused to believe what they were told. And so at least two of them, Peter and John, ran to the tomb to see for themselves, found the tomb empty just as the women had told them, and Peter went away and was still confused. For Peter, and maybe for John, they saw something that they didn’t understand, they were confused, the answer was explained, but they refused to believe it. As I mentioned in my message last Sunday evening, the disciples do eventually understand, but not until they meet the risen Jesus at least twice. The men hear the truth, just as the women had, but even though Jesus told them in advance that this was going to happen, they refuse to accept it out of pure stubbornness and remain confused as a result.

But, once they do meet the risen Jesus twice, and they do understand, they go out into the world with the same passion and stubbornness with which they previously resisted the truth. Despite previously fearing that the religious leaders of Israel would arrest them, or even torture and crucify them, the disciples go out in public, even into the temple courts, and preach the message of Jesus to anyone who will listen. In Acts 10:34-43 we hear Peter preaching:

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Finally, after Jesus’ teaching, and the events occurring just as Jesus had taught, and after the women had told them what happened Easter morning, and after they had heard of Jesus’ appearing on the walk to Emmaus, and after two appearances of Jesus himself, Peter finally gets it and begins his preaching by saying “I now realize the truth.’ And then “We are witnesses.” His stubbornness caused him to take longer, but Peter eventually understood the truth, realized what had happened, began to see the whole picture of what God had been doing all along, and finally understood Jesus’ message and the mission to which he had been called going forward.

But Peter isn’t the only one whom God called to do his work. In I Corinthians 15:19-26, Paul explains that God’s work, mission, and ministry belongs to all of us when he says that our faith in Jesus Christ isn’t just something that makes our mortal lives better for a few dozen years:

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Paul says that while Jesus was raised from the dead, he was just the first of us to do so. Just as it was the sin of Adam that caused humanity to sin, be convicted, and sentenced to death, it is through Jesus’ death and resurrection that all of us who belong to him are rescued from death and made alive again. The day will come, Paul says, that Jesus will put all of God’s enemies under his feet, he will overcome all the obstacles in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and last of all, death itself will be defeated. Once that happens, then God will be everything to everyone just as he intended.

But our mission is found in the part where it said that Jesus was the firstfruits, the first to be raised from the dead, and everyone else whom God would raise from the dead would be those who belong to Jesus. As we live this life on earth, we know that everyone will die, but only those who follow Jesus will be raised from death to life again. Our mission is not only to make that group of people as large as possible, but to work to include our family, friends, coworkers, classmates, the people around us, and as many others as we possibly can. Once we choose to follow Jesus, our mission is to bring as many others with us as we are able. Remember, part of our resurrection is redemption, so all of us, even the people we don’t like, are going to be made into the perfect version of us that God intended. So, there aren’t any excuses for keeping news of God’s invitation to ourselves.

The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus may well be the most extraordinary event in all of history. If Peter and the disciples who walked with Jesus for three years were confused, anyone of us can be forgiven for occasionally struggling with the story and its meaning. But, like Peter, the disciples, and even Paul, once we understand what happened and what it means, then we also begin to understand how the resurrection is God’s invitation to belonging. God has invited us all to become a part of his eternal family, and our mission on earth is to share that invitation with everyone that we meet.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Unexpected Rescue

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Unexpected Rescue

(Palm Sunday)

Evening Community Worship

First Christian Church

April 13, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Luke 23:32-43

I gave up watching the television news many years ago, though I am still an avid reader of the news through other sources. As such, while I am online, I sometimes watch a fair number of short YouTube videos that pop-up into my news feed. Among these, I have seen quite a few stories about unexpected rescues of one form or another. This week I saw a fisherman in New Zealand who, while he was out in his kayak, came upon two teenagers who had been out fishing, had trouble with their gear, somehow gotten a hole in their own kayak, and possibly lost one of their paddles as well. He loaned them a knife to cut away their fouled gear and took them under tow until he came upon a fisherman with a motorboat that could more easily assist them. These young men could have been in a lot of trouble if the first man had not come along when he did.

But this isn’t the only story like that on the internet. I have also seen stories of fishing charters in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico who rescued a dog that had gotten swept off his own boat and had been swimming, out of sight of land, for at least two days. I have also seen fishermen who rescued a stray kitten swimming in the bayou in Louisiana, or even wild animals that had no business being as far from shore as they were. In these cases, both humans and animals could very easily have lost their lives if the right person had not come along at just the right moment.

And it was those sorts of stories that came to mind as I read the scripture for this evening that is found in Luke 23:32-43. In this story, we find Jesus and two other men, hanging on three crosses, one on either side of him. All of them have been arrested by the appropriate authorities, all of them have had at least one trial, been convicted, and sentenced to death. But the conversations that we hear in this passage can teach us many things if we think carefully about them. As we join the story, we hear this:

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.

39 One of the criminals who hung there, hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

While this is not the main point of tonight’s message, the first thing that I noticed about this story was that it immediately describes the men on either side of Jesus as criminals. Even though all three men have been arrested by the legal authorities (at least once), tried and convicted in court, and sentenced, the other two men are labeled as criminals, but Jesus is not.

Isn’t that curious?

Of course, Jesus is the hero of our story, and we believe that his arrest, trial, and conviction were all unfair and unjust, and so while we are willing to take Luke’s version of the story at face value and believe that the other men were criminals, we don’t think that Jesus was. In any case, we should perhaps consider the difference in the way that we describe Jesus and these two men when we think about our own judicial system and perhaps even the current rush to deport people who have been labeled as criminals but whose trials, if there were any, may have been unjust and unfair. Are we as willing to give modern persons in our judicial system the same grace that we give to Jesus as we read the story of the crucifixion? Again, this isn’t really the focus of my message, but it seems like something that we should think about.

The next things that I noticed in this passage, and this certainly is the focus of tonight’s message, is that three times Luke tells us that others press Jesus to save himself. First, people in the crowd watching the crucifixion say that if Jesus is really the Messiah, and since Jesus saved others, that he should now miraculously save himself. The second time it is the soldiers and the third time it is one of the criminals openly mocks Jesus and tells him to save himself and the two of them as well.

And that is where we begin to find the story of the unexpected rescue because, immediately after one of the two men hurls out insults in this way, the other comes to Jesus’ defense saying that while they are being punished justly for the things that they had actually done, Jesus had done nothing wrong. Having said that, the same man asks Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom.

It is here that we find the first unexpected and surprising thing, and that is that despite having the obvious understanding that all three of them were going to die before the sun set that evening, this man still has some expectation that Jesus would still come into his kingdom. That means that this man who was so easily labeled as a criminal has some understanding that Jesus’ kingdom lies beyond the boundaries of life and death. And that depth of understanding is something that Jesus had tried, unsuccessfully, to explain to those had come to hear him preach in the countryside, repeatedly to his disciples, and even to Pilate. It isn’t until well after the resurrection, and at least two meetings with the risen Jesus, that the disciples begin to understand what this thief grasps as he hangs on the cross.

The second unexpected and surprising thing is Jesus’ answer, “today you will be with me in paradise.”  Not only did this thief understand something about Jesus that few, if anyone else really did, Jesus accepts his request and tells him that his rescue has already been accomplished and he will stand with Jesus in paradise before the day is over. Just like the dog in the Gulf of Mexico, this man was certain to die before sunset, but suddenly, unexpectedly, his life was saved, he was pulled from the water and taken to a new home. Moreover, it is notable that the man on the cross did nothing else. Despite the attempts by any number of denominations and countless theologians to explain how it is that we can live with Jesus in paradise, this man does almost none of the things that are usually listed. He isn’t baptized, he doesn’t make any particular speech declaring his love, trust, or faith in Jesus, he doesn’t proclaim Jesus, or his love or faith in Jesus, in public or even to any of his friends in private. Jesus’ rescue of the thief on the cross breaks nearly every rule written by every denomination of what each of us must do to receive eternal life and live in paradise with Jesus.

Now, to be clear, I agree with many theologians who point out that just because there is an exception to a rule, doesn’t necessarily mean that the exception becomes, or defines, the rule. Just because the thief on the cross did nothing doesn’t mean that everyone else is accepted by God by doing nothing. Even so, we are struck by this story in which this man is unexpectedly rescued simply because he was in the right place, at the right time, and with the right attitude, even if it is extraordinarily odd that the right place, in this case, was hanging on a cross.

But, even if the exception doesn’t become the rule, there are still some things that we can, and should, take away from Luke’s story. First, no matter what you have done, no matter how many people have written you off, no matter how many times that you have been accused and even convicted, you are never so far from God that you cannot be rescued. Second, no matter how late it is, no matter how old you are, no matter how much that you have done, no matter how far that you have wandered from God, no matter how many times that you have turned your back on God, on the church, on your pastor, on your family, or anything else, it is never too late to return to God. God always stands ready to love you and accept you back into his family no matter what you have done or how long that you have done it.

Luke describes these men as criminals, and we often just refer to them collectively as the thieves on the cross, but I am not certain that we really know which crimes for which they may have been convicted. They may have been thieves, but they might also have been cutthroats, rapists, tax evaders, rebels, murderers, or any number of other things. The point is, once this man came to Jesus and, with sincerity, asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom, God stood ready to forgive him, accept him, and welcome him into paradise.

What about you?

God loves you.

It’s never too late to change the direction of your life. You can never be too far from God.

You can never be too bad, or too sinful, or too anything that God won’t welcome you back to his family.

All that you need to do to change the direction of your life and gain your invitation into paradise, is to come to Jesus and ask.

All the rest, as theologically important as they might be, are just details.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Testing the Status Quo

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Testing the Status Quo

(Palm Sunday)

April 13, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Luke 19:28-40

Are you familiar with the word, status quo? It’s used in English, although it is one of those terms that came into our language unchanged from its original Latin. Status quo simply means “the way that things are.” Referring to the status quo often refers to how the politics of power and bureaucracy exist and function in our world. This term can be used to describe everything from the World Bank to the United Nations, the government of the United States, or even the way that chores are divided in our homes. It can be difficult to fight the status quo to reorganize our household chore chart if everyone has done the same thing for a long time. But using this language of changing the status quo might also be a part of the conversation when we remember that the United States Constitution does not enshrine a two-party system, and we are free to elect people from as many parties as we wish. There are no rules against dividing power differently than we currently do, as it relates to the number of political parties that we have, but any sort of change would require a major upheaval of the status quo. And you can be sure that those people who currently benefit from the current system, the current status quo, would fight tooth and nail to preserve things the way that they are.

What does any of that have to do with our remembrance of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday? If we’re honest, it has everything to do with it, and understanding the status quo is almost required if we are to understand what is happening in the story of Luke 19:28-40 where we read this:

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.”

32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

One of the first things that you notice is the emphasis on trust. Jesus sends two of his disciples ahead into the village of Bethpage, tells them what they will find, what to do, and what to say if anyone questions them. We’ve read it so many times that it is familiar and comfortable to us, but if we read it as if it were happening the first time, it is incredibly weird. Jesus hasn’t been to this place, as far as anyone knows, and yet he knows everything about it. But, despite the strangeness of it all, the disciples choose to trust Jesus and do what he asks of them. Once they get there, and they find the colt just as Jesus had said, as expected the owners of the colt ask them what they’re doing, and they say what Jesus told them to say, “The Lord needs it.” Oddly enough, the owners accept this as an explanation and we find that the owners of the colt, who had no advance warning or explanation that this was going to happen, simply choose to trust that this weirdness is okay and let the disciples take the colt for Jesus to use. Thus, from the very beginning of this story, we are led to understand that the entire story, regardless of where it goes next, is a story about trust.

And so, let’s look at where it goes next.

As Jesus, riding the colt, begins the descent down the Mount of Olives, which is the last bit before starting up the road into the city of Jerusalem, and from which the Temple and it outer courts were not only plainly visible but would have completely dominated the view, and it is here that the people begin to shout praises to Jesus. The problem, however, is that the praises that are being shouted are the praises of a king and a conqueror and not that of a wandering rabbi and teacher. As such, some Pharisees confront Jesus and demand that he quiet his disciples and stop saying those things.

But the whole reason that the Pharisees wanted Jesus’ disciples to stop shouting was because they wanted to protect the status quo. The status quo, in this case, was that the Romans controlled the government of Israel while sharing a small portion of their power with the ruling elites of Israel, most notably many of the Sadducees, and also allowing a mostly free practice of the Jewish religion which was overseen by the Pharisees. If Jesus were to be accepted as the king, or as much of anything more than a wandering rabbi and teacher, then the Romans would be unhappy, they might change the status quo, and the Sadducees and Pharisees might not have the power, authority, and freedom that they currently had. And so, the Pharisees were intent upon doing everything that they could to maintain the status quo and keep hold of the power that they had in the existing system.

But Jesus replies to them that if the people kept quiet, then the stones themselves would cry out. Looking deeper, what Jesus tells them, is that it is more important that God be obeyed than for the status quo to remain the same. And that, my friends, is a question that we must constantly be asking ourselves, even in the twenty first century.

How often do we do the things that we do simply because that is what is expected, or how we’ve always done it, or because it’s traditional, or because our political leaders say that this is how things should be done? Maintaining the status quo and satisfying our political leaders, or church leaders, or the school board, or even our laws and our law enforcement officers should not be our primary objective. Instead, our first, foremost, and overarching goal should be to obey God.

As I noted a few moments ago, the story that we just read began with a story about trust, indicating that the entire story would be something that we should connect to that theme. And so, as we think about the status quo, we should think about our trust in God. Should we trust God, or our political party? God or our favorite politician? Should we trust God or the status quo?

If our local schools or libraries enact policies that are contrary to the teachings of God, we are called to stand against them. If our government acts unjustly we are called to oppose it. If our political party, or our favorite politician acts unjustly or acts in other ways that do not follow God, then we are obligated to stand in opposition or to violate those laws as an act of justice. We cannot support authority, tradition, or the status quo if doing so causes us to take a position in opposition to God.

If Jesus and the disciples trust God so much that they were prepared to disobey the law, tradition, and church leaders in defiance of an unjust and ungodly status quo, how can we do any less?

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Forward from Worthless

PastorPartridge Sermon

Forward from Worthless

April 06, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Isaiah 43:16-21  John 12:1-8           Philippians 3:4b-14

Have you ever had a time when everything went wrong. Maybe you got laid off, or fired, or maybe it was a health problem, or bankruptcy, or any one of a few hundred other situations where you just felt like things couldn’t get any worse and you felt like the world thought you were worthless. One form of conventional wisdom is that when you find rock bottom, the only direction that you can go is up, but the more cynical conventional wisdom is that no matter how bad things are, they can always get worse. And so naturally, a worthwhile question arises, “When I find myself at the bottom, where should I go next?”

As we begin this morning, we read the words of the prophet Isaiah who, at the time, was writing to the people of Israel who had been carried off into captivity in Babylon. Their nation had been defeated, their cities destroyed, their Temple and their worship had been demolished, and many of the people, especially anyone who had any nobility, royal blood, or even demonstrated leadership skills, had been carried off into slavery. The only people left in Israel were peasant farmers and shepherds that Babylon needed to generate tax money.

It isn’t hard to imagine that the people were, at this point, highly discouraged, without hope, and struggling with a feeling of utter worthlessness. And so, it is at this moment that God, through his servant Isaiah, send this message to his people in Isaiah 43:16-21:

16 This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

God says, Remember who I am. I am the one who made a path for Israel to walk across the sea and defeat the army of a superpower at the same time. I know that things are terrible, but let’s forget how things used to be and look forward to something new. Just as I led your nation through forty years in the wilderness and led you into the Promised Land, I am making a path for you through the desert today. If captivity feels like being lost in the desert, then I want you to know that I am the one who will bring you water, food, and protection from the wild animals. I am the God who cares for his people, I have a plan for you, and I am, even now, making a path for you into the future. In this way, despite their feelings of worthlessness, God was declaring Israel’s value.

But there is another kind of worthlessness that we should consider this morning but to understand that we must begin with a story about someone who believed that they were worth more than the people around them. We find that story in John 12:1-8, where we hear the story about Jesus’ betrayal at the hands of Judas Iscariot as it is contrasted with the selflessness of Lazarus’ sister Mary.

12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pintof pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold, and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

The story begins with Mary pouring out a bottle of perfume that cost the equivalent of a year’s wages just so that she could honor Jesus. Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were not wealthy. This was an extravagant gift that they certainly could not afford. That bottle of perfume was, quite likely, a part of Mary’s retirement saving’s plan or other long-term investment rather than trusting her money to the bankers, moneylenders, or the priests at the temple. But she poured it all out on Jesus’ feet as a demonstration of trust, loyalty, and honor.

In contrast, John shows us the reaction of Judas to Mary’s gift. Judas immediately complains that if Mary was going to give Jesus such an expensive gift, then they should have sold it rather than pouring it out so that they could use the money to help the poor. But John editorially tells us that Judas really didn’t care about the poor, Judas only cared about himself. If they had sold the perfume, then Judas, as the club treasurer, could have embezzled a bunch of it without anyone noticing.

As we look at these two characters, we see that while Mary was selfless, giving, trusting, and honorable, Judas was disingenuous, selfish, and self-centered. Even from a superficial reading of this story, it is obvious that Mary is the person that is supposed to be the hero, and whom we are supposed to admire, and after whom we are to model our lives. But even so, as we look at our culture, both in the first century and today, the people that our culture admires have more in common with Judas than Mary.

Paul addresses this cultural flaw in his letter to the church in Philippi and explains that while he once followed the self-centered path modeled by Judas and admired by his culture, he has found a different path in Jesus Christ. In Philippians 3:4b-14 Paul says:

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith inChrist—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Paul says that if anyone had a self-absorbed, narcissistic reason to be confident in who they were and in what they had accomplished, it would have been him. He was, and had done, everything that a good Jew aspired to do be and to do. He was born into the right family, had the right pedigree, went to the right schools, had the right teachers and the right training, was associated with the right people, had the right resume, was known for his enthusiasm and passion, was found to be faultless in understanding and in obeying the law in every aspect, and was even a Roman citizen.

And yet, no matter what things he had and his record of accomplishments, once he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and had chosen to follow him, Paul considered everything else to be a stinking pile of garbage. He understood that a resume of righteousness built on what “I” have done, the family from which “I” came, and who “I” am because of how I have studied, understood, and obeyed the law, was utterly and entirely worthless. Paul realized and understood that, in Christ, the “I,” “me,” “my,” of everything in my life became worthless except as it leads us to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection and in our participation in his suffering so that we can receive the gift of resurrection from him.

Once he recognized how following Jesus changed his life, and once he understood how following Jesus made his narcissism, self-confidence, and self-reliance worthless, only then did Paul begin a new life in which he could move forward toward the goal for which God had called him through Jesus Christ. As humans, the more that we crow about who we are and the things that we have done, the less that we are useful and valuable to God. It is only when we realize the worthlessness of our pride, selfishness, and narcissism that we can move forward towards our calling in Jesus Christ.

It is said that addicts cannot accept help and begin to heal until they find themselves at rock bottom and this has much in common with our journey in faith as we follow Jesus Christ. We cannot begin to move forward towards the life to which God has called us, until we understand the worthlessness of trying to do it ourselves. How we were born, who we know, and what we have accomplished mean nothing. Our righteousness and value to God comes from Christ alone. And, until we understand that, we cannot begin to move forward.

May we, like Paul, understand that we need to surrender our resume if we want to gain our resurrection in Christ.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Reconciliation, Restoration, and Prejudice

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Reconciliation, Restoration, and Prejudice

March 30, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Joshua 5:9-12             Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32              2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Have you ever done major, even irreversible damage to a relationship? You said the wrong thing, spoke hastily in anger, didn’t show up when you needed to be there, failed to stand up for a friend, or walked out when you should have given a hug instead? There are many things that we can do, or fail to do, that can damage our relationships with the people that we care about. But if we want those people in our lives, then we need to find a way to make amends, to apologize, mend fences, and rebuild the trust that was broken. Sometimes that isn’t possible, but you can never know for sure if you don’t try. But sometimes the relationship that was damaged was the one between us and God. And when that happens, we have some choices to make about how we go about restoring our relationship and rebuilding trust. And so, this morning, we take a look at several scriptures that speak to restoration, reconciliation, and the obstacles that can stand between us, distance us from God, and cause damage to our relationship.

We begin this morning reading from Joshua 5:9-12 and we hear about the return of Israel to the land that God had promised to them from the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So, the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day afterthey ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

On the day of Passover, everyone eats a meal that is laid out in the tradition of that celebration: green vegetables or potatoes symbolizing the coming of spring, Haroset, a combination of fruits, wine or honey, and nuts, symbolizing the mortar that the Israelites used to built the temples in Egypt, bitter herbs symbolizing the bitterness of slavery, boiled eggs symbolizing hope, a roasted beet symbolizing the blood of the Temple sacrifice, and matzah or unleavened bread symbolizing the bread of affliction that the Israelites ate during their time in Egypt. But as the people celebrate Passover, and the fulfillment of God’s promise seen in their arrival in the Promised Land, the very next day, the manna that had fed them for forty years in the desert… stopped.

And now, rather than eat the manna that God provided, the intermediate necessity given to aid in their survival, the people now ate the food that God provided by means of the land itself. No longer were they wandering in the desert, now they were home in a fertile land that could provide them with the food that they needed. Now, God had fulfilled his promise, and the people were restored to the land. The ending of God’s daily provision of manna represented their restoration to the land and the restoration of their relationship with God.

The problem that we have, as the people of God, is when we get in our own way and decide that groups of people aren’t good enough even when God hasn’t said any such thing. Jesus makes this point in Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 and exposes the prejudice of the Pharisees as he tells the parable about the prodigal son saying:

15:1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable:

“There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So, he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So, they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So, his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Let’s review the highlights of that conversation. The Pharisees accuse Jesus of consorting with the wrong kind of people whereupon Jesus tells them a story in which the son that was always faithful and who did everything right, and the son who clearly represented the Pharisees in this case, got angry because the father, who represents God, chose to be merciful to the son that made mistakes, repented, and returned to his father. The elder son goes as far as to declare that the younger son is not his brother, but his father gently reminds him that his brother was once dead but is alive again. The critical piece is that while the father is willing to forgive and reconcile with his lost son, the older brother’s prejudice corrupts his heart into excluding the people that don’t fit into the roles that he expects them to fill. It is his prejudice that excludes his brother and not the sins of which he believes his brother to be guilty.

By means of this story, Jesus was telling the Pharisees that their attitude towards those that they labelled as sinners was the same prejudice seen in the older brother. It was that prejudice that prevented them from extending God’s grace and forgiveness to the people who wanted to repent and return to God. But how does that extend to us? In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Paul tells us how this applies to the work of the church and how it applies to us in our modern day lives. Paul says:

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sinfor us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Paul says that we all need to stop looking at the people around us the way that the world looks at people. Instead, we must see the people around us as the new creations of Jesus Christ. Each person who repents and comes to Jesus is reconciled to God because of the sacrifice that was made on the cross. Jesus’ sacrifice made it possible for all of us… and the emphasis here should not be missed, all of us… to become the righteousness of God.

But as Paul warned the church in Corinth, we must be careful that we see the people around us as new creations in Jesus Christ and not to judge them with the prejudice of the world. We cannot see people as sinners and outcasts as the Pharisees did, or as traitors and scoundrels as the older brother did, or even as Democrats, Republicans, poor, rich, immigrants, or any other label that our modern culture wants to use, but instead we must see the people around us as the Jesus and as the prodigal son’s father did, and be open to forgiveness, grace, reconciliation, restoration, peace, and love. Holding on to our prejudice, as the older brother did, will prevent us from receiving the grace, forgiveness, and the blessings that God intends for us.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

May the people around us see God in us… and not our prejudice and bias.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Photo by roijaune on Freeimages.com

Not Just Average

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Not Just Average

March 16, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Isaiah 62:1-5              John 2:1-11                1 Corinthians 12:1-11

It’s no secret that some of us do better than others when it comes to things like standing in front of a crowd to speak, or even to make an announcement. We have members of our staff-parish relations committee that are happy to do work behind the scenes, even if that is most, or even all of the real work, as long as someone else stands in front of the church to make the announcement and present appreciation gifts to the staff. The same is often true whenever your pastor, or church growth consultant, or anyone else suggests that you invite your friends to church or share your faith in Jesus with your friends and neighbors. Even for many of us who are comfortable speaking in public, suddenly, we freeze up and don’t want to do it.

There are a lot of reasons for that, and I’m sure that a psychologist or behaviorist would have a lot to say about it, but much of it boils down to it being the fear of the unfamiliar. But of course, that isn’t what we tell people, or even what we will admit to ourselves. At some level, that fear is felt as an innate shyness that we try to explain away. We don’t want to admit, even to ourselves, that we are afraid.

And so, we tell ourselves things like, “I’m not anybody important.” “Nobody wants to hear what I have to say.” “I don’t stand out. I am not one of the beautiful people. I am not particularly smart. I do not excel at anything. Nobody will listen to me. I don’t speak very well.” Or even, “I’m just kind of average.”

But we need to stop doing that.

We are not average.

You are not average.

God’s people were never intended to be average even though the people around them sometimes saw them as average, or worse. In Isaiah 62:1-5, God explains that there is a day coming when the world will see his people the way that they really are. While Israel’s neighbors and enemies saw them as defeated, destroyed, and desolate, God saw his people differently.

62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
    for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
    her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
    and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
    that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
    a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
    or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
    and your land Beulah
for the Lord will take delight in you,
    and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
    so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
    so will your God rejoice over you.

God says that a day will come when Israel will be vindicated, and people will see them the way that God sees them. Rather than seeing the nation of Israel as a defeated, destroyed land full of desolation, the world will see them as God’s splendorous crown, the royal gemstone in the scepter of God. And new names will be upon the lips of the nations, instead of being named as deserted, God’s people will be known as God’s delight, and the land as the land of God’s family. God will rejoice over his people in the same way that a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.

I also offer as evidence of the standards that we see in God’s creative power, the story of Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding at Cana in Galilee that we read in John 2:1-11:

2:1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so, they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Once again, this story is well known to us and a great many sermons have been written about it, but for today I want to focus simply on the quality of the miracle, or expressed another way, the quality that we see in this expression of God’s creative power. When the wine was taken to the master of the banquet, he declared that what he had tasted was “choice wine” and he was so struck by the quality of it, that he called the bridegroom aside and complimented him on it, and noted that it was ordinary for cheaper wine to be brought out at this stage of a banquet because the guests would have already had too much to drink and wouldn’t notice the difference. In this case, cheap wine of inferior quality would have been both ordinary and acceptable. Wine of even average quality would have been more than was expected and likely would still have received praise from the master of the banquet and good quality wine would have made a positive impression. But the wine that Jesus made was not inferior, was not average, and was beyond even that of a good quality vintage. The wine that Jesus created was top shelf, top tier, premier, choice quality wine, the best of the best.

Just like we heard from Isaiah, God did not create his people to be average, God created them to be his delight and a gemstone in his scepter. Likewise, God’s creation is not something of average, or even of good, respectable quality. God’s creation is choice, premier, and the best of the best. This is what I want you to keep in mind as we read Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth as he reminds them where they came from, what God has done for them, and how God is transforming their lives. In 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 we hear this:

12:1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of languages, and to still another the interpretation of languages. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Paul spells out the idea that although the people of the church had once been pagans, they could now easily say things like, “Jesus is Lord.” That alone, Paul says, is evidence that they have been transformed from a life devoted to pagan gods, filled with the Holy Spirit, and transformed into a new creation in Jesus Christ. And, because they are a new creation of Jesus Christ, every one of them have been given gifts by God’s Spirit. Although the gifts that they have been given are different from one another, Paul says that each of them should be seen as a manifestation, an embodiment, or an outward and visible sign of the working and the presence of the Spirit of God in them. All these gifts are from the same God, from the same Spirit, and all of them are to work together to accomplish the mission and ministry of God.

But just to make sure that you all see my point, I want to remind you of what Paul said, “There are different kinds of working, but in all of them, and in everyone, it is the same God at work.”

In everyone.

Quite simply, that means that you… have gifts. The God who created the universe has given you gifts. Moreover, the God who said that his people are a delight and a cherished treasure, and the God who creates, always and everywhere with excellence even when average would be more than good enough, that God has given you gifts. It is that God who has sent his spirit to live in you, it is that God that has transformed your life, and it is that God that has called you into his service.

You are not average.

You were never intended to be average.

We need to get out of our own heads, and we need to stop saying things like, “I’m not anybody important.” “Nobody wants to hear what I have to say.” or “I’m just kind of average.”

You are important because the God of creation, who never created anything less than wonderful, has chosen you, has taken up residence inside of you, and has transformed your life to become his new creation.

You are not average. You were never intended to be average. You… are a saint of God, renewed, transformed, and empowered to do God’s work.

Let us put behind us any pretense that we aren’t good enough, live into the reality that we are a part of God’s magnificent excellence, and get busy telling the world that God can transform their lives too.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Invite or Die

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Invite or Die – The Importance of Being Invitational

The Importance of Being Invitational

March 01, 2025

by John Partridge

This past week (February 23rd), the Sebring United Methodist Church held their last worship service. Shortly, they will turn the keys to their building over to the East Ohio Annual Conference and next week their congregation will begin to worship with the neighboring Presbyterian church. Officially, the United Methodist congregation will still exist, but as a partner to the Presbyterian congregation and with a single pastor that serves both paper churches in the same sanctuary. I don’t know if this will be listed as a church closure at Annual Conference or if they will name it something else, but from a conversation that I had with one of their church members, for some of them, it sure feels as if the church has ended and they are grieving a death.

I am also aware of another local congregation that will soon make the decision to close. No public statement has yet been made so I will not provide any more details beyond the following. They might make it until Easter or might stretch until summer, but financially, the writing on the wall seems to be clear that soon they will be unable to pay their bills. Here at Christ Church, it appears that we are continuing to grow, but slowly. Even so, the losses that we have seen in recent years are being seen in our budget and in the offering plate. If we had not inherited our endowment from the faithful members of earlier generations, we might well be facing a similar crisis.

Rather than wring our hands, and worry about the future, there are things that we can be doing. Separate from church, I would like to show you two examples. You may know that Troop and Pack 50 are both doing well. Monday evening six more Cubs received their Arrow of Light award and crossed over into our scout troop. But every year, our Cub scouts, scouts, and scout leaders have recruiting drives. During this time of year, every elementary school will be visited, flyers are sent home, presentations are made, questions are answered, and children and their parents are invited to join the Cub pack. Scouts also regularly invite their friends from school, an open house(s) is held, more parents are invited, more questions are answered, and our scout troop sometimes even holds a campout at Silver Park to demonstrate scouting skills to the public and invite young people to join the pack or troop, as appropriate.

Two years ago, the Sebring Model Railroad Club, where I am a member, decided to do something different in the way that they promoted their annual open house. A generation ago, they would run an advertisement in the local newspaper, distribute a few flyers around town, and a thousand or more people would visit and donate to the club. But, as we have seen in the church, in recent years fewer people subscribe to, or read, newspapers. One result has been that attendance at the club open house fell from well over a thousand, to just over a hundred. But two years ago, the club decided to try something different. We printed two thousand business cards that invited folks to our open house. Every club member was expected to pass out 75 to 100 cards over the span of a few months, inviting friends, coworkers, and anyone they met throughout their day. We also purchased yard signs for members to put out along the streets where they lived. And attendance increased. What’s more, as we’ve done a better job advertising ourselves, our membership has increased as well. We still have a long way to go before we see the kind of crowds that were common a generation ago but, so far, we’ve been able to double our attendance. This year, we’re trying something else that is new to us. We know that it’s going to take time, but we’re willing to innovate and experiment. Our survival depends upon it.

I am convinced that Troop and Pack 50 are healthy and growing, in part, because of the efforts that they make to be invitational. I am certain that the Sebring Model Railroad Club would not be doing as well as they are if they had not decided to innovate, experiment, and be more personally invitational. What may have worked a generation ago, doesn’t necessarily work today. There are many reasons why the members of Christ Church choose to attend here. The people are great, the music program is strong, the building is gorgeous and well maintained, and the pastor might be okay as well. But no one is likely to know that unless someone tells them. Even people who know something about us probably won’t come unless someone invites them.

At the model railroad club, two thousand invitations (last year) increased our attendance by one hundred guests. That works out to be a success rate of about one in twenty. What if we did that at Christ Church? What if every regular attender invited twenty people over the course of the year? If we had that same kind of success at the train club, the result might be eighty first-time visitors each year and some percentage of those might choose to attend more often or even join the church. If we all choose to innovate and experiment, it is entirely possible that we could double the size of our congregation in five years. Doing what we’ve done for generations doesn’t guarantee success.

It is important that every one of us becomes more invitational. Maybe that means we have more conversations with the people that we meet in the community, or that we become more intentional about passing out invitation cards. But it is important that we do something different.

Our survival may depend upon it.

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