John Partridge

Plans, Plots, Phonies, and the Real Deal

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Plans, Plots, Phonies, and the Real Deal

November 10, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17               Mark 12:38-44                       Hebrews 9:24-28

Everyone here will some sort of reaction to the words “conspiracy theory.” In the last few years, we have heard conspiracy theories about all sorts of things from election interference, to immigration, to Covid drugs, to emergency management organizations, to church politics, and all sorts of other things. Weirder still, some of the things that have been labeled as discredited conspiracy theories turned out to be real conspiracies. All those things make us suspicious of all the news that we see, hear, and read as we move forward and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But this morning, I want you to keep your “suspicion radar” turned on as we read scripture and as I read our first story, I want you to consider why Ruth and Naomi are doing the things that they are plotting to do.

We begin this morning by reading a part of the story of Ruth, in which Ruth, an immigrant widow, has followed her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Israel. But, with neither of them having male heirs, they do not have any legal access to the family lands to which they might have had access through their Israelite husbands. And so, they have been surviving by following the harvesters and gleaning what little grain they could find that the harvesters had left behind. Until the day that we join the story in Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 where we hear this:

3:1 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a homefor you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight, he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

4:13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Okay, did you understand the plot that Naomi had hatched? Naomi was smart. She was a Jew by birth, and she understood the law and culture and as such she guided her daughter-in-law Ruth in what to do and how to do it. First, it is important to understand that Boaz was a distant relation to Naomi’s husband and as such, could help them access any lands or wealth that belonged to them. Second, Boaz already had some measure of wealth and land and could afford to hire laborers to plant, tend, and harvest the lands under his control. Third, Boaz had already noticed Ruth and Naomi gleaning behind his harvesters and had already given his hired men instructions to leave a little “extra” behind for them. We might understand this as charity and generosity, but as the story develops, there is also good reason to understand that Boaz had, um, “noticed” Ruth because she was nice to look at.

And so, what happens is that Naomi tells Ruth to take a bath, put on some perfume, dress as nicely as she could, and then go down to where Boaz was working on the threshing floor winnowing his harvest and wait for him to go to bed. Once he had laid down for the night, in the dark, Ruth was to uncover his feet and lie down with him. And that, my friends, is a kind of “stop the presses” moment in the story. This is both sexual and provocative. For an unmarried woman to lay down with an unmarried man was scandalous and shocking. Although it may not sound like much to our twenty-first century sensitivities, this is symbolically the same kind of offer that we understand to be happening when James Bond finds a naked woman in his bed. Ruth’s actions were submissive, sexual, and represented an offer that Boaz clearly understood.

And so, in the part that we skipped, Boaz, who was an honorable man, knows that while he is a distant relation to Naomi’s husband, also knows that there is one other relative who is a closer relation, and legally should have what we would think of as the first right of refusal. But the thing is, although the women didn’t have the kind of rights that we would expect today, the law was written to protect the widows. As such, the nearest relative couldn’t just claim the family land, they had to marry the widow and give her children so that the land would stay in the family. As it happens, the nearest relative of Naomi’s husband was already married, and his wife had no interest in him having a second wife. And so, that man legally, in the sight of witnesses in the city gate, gives his rights to claim the land to Boaz who then invites both Ruth and Naomi into his family and becomes financially responsible for both of them, and also opening the door for Boaz to marry Ruth.

So now that you know the rest of the story, do you see how smart Naomi was and how she planned and plotted? She took Ruth to Boaz’ fields so that he would see her. She knew that Boaz had noticed how pretty Ruth was. She knew that he was a wealthy, eligible bachelor, and she knew throwing the suggestion of sex into the mix might just be enough to get him motivated enough to put a ring on it.

But in our next scripture, we see far more evil sorts of plots being committed by people in positions of power and authority, not just politicians, but leaders of the church. In Mark 12:38-44 we hear Jesus warn the people.

38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you; this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Jesus said that the teachers of the law, who could have been any number of religious and political leaders, loved the deference and respect that people gave them when they walked about in public. They liked being treated as VIPs in the marketplaces, and synagogues, and public banquets. But these leaders who appeared to be both respectable and highly religious, and who made long and loud public prayers, were, at the same time, foreclosing on the homes of widows like Naomi, seizing their lands, selling them, and profiting from them. Oh, I’m sure that it was all nice and legal, but morally and ethically it was as shady as heck. In contrast, Jesus points out some rick folks who showed off by throwing large amounts of money, money that they could easily afford to give away, into the offering receptacles in front of an audience so that they could look good. They made so much noise with their giving that no one even noticed when this poor widow donated two copper coins that represented all the money that she had to live on.

Jesus’ message is clear. Between these two kinds of people, it was the poor that had greater generosity, and it was the poor who had greater faith, not to mention greater integrity. But it was the wealthy and respected, but absolutely phony, religious leaders who obeyed the laws of men while simultaneously violating the laws of God.

In contrast to these phony leaders who put on a show to gain respect while stealing from impoverished widows, Paul, in his letter to a group of Jews who had converted to become the followers of Jesus, writes about how Jesus was the authentic real deal. In Hebrews 9:24-28, Paul writes:

24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Paul reminds us that the priests in the temple offered sacrifices to God for the forgiveness of sins again and again, over and over again, day after day, and year after year. And on top of that, the high priest would offer an annual sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of the nation and for any other sins that might have been forgotten or overlooked by all the other sacrifices. And on top of that the high priest also had to offer sacrifices for any sins that he might have committed himself.

But Jesus was different.

Jesus was sinless. There was no need for him to sacrifice for his own sin because there wasn’t any. But Jesus sacrificed anyway and the sacrifice that he offered wasn’t grain, or wine, or the life of an animal. He offered his own sinless life as a sacrifice for the sins of others, for all of us, so that everyone’s sins could be taken away forever. Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate selfless act of generosity because he gave the most important thing he had, for something that he had no need of himself, in order to rescue the entire world.

Naomi plotted and carefully maneuvered Ruth through the tangle of culture, law, gender, and marriage to persuade Boaz to rescue the two of them and in doing so, became a part of the story of Israel’s greatest king and eventually bring about the rescue of the entire world. She didn’t know that, of course, but it was all a part of God’s greater plan.

Jesus warned the people that even their respected religious leaders often acted in their own selfish interests and used the legal system to steal from the most vulnerable in their society.

But Jesus was the real thing. Jesus’ gift to the world was completely selfless. Jesus gave up his own perfect life so that all of us, and the entire world, for all time and forever, could all be rescued from sin and death.

As we have watched the news and heard countless conspiracy theories, we have all become so suspicious and cynical that our natural inclination has become one that wants to follow the money or look for who benefits from the conspiracy. But that suspicion and cynicism breaks down with the story of Jesus. Jesus didn’t benefit from his gift. Jesus gave up the most valuable thing that he had s give the world something that we could never afford to purchase on our own. And, in the ultimate reversal of our suspicion and cynicism, Jesus asks, and even commands, us to share that gift with others. Because his great gift to the world can never be bought or sold, it can only be shared and given away, and it can only be accepted as a gift.

And this is where you fit. We tell the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And we tell how the story continues through the grand arc of history through Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, and how their family reached down to King David, and then through a thousand years of history to Jesus and the disciples. And now God is asking you to be a part of his story by sharing the good news and giving away the gift of rescue.

It isn’t a conspiracy. It is (sort of) a plot, and it’s definitely a plan.

God wants you to help save the world.

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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.™

Death’s End

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Death’s End

November 03, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

Isaiah 25:6-9              John 11:32-44                        Revelation 21:1-6a

Although our contemporary culture almost exclusively publicizes and promotes Halloween, that celebration of darkness is rooted in the church celebration of All Saints Day on November first. If the light of the saints is celebrated and remembered on November first, then October thirty-first must be the last day for darkness to have one last hurrah. But although they do so in different ways, both days manage to remind us of our frail mortality. We are reminded that, except for Jesus, everyone who has ever been born will eventually die. Death has a one hundred percent success rate. But as we remember and celebrate All Saints Day today, we remember that this will not always be true.

We begin this morning in Isaiah 25:6-9, where we hear a message of hope in the prophecy that one day death will be defeated, not just once, but for everyone and forever.

6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
    a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
    the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8     he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.

9 In that day they will say,

“Surely this is our God;
    we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
    let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

But despite the prophecy of Isaiah, death remained undefeated for eight hundred more years. Nothing seemed to change. The cycle of life and death remained exactly as it was… until Jesus arrives three days late to his friend Lazarus’ house. Had Jesus only arrived earlier, things might have been different. And that is exactly the thought with which Lazarus’ sister Mary greets Jesus upon his arrival in John 11:32-44.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

And suddenly, at least for a few years, death’s track record was less than one hundred percent. And then, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, it was broken for good. But still, it was broken by just one person and still held power over every other member of humanity. But again, this will not always be the case. Lazarus and Jesus were just a preview of what is to come. A demonstration of what is possible, and evidence that death’s power has been broken. God was clear in his message to Isaiah that death will be overthrown, that the shroud that enfolds all people and the sheet that covers all nations will be destroyed for all time and death swallowed up forever. But despite the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus, and a few others, that hasn’t happened yet. But in Revelation 21:1-6a, through the vision and Revelation of the disciple John, God repeats the promise that we heard in Isaiah. There is a day coming when God’s people will see the end of death.

21:1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.

Here, John tells us of his vision in which he saw the end of everything permanent. The end of heaven, the end of earth, and the end of the sea. God descends from above and takes up residence among his people and wipes away every tear from their eyes. No longer will there be pain, suffering, mourning, or crying. No longer will death rear its ugly head. This is the day that we will finally witness death’s end and the beginning of a new forever. This is the day that death will be defeated, not just once, and not just for one person, for all people, and for all time. Everything will be made new, Jesus will give us the water of life, and we will live in Christ, and forever with Christ.

Until then, we will gather, as we have today, to celebrate and remember those who have crossed over from this life into the next. And we will continue to remember, until it is our turn to join them or until Christ’s return brings an end to death forever.

That is God’s promise and our great hope.

Until the return of Jesus Christ, death continues to be inevitable and unavoidable.

But for the people of God and the followers of Jesus Christ…

…death is only a temporary condition.

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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.™

Pastor’s Report 2024

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Pastor’s Report 2024

by Pastor John Partridge

Note: Every year, I am asked to present a report of the year for our annual Charge Conference. It’s really sort of a “what I did last summer” kind of report that asks, “What did your church do for the last year?” Long ago I decided that my answers should not be seen as any kind of a secret, and so I publish them here, and in our church newsletter. I’m excited about the future of Christ Church and its people and I hope that by talking more about it, others might learn about it, join us, and grow with us as we care for the people around us the way that Jesus cares for us. So, what follows is this year’s report:

As Christ Church entered 2024, we committed to keeping our mission statement in the front of our awareness and thus keeping our focus on our mission to reach out to our community and to use our gifts to do whatever we can to meet the needs of the people around us. Each church committee was challenged to regularly consider how the goals set out in our mission statement might be met in the context of the work being done by that group. As a result, some changes were made. Some of those changes were subtle and others were more visible, but even the subtle ones are having an impact.

One of our goals was to offer training to our members and leaders to better prepare and equip us to do the work of Jesus in our community. Toward this end we hosted a Bridges Out of Poverty training course which was open to anyone and advertised to East Ohio Conference churches as well as to our local Chamber of Commerce and local schools. While we might have hoped for more, attendance at this training event was good and was attended by both members of Christ Church as well as others from our community. Christ Church continued in our pursuit of developing a more active presence and ministry on the campus of the University of Mount Union (UMU) and, toward that end, several of our campus ministry team attended monthly training webinars hosted by the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO).  For several years, we had been hoping to partner with CCO in placing a campus ministry intern at UMU, but CCO has been challenged to find sufficient volunteers and, as of now, Christ Church has begun pursuing other options to establish and grow our presence on campus.

This year Christ Church continued to have a presence at the summer concerts at the caboose downtown where we gave out popcorn, water, and ice cream in exchange for donations to Habitat for Humanity. We also continued our collections in support of the Alliance Community Food Pantry, the Salvation Army, and the Alliance of Churches. In addition, with the growing number of children present in our worship services, we relaunched a monthly “Noisy Can” offering which has nearly tripled our regular giving to the Alliance of Churches bread ministry and the Salvation Army food pantry. Similarly, our increased focus on finding solutions for the needs of our community inspired our United Women of Faith to make a substantial $30,000 donation from the Martha Goldrick endowment fund toward the YWCA project which will provide temporary housing to women and children in crisis situations.  $15,000 was donated to the YWCA for immediate needs and $15,000 was invested with the Greater Alliance Foundation in establishing the YWCA Transitional Housing Fund to encourage wider community support of future needs.

As noted, we continue to see an increase in the number of children each Sunday and have now launched a second class so that we can better provide age-appropriate instruction. At the same time, our youth ministry through scouting remains strong and is reaching many young people and their families through our Cub Scout pack and two scout troops.

For some time, our members have been encouraged to be more invitational, and that message has begun to bear fruit as we have seen an increase in the number of visitors as well as several new members and regular attenders coming from those who first came as invited guests. Thankfully, we have only lost one current member to death or transfer and have therefore seen an increase in our membership for the first time in several years. We have also scheduled a new member class (and we anticipate that another may be needed after that) and so we hope that we will soon add even more to our congregation.

Overall, we are seeing positive changes throughout the life of our congregation, and it is our hope that we will continue to encourage those changes and the growth that they have inspired. I am encouraged by the things that we have seen in 2024, and I am optimistic that we will continue to build on the growth that we have seen. In sum, I believe that there is a bright future for Christ Church, its mission to the people of our community, and our place in the work of Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Pastor John Partridge

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Innocence, Guilt, and the Judgement of God

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Innocence, Guilt, and the Judgement of God

October 13, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

Job 23:1-9, 16-17                   Mark 10:17-31                       Hebrews 4:12-16

Everyone has different habits when they watch television, and we all have our favorite things to watch. At our house, we watch a lot of police shows like NCIS, FBI, Castle, and Bones. In one of the shows that we watched this week, there was a woman who was convicted for a long sentence because she refused to accept a plea bargain. And, she had refused to accept a plea bargain, because she never stopped insisting that she was innocent of the crime. I didn’t see how that episode ended, but when I started looking at the scriptures for this week’s message, it got me thinking that this was exactly like the situation in which Job had found himself.

You will remember from last week that Job had done absolutely nothing wrong. But as we read the rest of the story, Job is the only person who believes that. Job’s wife urges him to curse God and die. Job’s friends come to sit with him, but each of them tells him that it would be best if he just accepted a plea bargain from God. They advise him that his situation, having lost his children, his wealth, and his physical health, makes it clear that he is guilty. Admittedly, the evidence against Job is all circumstantial, but to Job’s friends, and everyone else, the circumstantial evidence seems to be overwhelming. And so, their advice is to simply confess his guilt before God, whether he did it or not, and maybe God would be merciful.

But Job isn’t done. Like the woman on television, Job continues to protest his innocence, and he wants to make his appeal directly to God. But for Job, God seems to have gone missing. He feels as if his prayers are unheard. And in Job 23:1-9, 16-17 we hear this:

23:1 Then Job replied:

2 “Even today my complaint is bitter;
    his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.
3 If only I knew where to find him;
    if only I could go to his dwelling!
4 I would state my case before him
    and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would find out what he would answer me,
    and consider what he would say to me.
6 Would he vigorously oppose me?
    No, he would not press charges against me.
7 There the upright can establish their innocence before him,
    and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.

8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there;
    if I go to the west, I do not find him.
9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
    when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.

16 God has made my heart faint;
    the Almighty has terrified me.
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,
    by the thick darkness that covers my face.

Job is in search of God so that he can protest his innocence, but he is afraid of what he will find. Job knows the power and majesty of God and is terrified of what it might be like to be in God’s presence, but nonetheless, Job is not silenced by his fear and presses on to declare his innocence anyway.

The situation of Job is reversed in the story of Jesus that we read in Mark 10:17-31. Here, we find a man who claims to be guiltless… but when Jesus challenges him, we discover that he is not.

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth.

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it isto enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus tells the man that he lacks only one thing, and I have to say, we aren’t sure what one thing that Jesus had in mind because it isn’t hard to start naming things that he is missing. Certainly he lacked in humility, and it seems likely that he is lacking in generosity but, since the focus was on the commandments of Moses, the two most likely commandments that he is missing are two that Jesus didn’t mention, “You shall not covet,” and “You shall have no other gods before me.” If this wealthy man is innocent of wanting what others have, then he remains guilty of loving his money a little too much. When facing a choice between following Jesus and gaining eternal life, or holding tightly to his money, the man chooses money. For him, money had become more important than God.

But in the world that the disciples had grown up in, much like we often hear today, many people, even many of the teachers of scripture, taught that the rich had been given their wealth by God and that their wealth was a symbol of God’s blessing. And so, when Jesus says that it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, the disciples absolutely freak out. They instantly ask Jesus how this is possible. If the rich are blessed by God and they can’t get into heaven, then how can anyone else get in? Even worse, if no one can get in, then what about the twelve of them who left everything to follow Jesus? And what Jesus tells them is that God’s math is different than human math. God’s system of accounting is different than the one that humans usually use. For God, it isn’t the rich that are blessed, it’s the people who have been faithful to God and who have done the things that God has called them to do. The people who have left home to follow Jesus, or who have given up family or wealth, or have endured persecution for the sake of the gospel will be rewarded even if they were poor. Despite what the teachers of Israel were saying two thousand years ago, and despite what you may hear from many modern televangelists, it isn’t about prosperity, it’s about obedience.

But we are not like Job. We are not certain that we have done nothing wrong. We understand that we get things wrong with some regularity. And, like the disciples of Jesus, we worry that we might not be good enough, that we might not have enough faith, and that God might judge us too harshly. And in Hebrews 4:12-16 the Apostle Paul offers us this encouragement:

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Paul says that when we read God’s word, we can feel it penetrate us and convict us of our wrongdoing as if it were a sword. Our sin and our guilt are laid bare for us to see where we have fallen short. But our God, our Jesus, understands how we feel and what we experience. Jesus set aside the glory of heaven, came down to earth, became one of us, lived among us, and felt the things that we feel. And so, God understands our weaknesses, our failures, and our temptations and knowing how badly we have failed, still offers us mercy, grace, and forgiveness in abundance.

Even when things go terribly wrong, even when life is hard, even when we worry about not being good enough, God never leaves. God watches over us and his eyes never leave us. No matter how badly we screw up, God never abandons us. Instead, God understands us. God understands what it is like to be human and offers us mercy, grace, healing, forgiveness…

…and hope.

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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 Comstock on Freeimages.com

Church is a Team Sport

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Church is a Team Sport

September 29, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22               Mark 9:38-50             James 5:13-20

What makes you think less of yourself as an individual, and more as a part of something larger than yourself? When we join scouting, we sometimes think of what is good for the troop rather than what is best for our individual gain, but sometimes we think beyond the local troop and think of scouting nationally, or even internationally as the scouting movement. If we join the military, we are taught to think in terms of what is good for the squad, platoon, company, and the mission beyond what is good for me personally. During World War Two, troops were reminded that “Loose Lips Sink Ships” and that the actions of individuals could have consequences beyond their own lives. At home, civilians were reminded to “Buy War Bonds,” to plant Victory Gardens, to reduce consumption, and to recycle to aid the war effort. On a national scale, our friends in the United Kingdom were reminded to sacrifice “For King and Country” and Americans to do our duty to “Make the world safe for democracy.”

And, as we read scripture, we are reminded that none of these ideas are new. England, as a nation, is obviously much older than the United States. But the idea of patriotism and sacrificing the needs of the individual for the needs of the king, or of the nation, is far older still. We begin by reading from the story of Esther, in which we find the queen preparing a banquet where she will reveal a plot in which King Xerxes’ closest advisor, Haman, has secretly and covertly had the king sign an edict that would allow all the people of the kingdom, which spanned most of the known world, to kill their Jewish neighbors and take any and all wealth, property, and belongings for themselves. With that in mind, we join Esther’s story in Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22 where we hear this:

7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, 2 and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits [75 ft, or 6 stories, almost certainly an exaggeration]stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

The king said, “Impale him on it!” 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

9:20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

This has always been a powerful story but this week it is also a reminder that it is useful to read the footnotes. In the footnote for verse four, which says, “I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king” has an alternate version that has appeared in some ancient manuscripts. That alternate version offers us some additional understanding of the intent of Esther’s statement. In English that alternate version says that this action would cost the king money, or specifically, “I would have kept quiet, but the compensation our adversary offers cannot be compared with the loss the king would suffer.”

What Esther is saying means that Haman is acting in his own selfish interests, and not acting in the best interests of the king. I think that helps us to understand why King Xerxes is so quickly angered. Not only are the lives of all the Jews threatened, and not only is Xerxes’ queen among them, but in sum, this action would cost the king money. Haman’s crime, therefore, is in plotting to steal wealth from the king, to put his personal interests ahead of the interests of the nation and of the king, and of simply not being a team player.

As an aside, the celebration of the Jew’s rescue that we just read about, is now known as the Jewish holiday of Purim.

We see something similar in Mark 9:38-50 where John complains that there are people acting in the name of Jesus who are not the disciples that we read about in the gospel stories.

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck, and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where

“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
    and the fire is not quenched.’

49 Everyone will be salted with fire.

50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

At the beginning of this passage, we find John complaining to Jesus that there are others, who are not among the twelve disciples or other close followers of Jesus, who are driving out demons in the name of Jesus. For John, this broke the rules. In his mind, clearly, ‘Team Jesus’ was limited to the twelve and to those others that were likewise sort of joined at the hip with Jesus. But Jesus tells John to let them keep on doing what they were doing. For Jesus, anyone who was not working against them was on their team and, by extension, anyone who was doing good in the name of Jesus must certainly be a member of ‘Team Jesus.’

But just to be sure that everyone understands, Jesus expands on his explanation saying that if you give someone a cup of water because you follow Jesus, then you will be rewarded as a team member. Likewise, anyone who chases believers away from Jesus will be cursed and brought to account on the day of judgement. When Jesus says that it is better to cut of your hand if it will cause you to stumble, what he is saying is that nothing in our lives can be allowed to make us lose our place on the team. Spiritually, we must care for ourselves, but we must also care for one another, and care for everyone on ‘Team Jesus.’

Jesus says, “Everyone will be salted with fire.” And then talks about salt and saltiness. For us in the modern world that’s a little confusing and I want to unpack that a little. Salt, in the ancient world, was used for a couple different things. One, to flavor our food, we still understand. But the second common use of salt was as the floor of an oven, much like modern pizza ovens use a piece of hearthstone. But, after enduring the heat of the oven for some length of time, the salt would lose the qualities that had originally made it work. At that point, it was no longer good for use in the oven and stopped tasting salty. It was at that point that it would just be used to fill potholes or be used as gravel or something. And so, what Jesus is saying is that everyone will be tested for usefulness. When Jesus says, “Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another” what he is saying is that we should be found useful in our church and in our community.

And finally, after hearing James, in our scriptures last week, say that our prayers were not answered because our motives were wrong, this week we hear him tell us what things are appropriate for which to pray. In James 5:13-20 he says:

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

The message that we should hear is that we should not pray for things that would satisfy our selfish pleasures, but for those things that help to accomplish the goals of the kingdom of God and of Jesus Christ. Pray in times of trouble. Pray to give thanks. Pray for the healing of the sick. Pray for the forgiveness of sin. James calls us to confess our sins to one another, and then to pray for one another for healing. James reminds us that Elijah prayed that it would not rain because the lack of rain was a way in which God would be revealed. The goal, James says, is to advance the mission of God’s Team and ‘Team Jesus.’ If someone wanders away from the team, do what you can to bring them back on the team.

The story of Esther reminds us that all those who serve the king must look out for the interests of their king and their country, and not try to use the king’s resources to serve their selfish desires.

The story of the John and the disciples that we read in the gospel of Mark reminded us that our team is bigger than just the people that you see in church on Sunday morning. We do not serve ‘Team Church,’ or ‘Team Denomination.’ Rather, we serve ‘Team Jesus’ and are called to care for ourselves, as well as all those, children, and adults, regardless of church or denomination, who worship him. We are called to care for others, and to be useful to our church and to our community.

The goal isn’t to enrich ourselves personally, or to satisfy our selfish desires. The goal is to serve the team and to help the team to accomplish the goals of the king of creation. But to do these things, we need each other, and we need to care for one another. We are called to be the church. We are called to be Jesus to the people around us.

But what we have learned from all of our scriptures today is that being the church…

…is a team sport.

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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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Considering “What’s Next?”

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Considering “What’s Next?”

Easter 2024
by John Partridge

As we approach Easter, we must all consider the question of “What’s next?” If we’re serious about our faith, Easter is all about the “what’s next” and not yesterday, today, or tradition.

What do I mean by that?

What I mean is, Easter, from the very beginning, was a transformative, and transformational event. No one who saw what happened, or who believed that it happened, was the same afterward as they were before. After the crucifixion, Peter gave up. He left Jerusalem, walked home to Galilee, and went back to work as a fisherman. And it wasn’t just Peter because the story in John 21 tells us that Thomas, Nathaniel, James, John, and two others were with him. This had to be some time after they had seen Jesus in Jerusalem because Galilee is 60 or 70 miles away and probably a three-day walk. But after they meet Jesus, again, but it is here that Jesus commands Peter to “Feed my sheep,” “Feed my lambs,” and “Follow me.”

After this moment, Peter, and all the other disciples, never make any further attempts to go back to a normal life. From this moment onward, they dedicate their lives to telling the world about what they had seen and heard, and what Jesus had done for every human being that ever lived. For the disciples, for Lazarus and his sisters, for the unnamed followers of Jesus, men and women alike, who were gathered in the upper room at Pentecost, and even for many of the Pharisees and priests that came to believe the truth about Jesus, “What’s next” was a life changing question.

Their lives would never be the same. They could never go back to whatever “normal’ they had before they had met Jesus. Knowing the truth changed the way that they looked at the world, changed the way that they saw the people around them, and changed the way that they made the choices that guided their careers, their lives, and everything that they did forever.

As we celebrate Easter, we need to put ourselves in their place. If we genuinely believe that the events of Easter really happened, and that Jesus really is who the gospel writers say that he is, then we need to ask ourselves the same question. “What’s next?”

Knowing the truth changes us.

Like the disciples, we must listen to where God is leading us, what he is calling us to do, where he is calling us to go, and how God intends to transform us. And like the disciples, those changes might be terrific, but they might be terrifying, they might be successful, but they might be sacrificial. Whatever it is that God is calling us to do, and wherever it is that God is calling us to go…

…simply returning to the old “normal” is not an option.

Blessings,

Pastor John

The Intersection of Why and What

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The Intersection of Why and What

February 22, 2024

by John Partridge


Here are two important questions:

  1. Why are we here?
  2. What are we doing about it?

Last fall, we had several strategic planning meetings. One of the things that grew out of those meetings was our new vision statement that you see at the top of our bulletin every week. But another was a conversation about why God has put us here, as Queen Esther would have said, “for such a time as this.” During the strategic planning meeting we asked two important questions. First, “What are the pressing needs of our community?” And second, “What are the strengths of our congregation?” Only when we answer the latter two questions, we will be able to answer the two questions that I asked at the beginning of this letter.

The needs that we listed in our meetings, with the input of many community leaders, were poverty, hunger, housing (including homelessness, blight, and high rents), lack of workforce and lack of jobs, safe places for youth, support for parents, mental health, drugs, and transportation. At the same time, we listed the strengths of our congregation as outreach, music, caring and compassionate congregation, generosity, education, leaders, organizers, our endowment, our connections and contacts, our physical plant/building and our adjoining lots used for both green space and the community garden.

That’s a lot.

But I want to keep these ideas in front of us rather than just allowing them to be an exercise that we once did and promptly forgot. Our community needs us, and our future depends upon us doing something about it.

And so, I’m inviting you all to think and dream about where these two lists intersect. What is the intersection of What we are, and what is needed? What is the intersection of “Why are we here?” and “What do the people around us need us to be and do?”

We really need you to do this.

Often, I ask these sorts of questions in our newsletter, and everyone seems to think that they are rhetorical questions (they are not). And I never get more than one or two answers, if any. But these questions need to be answered and I will be bringing them to our church boards for more discussion as we seek to find a new direction, purpose, and yes, a new strategic plan for our future.

But what might that look like?

From the list above, it could be many things, but here is an example based on something that we already do, and with which we already have some familiarity. Think about housing. Last week the Alliance chapter of Habitat for Humanity accepted applications for this year’s round of construction. Habitat will build or renovate three houses, but they had something like 150 applications. Yikes.  That number is mind blowing, but it gives us a glimpse of insight into the housing needs of our community.

So, what if, instead of raising money for three months, once every other year, for our share of the Apostle build, what if we raised money for twenty-four months? What if, instead of setting our goal at $5,000. We set a goal of $20,000 or even $150,000 (which is the cost of an entire Habitat house)?

What if, as some churches are doing in other states, we used some of our vacant land to build “tiny houses” to help get homeless people in our community under a roof, out of the weather, and help them move toward a better life?

What if our church bought and renovated one of the empty buildings in our city and created a multi-unit, low cost, rent-controlled, safe place, apartment complex?

These are all examples to help you dream. Some of them are big dreams. But honestly, given the resources, generosity, and leadership available in our congregation, I believe that, given enough time, any of them, or all of them, are possible for us to achieve if we decided to do so. But housing is just one of the needs that we listed.

What else might God be calling us to be or to do?

Why are we here?

What are we doing about it?

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A Year in Review: 2023

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2023 Year in Review

by John Partridge

Well, our annual “End of Year” reports have been completed and turned in to the East Ohio Annual Conference. So… how did we do? Overall, I am pleased and think that we did well. Of course, the numbers don’t tell the whole story, but they do tell us things. So, let’s review a few numbers and consider what they tell us.

We started 2023 with 289 members and we received 5 new members. Unfortunately, we removed 13 members that were lost to death. That is both sad and unfortunate and we grieve the loss of our friends. The good news is that we did gain five new members and, if we’re honest, that’s five more than many churches. The reality remains that our survival depends upon us inviting new people to worship, connecting them to small groups and other ministries of the church and, eventually, bringing them into membership.

Despite the loss of so many members, quite a few of whom were regular in worship, our average attendance increased from 65 to 70, which is an increase of 8 percent and our United Women in Faith saw a 25 percent increase in membership. At the same time, the average number of people who worship online increased by 50 percent from 24 to 36. We also saw an 83 percent increase in the number of children, growing from 6 to 11 in Sunday school and the addition of one more children’s class to accommodate them. Not surprisingly, we did see a small decrease in adult Sunday school attendance, largely due to the loss of the older members previously mentioned. Overall, however, our average attendance in Sunday school increased by 5 percent. And, although I have said it before, as has Pastor Chris, the percentage of our congregation that attends Sunday school, compared to most any other church in our connection, is strikingly high. In the average Protestant church, 44 percent of those in worship attend Sunday school. At Christ Church, that number is 63 percent.

We did see a 7 percent decrease in total giving and, with the departure of Men’s Challenge, a small drop in building use fees, but we did see a 9 percent increase in pledged giving and an increase in “unidentified gifts” which is made up of things like our loose offering, Chuck Wagon offering, Pennies for Heaven, Sunday school offerings, and this year will include the Noisy Can offering.

Additionally, we continue to have a strong (for our size) online presence. The website where our sermons are posted currently has 221 subscribers which translates to about 70 views per week. Those same sermons are sent out to 296 subscribers by email, which is an increase of 89 from last year. Of those, about 60 subscribers open the email and read it. And our YouTube livestream increased by 17 subscribers during 2023 and now has 123 total subscribers with between 30 and 40 viewers of each week’s message.

So, what does all that mean?

As I look at it, it means that there is still a need for, and an interest in what we are doing. It means that people are watching and reading online, but that some of them are also coming here in person. It means that the members and friends of Christ Church are inviting our friends and neighbors to worship with us and some of them have decided to stay and join our church family. It means that where only a few years ago it was common to have a Sunday without children, now it is rare that we do not have at least a few.

Yes, we have some challenges in front of us, but just as God has led us to navigate through those challenges in the past, we trust that he will continue to lead us into the future. Moreover, despite the losses that we have felt over the last year, the growth that we have seen gives us every reason to expect that growth to continue if we remain faithful in doing the work that God has given to us, continue being the hands and feet of Jesus, and never stop sharing what a great family that we have here at Christ Church.

In other words, there is every reason to have hope for, and even to expect a bright future.

Blessings,

Pastor John

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Waiting for Hope

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Waiting for Hope

December 24, 2023*

(Christmas Eve)

By Pastor John Partridge

Isaiah 9:2-7                Luke 2:1-20                Titus 2:11-14

READING 1:

Isaiah 9:2-7

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

READING 2:

Luke 2:1-7
2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

READING 3:

Luke 2:8-14

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God, and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

READING 4:

Luke 2:15-20

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying, and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Waiting for Hope

By Pastor John Partridge

Well… we’ve arrived.

For many of us, Christmas is our favorite season of the year. For some of you here, I have seen your posts on social media counting down to tonight and tomorrow morning. We might have hoped for a white Christmas, but I’m certain that we’ll have enough of that soon enough. We’ve sung the songs, we’ve heard the children, the pipe organ, the choir, and the bells. In a few minutes we will light the candles and welcome Christmas as we sing Silent Night. For many of us that is the moment that we know that Christmas has arrived and our hearts, and our souls are, even if only for a moment… at peace.

But what does it all mean?

Yes, we’ve heard the story. Yes, we know that the King of Kings was born to a virgin, entered into our earthly existence, and begun the journey that led to our salvation and rescue, but what about the here and now? We know the first century story, but what is the twenty-first century story? What does the Christmas story mean to us in our hectic, helter-skelter, world of rushed deadlines, underfunded budgets, and overscheduled calendars?

As much as we love the Christmas story, we all know that it represents just the very beginning of God’s invasion of the world and our work to tell humanity of Christ’s coming and call everyone to repentance and reconciliation with God. The disciples knew that too. And in his letter to his friend, we hear Paul helping Titus to grapple with the message of Jesus Christ and understand his, and our, role in the world around us. Titus was one of Paul’s missionary partners, a pastor, capable church administrator, responsible ally, evangelist, and a trusted friend. And, in Paul’s letter he tells Titus that what we are doing in the post-resurrection world, is… waiting for hope. That’s a puzzling idea, and so let’s read a larger passage from Titus 2:11-14, to hear, in context, what Paul is saying. He says:

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Paul says that the coming of Jesus Christ was, for us, the appearance of God’s grace to the world and offers salvation to all people. That grace, and that rescue, teaches us to navigate the chaos of the world around us. We surrounded by a culture that admires and idolizes lives that are at least, or often completely, out of control and burning with ungodly and worldly passions that worship sex, drugs, gambling, power, and excesses of every kind and flavor. But God’s grace guides us toward lives that are moral, ethical, upright, and self-controlled… which absolutely is not saying that we live lives that are boring, humorless, or without fun or other enjoyment, but that find fun and enjoyment in ways that honor God.

The odd part of Paul’s writing is where it says that we live these lives “while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of… Jesus Christ.” I’m certain that Paul isn’t saying that we live without hope, because Jesus Christ is our hope. Rather, I think what he is saying, when he says that we wait for the “blessed hope,” is that we live these lives while we wait for the fulfillment of our hope and return of Jesus Christ.

And so, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we must remember not just that he came, but why he came. Jesus came to earth to call the world to repentance, to rescue us from sin and death, to teach us how to live moral, ethical, upright, and godly lives in the middle of a world that is immoral, unethical, out of control, and ungodly. Our mission is to tell the people around us that God offers them a better way and a better life. And we must live and love in such a way, that the people around us can see that better life in us, know that God’s offer is real, and want what we have.

Merry Christmas everyone.

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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.™

Pastor’s Christmas Letter

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Pastor’s Christmas Letter

by John Partridge

Dear Friends,

This year the Advent season seemed to sneak up on us faster than I remember others in the past and we are already racing towards Christmas. This seems to race even faster when our fourth Sunday of Advent falls on Christmas Eve morning. This feeling of hectic scheduling makes it even more important that we be deliberate in preparing ourselves for the celebration of our Lord’s birth. I don’t just mean buying presents and decorating our homes, but preparing our hearts and our souls so that we can enjoy and appreciate the arrival of the newborn king.

I admit that since I was in my twenties, and in most ordinary years, I struggled (past tense) and still struggle (present tense) with being a humbug. I just don’t “feel” Christmas-y.  Before Patti and I were married, I discovered that one way to fight back, and to start feeling the warmth of the holiday was to start listening to Christmas music after Thanksgiving, even if I didn’t feel like it.  More recently, with the loss of my hearing and music often sounding off-key, music hasn’t been as effective and so instead I make sure to decorate our Christmas tree, turn on the lights, and look at it for a while every evening.

But that isn’t enough. Because the Spirit of God dwells within each one of us as the followers of Jesus, when we are together, we feel the presence, not only of other people, but also the presence of God himself. And so, every Sunday, but especially during Advent, it is important for all of us to worship together, to simply be together, so that we can feel that sensation of closeness to God and prepare our hearts for Christmas. That closeness to God is real and, as important as it is to us personally, it’s important that we don’t keep it to ourselves.

Statistically, about one-third of, or one in three, people say that they would be willing to attend or visit a church if they were invited. That willingness is often highest at Christmastime. Christmas Eve is easily one of the most attended worship services of the year in almost every church in North America. And so, as I have in the past, I hope that each one of you will invite at least five others to join us. Toward that end, we have printed business cards that you can give to your friends, classmates, business associates, barber, hairdresser, grocery store clerk, or anybody else, and invite them to join us as we worship and celebrate Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve and Christmas are a time when we draw close to one another, and draw close to God, in a way that is both special and memorable not just because of the people, but because it is a time when we encounter the Spirit of God in a special way. Of course, we will share the extraordinary experience of hearing our choirs, bell choirs, pipe organ, and singing traditional and meaningful carols of Christmas together. But most importantly, we will remember the story of God’s invasion of the earth and the arrival of the Christ child, who would become the rescuer and redeemer of all humanity.

I hope that you will join us as we draw closer one another, and closer to God, together.

Blessings,

Pastor John

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