Blog: Random Thoughts on Sunday's Sermon

Below are some random thoughts on this coming Sunday's message. We hope they create a little time in your day to reflect on the journey of faith and life. If they spur any thoughts, quotes, or experiences, please share them. God moves among us as we share with each other.

The Most Difficult Job in the World

I was in DC this past week for some meetings with a few national faith leaders. One of the leaders we met with is Pastor Gordon Gosby who has dedicated his life to serving God and loving all of God’s children. He began his ministry journey as a chaplain in WWII and when he returned home he began Church of the Savior. He is noticeably in his last years but that has not complicated his message. Pastor Cosby looked us straight in the eyes, inspiring and challenging us all at the same time, and said “Leading a church that is true to Jesus is the most difficult job in the world.”

This reminds me of our Gospel passage this week from Mark 8:27-38. Jesus is talking to a crowd of his disciples and says “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves take up their cross and follow me.” When I read the Gospels I find that following Jesus is both daunting and incredibly life-giving. I believe following the way of Christ is the best possible way to live but I also believe it takes discipline and grace.

As I have been reflecting on what it means to follow the way of Christ it has lead me to more honesty about the ways things are not equal in society. I’ve been thinking about Jesus consistent privileging of the poor and I’ve been wondering what it means for me to privilege the poor in my life in New York City and in our life at West End. I think the words of Mark 8 teach us something about denying our privileges so that “every valley shall be exalted” (Isaiah 40:4-5). This is a call that leads me to self-reflection, prayerful confession, and different choices that honor all of God’s children.

I think Pastor Cosby is correct; remaining true to Jesus is the most difficult job in the world. May God be gracious to you and to me as we follow the way of Christ and seriously consider the words of Jesus and the prophet Isaiah.

Posted by Rev. Jes Kast-Keat, Friday, September 14, 2012

The Gospel in Seven Words

The other day I listened to someone ramble aimlessly while trying to describe the book he is writing. Not being able to take it anymore, I finally said, “Just tell me in one sentence what it’s about!” This prompted me to consider how succinctly I could describe the essence of Christianity. It’s worth thinking about. After all, our ability to express something concisely indicates how well we know what we’re talking about.

Recently, an article in The Christian Century (September 5, 2012) challenged several authors to summarize the gospel in seven words or less. Here are two submissions that captured my attention. Scott Cairns wrote, “Christ’s humanity occasions our divinity.” In explaining why he chose these words, he said, “The consensus of the church fathers and mothers is that the purpose of Christ’s coming is to endow us with life, divine life, endlessly becoming.” The second was by Beverly Roberts Gaventa, who wrote, “In Christ, God’s yes defeats our no.” She explained her submission in this way: “We belong to God’s love, from which we cannot finally flee.”

This challenge has left me wondering what seven words I would use. In doing so, it has forced me to drill down to the essence of what I believe. If you visit christiancentury.org/7words, you can read them all. What are your seven words?

Posted by Rev Michael Bos, Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Can faith save you?

In the book of James, he asks the question, “Can faith save you?” (v. 14). For those of us raised in the church, the answer is obvious: of course it can. That is the whole point of the Bible’s teaching—or so we think. But James provides an unexpected answer. He says that “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (v. 17).

This certainly challenges the idea that salvation comes through the grace of God and not through our efforts—a cornerstone of our theological heritage. Yet there it is in James, faith without works is dead. This is why the great reformer, Martin Luther, questioned the value and authority of the book of James. Its teachings complicated his theology!

I think James is on to something. Though we typically think of salvation as referring to what happens after death, “saved” also refers to the quality of life we experience here and now. Part of being saved is to be fully present to what God offers us in life. Therefore if I were to paraphrase James, I would state it this way, “Is contemplating what God desires enough to live a full life?” To this the answer is an emphatic “no.”

Faith is more than thinking the right thoughts about God. It is about taking the right actions that allow us to experience all that God offers us. Otherwise, faith is like contemplating going to the gym or asking someone on a date. It leads nowhere unless action is taken. In the same way, there are elements of faith that only bear fruit when acted upon. So instead of thinking about the things you’ll do someday, make today the day you take action!

Posted by Rev Michael Bos, Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Who do you yearn to be?

One of the great scenes in the Bible is when Joshua, the elder statesmen, gathers together the people of Israel before they begin a new chapter in their shared history. They are about to settle in a new land, and Joshua senses this is a critical time for reflection and decision. To do this, he uses seven simple words: “choose this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).

In this short imperative, Joshua is highlighting the opportunity before them. They are on the precipice of new beginnings. The old patterns of living have been broken, and new patterns must be formed. This is an opportunity that should not be squandered. In the space between the old and new, there is freedom to ask important questions. Who do I yearn to be? Who has God created me to be? What is God calling me to do? In the statement “choose this day whom you will serve,” we are being asked to consider the path we want to travel and with whom we want to share this journey.

A new church year provides us the space to consider who we yearn to be, and how God may be calling us to new things. It is time to switch off the auto-pilot of how we live and open ourselves to new directions!

Posted by Rev Michael Bos, Thursday, August 23, 2012

Taught by God

I’m back… kind of! After a wonderful holiday, I’ve returned to the office but will soon leave with our youth for their summer mission trip. This year we’re going to the Annville Institute in Kentucky to help build a home. It will be a true cross-cultural immersion for our youth and accompanying adults. We, entrenched urbanites, will experience rural Appalachian society. Many of the families in the area are struggling economically, with over 35% of the youth living below the poverty line. For over one hundred years the Annville Institute has had a vital and vibrant ministry with the community. In fact, my wife went to Annville as part of her youth mission trip--not to imply she is old!

As we travel to Annville to share life with new friends and seek to serve the community, the words of Jesus are on my mind: “they shall all be taught by God” (John 6:45). Serving in this way means taking risks, encountering new people, and experiencing some dislocation. But through it all, God has a way of teaching us things that sermons and Sunday school cannot convey. My prayer is that one week from now we will know we have been taught by God through the people of Annville, Kentucky. Thank you to all who gave so generously to make this trip possible.

Posted by Rev Michael Bos, Friday, August 3, 2012

Rest

Mark 6:30-56

I’m captivated by Jesus' simple invitation to his disciples in verse 31 that says “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” Come away…by yourselves…and rest. I think this verse has the potential to sing to the soul of busy New Yorkers. The invitation to rest is given to us by Jesus. Rest is part of Christian spirituality. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus offers the invitation again when he says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” There is an allure to constant busyness that beguiles us into thinking we are efficient and productive citizens. Yes, there is much work to do but we must also prioritize rest.

Rest affords us the opportunity to listen to our souls. Rest welcomes us into deeper places of our life. Rest welcomes us into peace. Rest rejuvenates us so that we can be creative, productive, and hospitable people. Fellow pilgrims, may you find rest this week. May your souls be held in the peace of Christ. May you respond to Jesus' invitation to find rest.

God’s grace and peace upon your work and your rest this week.

Posted by Rev. Jes Kast-Keat, Monday, July 16, 2012

Celebration!

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. - Psalm 100:1

Worship this Sunday will be a day filled with joy and gratitude. We will be celebrating Diversity Sunday, appreciating the choir for all their music and heart in worship, and some folks will be in Warwick on the church retreat discovering A Playful Faith. Truly this calls us to make a joyful noise to God! As we prepare for worship I want to join in with the thanksgiving of the writer of Philippians when he says “I thank my God every time I remember you.” I, along with many of you, am grateful for the creativity and beauty that the choir and the Director of Music Minister offer in worship each week. They have moved us to experience God and we couldn’t be more grateful – thank you.

We are also celebrating the beautiful rainbow of God’s diverse people. At West End we celebrate the array of political and religious opinions; we celebrate and welcome the LGBTQ community; we value the multiple cultures and ethnicities represented in the congregation; we are grateful that we are made up of young and old, partnered and single, and many different representations of family; we believe that there is unity in our diversity.

Come, and make a joyful noise this Sunday as we celebrate all that God has done and is doing in our midst!

Posted by Rev. Jes Kast-Keat, Friday, June 22, 2012

Your Timeline

Recent changes in Facebook have caused me to think about how the use of technology shapes how we see ourselves. With the addition of “Timeline,” Facebook has become a vehicle in which we share our life story. I like the overall concept. But when Facebook informed me that I had seven days before going public with my Timeline to ensure my page had the right look, I began to feel this was becoming more about managing my public persona than making social connections. However, I launched my Timeline and didn’t think much more about it until I read a blog by Bo Sanders on the website “Homebrewed Christianity.” In his blog he reviews John Reader’s Reconstructing Practical Theology: the Impact of Globalization.

I know this title makes your eyes glaze over, but there is something quite startling in what Sanders conveys about Reader’s work. We are undergoing a fundamental shift in how we see ourselves because of technology and globalization. His thesis: we increasingly view ourselves as a commodity, consumer, and project. I resonate with this because I feel the pressure and allure of spending more time carefully crafting my identity through personal websites, blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. In doing so, there is a part of me that feels I am becoming more an object than a Facebook “friend.”

It is not that technology is bad. I absolutely love it. But we should not forget how its use can shape how we view ourselves. Without realizing it, we can begin reducing ourselves to a commodity or project--and begin subtly judging others in this way. This can fragment global society into a marketplace of competing “commodities” (our created “selves”) rather than seeing ourselves as one human family. I don’t think there is a simple solution, but I will offer this: when we look at one another through the eyes of faith, we see that we are all children of God.

Posted by Rev Michael Bos, Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Getting Past First Impressions

We all share a limitation when it comes to assessing people: the first criterion we use in gauging others is appearance. We can’t help but do this. After all, we see the appearance of people before we know anything about them. We have labeled this phenomenon our “first impression.” And as we were taught, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Unfortunately, so much emphasis has been placed on first impressions that we can neglect to move past impressions in getting to know others. This is the root of prejudice: pre-judging people based on something other than actual knowledge of who they are.

There is a verse in 1 Samuel 16 we should all memorize. It is given at a critical juncture in the search for a new king. When one of the contenders, the Brad Pitt of Bethlehem, is considered, there is immediate support based on his appearance alone. Then God said, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

While the diversity of self-expression in our city is a wonderful thing, it can also turn into a competitive market place of impressions in which we spend too much time in trying to make good impressions—as well as judging others by them! Instead, we need to learn how to move past first impressions so we can see one another’s hearts.

Posted by Rev Michael Bos, Thursday, June 14, 2012

Not in My Family!

We like to know who our family members are. It is what helps us decide who receives special consideration and who does not. And we all know what makes someone a family member: blood! Those with whom we share an ancestry are our family.

That is, except Jesus. He radically redefined family. When word arrives that his mother and brothers are outside waiting for him, he raises the question, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Then he looks at those around him and said, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:31-35).

In his culture, this was unthinkable. Not only did this seem a brush off to his mother and brothers, it also meant that people would need to rethink how they treat absolutely everyone. Jesus taught us that everyone has the potential to be family, which means that everyone has the potential to receive special consideration.

There is much to unpack in this, but one thing is clear: our family is not closed. We should always be open to expand our family!

Posted by Rev Michael Bos, Thursday, June 7, 2012