Sermon

JULY 8, 2007

Serving God…..It’s No Mystery

July 8, 2007

Galatians 6.2-7

As you can tell from the shirts some of us are wearing that we’ve just returned from youth mission trip.   It was a mystery trip; that means that no one, youth or parent, knew where we were going until we were on our way in the bus.  But one thing that we all knew was that we were going to serve.  That’s what mission trip has been all about, serving the needs of others.  Our trip took us to New Mexico where we carried out a VBS for children, mostly Hispanic, on a mesa outside of Albuquerque.  Of course, living on a mesa isn’t unusual in Albuquerque, but this mesa has no electricity, no running water (they do have a well), and no sewer system.  These are people who live outside the system. Rev. Calderon has told you about these people.  It was a rewarding experience for everyone and our students learned much about hospitality and generosity.  They were incredible and you should know that the First United Methodist Church of The Colony was served well by these students. 

As I watched, participated and got to know the children of the mesa and our own youth, I wondered if there was more to serving.  Could we just go through the motions and not really be transformed by the experience?  The Scripture for today points out two ideas……bear one another’s burdens and all must carry their own loads.  They seem to be in conflict.  Does Paul think that we should shoulder other’s loads and still carry our own?  Is that loving?  Is it even possible?  No, that’s not what Paul is telling us in this Scripture.  He’s dealing with the concept of community responsibility and support that is nurtured by our appropriate humility in our conduct.  We are, after all, not only accountable to our brothers and sisters, but to God. 

This idea of community support and appropriate humility in service got me to thinking that there are three general ways in which we can serve God.  The first is that we serve God through worship, meditation, and Scripture.  This is something a great many of us do on a regular basis.  It feels good and nurtures us.  The second way to serve God is through serving the needs of others through the church.  Our church serves in many ways, the food pantry, Kids Eat Free, Project Transformation, VBS, special drives, through the efforts of UMW and UMM, our apportionments and all kinds of ways to numerous to mention.  The members of this church serve in other ways that particularly resonate with their interests.  Our church serves in many ways, the food pantry, Kids Eat Free, Project Transformation, VBS, special drives, through the efforts of UMW and UMM, our apportionments and all kinds of ways to numerous to mention.  The members of this church serve in other ways that particularly resonate with their interests.  The third way to serve God is through our heart.  No that sounds peculiar!  But think about it, sometimes it is easier on our hearts and our minds to just go through the motions and not think to deeply feel too deeply about what you are doing as you serve.  Over and over again, Jesus reminds us that it is not our actions, but our heart that determines our love of God and neighbor.  His main complaint with the Pharisees was their fondness for rules without having any heart for their implications. 

The “theme” of mystery was carried throughout the quiet time and sr. high devotionals.  We explored the mysteries of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  We pondered the concepts of love, faith, baptism, communion, miracles and grace.  We struggled with our notions of prayer and its purpose and intimacy with God.  Several are here today to share with you their particular insights on these mysteries.  I found as I journeyed through the week with these youth, that their insights might be helpful to all of us as we struggle and rejoice in our journey of faith and in particular in service to God and humanity.

INTRODUCE EACH ONE AS THEY SPEAK. 

Thank you, Zac, Valerie, and Caitlin for sharing your faith-filled thoughts with us.  There were other insights throughout the week that I hope the students will continue to share with us through the year.  They are a vital part of our body of Christ.

 Serving is no mystery.  It is our challenge to live fully committed to our God and our neighbor in love; carrying their burdens and living in humility.  That takes our minds and our hearts.  Live fully.  Walk into the kingdom of God.  AMEN.