Jesus and Me ... and the Cats

Romans 13:11-14              Matthew 5:38-42 “I am Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” The Princess Bride by William Goldman If you've only seen the movie, The Princess Bride , you've missed Montoya's full back story. After his father was killed for refusing to give the six-fingered man a sword the man had commissioned his father to make, Inigo's life is consumed by the need for revenge. He spends years preparing to be the greatest swordsman in the world and in searching for his father's murderer. Revenge. An eye for an eye. Tit for tat. Getting even. He, she or it had it coming. Getting back at someone. You'll find all of these in the dark lexicon of Retaliation. Retaliation comes so easily to us. Like children arguing on a play ground, if we get shoved, we intuitively shove back. But as Christians, Jesus call us to address those who wrong us in a counter intuitive way. I knew s...

Leviticus 19:11-12 Matthew 5:33-37 Even if we've never seen the movie, Gone with the Wind, we're probably familiar with Scarlett O'Hara's oath. Framed by the sunset, Scarlet raises her fist in defiance and says, “As God is my witness, I will never be hungry again!” In today's passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus leads us into a new understanding of oaths and profanity. Did the character, Scarlett O’Hara in the movie, Gone with the Wind , take the Lord’s name in vain when she made her famous oath? “As God is my witness, as God is my witness, they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again. Leviticus 19:11-12 tells us not to take oaths, make promises that profane the Lord’s name, that is take the Lord’s name in vain. Scarlett’s oath is a profane ...

With Jesus' help we can fight the temptation to commit adultery.  When it comes to our marriages, saying "I do, with God," can help us weather the challenges of life that may weaken our relationships with life partners. I remember our wedding like it was yesterday, well, sort of.  There was that part between my father walking me down the aisle and our first kiss as a married couple that is a blank.  I don't remember what I actually promised, but I'm pretty sure it was something like this: “In the name of God, I, Name , take you, Name , to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we may be parted by death. This is my solemn vow.”         “Service of Christian Marriage,” United Methodist Hymnal, p. 867 In the Name of God,  I Take You to Be My Spouse Before the ink is even dried ...

Matthew 5:27-30 Hebrews 4:12-14 Whenever Jesus says, "You have heard it said .... but I say," it's a warning that Jesus is going bring us a teaching that's in contrast to what the world believes.  We continue exploring how being a Christian often requires that we live counter-intuitively in this world. Well, that's one more author that goes on my "do not read" list.  I enjoy the books, but the problem is every female protagonist has a sweet tooth and may very well be a certifiable chocoholic.  I'm not judging, mind you.  Let she who has not gone out in the middle of the night in search of a dark chocolate Milky Way candy bar cast the first truffle.   By the time I finished the last book, my craving was so bad that I was searching the house for left-over candy from Halloween and ready to grab my car keys and head for the nearest bakery for two dozen double chocolate espresso cup cakes.   And it all started with thinking about ho...

This posting is my reaction to the executive order of last Thursday which lifted IRS penalties if a church openly supported a political candidate.  It is my thoughtful, faith-informed opinion and does not reflect that of the United Methodist Church in general or the local church I serve.  I will discuss the purpose of the church in relation to involvement in politics and why I do not believe that the Church, as a denomination or as a local faith community should endorse or support political candidates. THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH 1.  To participate in the Mission of God as stated in Matthew 28;19-20: " Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,    and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The church is called to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world, loving others unco...

James 1:19-21 Matthew 5:21-24 Whenever Jesus said, “You've heard that it is said,” he was going to present a view that was in contrast to or counter intuitive to human thinking. Matthew 5 is filled with such teachings. In the weeks to come, we're going to look at such topics as loving our enemies, bold and radical witnessing, retaliation, oaths, adultery and today's topic, anger. The world tells us that anger is a valid, normal emotion. As long as our anger doesn't result in harm to property or people, the justice system doesn't view it as a crime like assault or murder. However, Ephesians 4:26 says,”Be angry, but do not sin.” So, when is anger a sin, and when isn't it? Everyone gets angry, including me. It's a protective behavior. When something or someone threatens me or hurts me physically or emotionally, I get angry. It's part of the fight or flight reflex. So, if it's a naturally occurring, defensive reaction wh...