Does God Believe in You?

Our Bishop's latest sermon... Does God believe in you? That wasn’t a slip of the tongue.  I didn’t mean to ask, “Do you believe in God?” Admittedly, that is the more common question.  But I want you to consider this one instead. Does God believe in you? My reason for asking this question is simple.  A distressing number of people labor under the misimpression that God does not believe in us unless and until we believe in him. They think that God is just assessing whether or not to believe in us.  Deciding whether or not our behavior and our beliefs warrant heaven or hell, divine blessing or neglect, answered prayers or wasted breath.   The message God sends us in Jesus is precisely the opposite.  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection show us that God believes in us because that’s who God is, not because of what we’ve done or might do. Eric Fischl's "So She Moved into the Light" That’s precisely what Jesus teaches us in his debate with the Sadducees.  The Sadducees want to show Jesus just how wrong he is about the resurrection of the body.  But Jesus quickly shows us—even if he doesn’t convince the Sadducees—that the real issue is their, and our, concept of God. Let’s briefly recall the exchange.  The Sadducees present what philosophers call an argument ad absurdum.  If you believe something that leads to an absurdity, then what you believe is itself absurd.  In their view, the resurrection is just such an absurdity. Here’s how they argued.  The Old Testament law required a brother to marry his brother’s childless widow.  Now imagine that a man died and his brother did his duty, marrying his brother’s widow.  This brother in turn dies, so his brother marries the woman.  And this gets repeated four more times.   Does the woman have seven husbands in heaven? Of course not, they argue.  It’s absurd.  And the same thing goes for the idea that leads to such an absurd conclusion.  So, the Sadducees conclude, there cannot be a resurrection of the body. Jesus initially points out that resurrection life is an entirely different order of being.  Since you can’t die, you don’t need to have children, so marriage as we know it doesn’t apply.  But that’s just his initial response.  Jesus is just warming up. John William Waterhouse's "I am Half Sick of Shadows..." The central argument revolves around the identity and character of God himself.  Jesus reminds his listeners of God’s conversation with Moses from the burning bush.  When Moses asks God what he should tell the Hebrews in Egypt, God says, “Tell them I sent you.” God gives his name this way, “Tell them that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sent me.”  Now these patriarchs were long dead by Jesus’ day.  But in some fundamental way, they are still living.  They are living because of who God is. Jesus said, “He is God not of the dead, but of the living.”  (Luke 20:38; emphasis added) Or, to put it in the terms we’re considering today.  God believes in them, just like he believes in you and me.  And that makes all the difference. Let me explain. Read more »

More S'more Sunday

Great night with the EYC at S'more Sunday! Thanks Ms. Dee!

Roasting and talking...

The whole gang...

 

I like mine burnt!

S'more Sunday

Both the Jr.and Sr. E.Y.C. groups will meet tomorrow, Sunday, November 10 at 4:00 p.m. at the Cagle's home for S'more Sunday. This is always a fun event and marks the coming of cool weather...

Ms. Dee always outdoes herself with a great spread of S'more makings and the spot just over the levee is a perfect outdoor gathering area.

Join us for fun, fellowship and - of course - S'mores.

Thank You Note!

Did you ever get a thank you note from a trick-or-treater? Well, we did. Last week, when we had our Church Porch Treat Night, one of our visitors gave us a hand drawn thank-you note!

You know who you are - but we wanted to say thanks too!

Surprise in the Mail

Last week, a very plain envelope arrived in the mail addressed to me and marked personal. Inside, hidden between two Post-It notes, was fifty dollar bill.

Thanks to the mystery donor! This money will go into my Ministry Fund and help someone else.

Interfaith Accountability Session - Thursday

Northern and Central Louisiana Interfaith will host an Accountability Session Thursday, November 7, 7 - 8:30 p.m., at the new Family Life Center at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church on 18th St. between Washington and Louisville Avenues.

Members of the Monroe City School Board and our regional representatives to the Louisiana House and Senate will attend. Interfaith will tell stories of our recent successes and present our current slate of priority concerns. These are public education, higher education and mass incarceration, which Interfaith's analysis shows to be deeply interconnected.

Interfaith leaders have met with each of the elected officials in advance to inform them of our agenda and our plan for the meeting. At the Accountability Session, the elected officials will be given an opportunity to take the mic for a brief response and to sign a pledge to work with us in addressing our concerns.

Although the run-off candidates for the 5th District Congressional Seat, Neil Riser and Vance McAllister, will not be present, they will send representatives.

Just as a reminder, Interfaith is strictly nonpartisan. Our purpose is never to "choose sides" or endorse candidates. Rather we seek commitments from public officials to work with us to solve the problems of our communities in ways that enhance the quality of life for everyone.

One exciting new development: Interfaith and the ULM Faculty and Staff Senates have been developing a relationship. The presidents of the two senates will announce the relationship and will speak to the issue of higher education at the session.

Fr. Whit will co-chair the session and Archdeacon Bette will speak to the faith basis of Interfaith's work using the story of Nehemiah from the Hebrew Bible.

Our Bishop has called us to missional faith. Interfaith is a response in that we cross the historical divisions in our community to come together to listen to each and work together for the common good. Come. See! Participate!

All Saints' Day

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.