What color is anxiety?

Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M (long and medium wavelength) cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S (short-wavelength) cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–580 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green..(Wikipedia.)

Much of our lives are a mixture of red and green, wondering whether to stop or go in a given situation, we find our selves in that cautious area of yellow. An area that contributes greatly to our sense of anxiety, worry and human frustration.

In today's Journey lesson, we look at two choices from the lectionary, one from the Hebrew Scriptures and one from the Gospels. What do the scriptures say about our human expression of anxiety? How do the Hebrew and Christian accounts differ and relate? What can ultimately be said about our cautious situation?

Isaiah 49:8-16a
49:8 Thus says the LORD: In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages;

49:9 saying to the prisoners, "Come out," to those who are in darkness, "Show yourselves." They shall feed along the ways, on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;

49:10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

49:11 And I will turn all my mountains into a road, and my highways shall be raised up.

49:12 Lo, these shall come from far away, and lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene.

49:13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.

49:14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me."

49:15 Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.

49:16a See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.

Matthew 6:24-34
6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

6:27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?

6:28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin,

6:29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.

6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith?

6:31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?'

6:32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

6:33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

6:34 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Walter Morton for Journey Across the Line 

Turning the cheek of violence to non-violence

 We are all aware of how violence can become contagious not only from cheek to cheek but also from generation to generation. What do we do about violence, especially when our own religious history has fostered such horrific examples?                                                         One of the practices that Jesus states in the passages for today is that we should turn the other cheek, go the extra mile. Does this actually work?                                                           Martin Luther King Jr wondereed this in 1958 while attempting to foster Civil Rights in our country. He questioned whether Jesus' words were meant for merely individual or societal ethical relational conduct?  What did turning the cheek and going the extra mile mean in Jesus' time? Does it relate to our world today or is it a relic from an old or outdated tradition of behavior.

Matthew 5:38-48

5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

5:39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also;

5:40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well;

5:41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.

5:42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

5:45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

5:47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Walter Morton for Journey Across the Line 

Good Neighbors Make Good Fences

What does it mean to be a good neighbor?

In our lectionary lesson this Sunday we get several issues presented by Jesus that carry dire consequences when one does not take into account their effect on our neighbor.

In the image presented here, we see actors Grace Kelly and James Stewart in Alfred Hitchock's thriller Rear Window. It's the story of persons who begin to suspect their neighbor of murder, not to mention adultery and dishonest living.

While their suspicions turn out to be verified regarding their neighbors conduct, the film explores issues of stepping across boundaries when we may not have the best interest of the other at heart. Simply doing the act for our own interest.



What does it mean to be a good neighbor?
What can happen when we act only in self interest? 
How does this relate to the three issues Jesus presents in the Matthew passage below? 
Matthew 5:21-37

5:21 "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.'

5:22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire.

5:23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,

5:24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

5:25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.

5:26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

5:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'

5:28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

5:30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

5:31 "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'

5:32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

5:33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.'

5:34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

5:35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

5:36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

5:37 Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one

Walter Morton for Journey Across the Line

Generosity - Where's the heart in your hands?

The proper arbiter between the head and the hands is the heart - Silent film "Metropolis" 1927.

What could be meant by the above statement?

In today's lesson, the last of three in a series of God's Unlimited Grace and Glory regarding our  stewardship emphasis for January, we look at Generosity. Paul's describes the Macedonian's generosity in our scriptural passage for today.

2 Corinthians 8:1-7

¹We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; ²for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, ⁴begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— ⁵and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, ⁶so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. ⁷Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

What does it mean to be generous?

When thinking about being generous I often think about two topics, Time and Money. You’ll remember the old saying that time is money. A truism in our age. I believe it was old Hank Williams that once sang, “Honey, if you’ve got the dime, I’ve got the time.”  Now there’s a generous soul.

Being mortal, neither one of these two resources seems to be in limitless supply for us. We always are wishing for a little more of one, the other, or both. Because of their limited nature, we assign them great value, since we must use them wisely or else they vanish, never to return.

What does God think of money and time?  At least in the context of gifts that we have been given. Is God generous? And how are we to be also?

Time is a gift from God that we use to grow in his image. We do this by being good stewards. It takes the stewardship of time to develop God given gifts as well as time to express them in the community. How are you using your gift of time in coming to the image of God, These are intentional efforts to be generous as God has been generous to us. Without this intentionality we may let our gifts lay unused and unblessed.

In the above scripture from 2 Corinthians, Paul calls the faithful to observe the generosity of the Macedonians as they contribute to the needs of the saints of Jerusalem.

Our lesson on Generosity proposes five emphases to clarify the intent of Paul’s message to the church at Corinth.

1. The grace of God at work in our lives. (2 Corinthians 8:1)
2. Macedonians gave despite of circumstance. (2 Corinthians 8:2-3)
3. As ministry to others. (2 Corinthians 8:4)
4. Christian commitment (2 Corinthians 8:5)
5. Our example inspires. (2 Corinthians 8:6-7)

Grace, circumstance, ministry, commitment and inspiration are ours as gifts from God, if we know to use them wisely as stewards.

Where is the heart in your hands in the community of First Baptist? 

Where We’ve Been…Where We’re Going…

As we have looked at these lessons on Stewardship through God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory over the last three weeks:

We have seen God as illustrated through the life of Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel. Through this we have received the “gift of Grace.” Paul demonstrated this in his call to live through to others needs and God’s glory.

We have seen the presence of the image of God in our lives as giftedness that connects us to our purpose in serving the community of God.

Finally, we see the usage of time and resources to the call of God in our lives to be generous with the gifts given us.

In the next weeks, there will be the opportunity to get involved in a Ministry or Mission through the Ministry Fair, There will also be the opportunity to express your commitment through financial support of the Ministry and Mission of this community of Faith as we pledge our budget for 2011, If you have any questions call the church or contact a Leadership Minister to ask how you can participate in God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory.

It's a Gift...

Journey January Steward Lessons

Lesson Two: January 23rd: Giftedness

Scripture Passages: Primary: 1 Peter 4:10-11

                                Support:  Romans 12:3-8

                                               1 Cor. 12:1-31

                                               Eph  4:11-16

1 Peter 4:10-11

¹⁰Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. ¹¹Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Commentary:

When I was growing up as a young Christian I always heard the admonition that God has a plan for your life. There is a place of service that God has for you. But how does one discern what that plan happens to be? Where’s the treasure map hidden?

Later, when I came to attend seminary for a call to service, a minister came to one of our chapel service and during his sermon made the observation that “if you don’t believe you will be happy in the ministry, then you need to find another line of work.” He was referring to the fact that a full-time calling is just that, full-time.

A call is a call to life, not just job, career or profession. And that is why any and all can be called to serve, no matter your career, because it is a life itself, not just title, a wage or a robe.

But still, how does one discern what one is to do, where does one fit in?

It wasn’t until I started to approach my call to service in the light of giftedness that I began to understand where I might fit into service. The things that God wishes me to excel in he has already provided for me through the gifts I possess. Of course the greatest gifts I possess are being created in the image of God and given the grace to live in the freedom of will. This we learned from Paul’s admonitions in last week’s lesson from Ephesians.

But what specific gifts do we individually possess and how are they to be expressed?

The Christian scriptures are replete with Gifts of the Spirit. God has expressed his image through us in many ways. I have been told that I have a gift for patience and my wife certainly has the gift of mercy. Priceless gifts, that have sustained us in our eighteen years of marriage.

Perhaps therein lies the lesson. It appears the gifts are to work or be expressed in the context of a larger relationship. This appears to be the admonition of the first verse, ten, in Peter’s fourth chapter of his epistle. “Like good stewards…serve one another…with the gift you ha(ve) received.”

In today’s world we often think of gifts as intellectual, how are spiritual gifts different?

In this, the second God’s Grace and Glory lesson, we are given six points to explore regarding our Gifts from God for service.

1. Every believer has received some spiritual gift from God. (1 Peter 4:10a)
2. Every believer is to use his or her gift as a steward. (1 Peter 4:10b)
3. Gifts are used for serving one another. (1 Peter 4:10b)
4. Preaching as one who speaks for God. (1 Peter 4:11a)
5. Serve with God’s strength. (1 Peter 4:11b)
6. End result is God glorified. (1 Peter 4:11c)

According to traditional interpretation, Peter was writing to persons of a new faith that were experiencing some persecution. He was asking the people to come together and use their gifts for the support of one another and the community.

Ultimately, Peter sees the gifts of the Spirit circling back to their benefactor in glory. But it is in their circuitous journey in which they both bless and encompass us all in the human community of unlimited grace and glory.

Finding your Gifts at First Baptist Richmond:

On Sunday, February 6^th, in FBC’s Dining Hall, from 8am to 1pm, our annual Ministry Fair will be held. It is a visual illustration of many of the ministry and mission opportunities that are open to any who wish to express their God given gifts to his community. If you are not involved in a ministry or mission of this congregation, stop by, browse, and speak with some of the persons who are involved in connecting their gifts to God’s plan.

Oh, and make sure to stop by the Member Equipping Ministry table if you have any question about discerning your gifts in service to this community of concern that is Richmond’s First Baptist Church.

Next week, the last lesson in the Unlimited Grace and Glory series will look at how God calls us to be persons of Generosity in our stewardship.

Walter Morton for Journey Across the Line 

Gospel...a stream of life

Unlimited Gospel:
Over the next three posts we will take a break from the lectionary and look at the actions of Stewardship in our lives as it relates to self, God and others. 

In this first step we will look at the way we can consider God's grace as an unlimited grace.   Is this possible through the Gospel?

Our passage is from Ephesians for our study.
It brings up the question: Why do we live the way we do? 

Ephesians 3:7-11
7 Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. ⁸Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹and to make everyone see^* what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in^* God who created all things; ¹⁰so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Ellen, an elderly woman, who had faithfully taught Sunday school for many years to various children, youth and adults was asked by the new minister to her church why she had taught for so long. She remarked, “because I love God.”

The new minister asked Ellen if she would speak before the congregation the next Sunday of her contributions to the church through her teaching and how she got started.

She hesitated and said she didn’t feel as if she could speak before the whole congregation. So she declined.

However, when Ellen’s senior ladies Bible class found out she had been asked to speak they immediately encouraged her to accept. And as well, over the few days since Ellen had declined the offer, her thoughts had been returning to all the delightful faces and people whom she had touched over the years as they explored the Gospel and the stories of God’s concern for them as his creation.

Ellen’s mind then turned to the time of her first memories in Bible study as a child and how her teacher, Mrs. Wortham, had touched her with the power and promise of the Gospel in her life. It was then that Ellen realized the other reason she loved to teach for so many years. She remarked to herself, “because I love people.”

That next Sunday, Ellen stood before the congregation and remarked on how people such as Mrs. Wortham had made a difference in her spiritual life and how that had influenced her resolve to do likewise for others both in the presence and the power of God.

What is the reason that a Christian lives the way they do?

   

The study lesson speaks of five points to ponder or emphasize from Paul for our living the way we do.

1. The grace of God  (Eph 3:7)

2. The power of God. (Eph 3:7-8)

3. The proclamation of the gospel of God  (Eph 3:8-9)

4. The revelation of the wisdom of God. (Eph 3:10)

5. The eternal purpose of God being accomplished by Christ in the world. (Eph 3:11)

One might say that Paul was presenting himself to be a part of the larger story of redemption through God and the call of Christ. Ellen’s experience as a teacher also allowed her to be a part of the larger story of this same redemption.

Everyone needs to be part of the larger story of God. How are you a part of the larger story of God’s Grace and Glory to the community?

Next Sunday as we continue in the January Stewardship Emphasis, God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory series, we will look at the aspect of gifts that we have been given and for what reason those gifts exist.

Walter Morton for Journey Across the Line

Then comes the suffering...

...my beloved Son...

In the Christian Russian Orthodox tradition, Epiphany is celebrated on January 19th. It is also known as Jesus' Baptism Day and faithful Russians celebrate this by cutting holes in the ice of lakes and waterways and take the plunge in commemoration of Jesus' initial immersion in the Jordan.

It is best when the water is blessed by a Russian Orthodox priest and considered by believers as beneficial to drink for good health during the next 365 days.

In our passages from the book of Matthew, chapter three, we look at the baptism of Jesus and the blessing that is bestowed on him by the Father's words, "in whom I am well pleased."  But immediately following these words, Jesus is led into temptation. Suffering follows joy. As human, Jesus experienced the valleys along with the heights. He stood on the Mount of Transfiguration. When he entered Jerusalem, the people cried out praises to him. But by week's end he was crying out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

What does Jesus' experience tells us about our own expectations versus our experiences?

Matthew 3:13-17
3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.

3:14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

3:15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.

3:16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Walter Morton for Journey Across the Line