Mercy usually involves someone in a position of power over someone else.  The one in the upper position, then has to decide how to act toward the one who is subject to them.  Someone owes you something and you have to decide what to do about it.  This is the quick version of how we think about this and it’s true.  What I wanted to express yesterday is that we take this teaching of Jesus farther.  What if mercy is also something that God wants us to show to those we don’t have a relationship with, at least not yet.  Maybe mercy is also about building relationships beyond the boundaries that this world we live in puts us in.  The parable of the good Samaritan is an example of this.  This parable should move us beyond asking who is our neighbor to asking where is our neighbor that I may show him mercy.  If you want to hear the longer version, listen below.

Blessed are the Merciful

Here is Sunday’s bulletin

Bulletin 12-11-11

Yesterday we continued with our series on the beatitudes.  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness was understood in the light of Psalm 107.  For those who don’t find themselves fitting in and who are looking for a place to live where righteousness (understood as including justice) will find it in Jesus.  God will lead us to a city where we can live in righteousness.  The second part of the sermon asked the question about is this what we are really hungry for.  What keeps us up at night, what makes us angry, what makes us want to do something to change things or right a wrong.  What are we really hungry for.  Is is the Kingdom of Heaven or the kingdom we are building for ourselves.  You can hear more below

Here is Sunday’s bulletin

12-04-11

We took a side trip yesterday and talked about being thankful.  Next Sunday we will get back to the beatitudes so no worries.  Out text was Philippians 1:3-11.  Paul expresses his thanksgiving for the church in Philippi.  It’s a beautiful passage where Paul is able to build them up.  Paul has reason to be thankful.  His first time in Philippi was a struggle, arrest, beating and having to leave before he was ready.  Yet here is this church later sending him support while he is a prisoner.  I can imagine how great it must have felt to Paul when Ephaphras showed up with their support for him.  We do have things to be thankful for.  If you want to hear the rest, just listen below.

Paul’s Thanksgiving

Sunday’s Bulletin

11-27-11

Yesterday we looked at what it means to be meek.  It’s called blessed, but what exactly does than mean?  I much prefer Paul’s admonition to “fight the good fight.”  Standing up for what’s right just seems to make more sense to me.  Maybe it has more to do with how we fight.  How do  I respond to evil.  Do I rage against it and try to destroy it, or do I work in a way to change it so that the one doing the evil can be changed.  Maybe there is no changing some people or situations, but that doesn’t mean we resort to the same tactics as them.  We never become evil, or adopt its ways, while we live our lives.  Psalm 37 was helpful to me in thinking about being meek.  I also found Romans 12 helpful:  “Do not take revenge my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath.  ‘It is mine to avenge, I will repay says the Lord.’  On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him, if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this you will heap burning coals on his head.  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

You can listen to the rest here.

Here is Sunday’s bulletin

11-20-11

Yesterday was when the food came in to fill the boxes for the Feed the Need food drive we do each November.  We place all the food on the stage and after church we pack it up to be delivered.  I especially appreciate the willingness of everyone to step up and increase the number of boxes we supplied this year.  The counselor at school said there is more need and everyone pitched in to get it done.  There is something wonderful about sharing and we hope that all the families that this food will go to will be blessed.

I continued the series on the beatitudes and we talked about the mourners.  This really flowed well from our discussion last week about the poor in spirit.  When the world beats you down and you find yourself in that place of being poor in spirit, mourning comes rather easily.  Those who mourn will find comfort in the kingdom and the church does function as the hands of God in this world.  We are part of the way in which mourners do find comfort.  It’s not easy and it can take a long time, but kingdom living is learning to bring comfort.

I apologize for forgetting the recorder again.  There is no recording of the sermon this week.

Here is the bulletin and a couple of pictures from yesterday.

Bulletin 11-13-11

We had a chance to explore the first beatitude of Jesus.  Blessed are the poor in spirit.  The sermon is posted below if you missed it and want to see how I answered the question from the last post.

Click below to listen to Sunday’s sermon

Sunday’s bulletin

11-06-11

Hello Everyone,

I was gone Sunday so there is no sermon to post for this week.  I will leave you with a question to ponder for Sunday.  We will be looking at blessed are the poor in spirit.  Is being poor in spirit something to work toward or is it a place where you find yourself and then Jesus and his kingdom make all the difference?  We will explore this question and a few others this Sunday.  Also, if you are in my Digging Deeper class, be ready for to start selecting a chapter in Mark to start studying.

Here is Sunday’s bulletin

10-30-11

Yesterday we explored the idea of how it is so blessed to mourn, be persecuted or poor in spirit.  Maybe there is a blessedness in being merciful or even a peacemaker.  This is not as hard to see.  But, what to make of some of these other saying of Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount.  Remember that the crowd that has come to him to be healed and taught is a group that has not really had things work out for them in this world.  Look at the end of Matthew chapter 4 to see this.  There were those in the crowd that knew about mourning and being poor in spirit and even persecuted.  I think Jesus words of blessing at the beginning of this sermon may have served as an invitation to this group.  Welcome to the poor in spirit, welcome to the mourners etc.  These were probably words of comfort and blessing to those who heard them because Jesus had already been preaching to them that the kingdom was coming and now he was telling them who would be a part of it.  The ones who will understand and be a part of the kingdom are the poor in spirit, mourners meek, those who seek righteousness, the merciful, the peacemakers and the persecuted.  Jesus says at the first of the sermon:  Welcome.  Jesus welcome to his kingdom is what makes those who hear and obey his words blessed.

Here is the sermon if you want to listen to the whole discussion.

Here is Sunday’s bulletin

10-23-11

We started yesterday on the beatitudes.  We didn’t get to any of the beatitudes though.  Instead the emphasis was setting up the Sermon on the Mount.  This was a sermon for those who know things are not right.  The crowd was there because they were bringing friends and family who needed healing.  The beatitudes will lead us to see who is ready for life in the Kingdom of heaven.

Please remember to keep Ted Barber and Debra in your prayers.

Dana May would also appreciate prayers for her mother.

Here is Sunday’s sermon

Beginning the Beatitudes  

Here is Sunday’s bulletin

10-16-11

I set this blog up to be a part of the new website the church is doing.  We should have the new site live soon.  I wanted to take one sermon when the website went live and explain why I choose tharsei as the name of this blog.  I have been holding on the series I am going to start on the beatitudes, but I don’t want to wait anymore so I went ahead and explained to everyone Sunday why tharsei was chosen.  It means to “take courage.”  I used Matthew 14 as my text.  In this chapter, Jesus walks on the water to the disciples.  When they are frightened by his presence, he tells them to “take courage, not be afraid that it is him.”  I identify with the disciples in the boat.  There is a storm going on, I’m in the boat because Jesus made me get there and now when he is coming to me, I just get more frightened.  I need to remember to “take courage.”  Jesus is coming.  I don’t have to be like Peter and try to walk on the water.  Jesus never asked that.  Just stay in the boat and when Jesus gets there it will be OK.

Thanks to Ben Valdez for speaking to us Sunday after our lunch at Spring Hill.

My apologies about the sermon recording.  I forgot to bring the recorder with me Sunday so the is no sermon recording this week.  I’ll do better.

Here is Sunday’s bulletin

10-09-11