Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
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Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
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Letters of Recommendation - 2/26/06 - 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 At times in our lives we have each needed letters of recommendation. The letters usually centered around getting a job, a promotion, entering school. When we've needed those letters we've called someone who cared about us and could say all sorts of things about us. It's wonderful to be able to write a letter of recommendation for someone because it gives you the opportunity to not only think about that person in the best possible light, but to share that information with the person who is requesting the recommendation. It's also a great experience to be the person written about -because you can hear the good things another individual has to say about you. Often in our world we don't take the time to tell others how wonderful they are. Tonight's scripture reading talks about us being letters of recommendation for Christ, for God. Let me read it in a contemporary translation. (Message Bible- page 326) God's spirit written on our hearts and lived out in our lives is a letter of recommendation for the world to see. We are the email, the instant message, the letter that can touch the lives of others with God's spirit. Don't you just love to received an old fashion letter in your mailbox. The kind that written just for you, in ink. The kind of a letter a person takes time to think about, to find that special paper, to address the envelop and take it to the post office. We are that special letter to our world with God as the author, the writer of the letter. Our world is waiting for us to show up in the mailbox, or in their lives. For the spirit gives life. And God's spirit in our lives give life to the world. Let me share with you two examples of us right now being living letters of recommendation for God. This evening there is a worship service taking place at the First United Methodist Church. It is a gathering of glbt and supportive people who in their words are gathering to get energy and support to challenge the United Methodist Church to live up to it's slogan "Open Hearts, Open Doors, Open Minds." In a decision made recently a pastor was allowed to refuse membership in a local church to a gay man. The group meeting this evening is standing up to say, "Our names are written on the heart of God." I asked Joyce to go this evening to the worship service to be our letter of recommendation letting those gathered know that we support them and that our doors are indeed open. Here we live out the slogan "Open Hearts, Open Doors, Open Minds". I wrote a letter to the leader of the group saying that we will support them in any ways they can use our assistance and that we will pray for them tonight. Letters of recommendation - the world needs to know that God's love is indeed for all people. The second example is happening far from here in the South American country of Brazil. The World Council of Churches has been meeting them. This gathering is comprised of over 4000 participants representing 347 different faith groups and our moderator, Rev Nancy Wilson along with our delegation is a part of this gathering. Rev. Wilson gave the only sermon preached by a gay faith leader at the World Council of Churches. The title of her sermon was “God, in Your Grace, Transform Our World”. It's a powerful sermon that you should read on our denominations website. (www.ufmcc.com) God can do amazing things with our letter of recommendation. On February 21, Zero Hora, a major Brazilian daily newspaper ran a full page of coverage about the international Assembly of the World Council of Churches gathered in Brazil. Out of the 4000 participants from 347 different faith groups they selected four stories to appear in the paper. One brief story of three paragraphs was devoted to the presence of the President of the Council of Latin American Churches. A second story, slightly longer, focused on the surprise presence of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. And the two remaining stories focused on MCC, complete with two photos. One photo showing two of our elders serving communion. Letters of recommendation complete with photos for the world to see our lives reflecting God's love for our world. This week you have opportunity to each and every moment to be a letter of recommendation for God's live that lives in you. You may not make the headlines of the daily news but you certainly will touch a world hunger for words of life. A person who needs to hear how wonderful they are, another person who needs to get a message of love -in your words, via email, or in a letter. Another person who needs you to show up in person to say it will get better. Know that your life is empowered by God's spirit that is written on your heart. The world can't get along without the witness of your life. God needs us. Go out into the world and share your life. By your words, through you actions, in your love God will be known. |
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