Sunday's Message - A Season of Hope

The Christmas Season is special regardless of your age. It's a time both to celebrate but also to meditate, a unique period when we're able to put aside some of our frustrations and disappointments and to enjoy all the sights and sounds that surround us for about a month and a half. Of course, for Christians, it's even more important, because we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And for that reason, we have good reason to experience some very special feelings during this time of year.

And so, with that in mind, for the next seven weeks, we'll look at some of the reasons the Christmas season is special. You see, during what the church calls the Season of Advent and the Season after Christmas, we'll define this time in the following ways:

• November 28 – A Season of Hope (Luke 21:25-36)
• December 5 – A Season of Peace (John 14:23-29)
• December 12 – A Season of Joy (Luke 1:39-55)
• December 19 – A Season of Generosity (Matthew 1:18-25)
• December 26 – A Season of Love (John 15:9-17)
• January 2 – A Season of Glory (John 1:1-10)

During this first session, we'll look at Christmas as a Season of Hope.

Luke 21:25-36 [Contemporary English Version]

Strange things will happen to the sun, moon, and stars. The nations on earth will be afraid of the roaring sea and tides, and they won’t know what to do. People will be so frightened that they will faint because of what is happening to the world. Every power in the sky will be shaken. Then the Son of Man will be seen, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. When all of this starts happening, stand up straight and be brave. You will soon be set free.

Then Jesus told them a story:

When you see a fig tree or any other tree putting out leaves, you know that summer will soon come. So, when you see these things happening, you know that God’s kingdom will soon be here. You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all of this takes place. The sky and the earth won’t last forever, but my words will.

Don’t spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth. Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

A Season of Hope

I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving, in other words, that you had enough food, football and family to last you until next November rolls around. And since Thanksgiving Day is now in the rearview mirror, I think I’m safe in saying that we’ve officially entered the Christmas season. Of course, having said this, I understand that, according to the church calendar, we’ve actually entered a season called “advent” and that the season of Christmas doesn’t start until the twenty-fifth, but let’s get real, regardless of what the church calendar says, this is the season of Christmas, at least it is in our hearts. I mean, give me a break, we don’t wait to sing Christmas carols. And we don’t wait to set out Christmas decorations. And unless we’re Eastern Orthodox, we don’t wait to exchange presents, although given all those post-Christmas sales, that’s really not a bad idea. No, we don’t do that. Instead, this is all stuff we take care of before Christmas morning. And so, for most folks, since we’ve passed Thanksgiving, right now we’re moving into the season of Christmas, right? And this is where we’ll remain until the carols have lost their punch and the decorations start looking a little tired and the presents have either been worn, eaten or returned. 

And so, with that in mind, this morning, we’re going to start a new sermon series that focuses on the Christmas season, and in particular six feelings that I think we generally associate with this time of year, and right now I’m talking about hope and peace, joy and generosity, love and glory. And to define and explain each of these feelings, we’re going to focus on a passage from the gospels that sort of ties each one with the coming of Jesus. 

And this morning, we’re going to start by looking at how Christmas can be a season of hope, you know, a special time of anticipation and expectation and promise. Of course, I recognize that this is something every child understands. I mean, remember back when you were a kid. Hope is to Christmas like noodles are to mashed potatoes, or for this southern boy, collards are to salt pork. For children, hope and Christmas belong together. For example, just think about that movie TBS plays every year from, I think, 9:00 pm on the twenty-fourth to 9:00 pm the next day, and of course, I’m talking about A Christmas Story. My gosh, that whole movie is about hope, isn’t it: Ralphie hoping he’ll get an “official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time” and his mother hoping he “won’t shoot his eye out.” But it’s not just in the movies. For most children, hope is really what Christmas is all about. And I’ll tell you, I think that will always be the case. In other words, even though we may spend hours teaching them about God and Jesus and the “reason for the season,” generally it still comes down to hoping that Santa puts something really special under the tree.

Of course, as we grow up, well, this kind of hope starts to fade, doesn’t it, being neatly replaced with stuff like worry and frustration and sadness. And I think we’d all agree, that’s particular true in our modern world, as we’re still struggling through this pandemic. I mean, we just don’t seem to have a lot of good reason to feel hopeful. My gosh, people are still getting sick and dying from a disease that we’d never heard of two years ago. Prices are rising and the climate is changing. The Chinese are launching hypersonic missiles, while in the last month, there have been active shooters at shopping malls in Boise and Charlotte and Lancaster. Let’s face it, if life really is a rat race, the rats seem to be winning. And because of that, coming up with reasons for hope, man, that seems as remote as The Ohio State playing for the National Championship. For a lot folks, hope has given way to depression and desperation and despair. And that ain’t good, not this time of year.

And you know, because these feelings are at odds with the Christmas season, we’re going to spend some time this morning talking about hope, and in particular, why the coming of Jesus Christ can make Christmas a genuine season of hope. In other words, in my opinion, there are three things that we can do that can change any depression and desperation and despair we might be feeling into anticipation and expectation and promise. And I’ll tell you, I think we can see all three in the passage we just read this morning.

For example, if we want make this Christmas a season of hope, we can trust that Jesus will not only return, but when he does, man, he’s going to set us free. Now, for me, that’s the first thing we can do. Of course, to do that, somewhere down the line, we need to believe that Jesus meant it when he said this to his disciples.

Strange things will happen to the sun, moon, and stars. The nations on earth will be afraid of the roaring sea and tides, and they won’t know what to do. People will be so frightened that they will faint because of what is happening to the world. Every power in the sky will be shaken. Then the Son of Man will be seen, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. When all of this starts happening, stand up straight and be brave. You will soon be set free. [Luke 21:25-28, CEV]

Now that’s what he said. And I’ll tell you, if we avoid getting tripped up by all the graphic, symbolic language, you know, like the stuff going on with the sun, moon and stars and the roaring sea and tides and of course the powers in the sky shaking, if we sort get pass that, the message is really straight forward, isn’t it? I mean, one, Jesus Christ, the one whose birth we’re going to celebrate in about four weeks, man, he’s going to come back. And two, when he does, we’re going to be set free. Now I’ve got to admit, I really don’t exactly know what this freedom business is all about. I assume it has something to do with being set free from all the stuff that limits us right now, you know, like time and space and smarts. But as to the specifics I don’t know. But I think that’s probably OK, because I’m not sure the Apostle Paul understood it either. Just listen to what he said was going to happen:

I will explain a mystery to you. Not every one of us will die, but we will all be changed. It will happen suddenly, quicker than the blink of an eye. At the sound of the last trumpet the dead will be raised. We will all be changed, so that we will never die again. Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won’t die or decay. The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal. Then the Scriptures will come true,

“Death has lost the battle!

Where is its victory?

    Where is its sting?” [1 Corinthians 15:51-55, CEV]

Not exactly a detailed description. Let’s just say, according to Jesus himself, he’s coming back and we’re going to be set free. And when we trust that it’s going to happen, I believe that’s the first step in claiming Christmas as a season of hope.

And second, right along with trusting, we can also recognize that not only is all the rotten stuff temporary, we can actually choose to see those things that seem so discouraging as reminders of a better world that’s coming. In other words, as they say, “this too shall pass.”  But for us, we also know something a whole lot better is on its way. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s what Jesus was getting at when he continued to teach his disciples in the passage we read a little while ago:

Then Jesus told them a story:

When you see a fig tree or any other tree putting out leaves, you know that summer will soon come. So, when you see these things happening, you know that God’s kingdom will soon be here. You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all of this takes place. The sky and the earth won’t last forever, but my words will. [Luke 21:29-33, CEV]

In other words, trees aren’t static; they change. Every autumn, leaves change color and fall. And every winter, trees are bare and leafless. That’s just the way it is. But when you see them budding and just starting to put out leaves, you know that a new season is on its way. And for Jesus, that’s the way it is with the world. You see, the world is constantly changing. And right now, it may seem pretty bleak, and whether we like it or not, life continues to be challenging. But suppose, instead of seeing this kind of change as a sign of inevitable decline, suppose we saw it as a sign of something better coming, something that’s not dependent on us but rather something grounded in God himself. Just listen Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

We never give up. Our bodies are gradually dying, but we ourselves are being made stronger each day. These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen. [2 Corinthians 16-18, CEV]

It’s like the Greek philosopher Hereclitus said, “The only constant in life is change.” According to Jesus, this world is temporary and a better world is coming. And when we recognize that reality, I believe that’s the second step in claiming Christmas as a season of hope.

And finally, third, if we want to be more hopeful, we can live the kind of lives that offers hope to others. In other words, instead of wasting time doing very little outside of worrying, we can set our minds on doing the very best we can with what we’ve got and on taking what we have and putting it to good and effective use and on working as hard as we can to make the world around us a better place but not just for us, also for our children and for our grandchildren. And I’ll tell you, I believe that’s exactly what Jesus challenged his disciples to do in the last part of our passage: 

Don’t spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth. Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you. [Luke 21:34-36, CEV]

You know, we always have a choice. I mean, we can choose to find all the reasons to believe the world is headed for Hell in a hand basket. And then we can use those reasons to justify sitting around feeling hopeless. Or we can decide that we’re not going to give in to depression or to desperation or to despair. Instead, we’re going to work together in order to make a difference, one that probably isn’t going to change the whole world but that just may improve the life of our neighbor. It’s like what Paul wrote to the Philippians:

Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves... [Philippians 2:1-4, CEV]

You see, we can live the kind of lives that offers hope to others by working to make their lives better. And when we choose to do that, particularly during this time of year, I believe that’s the third step in claiming Christmas as a season of hope.

Now, I think children will always feel hope this time of year. But I’ll tell you, I don’t believe that’s something we have to outgrow. You see, even though we’ll continue to live in a world where bad things happen to good people and as a result many folks will allow themselves to be dragged into hopelessness, that doesn’t have to be case with us. Instead, as we enter this Christmas season, we can trust that Jesus will return and set us free. And we can recognize that all the bad stuff we see in our world is only temporary. And we can live the kind of lives that offer hope to others. I’m telling you, this we can do. And you know, if that’s a decision we make today, I believe this Christmas will truly be a season of hope.

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Below is the bulletin for our service, on Sunday, November 28, 2021. We're starting a new 6-week series entitled "The Christmas Season." During this first service, we'll focus on how Christmas is a season of hope. Remember, you can stream the service live by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube page beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service

On Sunday, November 28, Silgo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the following needs.

• Alice Lucas
• Armed Forces 
• Barry Summerville
• Bruce Amsier
• Bruce Bowman
• Bus Clark
• Church Leaders 
• College Students
• Dee, Jeremy & Jacob
• Doctors & Nurses & all essential workers
• Frank Schoentag
• Government Leaders 
• Jack Salizzoni
• Jackie Brosious
• Jim Mason
• Josh Charney
• Kathy
• Keith McKinley
• Marley Stalker
• Maxine Hartle
• Maxine Simpson
• Micki Summerville
• Mike Hiles
• Mr. Wolff
• Nancy Blystone and family
• Nancy Campbell
• Nancy Wilson
• Our Youth
• Police Officers
• Randy Frampton
• Riley
• Ron & Shelly Haines
• Rwanda Partner
• Sam Williams
• Sean Bayless
• The Kaylub Cusick Family
• The Paul McKinney Family
• The Rob Varner Family
• The Sam Hook Family
• The Teachers and Student at Sligo Elementary
• Tyler Reed
• Velma Stewart
• World Vision

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What We Believe - Why did Christ come?

Pastor Rudiger is leading a 5-week class immediately after the worship service. During each meeting, we’ll discuss one of the basic questions on which our faith is grounded. This is a great opportunity for anyone who may be interested in joining our congregation but who still may have some questions about the word “presbyterian.” During this third session, we looked at the question: Why did Christ come? 

Luke 19:10 - The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”

John 6:35-40 - Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty. I have told you already that you have seen me and still do not have faith in me. Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won’t turn any of them away. I didn’t come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do. He sent me, and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. Instead, he wants me to raise them to life on the last day. My Father wants everyone who sees the Son to have faith in him and to have eternal life. Then I will raise them to life on the last day.

John 10:11, 14-18 - I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. ...I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep. I have other sheep that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them together too, when they hear my voice. Then there will be one flock of sheep and one shepherd. The Father loves me, because I give up my life, so that I may receive it back again. No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again, just as my Father commanded me to do.

Romans 5:10 - Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life.

Romans 6:1-11 - What should we say? Should we keep on sinning, so that God’s wonderful kindness will show up even better? No, we should not! If we are dead to sin, how can we go on sinning? Don’t you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father. If we shared in Jesus' death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him. We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so that our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin. We know that sin doesn’t have power over dead people. As surely as we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. We know that death no longer has any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 - But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life. Just as we will die because of Adam, we will be raised to life because of Christ. Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns.

Hebrews 7:24–8:6 - But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! He is forever able to save the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them. Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven, and he is better than any other high priest. Jesus doesn’t need to offer sacrifices each day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He offered a sacrifice once for all, when he gave himself. The Law appoints priests who have weaknesses. But God’s promise, which came later than the Law, appoints his Son. And he is the perfect high priest forever. What I mean is that we have a high priest who sits at the right side of God’s great throne in heaven. He also serves as the priest in the most holy place inside the real tent there in heaven. This tent of worship was set up by the Lord, not by humans. Since all priests must offer gifts and sacrifices, Christ also needed to have something to offer. If he were here on earth, he would not be a priest at all, because here the Law appoints other priests to offer sacrifices. But the tent where they serve is just a copy and a shadow of the real one in heaven. Before Moses made the tent, he was told, “Be sure to make it exactly like the pattern you were shown on the mountain!” Now Christ has been appointed to serve as a priest in a much better way, and he has given us much assurance of a better agreement.

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The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, November 21, 2021

Sunday, November 21, we concluded our series entitled "Thankful People Are..." As we approach Thanksgiving, we’re going to look at some of the characteristics of thankful people. During four of our November worship services, we’ll focus on the following topics:

• Sunday, October 31 – Thankful People Are...Humble
• Sunday, November 6 – Thankful People Are...Open
• Sunday, November 13 – Thankful People Are...Relaxed
• Sunday, November 20 – Thankful People Are...Compassionate

You can stream the service live by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube channel. If you miss one of these messages, you can find a copy and podcast on the Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community blog (https://thenettransform.blogspot.com/). 

Below is a copy of the bulletin, a podcast of the sermon and the video of the worship service. 

Sunday's Message - Thankful People Are...Compassionate

As we approach Thanksgiving, we’re going to look at some of the characteristics of thankful people. During four of our November worship services, we’ll focus on the following topics:

• Sunday, October 31 – Thankful People Are...Humble
• Sunday, November 6 – Thankful People Are...Open
• Sunday, November 13 – Thankful People Are...Relaxed
• Sunday, November 20 – Thankful People Are...Compassionate

During the fourth message, we focused on the statement: Thankful people are compassionate.

******

Now, as I how most of y’all remember, we started a new sermon series about four Sundays ago entitled Thankful People Are....  And what we were looking to do was to use these Sundays before Thanksgiving, which is now four days away, we were going to take that time and talk about four qualities that I believe thankful people tend to have. And we started by looking at how thankful people are humble. I mean, as opposed to men and women who are really arrogant, those who are humble tend to have a greater appreciation for what they receive. And with that in mind, we looked at how we might work a little more humility in our character, something that’s possible as soon as we decide to reject the arrogant message that comes from our society and by recognizing both our strengths and our weaknesses and by realizing that we really do need one another. Now that was week one. And the next week, we looked at openness, and in particular, at why thankful people generally have a pretty broad perspective and at how we might become more open ourselves, you know, by broadening our vision and our expectations and our experiences. And then last week we talked about how thankful people are relaxed. In other words, they’re not worried, instead they’re really patient, something that I believe we can pull off when we remember that worry is an unnecessary distraction and that our destiny is in God’s hands and that we can only do our best. Now that’s been our discussion over the last three weeks.

And this morning, we’re going to tie things up by looking at another characteristic that I believe thankful people have, and now I’m talking about compassion. In other words, in my opinion, thankful people are compassionate. And you know, it’s interesting, during this last week as I was thinking about what I was going to say, I tried to come up with an example of compassion that would sort of resonate with y’all. And then, yesterday, as I was getting ready to come over to the church, it hit me.What I was looking for was right here. You see, I’m not sure I could find any better examples of compassion than some of things I’ve seen happening in this church over the last couple of months. For example, at every funeral luncheon, and we’ve had a few, I’ve seen all these ladies offering both their time and their talents to a grieving family and doing it without expecting anything in return. And then, last Sunday morning, when the angel trees were put out, I’ll tell you, they were attacked like locust, but in a good way. In fact, on Monday, when Debbie was looking at the tags left, she took one for a 5-year-old girl who wanted a puzzle, but had to leave the other two that were left, because they were for boy’s 3-year-old pants, and frankly, I don’t think I have any pants that new. The trees were cleared by people who wanted to give. And as sort of the cherry on top of the sundae, last Sunday afternoon, some of our youth went out to buy food for the Thanksgiving bags we’ve been filling. Now, for me, these are three great examples of the sort of thing we’ll be talking about today.

And with that in mind, for the next ten minutes or so, on this last Sunday before Thanksgiving, we’re going to look at the relationship between being thankful and showing compassion. And as we’ve done during the first three messages, we’ll do that by answering two questions. First, why are thankful people compassionate? And then second, how might we become a little more compassionate ourselves?

Of course, when thinking about why thankful people are also compassionate, well, I believe it’s really helpful to consider folks on the extremes. I mean, on one hand, I think we all know men and women who are what you could call fiscally conservative, frugal, thrifty. Of course, they also go by some other names, you know, like tightwads or skinflints, misers or, in keeping with the season, Scrooges. Take it to the bank, these guys are stingy. And since they’re so stupid cheap, they’re terrified of  losing any of what they already have. And so they hold onto whatever they’ve got. As my mom used to say, they can “pinch a penny till it screams.” And as a result, even if somewhere deep down they feel thankfulness, man, no one will ever see it. As a matter of fact, they’re a lot like those people the writer of the Proverbs warned us about:

Do not eat the bread of the stingy;

    do not desire their delicacies;

for like a hair in the throat, so are they. 

    “Eat and drink!” they say to you;

    but they do not mean it.

You will vomit up the little you have eaten,

    and you will waste your pleasant words. [Proverbs 23:6-8, NRSV] 

Words to remember, especially since Thanksgiving is only four days away. Let’s just say, on one hand, it’s hard to see much thanks coming from a stingy person.

On the other hand, though, I want you to think about folks who are really generous. I mean, instead of feeling fear about losing, they feel gratitude about having. In other words, they’re grateful for some of those very basic things in life. In fact, often they see these necessities as gifts; therefore, instead of holding on to them with white knuckles and bloody fingernails, they’re ready to share some of what they’ve been given with others. And generally, they do this based on need and not return. In other words, they’re offering a gift, not making an investment. And so, they’re thankfulness is always on display. And I’ll tell you, in that way, they really put into action this command from the Book of Deuteronomy:

After the Lord your God gives land to each of you, there may be poor Israelites in the town where you live. If there are, then don’t be mean and selfish with your money. Instead, be kind and lend them what they need. Be careful! Don’t say to yourself, “Soon it will be the seventh year, and then I won’t be able to get my money back.” It would be horrible for you to think that way and to be so selfish that you refuse to help the poor. They are your relatives, and if you don’t help them, they may ask the Lord to decide whether you have done wrong. And he will say that you are guilty. You should be happy to give the poor what they need, because then the Lord will make you successful in everything you do.

There will always be some Israelites who are poor and needy. That’s why I am commanding you to be generous with them. [Deuteronomy 15:7-11, CEV]

I guess you could say that generosity bears fruits that are a lot different than those coming from a Scrooge and that’s why thankful people are compassionate.

And so how can we follow their example? How can we become less stingy and more generous? In other words, how can we work a little more compassion into our lives? Well, I think that’s possible when we make the decision to open three aspects of who we are.

For example, first, we can decide to open our eyes so that we can really see what we actually have. Now I understand that what I’m about to say just isn’t true in most of the world. And there are people in our own country, probably even in our community for which it doesn’t apply. But for us, man, we really have more than we need, don’t we? And I think this is something important for us to see, because when we do, not only will we have a greater appreciation for what we have, we’ll also be able to recognize that there’s a reason we have it. It’s like Paul wrote to the Romans:

God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.

Take care of God’s needy people and welcome strangers into your home. [Romans 12:6-8, 13, CEV]

You see, if we want to be more compassionate, we can open our eyes so that we can see what we actually have. And I’ll tell you, that’s one thing we can do.

And second, we can also open our hearts so that we can feel the pain and sadness of those who don’t have enough. In other words, we can really try to identify with men and women who may come from backgrounds very different from our own and who each and every day must overcome challenges that we may never have to face. And we can do this without a lot of assumptions or prejudices much less judgement and condemnation. You see, I think it’s really easy to use assumptions and prejudices to justify feeling nothing at all. But that should never be the case with us. Instead, we need to consider the needs that surround us and then to allow that consideration to shape how we feel. It’s like the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews said:

Keep being concerned about each other as the Lord’s followers should.

Be sure to welcome strangers into your home. By doing this, some people have welcomed angels as guests, without even knowing it.

Remember the Lord’s people who are in jail and be concerned for them. Don’t forget those who are suffering, but imagine that you are there with them. [Hebrews 13:1-3, CEV]

Or like Paul wrote to the Romans:

Welcome all the Lord’s followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don’t criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours. Some think it is all right to eat anything, while those whose faith is weak will eat only vegetables. But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes everyone. What right do you have to criticize someone else’s servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right. [Romans 14:1-4, CEV]

You see, to become more compassionate, we really need to open our hearts so that we might feel the pain and sadness of others. And that’s something else we can do.

And third, we can open our hands so that we can share what we have with others. And I’ll tell you, for me, that’s really where the rubber hits the road, because we can open our eyes so that we can see what we have and open our hearts for that we can feel what others experience, but if it stops there, I mean, if it never leads to action, man, it ain’t worth a bucket of spit. In other words, somewhere down the line we’re going to need to take some of the stuff that we have and use it to address some of the concerns that we’ve felt. But I’m not saying anything we don’t already know. I mean, let’s get real; that’s why all those women volunteered to help with the funeral dinners and all those tickets were taken from the trees and all those kids took some their time to buy food for people they didn’t even know. You see, they all decided to act, and it’s in the action there’s meaning. And you know, I think this is exactly what James was getting at when he wrote this:

My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don’t do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? If you know someone who doesn’t have any clothes or food, you shouldn’t just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? Faith that doesn’t lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!

Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.”

I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.” You surely believe there is only one God. That’s fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear. [James 2:14-19, CEV]

I think that says it all, “Faith that doesn’t lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!” [James 2:17, CEV] To become more compassionate, we really need to open our hands and to share. And that’s the third thing we can do.

Now in four days, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving, something that’s particularly meaningful for Debbie, Maggie and I because it’ll be our first Thanksgiving with y’all, right here in our new home. And unless something really dramatic happens tomorrow and Tuesday, in that new home, we’ll have more than just two chairs and an air mattress. Man, the Rudigers are ready for some thanksgiving. But you know, this year, we might all want to do more than just to give thanks. You see, we can also decide to be more thankful, something that we’re able to do, because we know that thankful people are humble. And they’re open. And they’re relaxed. And finally we know that thankful people are certainly compassionate.

Looking at Mark - Setting the Stage (Mark 1.1-13)

On Wednesday mornings beginning at 10:30 a.m., your friends and neighbors at Sligo Presbyterian Church gather to discuss our faith in Jesus Christ. Currently, we're using the Gospel of Mark as our guide. Pastor Rudiger is leading the discussion and everyone is invited. We’ll be covering the following topics:

• Session 1: Setting the Stage (Mark 1:1-13)
• Session 2: Good Times, Good Times (Mark 1:14-45)
• Session 3: Grey Clouds (Mark 2:1–3:6)
• Session 4: Sharing the Message (Mark 3:7–4:34)
• Session 5: It’s a Miracle (Mark 4:35–5:43)
• Session 6: Taking Sides (Mark 6:1-29)
• Session 7: More of the Same (Mark 6:30–7:23)
• Session 8: “You Are the Christ” (Mark 7:24–8:30)
• Session 9: The Rest of the Story (Mark 8:31–9:29)
• Session 10: Not Their Best (Mark 9:30–10:31)
• Session 11: More of the Same (Mark 10:32-52)
• Session 12: Coming in for a Landing (Mark 11:1-33)
• Session 13: In Contrast (Mark 12:1-44)
• Session 14: What's Coming (Mark 13:1-37)
• Session 15: Beginning to Spiral (Mark 14:1-42)
• Session 16: Son of God (Mark 14:43-15:47)
• Session 17: “for” (Mark 16:1-8)

During our first session, we discussed some of the background of the gospel and Mark 1:1-13. The passage is below:

Mark 1:1-13

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way;

the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight,’”

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

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