10.11.26 Worship Preview "Connexions and Disconnections"
WORSHIP OCTOBER 11th: 10:30am. “Connexions and Disconnections” Rev. Christopher Eshelman preaching. Scriptures: Exodus 1:1-21, John 15: 1-17.
A few months ago I got hearing aids. I’ve had a 30 decibel hearing loss due to a birth defect. A misshapen inner ear bone that doesn’t vibrate normally leaves me unable to hear some frequencies. For most of my life, I’d been told that hearing aids would only make what I could hear louder, but not let me hear what I was missing. A couple times I’d tried – using my grandfather’s old set once – and yep – it made what I could hear louder and thus made the world more chaotic and confusing – more distractions and noises I couldn’t isolate. It was awful. But in the last couple of years, technology has shifted so that “noise canceling” has become a thing. I don’t begin to understand how these tiny computers determine what I don’t want to hear vs what I do but they are miraculous. The road noise that used to make talking in a car almost impossible is suppressed and the voices clear. I can hear conversation in restaurants rather than just surrounding noise. Being able to have these devices “disconnect” me from the distractions and help me focus on the people I do want to hear is changing my life. One of my great weaknesses as a pastor was “small talk.” The crucial relationship building conversations about “nothing” that connect us. Weather. Sports. And more important hints that someone wants to talk about deeper issues – grief, anxiety, fear. Things I’d been missing. Connection. The dictionary defines it as “an association or relationship” and “reference or relation to something else.”
It looks funny to us now, but in John Wesley’s time, the common spelling was “Connexion” – and that is how he thought about church and about the classes, bands, and societies that early Methodist were organized around. When I revamped the newsletter a few years ago, I intentionally chose the spelling of John Wesley’s time because I want us, as a congregation of the United Methodist Church in this time and place, to be deeply rooted in our shared history and to be listening for and working towards God’s dream for us here, now, and in the future! Wesley used “Connexion” to talk about his understanding of Christianity and its Methodist expression in particular. He wrote: “Christianity is essentially a social religion, and that to turn it into a solitary religion is indeed to destroy it. By Christianity I mean that method of worshiping God which is here revealed to [humanity] by Jesus Christ. When I say this is essentially a social religion, I mean not only that it cannot subsist so well, but that it cannot subsist at all without society, without living and conversing with [one another].”
In our Scripture readings this week, we hear the familiar and yet challenging metaphor of Jesus as the Vine, the Father as the vinegrower who prunes and nurtures, and of course, our call to be fruitfully and faithfully connected as branches. Jesus says: “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” As we heard last week, we hear again here “love one another as I have loved you.” This comes in the midst of several chapter of conversation. Questions. Teachings. Actions that demonstrate how Jesus loves and how Jesus calls upon us to love – our neighbors, even our enemies. As humans, we often fall into the trap of “othering” instead of neighboring. We look at differences with suspicion. We isolate, exclude, and demean. In this season of angry political ads, that tendency is easy to see.
Wesleyan scholar Randy Maddox shares that John was fond of saying “"To be human, is to be an individual who could be wrong, who could make an error.” We don't know the way God knows. We don't have perfect knowledge. We must engage with and listen to others with the humility of knowing we could be wrong, even as we share our understanding. Maddox says Wesley first read that on a gravestone, yet used it to help shape the life and fruitfulness of his Methodist movement. Wesley insisted that Christians need the benefit of conversation with one another and of self correction among one another to help keep them on the journey faithfully and to help them in their understanding of church teachings. I shared last week that my journey was greatly shaped by friendly and edifying conversation with people that I disagree with on theology – dear friends from other denominations and other religious and philosophical traditions. Our conversations were not about “defending” our understanding or attacking each other but exploring those differences help me understand my own path better.
As we continue our “Love One Another” series, we’ll look at the example of the midwives in Exodus 1. It’s short scene. A new Pharaoh has arisen who “does not know Joseph.” The friendly relationship the early Hebrews had with Egypt’s rulers has faded over time – and fear and suspicion has taken it’s place. Pharaoh orders the midwives Shiphrah and Puah to kill any boy born to the Hebrews – but they disobey. Sunday we’ll explore that story and continue to think about how we respond to differences, power, and injustice in our time with courage, faithfulness, and fruitfulness.
If the world has you down. If you can’t make sense of what is happening. If you need a shot of hope – and if you’d like to see a different way emerge, you are not alone. We’d be delighted to have you join in worship. We don’t have all the answers. We aren’t perfect and we won’t dictate your choices. But together we keep finding that God makes a way – and that all our stories matter. So, come just as you are – with your doubts and questions, with your laments and fears, and with your deepest hopes and joys. Whether you are a longtime member, have never been to church at all, or find yourself needing a change - together we will find our paths and share our journeys. Thanks be to God!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
FEEDING FAMILIES IN HIS NAME: Wednesday, October 14th - A free, no obligation meal is served “to-go” style from underneath our portico from 5:15pm to 6:15pm each Wednesday, prepared each week by our members as well as several area churches and community groups. We aim to provide 400 meals per week.
FELLOWSHIP SOUP LUNCH Friday, October 23rd – join us beginning t 11:30am for a selection of tasty soups, desserts, and fellowship. Freewill donation for the meal supports the ministries of First UMC and our “Hospitality, Outreach, and Community Relations” team known as HOCROC. Bring a friend!
TRUNK OR TREAT – Saturday, October 31st. Bring the kids or grandkids to the parking lot behind the church for a safe, lit, and level place to gather treats from over a dozen “trunks” – we will start at 5:30pm and close at sundown with the lot blocked off for safety beginning at 5:15pm.
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