United Church of Two Harbors

United Church of Two Harbors http://www.ucth.org/ a welcoming and nurturing faith community on the shores of lake superior en Copyright 2010 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:25:44 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Peace on Earth The other day while walking through Two Harbors I spotted a sticker in the back window of a car. It was what is commonly called the "peace symbol." This symbol actually got its start as a symbol for Nuclear Disarmament, formed by combining the semaphore for "N" and "D." It's not a very old symbol, as symbols go, celebrating its 52nd birthday this coming February. Written around this symbol were the words "Peace through Superior Firepower." We are moving into the season where we celebrate angels singing over the plains "Peace on Earth" but I'm reminded by this sticker that peace can mean a lot of things. So the question of the moment for me is, what kind of peace? For many the only imaginable peace is a peace that must be enforced by the threat of force. Some people hope for a Pax Americana harkening back to the Pax Romana, a period of some 200 years where Rome was the world's sole superpower and dominated all of the lesser forces into submission. This created a period of time where aqueducts and roads were built and commerce flowed freely around the Mediterranean. Likewise some hope that America, as a sole superpower, can by threat of arms create a world where infrastructure can flourish and economic forces can create wealth, if not for all, at least for some. It was exactly this "peace" into which Jesus was born. This "peace" was really no peace at all. Otherwise, why would the angels hope for peace? This peace by brute force was simply domination in order to bring order, and that order was called "peace." But the peace the angels proclaimed was not this kind of peace at all. Nor was it some kind of idyllic cessation of hostility among nations and people. It was a peace between God and humanity. For we were and have been at war with God, in big and small ways. We declared the war when we, in the guise of Adam and Eve, tried to become gods ourselves. And that's been the struggle ever since. In this ongoing conflict God declared an amnesty in the person of Jesus Christ and called us to lay down arms and stop our warring ways, because the war wasn't hurting God, it was hurting ourselves and each other and creation itself. We needed a different way, a different peace. So, this Christmas, let us know peace. Let us know peace on Earth and celebrate God's goodwill to all. ]]> http://www.ucth.org/2009/12/peace_on_earth.html http://www.ucth.org/2009/12/peace_on_earth.html Essay Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:25:44 -0600 "Talking With" not "Talking To"

We're in the midst of a communication revolution and you are a part of it. Over the summer I polled you on how you use media in your daily life and we got great feedback and fascinating results. Of those who responded here are some interesting statistics:

90% of you receive the Lighthouse and, of those, 71% read it cover to cover every month. The most valued parts of the newsletter by readers are the Calendar of Events, this essay, and the Thank Yous, Birthdays, and Hospitalizations page.
Reading the local paper is a pastime of people over 40. People under 40 rarely read newspapers.
More than anything else (Television, Radio, Newspapers, etc.) you check your email daily and 77% of you have high speed internet at home.
35% of you have a Facebook account and, of respondents in their 20s, 100% have Facebook accounts.

So, given all this, here are some things we've done:

We are going to start emailing out announcements on a weekly basis on Thursday mornings. If you aren't getting these emails, write Jan at ucth@ucth.org and let her know you want to be included.
We have started a Facebook page at facebook.ucth.org and I encourage you to become a "fan."

The wonderful thing about this form of communication is that is driven by you. I don't want to talk to you; I want to talk with you. Already on our Facebook page we have polls, discussion topics, videos, pictures, and so on, and you can comment on any of these. You can leave messages on our Facebook wall and share what you are thinking. The internet can be a place where we can stay in communication all week long and, I'm grateful to note, that several of our young adults who have grown up in the church but now live in far flung places have joined the site so that they can stay connected to their home church. So, let's have a conversation and be reminded that the body of Christ is much bigger than those who gather in a sanctuary on a Sunday morning. Yours, Pastor Lawrence ]]> http://www.ucth.org/2009/09/talking_with_no.html http://www.ucth.org/2009/09/talking_with_no.html Essay Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:22:10 -0600 Retooling: What Detroit Can Teach the Church

The automobile industry in this country has been called unresponsive to the needs of the common person, out of touch with societal trends, and uncaring about global changes. As a result the industry is suffering mightily and is quickly trying to retool to respond to the needs of a changing world. Likewise, I've heard the same arguments over the last 20 years about the church and, let's face it, the church is suffering as well. Maybe both deservedly so. So, what can the church learn from Detroit's collapse? While the analogy isn't perfect, let me suggest a few things. Refocus Mission - The auto industry is desperately heading back to the drawing board and asking itself key questions about its mission. In other words, what are we meant to do? Often success breeds complacency and we can get focused on irrelevancies that take our focus off our core mission. A few years ago here at United Church we started using our Mission Statement in every publication and at every service of worship and at every council meetings so that by now, hopefully, everyone in our church, young and old, have committed it to memory. What are we about? We are about welcoming all people and nurturing followers of Jesus Christ. Reconsider Distribution - One of the things that is much talked about is how Detroit distributes its product and how it relates directly, or indirectly, with the consumer. In the same way I think the church needs to rethink how we relate to people. Our old model, and Detroit's old model, is that the people come to us and their choices are limited. In today's world the people don't need to come to us and the amount of information they have is great. The church, like Detroit, needs to reorient to a much more savvy and less beholden public. Brand Loyalty is Nonexistent - In the past there were Ford families or Chrysler families who would only buy a particular brand of car. They were fiercely loyal to that company and would extol its virtues. Now people will buy cars based on their circumstantial needs without regard to the brand. Likewise denominational loyalty no longer holds sway in today's world and that's just a fact. Just because you grew up in a United Methodist home does not guarantee that you won't go to a Pentecostal church later in life. Loyalty must be earned and people look at congregations on a case to case basis. Churches whining about this fact changes nothing and, actually, there is a great opportunity here. Economies of Scale vs. Changing Consumer Need - Detroit made it big using assembly lines and creating economies of scale to drive down costs. The problem is that the consumer's need is not always met by this cookie cutter approach and it made Detroit very slow to respond to the changing world around them. In the same way churches need to be nimble and ready to respond quickly. This, actually, is where the church, especially small and midsized churches, like our own, has a perceived advantage. The church works on a decentralized model where each congregation is given quite a bit of autonomy within our basic guidelines. This should mean that every congregation is free to adapt and change to its context. The challenge is sharing these innovations to other congregations to spark creativity and renewal. The good news is that this is happening and, largely because of the internet, there is more peer to peer sharing of innovations within the church than ever before. This is truly an exciting chapter in church history. These are four parallels, in an admittedly imperfect analogy, that I could think of right off the top of my head. What are some that you see? How do you think the church can learn from other circumstances in the world today? Where does the analogy break down for you? Let me know. Leave a comment. Peace, Pastor Lawrence]]> http://www.ucth.org/2009/04/retooling_what.html http://www.ucth.org/2009/04/retooling_what.html Essay Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:34:43 -0600 Thinking Theologically about Evolution Thinking theologically doesn't come naturally. It takes work. A few weeks ago, around the bicentennial of the birth of Charles Darwin, I decided to lead our Confirmation Class in a theological discussion of the theory of evolution. It's unfortunate, really, that much of what we learn of argument comes from television pundits who characterize dialogue as two people who take opposing points of view and then go at it for 6 minutes at a time, taking breaks for the network to sell you soap or beer. I'm hoping that we can teach our children that true argument is not about defending positions, but about a shared search for the truth. To guide our discussion I employed Wesley's Quadrilateral of Scripture, Tradition, Experience, and Reason. As stated in the Book of Discipline: "Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. Scripture is primary, revealing the Word of God 'so far as it is necessary for our salvation.'" So we started with Scripture and read the first account of creation, found in Genesis 1. We recognized that the purpose of this text was not so much to describe physical creation, as the creation it describes is significantly different from the world as we know and perceive it, but to state in unambiguous terms that God creates and what God creates is blessed and called "good." We then turned to Tradition, looking at the teachings of the church. We looked particularly at the official teachings of the Presbyterian Church (USA)... "Our responsibility as Christians is to deal seriously with the theories and findings of all scientific endeavors, evolution included, and to enter into open dialogue with responsible persons involved in scientific tasks about the achievement, failures and limits of their activities and of ours... Unless it is clearly necessary to uphold a basic Biblical doctrine, the Church is not called upon and should carefully refrain from either affirming or denying the theory of evolution. We conclude that the true relation between the evolutionary theory and the Bible is that of non-contradiction." and of the United Methodist Church... "We recognize science as a legitimate interpretation of God’s natural world. We affirm the validity of the claims of science in describing the natural world, although we preclude science from making authoritative claims about theological issues." The we turned to our own Experience and what Reason tells us. We talked about the Scientific Method and how we use our senses and our logic to interpret the world around us. I was grateful to have Roger Anderson present to talk about his own journey as a teacher of science and a person of faith and how he sees these pursuits as not only compatible, but complimentary. We did not all agree in our discussion about what to think about evolution, but what I hope we learned by our discussion is that neither science nor theology have anything to fear from the truth. Out of human hubris the church insisted for centuries that the earth was the center of the cosmos and used the creation story to support the claim, but now we commonly accept that the earth is not a flat disc under a dome through which the planets and stars process, but a smallish planet that hurtles around a nuclear furnace on the edge of a galaxy that is only one among innumerable galaxies. Does this impoverish our theology? Not in the least. It enriches it because it reminds us that we are but a small part of a much larger cosmos. The Bible is not a book of science. It does not do a good job of describing the physical world. But it does do an amazing job describing our spiritual reality. We are created by God and we are blessed to live in a world that has been lovingly prepared. We have responsibilities as keepers of the garden. We are wonderfully and fearfully made.]]> http://www.ucth.org/2009/03/thinking_theolo.html http://www.ucth.org/2009/03/thinking_theolo.html Essay Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:27:29 -0600 Inauguration Is for the Birds

This month our country will participate in our quadrennial rite of inauguration. And while our eyes may be glued on the television with pictures coming from Washington D. C. and live-blogging on the internet, we probably should all just take a step outside and look to the skies. The word "inauguration," after all, comes from the word "augur" and augurs were ancient Roman priests. They were consulted when any important matters of state were to be decided - going to war, business deals, treaties, or electing new leaders. And augurs got their cues by studying the flight patterns of birds. Historians have noted how corrupt the augurs probably were. Uncannily, birds seemed to cooperate with whoever gave the augurs the nicest donations. But, still, as we inaugurate a new leader I think it's important to look skyward. And if we did look skyward, what signs would we see? • Migration patterns altered by climate change. • Bird species going extinct at the rate of 10 a year. • Air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, and ground pollution all heavily impacting avian life. • Natural habitats and nesting grounds being destroyed. What signs, indeed? As a wise man once said, "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." One of the huge differences between ancient and contemporary cultures is how human-centered we are. No doubt it will be the human story that plays large on Inauguration Day. But ancient cultures, which we scoff at for being superstitious or unscientific, at least understood that we as human beings took our place among many creatures in the cosmos, though, perhaps, our impact is inordinately large. So I pray for our new president because the signs of the birds do not bode well for us. If we are to take our stewardship of all creation seriously, we must look to the skies, to the waters, to the pastures, and to the woods. We must hear what the birds are telling us about who we are and where we are going. So this Inauguration Day please look skyward and pray.]]> http://www.ucth.org/2009/01/inauguration_is.html http://www.ucth.org/2009/01/inauguration_is.html Essay Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:20:46 -0600 Christmas Presence Make your own gifts. You don't have to be crafty. How about compiling a small book of your own recipes? Or maybe you could record some poems or readings on tape or CD to give to friends. Instead of a gift exchange with friends, how about setting up a cookie exchange? Give yourself. How about giving coupon for babysitting or leaf raking or snow shoveling? Instead of a gift certificate, how about an invitation to come over for a meal? If you are skilled in an area, offer to give a tutorial! Volunteer. Help out as a family or group of friends at our local food shelf or CHUM or Damiano or Neighbor to Neighbor. There are plenty of organizations that run on the work of volunteers and doing it as a group is great fun. Donate. So, with all that money you are saving from not buying gifts, why not find some causes worth supporting? One of my favorites is Heifer International (last year I gave a goat in the name of my nephews and nieces) but there are other great causes as well such as not for profit arts organizations which provide for the community year round. Now, you may be saying to yourself, "But my kid/friend/parent/significant other is expecting a gift! Why mess up his or her Christmas?" Well, first, I'm not saying don't give gifts. I think we should give gifts, but be more conscientious about our gift giving. Second, expectations can be altered. As my family of origin started to grow we agreed that buying a gift for everyone just wasn't practical, so we agreed on a gift exchange with a limit on how much we could spend on the gift put in the exchange ($10). Part of the fun became finding interesting gifts under that limit that we thought would be of interest to our family. Third, ask yourself what really made Christmases past meaningful and focus on those things. I'm betting that on reflection most people won't list gifts among those things. Though I really, really loved this big box of legos I got when I was 9. Gosh, I loved those legos. But, really, what made those legos really fun was playing with them with my brother and my friends. So, please, have yourself a merry little Christmas! Let's set out to enjoy the season.]]> http://www.ucth.org/2008/12/christmas_prese.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/12/christmas_prese.html Essay Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:27:05 -0600 Moral Hazard "With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." May you know grace in your life and may you respond in grace.]]> http://www.ucth.org/2008/10/moral_hazard.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/10/moral_hazard.html Essay Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:31:48 -0600 Preparing to Preach Recently I was asked by a colleague to describe my process of how I prepare to preach. A lot of people have asked me this and I thought I might let you in on some trade secrets with the hope it might help you in relating to scripture. First of all I see my role as a preacher is to be a scout, an explorer. I live my life out on the spiritual edge and bring back weekly reports. If I'm not pushing the boundaries I'm not doing my job. I start working on a sermon about 8-10 weeks ahead. I pray over the scriptures for the day. Find what piques my interest or aggravates me or even angers me, and then focus on that passage or sentence or word. It's the grain of sand in the oyster that makes the pearl. I preach toward my own salvation. I start working on an outline and then attune myself to all I hear and see around me and start plugging in examples from the world around me - news, magazine articles, blogs, television, movies, conversations - everything is grist for the mill. I bounce ideas of colleagues in text study groups. I belong to two, one that meets weekly and one that meets twice a month. This is invaluable because they often point out flaws or gaps in my thoughts or resources I should look at. I draft the sermon, still in outline form, the week ahead, plugging in and moving around pieces and throwing out bits that distract from the main point. I want the sermon to be able to be expressed in one big idea; one simple, easy to carry, take home sentence. If an 8 year old of average intelligence can't get that basic thesis I've probably failed. I prayerfully read over the outline in quiet solitude Sunday morning before I get bombarded by everyone, then I throw the outline away. I pray with my liturgist and give myself over to the worshipping community. I try not to think about the sermon after this point until I preach. Often there are little changes in the sermon based on what I hear in the prayers of the community. I pray this prayer before I start any sermon - "Eternal God, be as the farmer and our hearts the earth. Open up our hard hearts with your plow called 'truth' and plant there within the seed which is your Word. And over time, over seasons of sun and rain and frost and snow, may our hearts bear forth a harvest of your love. Amen." Why? Because I always do it, that's why. It's important for me to have something that grounds me before I launch into the sermon and this prayer has proven to be it over the years. I preach. I try to maintain eye contact. I try to have no notes. Occasionally, if there is a long passage or poem or quote I want to make sure to quote directly, I will have that with me, but that is rare. I move and try to use the space to help tell the sermon. Often if I making a distinction I will physically make one space represent one person, area, idea, way of being, and another the counter-example. For example: if I'm preaching on Judah and Israel I might make the left part of the sanctuary represent Judah, and the right represent Israel. I have a conversation. If I ask questions I try not to make them rhetorical questions but actually include and incorporate the congregation into the sermon. I have fun. If I'm not enjoying the sermon you probably aren't either. I debrief with someone I trust, usually my kids. I ask what they heard, what they saw. I ask them to summarize the sermon for me. Obviously this process means I'm working on 8-10 sermons at the same time. That's how I roll. As of the middle of August I'm just starting to look at November and I've got my topics picked through the end of October. This can be disconcerting for some people but it's exhilarating for me. So, that's how I prepare. Now you know. ]]> http://www.ucth.org/2008/09/preparing_to_pr.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/09/preparing_to_pr.html Essay Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:37:45 -0600 Nothing Unclean I just purchased a new house or, rather, a new mortgage. I tell my kids that I own 3% of this house and it's whatever 3% I'm in, so if you want to be in the house that we own, you have to stay within the same 45 square feet that I'm in. Packing and unpacking, as anyone who moves can tell you, is a real spiritual experience. You pick up hundreds of objects - from teaspoons to sofas, from toothbrushes to a ceramic spoonrest made by your son - and you have to ask yourself, each time you pick up an object, "Do I keep this? Do I give it away? Do I throw it away? Does this thing have a place in my life? Do I value it?" More often than not a kind of ownership inertia sets in. "I've moved this object for the last four moves so I might as well move it again." But I tried this time to be really intentional about what I moved and why. A new house means a new opportunity to organize my life. It's both daunting and exhilarating. As I was moving into my new abode (with many thanks to those people out there who helped me move) a scripture came to me over and over again in a way I'd never heard it before. In Revelation 21 as the nations enter the New Jerusalem, which has descended pristine and pure from the sky, the writer mentions that "nothing unclean will enter it." That it will always remain pristine and pure. And I want my new house to be like that. Oh, how I long for it to be like that. But I already know, as much as I want to, it will not be so. There will be mud and there will be messes. There will be clutter and there will be chaos. In spite of my best intentions, my house will not be spotless. And, eventually, like the way of all flesh it will pass away, by cataclysm or natural decay. I was reminded of that too when I signed my insurance papers. That said, I don't think it's a bad impulse to be mindful of what we bring into our houses. The things we keep, the stuff we store, say much about us. To paraphrase the recently deceased comedian, George Carlin, what is a house if it's not a place for our stuff? And the stuff we keep says as much about us as the stuff we leave behind.]]> http://www.ucth.org/2008/07/nothing_unclean.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/07/nothing_unclean.html Essay Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:51:46 -0600 Repetition and Remembrance Never repeat for emphasis." The fact is repetition is one of the best ways to get something into your deep memory. When I go to visit elderly people who have lost most of their memory and are largely incommunicative the sure way to get them talking is to pray the Lord's Prayer. Suddenly silence turns to prayer as their lips move in synch with those old familiar words and I can feel a spark present. Repetition of our prayers and liturgy also has an impact on the young. About four years ago when Bernick's Pepsi workers were on strike Emma was wondering why I wouldn't buy Pepsi products. I tried to explain, as best I could to a 9 year old, about workers' rights and the power of collective bargaining where individuals might fail, but the whole can stand together. To which she said, "Oh, sort of like 'we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.'" I blinked and said, "You've been paying attention." "Well," she said, "you say it ALL the time." Of course, I don't say it ALL the time. Only when we are celebrating communion. But those ideas in the prayers of the church that are repeated often enough start to grow roots in our psyche and we can't help but make connections. We start to see the world around us through the lens of our repeated prayers and scriptures. It is meaningful to me when, at the close of communion, we pray... "We thank you, Lord, for this holy mystery in which you have give yourself for us. Now send us forward, in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others." I think about that a lot. God gives completely to us - body, life, blood, spirit - and so in the face of this complete and utter giving of self we are compelled to do likewise. It's like breathing. God gives. We receive. We give. The cycle goes on. What prayer or scripture that we repeat has found its way into your heart and soul? How has it changed you? If you could commit one or two prayers or passages of scripture to memory what would they be?]]> http://www.ucth.org/2008/07/repetition_and.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/07/repetition_and.html Essay Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:44:01 -0600 Bear Witness to the Truth The United Methodist Church met in General Conference this past month as they do every four years and I was looking over their list of items passed and not. As United Methodists we will have a new hymnal as of 2013. We won't be changing any of our language on the inclusion (or exclusion) of gays and lesbians. We are seeking full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Probationary clergy will now be called provisional clergy. And so on. But what caught my eye was a change to what we pledge when we become members of the church. The formula, for the last 70 some years, has been that we pledge to support the church through our "prayers, presence, gifts, and service." New members now will also be asked to pledge their "witness" as well. "Witness" is a loaded term for most people, burdened with images of street corner preachers or overwrought emotional testimonies at revival meetings. It's an unfortunate association because the act of bearing witness is a very simple one - if you know the truth, speak up. I think of a witness called to give testimony in court. As a witness your duty is fairly simple and straight forward - tell the truth to the best of your ability. In the New Testament followers of Jesus are called repeatedly to "bear witness" to what they have seen. They point is, again, to tell the truth they have seen to the best of their ability. I'm glad for this change because it reminds us that we are all responsible to bear witness to the truth and that everyone's faith journey is different. Sometimes, because our journeys are so different, we are shy to speak up about our experience because we are under the mistaken impression that different is wrong. But we need to bear witness so that we can learn from each others' experiences. It is how we see the work of the Spirit in our midst. Sometimes people discount their own experience because it doesn't seem as dramatic or engaging as other people's experiences, but that is far from the truth. What is "ordinary" is often the most extraordinary thing. Everyone has a story to tell. Also, the act of bearing witness means that we have to keep our eyes open to the world around us. We need to look for where God is operating in our midst. If we are going to witness to God's moving we need to be sensitive to it. This isn't simply the job of clergy or the "professional religious" but the job of every baptized Christian. We all need to bear witness to the truth. Also, bearing witness to the truth means we can't turn a blind eye to injustice or evil either. We are called to speak up. So I'm thankful to the General Conference for this change and pray that we will move into a mode of faithful witness to the truth. http://www.ucth.org/2008/05/bear_witness_to.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/05/bear_witness_to.html Essay Wed, 28 May 2008 19:43:27 -0600 New Testament Trivia Quiz are below in red.

1) How many books are there in the New Testament? a. 27 b. 33 c. 4 d. more and more every year 2) The author of most of the books in the New Testament is… a. Jesus b. Peter c. Paul d. Billy Graham 3) The books that record the life and teachings of Jesus are known as… a. the Annals b. the Dead Sea Scrolls c. the Chronicles d. the Gospels 4) The book of Acts… a. records stories of Jesus’ youth b. contains short plays about Jesus c. records the stories of the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection d. records the story of Jesus trial and crucifixion from the point of view of Pontius Pilate 5) Mark… a. is the shortest of the gospels b. is commonly accepted as the earliest written gospel c. has two endings d. all of the above 6) Paul’s conversion from persecutor of the church to apostle is recorded in… a. Luke b. 1 Paul c. Revelation d. Acts 7) Apocalypse in the Greek literally means.. a. catastrophe or destruction b. revelation or unveiling c. divine wrath d. dance music with marimbas 8) The earliest written book in the New Testament was likely… a. Matthew b. Isaiah c. Acts d. 1 Thessalonians 9) Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels because… a. they were discovered near Synopsis, Greece b. they were the earliest gospels c. they are similar d. they all contain a synopsis of the Old Testament at the beginning 10) The number of books written by Jesus in the New Testament is… a. 0 b. 1 c. 4 d. 27 11) The Epistles... a. is the anglicized version of the word “apostles” b. are letters c. are the books in the New Testament that are not the Gospels d. is the Greek word for the Gospels 12) The books of the New Testament are all generally believed to be written… a. by Paul or followers of Paul b. in Greece c. between 45 and 140 AD d. in Aramaic before they were translated into Latin 13) The New Testament as it is (books and order) has existed since approximately… a. 110 AD b. 367 AD c. 733 AD d. 1821 AD 14) Matthew is unique because… a. it is the only Gospel to record Jesus’ genealogy b. of the story of the Wise Men bringing gifts to Jesus c. it doesn’t list the names of the disciples d. all of the above 15) Mark is notable because… a. its repeated use of the phrase “kai euthos” (“and immediately”) b. it was the only gospel not to be written by one of the 12 Disciples c. it has Jesus being born in Nazareth instead of Bethlehem d. all of the above 16) Luke has more of these than any other gospel… a. chapters b. parables c. disciples d. all of the above 17) John is unique because… a. it contains multiple visits to Jerusalem by Jesus b. there are no parables c. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet d. all of the above 18) Acts is believed to be written… a. by Paul b. before any of the Gospels c. by the writer of Luke d. by a woman 19) In Romans, Paul… a. compares the Gentiles to a branch grafted onto an olive tree b. argues that God has not rejected the Jewish people c. asks for support for a trip to Spain d. all of the above 20) Arguably the best known passage from 1 Corinthians is… a. a chapter about the nature of love often read at weddings b. the story of Jesus’ birth c. the story of Paul cheating at a dice game d. none of the above 21) In 2 Corinthians Paul compares his own imperfections in proclaiming the Gospel as… a. yeast in the bread b. a thorn in his side c. a treasure buried in a field d. a clay jar containing a treasure 22) Galatians was written… a. to ask for money b. by Peter to Paul who was in Gaul c. against those who taught that Gentiles had to be circumcised to become Christians d. none of the above 23) Ephesians… a. uses a metaphor of putting on armor to describe Christian readiness b. instructs slaves to obey their masters c. instructs wives to obey their husbands d. all of the above 24) Philippians… a. was written to Philip of Rome b. contains a recipe for bean soup c. contains what is thought to be an early hymn that begins “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” d. none of the above 25) 1 Thessalonians is… a. the first of Paul’s letters b. concerned with those Christians who have died c. instructs believers to “pray without ceasing” d. all of the above 26) 2 Thessalonians was written… a. before 1 Thessalonians b. apparently because the Thessalonians didn’t understand the first letter c. in response to 1 Peter d. none of the above 27) In 1 Timothy, Paul… a. tells Timothy not to let people put him down just because he’s a youth b. instructs bishops and church leaders to have no more than one wife c. forbids women to have authority over a man d. all of the above 28) In 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of… a. not being able to grow a beard b. his body c. making a money by preaching d. suffering for the sake of the Gospel 29) In Titus, Paul… a. reveals the name of Jesus’ wife b. asks Titus to prepare a room for him c. is concerned that some preachers are calling Cretans liars and gluttons d. none of the above 30) Philemon is written… a. to the church at Philemon b. by Philemon, a tax collector c. about the first Olympics d. to the master of a runaway slave 31) Hebrews describes Jesus as… a. the pioneer and perfecter of our faith b. a high priest c. as co-creator of the world d. all of the above 32) James contains the phrase… a. “faith without works is dead” b. “the Lord helps those who help themselves” c. “you’ve got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them” d. “love is never having to say you’re sorry” 33) 1 Peter describes Christ as… a. a cornerstone b. a stone which the builders rejected c. a stumbling block d. all of the above 34) 2 Peter contains a description of this event in Jesus’ life… a. Birth b. Baptism c. Transfiguration d. Ascension 35) 1 John says that… a. God is light b. God is love c. no one has ever seen God d. all of the above 36) 2 John is addressed to… a. the elect lady and her children b. Paul in Rome c. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue d. those who follow Christ 37) Most scholars think 3 John was written… a. by the same John who wrote the Gospel of John b. by the same John who wrote Revelation c. by Paul d. before 1 & 2 John 38) Jude refers to this archangel fighting with the devil… a. Gabriel b. Uriel c. Raphael d. Michael 39) Revelation is written to churches in seven cities in Asia Minor including... a. Moscow b. Paris c. Jerusalem d. Philadelphia 40) Revelation was written by John of Patmos. Patmos is… a. a city in Asia Minor b. John’s father c. a prison island d. none of the above]]> http://www.ucth.org/2008/05/new_testament_t.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/05/new_testament_t.html Bible Study Sat, 10 May 2008 10:06:04 -0600 Spring Luncheon

Click on the pictures to see an enlarged version. Many thanks to all who participated and to David Glass for the photos. ]]> http://www.ucth.org/2008/05/spring_luncheon_1.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/05/spring_luncheon_1.html Event Tue, 06 May 2008 11:16:01 -0600 What Large Stones Mark 13:1-2 when the disciples, like all tourists in big cities, are gawking at the large buildings in temple complex in Jerusalem. "Look, Teacher! What large stones!" Jesus reminds them that buildings do not last. It's hard to hear that. Buildings have, in general, lifetimes that exceed the human span. They seem solid, unmovable, permanent, trustworthy. But buildings are transitory. They cannot last. Jesus also said, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) We need to be careful where we place our hearts and how we invest our spirit. On the other hand, it's good to take care of buildings so that they can accomplish their missions. We need good schools not for the sake of the buildings, but for what happens in them. We need good churches, again, not for the sake of the buildings, but for what happens in and through them. The building, inasmuch as it has a mission, is important. We are fortunate that we have had generations of good caretakers of the building where United Church is housed. It is a sorrow, however, when the building becomes the mission. Unfortunately, I've seen this happen over and over with churches. The building itself becomes the focus of the community - its restoration or maintenance. It's sad to see that happen. So much energy and time and money going into keeping a building alive which has lost the mission for which it was built. I pray that never happens to our congregation. I'm reminded of a children's hymn that you've probably heard...

The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple,
the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.
I am the church. You are the church. We are the church together.
All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we're the church together.

Couldn't have said it better myself.]]> http://www.ucth.org/2008/05/what_large_ston.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/05/what_large_ston.html Essay Thu, 01 May 2008 09:59:35 -0600 Easter Quiz click here to see the answers. The answers will be in red.

1) On which day is it traditional to make pancakes? a. Maundy Thursday b. Good Friday c. Shrove Tuesday d. April Fools Day 2) What are the 40 days before Easter known as? a. Advent b. Lent c. Epiphany d. Eastertide 3) Jesus was crucified on… a. Palm Sunday b. Easter Sunday c. Good Friday d. Maundy Thursday 4) Easter is celebrated on… a. the fourth Sunday of March b. the Sunday closest to the beginning of Spring c. 100 days after Christmas d. the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the Spring equinox 5) Jesus was betrayed for… a. 30 pieces of silver b. 30 pieces of gold c. a colt and a donkey d. an all expense paid trip to Rome 6) Gethsemane means… a. place of the skull b. press of oils c. beautiful garden d. get some more of these 7) What color was the cloak Jesus wore on the way to the cross? a. green b. black c. red d. purple 8) Who helped Jesus carry his cross? a. Joseph of Arimathea b. Simon of Cyrene c. Simon the Zealot d. Saul of Tarsus 9) What does Palm Sunday celebrate? a. Jesus entering Jerusalem b. Jesus entering Bethlehem c. A traditional Jewish festival when people laid fresh palms in their homes on their floors d. A traditional Roman festival when dates were eaten 10) Who rolled away the stone from the mouth of the grave in which Jesus had been placed? a. an angel b. a soldier c. the gardener d. Joseph of Arimathea 11) Easter gets its name from… a. the direction of the rising sun b. the Anglo-Saxon goddess of eggs and bunnies c. the Latin word “astor” which means “rising” d. the Greek word for “Passover” 12) What is burned to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday? a. cedar wood b. slips of paper on which prayers have been written c. witches d. palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday 13) Jesus was laid in the tomb of… a. Joseph of Arimathea b. Simon of Cyrene c. Judas Iscariot d. Nicodemus 14) What is celebrated forty days after Easter Sunday? a. The Ascension b. Pentecost c. All Souls' Day d. The Assumption 15) The day before Ash Wednesday is known as… a. Fat Tuesday b. Shrove Tuesday c. Mardi Gras d. All of the above 16) Mardi Gras literally means… a. Fat Tuesday b. Great Day c. Throw me some beads d. Day of the Geese 17) Lent is Latin for… a. "Sorrow” b. “Fasting” c. “Spring” d. none of the above 18) Pretzels… a. were invented as a Lenten food b. symbolize arms folded in prayer c. were first made by German monks d. all of the above 19) On Ash Wednesday ashes are placed… a. on the forehead in the shape of a cross b. in a box to be taken home and scattered on the garden c. on the priest or pastor’s hands and feet to mark where Christ was crucified d. on lily bulbs that will bloom on Easter 20) The color of Lent is… a. green b. purple c. red d. gray 21) At Christ's crucifixion what did the soldiers place on his head? a. a wreath of laurels b. a crown of thorns c. a crown of jewels d. a crown of thistles 22) The soldiers who crucified Jesus rolled dice for his… a. Clothes b. Jewels c. Donkey d. Cross 23) Judas betrayed Jesus by… a. pointing at him b. describing him to the authorities c. kissing him d. shaking his hand 24) Christ was led away to which high priest first? a. Annas b. Vitellius c. Caiaphas d. Josephus 25) Above Jesus on the cross was a sign which read… a. Behold the man! b. Thus always to tyrants c. King of the Jews d. Savior of the World 26) The sign above Jesus on the cross was written in… a. Latin b. Greek c. Hebrew d. all of the above 27) Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on… a. a colt b. a donkey c. a white stallion d. maybe a colt, maybe a donkey, maybe both 28) When Jesus died, for how long was there darkness over the land? a. 3 days b. 3 minutes c. 3 hours d. 3 weeks 29) While on the cross Jesus gave care of his mother to… a. Peter b. the "beloved disciple" c. Mary Magdalene d. Pontius Pilate 30) According to all four gospels the first person to see the resurrected Christ was… a. Mary, the mother of Jesus b. Mary Magdalene c. Peter d. accounts vary 31) Pilate offered the crowd to release Jesus or… a. Jesse James b. Barabbas c. Paul d. Barnabas 32) Jesus' side was pierced with a… a. Sword b. Knife c. Spear d. Axe 33) When Jesus said he was thirsty he was offered… a. water from a waterskin b. wine from a cup (the holy grail) c. vinegar in a sponge d. none of the above 34) When Jesus died… a. darkness descended even though it was day b. there was an earthquake c. the shroud in the temple was torn in half d. all of the above 35) Which disciple wanted to see the imprint of the nails before he would believe? a. Andrew b. Thomas c. James d. Bartholomew 36) After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus he… a. repented of his sin and rejoined the disciples b. escaped to Egypt c. hanged himself d. became a Roman citizen 37) When Jesus was being arrested Peter… a. wept b. took out a sword and cut somebody’s ear off c. ran away d. none of the above 38) Golgotha means… a. place of the skull b. press of oils c. beautiful garden d. hill of the Goths 39) Jesus predicted this person would deny him before the rooster crowed three times... a. Judas Iscariot b. Pontius Pilate c. Peter d. Mary Magdalene 40) What is celebrated 50 days after Easter? a. Trinity Sunday b. Ascension Day c. Memorial Day d. Pentecost]]> http://www.ucth.org/2008/03/easter_quiz.html http://www.ucth.org/2008/03/easter_quiz.html Youth Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:21:35 -0600