The theme for the week was, Peace Be With You
I bring greetings from the Saints of the Pleasant Valley Branch. I also greet you in the name of the one that has brought us all together.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to deliver my first message as an ordained minister in this church here. I fell I have been blessed in the process of composing this message. It’s my prayer that you will bear with me as I get over the getters and nerves that I may show.
Before I was ordained at Jr. High Retreat in March the campers and staff were called together so that we could help those campers who did not understand what was going to happen during the service.
One of the things that was told to the campers was that I was receiving a commission from God.
How scary is that? To know that you have a commission from God.
After the ordination occurred I was asked by a number of people if I felt different. My answer was yes and that I have and will continue to be blessed because of the experence.
I recently stumbled upon what should have been my answer…..
Zen Buddhists use the saying “Before I was enlightened” one Zen master explained “the mountains looked like mountains and the rivers like rivers. At the moment of enlightenment I saw it all differently. And now that I am enlightened, the mountains look like mountains again and the rivers look like rivers.” Or, when asked what it was like to be enlightened, another Zen master answered, “I chop wood and carry water.”
My Friends there is reason to celebrate! We can celebrate because we are here and we can celebrate the recent rain, if we do that it should give us plenty to celebrate.
We can also celebrate the announcement of the new Mission Initiatives announced by President Steve Veazey a few weeks ago in his address to the church.
We can celebrate because now more than ever the church has a focus that will help to guide its efforts to make an even greater impact on a world that so desperately needs to here the story of the church and what it has to offer to the world.
During his speech, President Veazey said, “Being spiritually formed is foundational to obtaining a clear and compelling vision for mission. A compelling vision and since of mission, springs forth from the overflow of deep communion with the spirit. Such Communion occurs in personal spiritual practices as well as spiritual growth and healthy congregational life.”
I have to confess something to you!
It takes me about a month to finish reading a good sized book! Which is not good because I am a collector of books I would someday like to read so, I have a pile of about 15 books waiting on me to read them.
This week I was able to finish a book called “A World Waiting To Be Born, Civility Redefined.”
If you will allow me I would like to share with you what the book is about.
The book is by M. Scott Peck, a past recipient of the church’s International Peace Award.
The basic concept of the book talks about the concept and idea of community.
Through the reading of such books it has opened my eyes to the concept of community. Peck simply states, ”In and through community lies the salvation of the world.”
Community can simply be defined as a group of people that come together for a purpose or a group of people that are united by something greater than themselves.
So if you really think about it we have constructed a community because we are here today.
One of the greatest examples I can think of when it comes to community will take place in a little over a month.
Not to sound conceded but, 2011 marks the 20th consecutive year I have been camping at Camp Bountiful.
One of the many things that has and will continue to amaze about that place is the fact that we as staff and campers can come from all walks of life at the beginning of a week as stranger. And at the end of the week be so united that we would call each other family.
To me camp is a prime example of community at its best. Maybe there’s something greater than what we are at play there. One thing I know for certain is that the spirit has and will continue to play a vital role in what that camp grounds is and will be in the future.
Many of you were on the recent trip we took to that Kirtland Temple for the 175 anniversary. During the service we sang my favorite church songs, “Spirit of God like a Fire is burning.” Here now is what it sounded like that day.
Let me give a few examples from my perspective some of the easy examples is the fact that we are members of the Community of Christ. One of the other obvious examples is that I am employed by the Community Common.
As you can see a large portion of my life is spent in community.
Friends, let me tell you we live in a community that’s hurting. Our community, is hearting for a number of reasons. At one point our community was hearting so bad that the Governor of Ohio said the devil is running this county.
We all know the challenges we are facing as a community. I believe in these challenges we can find opportunity.
We can find opportunity to live out some of the new mission Initiatives that calls us into greater community. A community that’s united by the one that calls us all together.
“Our belief in community is founded upon our sure knowledge that the God in me seeks the God in you and that it is when we have encountered that divine reality at the very center of our faith that we finally, truly, know one another.”
As we move forward my we be rest assured of the peace of Jesus Christ is alive and well in our lives, in our community and in our church,
Again I thank you for the opportunity to share with you today.
I'm so glad you posted this here! Wish I could've been there to hear it--just reading it was wonderful!
ReplyDelete