Message from the Pastor

After preaching a sermon of parables, Matthew’s Jesus (at the end of chapter 13) asks his listeners: “Have you understood all these things?”

Amazingly, they say “Yes.”

My answer would more honestly be, “No, Jesus, I don’t often understand what you’re talking about.”

Quite simply, I don’t always trust that the Jesus-way is the right way. I often think MY way is the right way—my way of selfish thinking, wanting to control people, judge people, and fix people. My way often wants people’s adoration and approval, so that I can feel good about myself. (Thus, I’ve given away control of my self-esteem to others.) My way is addicted to eating junk food, buying clothes I don’t really need, and distracting myself with media on the internet or in my headphones.

Reality proves that I do not understand—I do not stand under—what Jesus teaches. I don’t stand under his authority, when going about my life. I think of myself as the ultimate authority! I have no master. I try to master myself (an oxymoron if there ever was one), and I don’t like to be told what to do. “No, Jesus, I don’t understand. Frankly, your parables are a little confusing and your commands are little too demanding.”

But thank God who works in human form! I have been blessed by a job that holds me accountable to scripture, accountable to prayer (at least for an hour a week on Sunday mornings), and accountable to my fellow sinner-Christians. This accountability is not law but grace—a supreme gift that is always available to save me from myself. My congregants are often gifts of grace in my life, means by which God touches my life and changes me for the better.

One great gift of the Christian Church is bible scholars who provide commentary on the scriptures, so that I can better understand what Jesus and Matthew is trying to say. Bible scholars are the “legal experts who have been trained as disciples for the kingdom of heaven,” who are bringing “new and old things out of their treasure chest.” My commentary for Matthew is by a masterful scholar, Frederick Dale Bruner.

I pray that every serious Christian will own a good study bible in their lifetime, with insights from thoughtful historians, translators, and theologians. Without good commentary, we selfishly and foolishly read the bible alone. But scripture was written to be heard and read with others, in a community. When we read bible commentaries (and I recommend as many as you can read and afford), we are reading with our fellow Christians, and we are taking their wisdom and faith into account.

One of the greatest honors of a pastor is that we try to help people read the bible on their own while in a community. (It’s not a contradiction, but a complimentary arrangement.) I don’t want you to read the bible for information (though it can be fascinating to know what the authors were trying to accomplish for their communities); I really want you to read the bible for your spiritual formation. I want you and I to allow scripture to be the place where God’s will is reaching out to us, to shape our lives. (May it be your mantra while you read—Formation, not Information.) You should read by yourself, but you should discuss your thoughts with other people. In spiritual direction (talking to another person about what God is luring you to do these days), you can discern the new things God is doing in your life and how God wants you to respond.

One great tragedy of the coronavirus pandemic is that we aren’t seeing our spiritual friends at church, in classes or small groups. We have less of an opportunity for quality, mutual spiritual direction. Therefore, I recommend you call a friend and talk about your spiritual wellness with them. Ask “How is your life with God?” and see what kind of answer you get. It will catch some folks off guard, but others of us are eager to talk about something real and personal, as opposed to the national drama (sometimes real but often impersonal, and other times a fabricated soap opera of inflated emotions). I recently video chatted with a pastor-friend about a spiritual book we are reading (Awareness by Anthony de Mello), and it was good for my soul.

Call a spiritual friend. Be a spiritual friend.

Jesus asks all of us today: “Have you understood all the things that I am trying to teach you?”

May we take our faith and our Lord seriously, so we can humbly say “Yes.”

Peace,
Pastor Brad

Lectionary Readings for August

Sermon Series: The First Parables of Jesus

Sunday, August 2 — Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 14:13-21
Sunday, August 9 — Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 14:22-36
Sunday, August 16 — Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 15:1-31
Sunday, August 23 — Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 16:1-20
Sunday, August 30 — Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 16:21-28

The Mission of St. Luke UMC is to be a Place to Belong, Believe, & Become Disciples of Christ

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG

The Church Council will meet Sunday, August 2, in the Fellowship Hall. The Finance Committee will meet Sunday, August 9, in the Fellowship Hall. Please wear a mask if you plan to attend.

A big St. Luke welcome to Sykina Butts, who recently became a member of our congregation. Sykina is a DSU student whose hometown is Kilmichael. Her photo is posted below in The St. Luke Scene section.

United Methodist Women Grace Circle will not meet in August. UMW Lunch Bunch is on hold for the foreseeable future.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE

Pastor Brad has given a lot of thought to ways we can foster spiritual formation in this difficult time when gatherings are limited and in-person interaction is discouraged. Some of his ideas include weekday or weeknight small-group studies, one-on-one meetings between pastor and congregants, outdoor picnics or hymn sings, outdoor “adventure” activities, Sunday School via video-conference, and walking-while-talking-and-distancing. Our members will understandably have a variety of opinions as well as differing levels of comfort associated with such activities. To help us gauge your interest and to help us plan, we ask everyone to complete the short survey sent out by email. No one can predict when we will be “back to normal,” but we can still be the church as we explore new ways to be together.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES

Thank you to all who helped with the Christmas in July mission! Your efforts helped a total of 20 children in our community receive school supplies. Plus, $40 was collected to help provide school supplies for the children at the Methodist Children’s Home. Thank you for making such a difference for children whose parents are unable to buy all the supplies needed and for giving those children confidence to start the school year off in the right way.

St. Luke youth, along with Pastor Brad, recently gathered at our neighboring Parks Elementary to paint a classroom. You can see a few photos of this endeavor in The St. Luke Scene section. Good job, kids!

Don’t forget our Second Sunday mission effort for Helping Hands. Please bring a bag of apples and/or a jar of peanut butter—or canned goods, if you prefer—on the second Sunday of each month. There is a collection basket in the narthex. The second Sunday is also Dollar Sunday, when we have an opportunity to put a few extra bills in the collection basket to support our Compassion Fund, which the pastor uses to meet emergency needs in the community.

For many of us, the stay-at-home routine has included cleaning out closets and drawers. If your efforts yielded gently used items that you no longer use, please remember that you have an opportunity to support your church. If you take unwanted items to Consign for a Cause, located on South Street next to South Street Pharmacy, you can designate that a portion of the proceeds from their sale go to St. Luke.

Previous newsletters have highlighted the UMW Frances Perry Scholarship, Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi Children’s Homes, Mississippi Choctaw United Methodist Mission and Wesley House in Meridian which are included in the UMW budget and funded in part with proceeds from the No-Bake Sales. The highlight for August is Bethlehem Center in Jackson.

The Bethlehem Center is a community center in the heart of one of the poorest areas of Jackson. The Center attempts to aid the neighborhood and low-income families by offering affordable childcare, by our involvement in the community and its local coalitions, and by providing a strong faith presence in our area. Ms. Mattie Johnson serves as the executive director for Bethlehem Center, a national mission institution related to the United Methodist Church.

Bethlehem Center runs a preschool program for children 2 – 4 years old teaching readiness skills for school. The Center also offers an after-school program for ages 5 – 12. This program helps with homework, provides tutoring and offers creative play within a safe environment. These programs operate through the summer. During the summer they take children on field trips to give them the opportunity to experience things that they might otherwise never get to do.

Bethlehem Center also works with adults in the community by providing meals on Tuesdays and Fridays. During tax season the Center serves as a Voluntary Income Tax Assistance site. Help in filing income tax is provided free to individuals and families.

Needs always exceed the available resources, so donations are always welcome. There are the big things like resurfacing the playground to meet regulations, maintaining the van, and covering costs when a parent cannot afford to pay. Things like cleaning supplies and paper products are always useful. To find out more about Bethlehem Center and to make a donation go to bethlehemchildren.org.

Ms. Johnson when asked about the best part of her job said: “The children. When the children leave the Center smiling and happy then I know we’ve had a good day and they’ve had a good day. When they see you and want a hug, that makes all the difference.”