A Snowstorm Is Coming!
Stories
Object:
Contents
"A Snowstorm Is Coming!" by Keith Wagner
"The Call to Serve" by Keith Wagner
"Expecting Better Than That" by Frank Ramirez
* * * * * * *
A Snowstorm Is Coming!
by Keith Wagner
Isaiah 7:10-16
During winter in the Midwest, weather reporters often issue severe weather warnings related to snow or ice. When that occurs many events are canceled. People hurry to the grocery store. It is always an anxious time and people become frantic. In most cases however the warnings seem to create more fear than they do calm.
Isaiah tried to assure King Ahaz, a Hebrew king, that it wasn't necessary to rely on the Assyrians for their security. He told them that God would provide a leader to see them through difficult times in the future. He said, "Emmanuel" will come.
Isaiah attempted to comfort Ahaz, but he did not listen. Unfortunately he was so consumed with fear he compromised his faith and gave his allegiance to the Assyrians.
I remember one Christmas Eve when the weather reporters issued extremely cold temperatures for Christmas Day. The temperature was already -10 degrees and it was expected to reach -25 degrees overnight. Prior to our Christmas Eve service, I gathered the elders of the church together and suggested we cancel Sunday's worship service. I was afraid no one would come and the church would not be warm enough. Of course it just so happened I was leaving for Florida Sunday afternoon. By canceling worship on Sunday I could get a head start.
We canceled Sunday's Christmas Day worship service and I left early Sunday morning for Florida. The temperature was -24 degrees. When I returned from Florida I learned that one faithful parishioner came to worship. Apparently she did not get the word. But to this day I felt that, like Ahaz, I had compromised my faith.
It is not really extreme weather we fear. We are afraid of running out of supplies or slipping on the ice. We don't like being unable to drive and being stuck in our homes. In other words, it is our anxious self-protectiveness that keeps us from trusting in God.
On another occasion, my congregation had scheduled a Christmas program and it was a very snowy and icy evening. A visitor slipped on the ice in the parking lot and broke his arm. He later pressed the church to pay for his medical expenses which they did. His slip on the ice however did not keep the congregation from scheduling future programs.
Being faithful does not guarantee there won't be slips on the ice. At the same time we can't live in fear that we might be sued or that others won't slip on the ice.
The coming of Emmanuel did not result in the elimination of accidents. Nor did it eliminate severe weather or conflicts. Looking back we know that history proved Isaiah was correct. The threat to Judah disappeared and Ahaz would have remained safe. Isaiah's message is a reminder that God is with us in all times and circumstances. Just as the people of his day were assured that Emmanuel would come for them, Emmanuel will continue to come for us.
The Call to Serve
by Keith Wagner
Romans 1:1-7
Just as Isaiah was giving a message of hope to the Hebrews, Paul was giving a message to encourage the Christian church in Rome. It may appear that he was speaking to the powerful government leadership, but in reality Paul was speaking to the Christian community. They were the "Christian slaves" of Rome. These "slaves" were highly educated and served positions in the Roman government.
Paul was saying to them that it was a privilege to be servants. Since these servants were working for the government they had an opportunity to influence decisions and model Christian discipleship.
When I was serving in the U.S. Navy I was a supply officer on an aircraft carrier. In my department the junior officers outnumbered the senior officers six to two. Two of my associates, one an ensign and the other a warrant officer, were open about their Christianity. Their personal commitment to their positions was beyond the call of duty. More importantly they both were concerned with the ethics of fairness and good business management. I believe that their presence on a ship with 5,000 men and a multimillion dollar budget made a positive difference.
Throughout my career in the Navy I often observed that many loving, compassionate, and ethical people served not only in the military but in civilian positions as well. I was grateful for their friendship but also the fact that they helped to keep our systems from wasting resources, and they provided a sense of care and warmth to the enlisted personnel.
We are called to be servants in society regardless of where we work. In my teaching career I taught Human Service majors at a local community college. I always reminded the students that part of their responsibility was to change the system wherever they could in order to be inclusive, fair, and ethical. People's lives can be changed when we work to improve the systems in our culture.
Paul understood himself as a servant. He was called as an apostle to proclaim the good news that "captives would be free," because of their faith in God. Paul advocated a faith that was based on deeds, not just beliefs. Faith is to be shared. Opportunities to help the underdog are to be seized. Servants are called to work for the greater good because servants have the power of God to bring about change that will ultimately help the masses.
In April 1973, the Park Center YMCA in Midland, Texas, asked for volunteers to help repair seventeen run-down homes in the city. The effort was so successful that the Midland people made it an annual event. After volunteers had completed repairs on one home, the owner opened her front door and exclaimed, "It's just like Christmas in April." The name stuck. "Christmas in April" has made hundreds of homes livable in Midland and it also brought the people together. Men and women, young and old, black, white, and Hispanic built a community spirit. The program became a tradition and one year they repaired 84 homes. The folks in Midland have learned that helping others benefits the whole community. All they had to do was rearrange their priorities, pull their resources, and go to work.
Like a coach who is always encouraging his/her players to give a little more, Paul was coaching the early church in Rome to be servants to their community, thus making life better for years to come.
Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
Expecting Better Than That
by Frank Ramirez
Matthew 1:18-25
Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
-- Matthew 1:19
Maybe you've heard the song "What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?" at camp. It may be funny to sing and clap along, but it's a different matter when there's an actual drunken sailor to deal with, which is true whether it happens now or 1,700 years ago.
There's an old Christian papyrus letter from Egypt written around the fourth century. There a little gaps here and there, and the names of the sender and the receiver have been lost, but the words tell an interesting story about a Christian woman who ought to have been treated better, along with the letter writer's disappointment with the church people, who have not been standing up for her.
What we have of the letters begins: "I am astounded how hearing that the sailor from Tletes is in your midst and has received welcome under your roof." There follows something about a shipment that is arriving and how someone named Maximus has been carrying something worthily. But then, turning back to the subject of the sailor the writer notes "For he is a drunkard who chose deliberately to do bad."
There are gaps here. The phrase "the evil sailor" appears, and there's a reference to twice seven hundreds of something.
On the reverse of the letter the writer gets to the point.
"I was very distressed and we were very distressed that you dared to act this way toward Atheas; she is a Christian woman and also a laywoman who never has been found to be acting in a worldly manner."
It is not clear how Atheas has been mistreated by this sailor. Were they spouses, business partners, fellow members of a church? Was this an economic injustice or was some sort of physical abuse involved? There is no way of knowing. Nor can we know what followed the arrival of this letter.
But it was preserved. It was saved. It was not torn up, tossed out, or burned.
This is just one of thousands of letters surviving from the ancient world, many of them in worse shape! They give a picture, as through a glass darkly, of the ordinary affairs of people. But what sets this letter apart is a word that is used rarely in these scraps from the past -- the word Christian is used to identify this woman, and in so identifying her, it is clear that because no one can question her moral standing, she deserves good treatment -- better treatment -- than she was receiving, not only from the drunken sailor, but from the people who received this letter.
They ought to have known better. They ought to have acted better. Though is ambiguous, hazy, and blurred is clear -- whoever wrote the letter expects better behavior because the individuals involved are Christians. Christians ought to treat each other better, even though, sadly, many times they do not.
One thing often overlooked in the Christmas story as related in Matthew is that Joseph, unlike the people in the ancient letter, acted better than he might have been expected. He had the right when Mary was found pregnant before their marriage to publicly denounce her, to ruin her life, perhaps even to demand she be executed.
But he chose to do things quietly, out of sight, and without public humiliation or any form of torment. He chose to act, by his rights, righteously which was better than might have been expected, then or now. And I doubt if he ever regretted treating Mary better than she seemed to have deserved, especially after a visit from an angel in a dream.
Frank Ramirez has served as a pastor for nearly 30 years in Church of the Brethren congregations in Los Angeles, California; Elkhart, Indiana; and Everett, Pennsylvania. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez is the author of numerous books, articles, and short stories. His CSS titles include Partners in Healing, He Took a Towel, The Bee Attitudes, three volumes of Lectionary Worship Aids, and Breakdown on Bethlehem Street.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 22, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"A Snowstorm Is Coming!" by Keith Wagner
"The Call to Serve" by Keith Wagner
"Expecting Better Than That" by Frank Ramirez
* * * * * * *
A Snowstorm Is Coming!
by Keith Wagner
Isaiah 7:10-16
During winter in the Midwest, weather reporters often issue severe weather warnings related to snow or ice. When that occurs many events are canceled. People hurry to the grocery store. It is always an anxious time and people become frantic. In most cases however the warnings seem to create more fear than they do calm.
Isaiah tried to assure King Ahaz, a Hebrew king, that it wasn't necessary to rely on the Assyrians for their security. He told them that God would provide a leader to see them through difficult times in the future. He said, "Emmanuel" will come.
Isaiah attempted to comfort Ahaz, but he did not listen. Unfortunately he was so consumed with fear he compromised his faith and gave his allegiance to the Assyrians.
I remember one Christmas Eve when the weather reporters issued extremely cold temperatures for Christmas Day. The temperature was already -10 degrees and it was expected to reach -25 degrees overnight. Prior to our Christmas Eve service, I gathered the elders of the church together and suggested we cancel Sunday's worship service. I was afraid no one would come and the church would not be warm enough. Of course it just so happened I was leaving for Florida Sunday afternoon. By canceling worship on Sunday I could get a head start.
We canceled Sunday's Christmas Day worship service and I left early Sunday morning for Florida. The temperature was -24 degrees. When I returned from Florida I learned that one faithful parishioner came to worship. Apparently she did not get the word. But to this day I felt that, like Ahaz, I had compromised my faith.
It is not really extreme weather we fear. We are afraid of running out of supplies or slipping on the ice. We don't like being unable to drive and being stuck in our homes. In other words, it is our anxious self-protectiveness that keeps us from trusting in God.
On another occasion, my congregation had scheduled a Christmas program and it was a very snowy and icy evening. A visitor slipped on the ice in the parking lot and broke his arm. He later pressed the church to pay for his medical expenses which they did. His slip on the ice however did not keep the congregation from scheduling future programs.
Being faithful does not guarantee there won't be slips on the ice. At the same time we can't live in fear that we might be sued or that others won't slip on the ice.
The coming of Emmanuel did not result in the elimination of accidents. Nor did it eliminate severe weather or conflicts. Looking back we know that history proved Isaiah was correct. The threat to Judah disappeared and Ahaz would have remained safe. Isaiah's message is a reminder that God is with us in all times and circumstances. Just as the people of his day were assured that Emmanuel would come for them, Emmanuel will continue to come for us.
The Call to Serve
by Keith Wagner
Romans 1:1-7
Just as Isaiah was giving a message of hope to the Hebrews, Paul was giving a message to encourage the Christian church in Rome. It may appear that he was speaking to the powerful government leadership, but in reality Paul was speaking to the Christian community. They were the "Christian slaves" of Rome. These "slaves" were highly educated and served positions in the Roman government.
Paul was saying to them that it was a privilege to be servants. Since these servants were working for the government they had an opportunity to influence decisions and model Christian discipleship.
When I was serving in the U.S. Navy I was a supply officer on an aircraft carrier. In my department the junior officers outnumbered the senior officers six to two. Two of my associates, one an ensign and the other a warrant officer, were open about their Christianity. Their personal commitment to their positions was beyond the call of duty. More importantly they both were concerned with the ethics of fairness and good business management. I believe that their presence on a ship with 5,000 men and a multimillion dollar budget made a positive difference.
Throughout my career in the Navy I often observed that many loving, compassionate, and ethical people served not only in the military but in civilian positions as well. I was grateful for their friendship but also the fact that they helped to keep our systems from wasting resources, and they provided a sense of care and warmth to the enlisted personnel.
We are called to be servants in society regardless of where we work. In my teaching career I taught Human Service majors at a local community college. I always reminded the students that part of their responsibility was to change the system wherever they could in order to be inclusive, fair, and ethical. People's lives can be changed when we work to improve the systems in our culture.
Paul understood himself as a servant. He was called as an apostle to proclaim the good news that "captives would be free," because of their faith in God. Paul advocated a faith that was based on deeds, not just beliefs. Faith is to be shared. Opportunities to help the underdog are to be seized. Servants are called to work for the greater good because servants have the power of God to bring about change that will ultimately help the masses.
In April 1973, the Park Center YMCA in Midland, Texas, asked for volunteers to help repair seventeen run-down homes in the city. The effort was so successful that the Midland people made it an annual event. After volunteers had completed repairs on one home, the owner opened her front door and exclaimed, "It's just like Christmas in April." The name stuck. "Christmas in April" has made hundreds of homes livable in Midland and it also brought the people together. Men and women, young and old, black, white, and Hispanic built a community spirit. The program became a tradition and one year they repaired 84 homes. The folks in Midland have learned that helping others benefits the whole community. All they had to do was rearrange their priorities, pull their resources, and go to work.
Like a coach who is always encouraging his/her players to give a little more, Paul was coaching the early church in Rome to be servants to their community, thus making life better for years to come.
Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
Expecting Better Than That
by Frank Ramirez
Matthew 1:18-25
Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
-- Matthew 1:19
Maybe you've heard the song "What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?" at camp. It may be funny to sing and clap along, but it's a different matter when there's an actual drunken sailor to deal with, which is true whether it happens now or 1,700 years ago.
There's an old Christian papyrus letter from Egypt written around the fourth century. There a little gaps here and there, and the names of the sender and the receiver have been lost, but the words tell an interesting story about a Christian woman who ought to have been treated better, along with the letter writer's disappointment with the church people, who have not been standing up for her.
What we have of the letters begins: "I am astounded how hearing that the sailor from Tletes is in your midst and has received welcome under your roof." There follows something about a shipment that is arriving and how someone named Maximus has been carrying something worthily. But then, turning back to the subject of the sailor the writer notes "For he is a drunkard who chose deliberately to do bad."
There are gaps here. The phrase "the evil sailor" appears, and there's a reference to twice seven hundreds of something.
On the reverse of the letter the writer gets to the point.
"I was very distressed and we were very distressed that you dared to act this way toward Atheas; she is a Christian woman and also a laywoman who never has been found to be acting in a worldly manner."
It is not clear how Atheas has been mistreated by this sailor. Were they spouses, business partners, fellow members of a church? Was this an economic injustice or was some sort of physical abuse involved? There is no way of knowing. Nor can we know what followed the arrival of this letter.
But it was preserved. It was saved. It was not torn up, tossed out, or burned.
This is just one of thousands of letters surviving from the ancient world, many of them in worse shape! They give a picture, as through a glass darkly, of the ordinary affairs of people. But what sets this letter apart is a word that is used rarely in these scraps from the past -- the word Christian is used to identify this woman, and in so identifying her, it is clear that because no one can question her moral standing, she deserves good treatment -- better treatment -- than she was receiving, not only from the drunken sailor, but from the people who received this letter.
They ought to have known better. They ought to have acted better. Though is ambiguous, hazy, and blurred is clear -- whoever wrote the letter expects better behavior because the individuals involved are Christians. Christians ought to treat each other better, even though, sadly, many times they do not.
One thing often overlooked in the Christmas story as related in Matthew is that Joseph, unlike the people in the ancient letter, acted better than he might have been expected. He had the right when Mary was found pregnant before their marriage to publicly denounce her, to ruin her life, perhaps even to demand she be executed.
But he chose to do things quietly, out of sight, and without public humiliation or any form of torment. He chose to act, by his rights, righteously which was better than might have been expected, then or now. And I doubt if he ever regretted treating Mary better than she seemed to have deserved, especially after a visit from an angel in a dream.
Frank Ramirez has served as a pastor for nearly 30 years in Church of the Brethren congregations in Los Angeles, California; Elkhart, Indiana; and Everett, Pennsylvania. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez is the author of numerous books, articles, and short stories. His CSS titles include Partners in Healing, He Took a Towel, The Bee Attitudes, three volumes of Lectionary Worship Aids, and Breakdown on Bethlehem Street.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 22, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
