First United Methodist Church - Fort Collins, CO

In the short story by Reynolds Price we have a noted architect visiting Bethlehem with the job of building something for the “Church of the Nativity”. He is encountered by Kamil, a deaf tour guide, who insists on showing him the precise location of Jesus’ birth and the manger into which Jesus was placed. He grabs on to the architects arm and says to him the word, “real”. He wants him to understand that what he is seeing is authentic.

With that approach to Palm Sunday I will try to grab on to your arm and point out several things about Palm Sunday that are “real”.

1. I want to say something about the journey into Jerusalem on a colt that had never been ridden before. The most authentic reality is the one that requires risk. There must be risk in reality or it lapses into meaninglessness.

2. I want to say something about the crowd that waved palm branches and cheered him for the wonderful acts of power that he had performed. Obviously, they didn’t understand what he was about. The crowd was mindless and a mindless crowd is a mob, and a mob is not aware of the nuances of wisdom and truth.

3. I want to say something about the real Jesus. There is no way to validate the Christian claims except for the way in which the followers of Jesus carry out our ministry under the influence of him. The real Jesus is known by the people who follow him. We make Jesus real in our world. He came into Jerusalem so we might see him more clearly and follow him more nearly.

If you have thoughts on this please write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing for others to see your thoughts click the box marked “comments” below. I will receive those comments as well.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles Schuster

“He rode a horse that had never been ridden”

I think that one line in the Palm Sunday story has something in it that deserves our attention. It seems that most of our lives are spent riding horses we’ve ridden. When we go some place we repeat our previous journey. When we speak our lines in life we offer the same phrases and idioms. When we determine to travel we travel using the same means we had used before; the same car, the same airline, the same means of transportation.

It is interesting that Jesus rode a colt that had never been ridden. There are dangers in riding a colt that has never been ridden. They are the kind that buck, or hesitate, or give us the most trouble. They are also the fastest (potentially) and they are the ones who will be most loyal to us. They will get us where we need to go with the greatest sense of gratitude; with the idea that someone trusts in them to convey us.

Palm Sunday is a time for us to ride a horse we’ve never ridden. What does that mean?

1. We will do something we have never done before.

2. We will do something that is uncharacteristic to our general nature.

3. We will find a new way to do the same old things so that the old things take on new meanings.

4. We will awaken ourselves to life remembering that if we repeat ourselves we have perpetuated a fraud.

Lent calls for newness of spirit. Jesus rode a horse he had never ridden. He rode a donkey into Jerusalem and he came in on a humble beast of burden. It was not a war horse. It was not a conquest. It was a donkey. People questioned him. They thought no king would come riding in on a donkey. They didn’t understand that he was bringing about a different kind of Kingdom; his Kingdom was not of this earth.

What will you ride into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday? What word will you speak on Palm Sunday? Will it be a horse you’ve ridden before or will Holy Week be completely unique this year?

 If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have other people read your thoughts click on the “comments” box below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles

Sermon for April 1st; Palm Sunday

“Is This Trip Necessary?”

Something I’ve never looked at is the Palm Sunday event from the perspective of the owner of the donkey Jesus asked his disciples to “rent”.

It’s in the 19th Chapter of the Gospel of Luke. “When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the diciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

This is an interesting story and it raises all kinds of questions.

Here are some of the issues the text presents:

1. Why did he choose to ride a colt that had never been ridden?

2. How did he know it would be there?

3. What was the owner of the donkey thinking and why did he permit them to borrow the animal?

4. Was the donkey ever returned?

5. If Jesus was a “Master” why wouldn’t he have had his own means of transportation and if he were a “Master” (i.e. wealthy) why would it have been a beast of burden?

This story and the implications of what was going through the owner of the donkey/colt is something I’ve never considered and I’ve been preaching Palm Sunday sermons for 37 years.

What do you think about it? If you have thoughts email me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net or if you are willing to have the congregation see your ideas and respond to you click the “comments” box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles

I am more interested in bumper stickers than I should be. Sometimes I have driven up on the car in front of me and almost caused an accident in an effort to read what was written on the bumper. This morning the people who attend a 7am “theological study” wanted me to come to Arvada United Methodist (my former church). They have been studying the manuscript I wrote (The Hot Tub Leaks, The Trees All Died, and The Dog Jumped Over The Fence). Some of the people at First Church have been reading it and giving me suggestions. The Arvada people had questions and I went to the church this Friday morning.

On the way I saw a message on the car in front of me at a stop light on Wadsworth in Arvada. Its message took some time to sink in. I wonder if you will “get it” immediately. I didn’t. The words written on the bumper read: “Where are we going and why are we in a hand basket?”

Obviously, this message was promoted by someone who had a need to make a statement about the ways things are. Perhaps it was a political statement about the economy, or the war in Iraq, or maybe it was a statement about local government in the state or in the community of Arvada. I don’t know but I do think something was being said in a negative way. A statement was being made to the end result that “we are going to hell in a hand basket.

In the sermon I have come up with three responses we can make to the injustices we face:

1. We can strive to get even and retaliate.

2. We can strive to get back to them and restrain ourselves

3. We can give it up and reconcile ourselves to the people whom we feel have wronged us.

In the sermon it needs to be said as clearly as possible that the ability to find reconciliation is the most important and most difficult thing we may ever do. In fact, I don’t think it’s humanly possible sometimes. I think it takes God to help move us beyond the need to retaliate to embrace the desire to reconcile.

What do you think about this?

If you have ideas please write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net and if you are willing to let the congregation in on your thoughts click the “comments” box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles

There is a new way of looking at the role of Pilate and Judas as we are moving deep into Lent and seeing the inexorable conclusion in Holy Week. I would like to share these thoughts with you:

It seems to me that Pilate’s primary motivation when he questioned Jesus and when he discovered how Jesus would not anwer his questions directly Pilate took the position that we would simply ignore the issues presented and did push forward his own authority. He made it clear that he had the power to order the crucifixion or he could have Jesus released. He wanted it to be known that he was a man of power. I think his response to what was presented him was to exercise restraint, but to activate his own influence. He called attention to himself. He didn’t need to get even, but he did need to get back to the issue so people would know he had entered in. He made a symbolic statement without becoming directly involved. Sometimes the best we can to is to exercise restraint and refrain from getting even, but enter into the issue by putting forth our own power in a symbolic way. When Paul said to his Apostles, “If people are unkind to you be kind to them. It will be like pouring burning coals on their heads.”

It seems to me the Judas did something interesting when he participated in the arrest of Jesus prior to the crucifixion. He identified Jesus for the Roman soldiers. I have often wondered why he did that and now I think I know. I think Judas was angry at Jesus for looking to Simon, calling him Peter, and saying that since he was Peter (the rock) it would be upon the ‘rock’ that Jesus would build the church. I think Judas expected that he would be the most favored Disciple. I think Judas was “getting even”.

In the sermon I want us to look at the ways we participate in other people’s lives by getting even when they have hurt us or by getting back at them symbolically when we feel they have it coming. I want to look for a better way of responding to injustice. I want to look for a way of moving beyond retaliation, and moving beyond restraint, to a response that includes reconciliation. I am convinced we can get to that level of response but I believe it will take God helping us to get there.

What are your ideas? Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net or allow others to see your ideas by clicking on the “comments” box below. I appreciate your thoughts.

Charles Schuster

Sermon for March 18th

“Getting Even Never Adds Up”

One of the most important lessons of Lent is the discovery of a truth that is basic to our tradition. It is the conviction that we are best served living our lives forward not backward. We can lament what happens to us but we may not be able to change it.

Especially it is true when it comes to getting even. People, who are looking out for themselves, often cause us pain and inconvenience. Sometimes what people do to us to hurt us is intentional. They mean to be mean. They try to hurt us. The natural thing to do is to try to get even with them; to hurt them as they have hurt us. It is my belief that this never works. Getting even never does; it never adds up.

In the final days of Jesus life it appears that he went to his death willingly and without complaint. He submitted to the authority, he tolerated a trial that was a farce, and he picked up his cross and went to his death. He was a witness to his faith, but he was also wise in what he did, and his example is wisdom for us.

In the sermon next Sunday I want to expose some of the options we are apt to take and to push those option to their logical conclusions. I can’t say that I practice what I will be preaching but I do think it is right to acknowledge “getting even never adds up”.

I expect all of us can point out those times in our lives when we have been “wronged” and have tried to “pay them back”. Even if we are able to accomplish a measure of revenge it will not be satisfying.

I would love to hear from you on this important subject.

What have you learned about “getting even”?

Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net

If you are willing to have the congregation read your responses click on the “comments” box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles Schuster

“A Road Trip On A Donkey” 

Dr. David Dalke preaching

March 11th 

The characters in the story of the Good Samaritan are interesting, because most people can identify with them, from inaction to action.  I believe the real reason Jesus told that story is to cross the boundaries of discrimination, that there was a human being in the ditch, and that is more important than gender, ethnicity, color of skin, experiences or background.  Of course, Jesus chose a Samaritan, who was despised by the Jews,  to emphasize his point. 

Hope to see you Sunday.  Looks like wonderful music at all three services.

If you have thoughts about this write me at ddalke37@cs.com

If you are willing to have the congregation see your response click on the “comments” box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

David Dalke

Isn’t LENT something else?  We say the word, but like so many concepts in the Christian faith, we don’t stop to listen to what we are saying, or process it.  Sunday will be another time to mention the word in our celebration, along with some thoughts about The Good Samaritan.  That’s right - Lent and The Good Samaritan.  Maybe they have something in common.  They are both stories told by Jesus and lived out in his life.  Our scripture will be from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 25-37.  Right now the title of the sermon is: “A Road Trip On A Donkey”.

Let’s keep thinking…..Lent…a time of preparation.   The Good Samaritan…..a time of action.  See you Sunday.

You can write me at: ddalke37@cs.com or if you would like the congregation to see your reflections, click “comments”.

David Dalke

The sermon currently had two points. It’s the first Sunday of the month and it looks at the “tale of the two tables” in this way. I think as we look at the two tables we have a basic understanding of our faith. The Chriatian faith is built on these two foundational convictions:

1. We are not ever to treat other people as objects. Every person is a child of God and we are alwasy to remember to treat people with dignity and respect. That means we look other people eye to eye. It means we avoid putting people down, making jokes about them, or doing anything that denies their complete personhood as children of God. The imperative is upon us to take a stand and to speak up when people are being put down and to reach out to people who are objectified. Whenever societal structures diminish other people we, like Jesus, are called to turn those tables over and disrupt that injustice.

2. We are always to remember that we are called by Christ to be disciples (students), but when we come to the table (The Last Supper) we are sent out as apostles. The tables brings us in so we can be turned loose and sent out. Christianity is not about hero worship it’s about ministry. We are inspired by Christ Jesus but never shall we leave it at that. When faith leads to no action it become heresy. The table on Communion Sunday reminds us that we are apostles (those who are sent out).

Several questions come to mind:

a. Have you ever felt objectified by someone? Have you ever felt the church treated you as an object?

b. If the purpose of the Communion Table is to gather us in to send us out in ministry what is your ministry? What are you being sent out to do?

c. Jesus expressed anger when he saw what was happening in the Temple with the money changers. What makes you angry?

d. Do you think the reaction the money changers experienced from Jesus made any changes in their lives? It led to his death on the cross.

I’d like to read your ideas on this important struggle of the two tables. If you have an opportunity write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you’d like for your response to be viewed by the members of the church click on the “comments” box below.

Thanks for your ideas and your interest.

Charles