First United Methodist Church - Fort Collins, CO

We know how important education is and we work on getting our facts and figures accurate and push forward for advanced degrees only to discover that human knowledge is in such flux that what we learned as fact becomes ancient fact soon after we learned it and ancient fact is fiction. More important than what we know it is important whom we follow. Whom we follow will enable us to know what the present state of knowing is and to build on that.

Playing games with people is one way to put people down. Sometimes, it seem people deserve to be “toyed with” by the way they behave and the tendency is to do that. We play games with people only to realize that the best interaction is away from the games we play. We see that honesty is not only the best policy, it is the only path that will lead us to understand each other.

We strive to be upwardly mobile without being aware of whom we are leaving behind in our striving and climbing.

Joseph’s story is a story of aspiration, forgiveness, honesty. It took Joseph a life to learn these lessons, but he learned them, and he died at peace with himself and his family. Also, I think it is important to note the one chosen to be the earthly father of the “son of God” was named after the one who took a lifetime to learn some of the most valuable lessons anyone ever learns.

What lessons have you learned and what lessons do you need to learn before you die?  I’d like to hear from you. Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. Click on the blank space and the email address will pop up.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Joseph had the chance to gloat when his idiot brothers came to Egypt for food — they had suffered in the famine. Joseph, who could predict the future through his dreams, had been elevated to an important position in Epypt. The brothers didn’t realize it was Joseph.

Here are some observations for consideration:

1. It’s not what you know; it’s who you follow that matters most.
We want to avoid becoming a know-it-all.

“Joseph Got To Gloat”

Most of life we take what comes to us and there is not so much justice. If people hurt us; we are told to turn the other cheek and forgive them. If we have been overlooked; we rarely are looked at again.

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers. He was beaten, thrown in a pit, and left for dead. Would there ever come a time when Joseph could get even with them for what they had done to him.

Joseph is taken to Egypt where he becomes a valuable to the king. He is given a position of advisor to the king and becomes wealthy. He predicts years of good harvest followed by 7 years of famine. Egypt is prepared for the worst of times because of Joseph. His brothers come to Egypt asking for help. They do not recognize Joseph but he knows, very well, who they are.

The end of the story shows us how Joseph got to gloat. He put one over on his brothers. He got even.

It is an interesting story and one that has application. It raises important questions like:

If we could get even how would we do it?
Does the Christian faith have any room for this kind of thinking?
Are we to forgive and forget?
Do we ever have a chance to gloat?

What do you think?

Write me, if you have some thoughts on this, at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net (click on the space and the address will pop up).

I look forward to hearing from you.

When life takes our coat; think about the goat
When things happen to us it helps to know that there are others who are suffering as well and some of their suffering is on our behalf.

The other part of the story of Joseph has to do with what happened when he was thrown into the pit. Sometimes life throws us into the pit. Sometimes life is the pits. When we are put into the pit, it’s time to plan the palace. When we are down in the dumps it’s time for us to begin to plan our escape.

These are the two points of the sermon — as far as it goes on Friday morning.
1. When life takes your coat; have concern for the goat
2. When life puts you into the pit; begin to plan to build the palace.

Good lessons to live by; but there is much work to be done before they become a sermon. If you have suggestions write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net (click on the blank space and the email address will pop up.

I look forward to hearing from you.

On Sunday the 13th we looked at “Joseph and his coat of many colors”.
On Sunday the 20th we will consider Joseph and the goat.

He has so irritated his brothers telling them that he was his father’s favorite and how he would eventually rule over them they took him out and threw him down a well and slaughtered a goat and put the blood of the goat on his coat of many colors.

Subsequently, Joseph was sold off into slavery in Egypt.

The sermon will look at what it means to be put in the bottom of a well. What do we do when he “hit the bottom” in life? How do we get out of the worst situations and thrive?

This sermon will address the issue of misfortune and tragedy. What was the worst day of your life and how did you cope with it? What resources do we have within and beyond us to keep reminding ourselves that we can survive and rise again?

If you have thoughts about this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net (click on the space and the email address will pop up).

I look forward to hearing from you.

When we are feeling we are not the most favored, like Joseph’s brothers there are three things we can do/ and must do:

1. Find something that “gets us started” and helps us follow our bliss.

On the other hand, and this is the direction I am now moving, mostly, we are not the person of privilege; we are the recipient of dishonor. We are not the favored son or daughter; we are the rejected one. There are more of us than there are favored children just as there are more Joseph’s brothers than there are Josephs.

How do we handle what it means to be “the middle child” or “the junior in rank”? What do we do when we are turned down in favor of someone else?

I will try to develop a sermon that looks seriously at Joseph’s brothers knowing that their response was not what we’d like to follow. They became angry with Joseph and they plotted against him. They had him thrown into a pit and sold into slavery. That kind of vindictiveness did them no good, and, ultimately, did them much harm.

How do we handle being second best?
What is our response to not being the favored one?

How could the story of Joseph and his brothers been a different story; with a happier ending?

I’d like to hear from you. Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net (click on the blank if the email address is not shown and the email address will pop up.

I look forward to your response.

It strikes me as important as the new year begins to think about our resolutions and our hopes for the coming year that we consider the burden of our blessings while we are reflecting on our dreams for new blessings. What if we get what we deserve and we wish we hadn’t? What if our prayers are answered but we wish they weren’t?

Joseph was given a gift from his father Jacob. He was given a coat of many colors. It was the best gift he could ever have, and it was the worst thing he could ever be given. It made him be a favored son, and it made his brothers jealous. He was number one in the family but it got him in such trouble that it made him wonder if it was worth the trouble.

Many people aspire to something only to receive it, and wish it had never come. You strive to become the boss. You work hard to get ahead. Your efforts are noticed and rewarded and you become the boss. You are on top of the world. It is then you notice how lonely it is at the top. It is then you realize what you hoped to achieve did not bring the satisfaction you thought it would bring. Looking back at how you achieved it you realize the hurt you cause on your way to the top.

What should we hope for? What is the best it can be for us? Is it a coat of many colors? Is it the top of our company? Do we really need to be number one to realize the fulfillment of life’s greatest promise?

The sermon Sunday will center on issues of meaning and wholeness. It will have us take a look at our aims and aspirations. It will help us, I hope, look at what it means to be on top of the world.

What are your dreams?
How do you expect to be rewarded in ways that are fulfilling in the year to come?

If you have thoughts on this subject write me at my email address (charlesschuster@fcfumc.net). Click on the empty space and the email address will surface.

I look forward to hearing from you.