Shelby County Today

November 16, 2020 - Grace and peace from our brother Jesus, Amen. Sunday was the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Next Sunday is the last Sunday on the Christian calendar: Christ the King Sunday. To refer to someone in olden times as a king was to show honor and respect. We Americans fought a war for independence from a king, so we see honor and respect in people governing themselves. If it were up to me I would call Sunday Christ Our Savior and Friend Sunday, but that’s just me.

This coming Saturday at 2:00 is Paxton Methodist’s Charge Conference. Our District Superintendent has to make the long trip here because Paxton Methodist hasn’t figured out Zoom yet—and doesn’t have wi fi anyway. Most churches are having Zoom yearly conferences, but we still have “that old-time religion!”

Paxton Methodist Church is meeting each Sunday for in-person worship wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Our music is only on piano and CD—no singing to spread germs. Our first song this morning was “America the Beautiful,” sung by an Army quartet for Ronald Reagan’s funeral. The second was “Joy to the World,” my favorite Christmas hymn. It is never too early to sing Christmas songs. When we used to go to the nursing homes (pre-pandemic), we would often sing a Christmas carol or two even in the summer.

All this month we are collecting beans and rice for Community Christian Services. After the Charge Conference, I will need to get busy completing End of the Year reports for the Conference. We Methodists do like our paperwork! I remember when I was still teaching, the legislature passed a Reduction in Paperwork Act which was to drastically cut down on reports teachers, administrators, and school districts had to fill out for the state. Well, needless to say, that didn’t work out—seemed like we had more instead of less!

The Sunday School lesson today was “Worship as the Church.” We felt the purpose statement for the lesson was trying to say too much: “We are to celebrate worship as entering God’s presence and also as reconciliation and fellowship with the family of faith.” The author spoke of the church as a place where problems have always existed. We certainly agreed with that because the common denominator of the church then and the church today is us—fallible humans who are prone to mistakes. I think we all agreed that the parts we liked best were the labels he attached to two groups of people. Those who don’t have any religious affiliation he called “nones.” Those who were part of a church but have dropped out he called “dones.” Good descriptions!

My sermon scripture was Sunday’s Gospel lesson—Matthew 25: 14-30. All this year, most of the Gospel lessons have come from Matthew. Next year will feature another of the Gospel writers. In Sunday’s Gospel story, Jesus tells the parable about the three servants and the money the landowner gives to each. Two of the servants invest the money wisely and make money for the boss. The third, being conservative, buries it. When the boss returns, he is not pleased with the effort the third servant made while he was gone.
Since Jesus saw money and wealth as major evils in our world, I have never cared all that much for this particular parable. It didn’t make my top ten parables. But there is no doubt that we all must find ways to use our time and yes, money to build up God’s Kingdom right here on earth. As Ben Franklin said, time is money. We need to not only save, but spend, both in following Jesus’ path.

Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here. Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds.” Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist, you can send your email address to the Paxton email address, and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed.

November 12, 2020 - I can remember as a boy, watching the potter at work at the wheel at the old Marshall Pottery. I would stand mesmerized by the skill with which he would throw a lump of clay on the wheel and mold it into a work of art. They made many beautiful pieces of pottery in those days. They made pitchers, butter churns, strawberry pots, pickling crocks among other items. But they also made just plain, red clay flower pots.

It is the red clay flower pot I envision when I read what Paul wrote in II Corinthians 4:7. He said, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.” You and I are in that passage of scripture. We are the plain, red clay pots they made so many of at the pottery. Those red clay pots were nothing spectacular. They were only vessels in which to plant flowers, perhaps a beautiful lily or a magnificent hydrangea or some other flower of God’s creation. With a beautiful flower in the pot, you focused on the beauty of the flower, not the vessel.

We are often easily fooled by containers. Cheap jewelry can often be found in elaborate boxes while expensive perfume may be in a plain bottle. The splendor of God can best be seen in plain settings. We must take ourselves out of the center of the stage so others can focus on the beauty of God. We are just plain, red clay pots.
    
It’s something to think about…..tbp

Center Church of Christ, 110 Hurst Street, Center, Texas or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com

November 9, 2020 - Grace and peace from our brother Jesus, Amen. Sunday we celebrated Veterans Day a little early. We are so thankful for all those men and women who answered the call and put themselves in harm’s way. Wednesday, November 11th is Veterans Day, but we wanted to honor all those who served in our congregation and around the world.

Paxton Methodist Church is still meeting each Sunday for in-person worship wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Our music is only on piano and CD—no singing to spread germs. Our first song this morning was the bagpipe version of “Amazing Grace” played at Ronald Reagan’s funeral. The second song was “Stars and Stripes Forever,” played by the Texas State Band that included my son in 1999, and used in honor of veterans around the nation.

We have been treated to a real fall this year. Sometimes East Texas goes straight from summer to winter, but this year we have had really pleasant days and cool mornings. It has been perfect dog walking weather. I have lettuce and herbs growing in my raised garden this fall. The rest of my garden work concerns getting my perennials ready for winter. Sue and I went to Nacogdoches on Friday—Sue and her sister to see their mother, and I to the recycling center and Lowes. I also discovered a new nursery called The Plant Shed on Appleby Sand Road. It was really nice with a big selection of plants and nice folks to help.

We had a surprise at Sunday School when Joe walked in. He has pretty much stayed at home since the start of the pandemic. It was really good to see him and to get his input on today’s lesson. Our Sunday School lesson came from Luke 4, dealing with Jesus speaking harshly to and casting out demons. We modern folk have a difficult time with the pre-scientific idea of demons. But we often see the challenge of evil in our world. Our author spoke of the challenges of racism, misogyny, greed, violence, exploitation, oppression, apathy, and a host of other examples of the demonic in our own time.

The parable from Matthew that served as today’s Gospel Lesson was about the ten maidens who were waiting with the bride-to-be. Five of the maidens came with extra oil for their lamps because part of the excitement of the wedding was that no one knew the exact time the bridegroom was coming. Unfortunately, the other five didn’t think ahead, ran out of oil, and missed out on all the festivities. This parable isn’t in my top five favorites, but the message is clear: We need to be prepared to live in God’s Kingdom—today and tomorrow.

Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here. Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds.” Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist, you can send your email address to the Paxton email address, and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed.

November 5, 2020 - It was only a couple of months ago that Hurricane Laura blew into our world. Trees were blown down around us, we were without power, some for several days, and life was generally disrupted. I remember that morning when the power went off. I immediately went to the cabinet for a flashlight, and the very first one I picked up had no light. The batteries were dead.

Well, I was thinking about that the other day, and I thought how much that is like so many of us. It is disheartening, in the darkness to have a flashlight with dead batteries. Yet, how much more tragic in a world of darkness and sin to find followers of Jesus whose spiritual batteries are dead. Jesus told his followers to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. Yet, how many followers of Jesus in our day and time are failing to shine their light because their spiritual batteries are dead? A Christian with a dead battery is as useless as a flashlight with a dead battery.

In order for our spiritual batteries to remain at full charge, we must be living our lives within the will of God. We must be seeking opportunities to meet God at His house for Worship. Our batteries are charged as we speak to God in prayer, let God speak to us through His word and spend time having fellowship with other Christians. Are you planning on charging your battery this coming Lord’s Day?

It’s something to think about…..tbp

Center Church of Christ, 110 Hurst Street, Center, Texas or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com