Difference between revisions of "Sermon for November 11th, 2018"

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Micah 6:6-8

6 With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, 
   with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

Simple Gifts: What Does the Lord Require?

Today's scripture reading is from the book of Micah. Not many people are aware that this ancient book of the bible was actually written by one of our very own distinguished El Pasoans--the prophet Micah, who was a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso. In fact, there are twelve books of the Old Testament that were written by various prophets, all of them UTEP alumni. Collectively, they are referred to as the books of the "Miner" prophets.

November, for us here at First Presbyterian Church, marks the beginning of our annual pledge drive, where our members remember the pledge we made when we joined the church to support its ministries with our generous giving. And this year, I thought of the perfect bumper sticker that we could give to everyone who increases their pledge beyond what they contributed last year. The bumper sticker would read: "I Upped My Pledge. Up Yours!" (Just kidding, of course!).

November, in our American culture, is also the time when our thoughts, our preparations, our commercials, and our wallets begin to turn to the holiday season, with all its business, anxiety, and over-the-top, frantic consumerism.

So I thought that this year, combining those two things--our annual pledge drive and the build-up to the holidays--it would be good to preach a sermon series on tranquility and contentment: How to cultivate the art of simplicity in our lives, our faith, and in our giving. Simple gifts--those we have received from God and others, and those that we give back to God and others.

This is another "back to basics" series, focusing on the idea of minimalism. If we strip away all the flashy, gaudy, bells and whistles that make us say "ooh" and "ahh" but end up leaving us empty in the end; if we peel back the layers of excess, to only those things that truly matter most...what will we find? And how will that change us for the better?

Today, we'll talk about what God requires of us, minimally. Next Sunday we'll talk about what WE require from God, minimally. And the final Sunday, we'll talk about the biblical "secret" of well-being, which really isn't much of a secret, but rather something we often forget in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives.

In the midst of all this, I hope I can convince you that simple gifts--generously given and graciously received--are at the very heart of what it means to be a follower of Christ, a member of a faithful community, and a thoughtful, balanced, life.

1. Do justice 2. Love kindness 3. Walk humbly with your God

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free 'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained, To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed, To turn, turn will be our delight, Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

Story of the spoons

Communion Sunday