Posted by jklossner    1 Comment(s)    Add a Comment 
Aug 3 2017

The phrase “mind the gap” is a warning issued to rail passengers reminding them to take caution while crossing the space between the train door and the station platform.  It’s a more kind and caring way of saying, “don’t fall in this hole and break your ankle.” As I’ve considered the mindfulness it takes to keep my ankles safe, I’ve started to wonder what other gaps may need my attention. These gaps might also exist in our understanding around issues of justice in our society. What holes do we fall into that keep us from connecting our faith more fully to the world around us?

In a TED Talk last year, Arthur Brooks asserted that one of the holes we fall into is thinking that it’s enough to simply tolerate each other. He says that tolerance is a way justifying having low standards for not being able to understand someone with a different perspective. The National Academy of Sciences recently published a study on what is known as ‘political motive asymmetry.’ This study found that there is a constant gap between us and others because we assume that we are motivated by love, while our opponents or ‘the other’ are motivated by hate. This seems like such a dangerous gap - one that inevitably leads to divisiveness and brokenness. Brooks argues that it’s not enough just to tolerate each other; we need to need each other.

Paul writes in Galatians 6:2 to “bear one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The Message translation says it a little more bluntly: “Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.” The notion of bearing someone’s burden means to hold their needs, struggles and concerns with the same regard and intentionality that we hold our own.  Finding commonality in our shared needs makes the gap between us a little less wide.

This is a foundational piece of our faith in Christ: that we are called and challenged not to simply tolerate each other, but to need and even love each other. This does not, and will not, minimize our differences, but it can help us to become more aware of the predictable pitfalls that keep us from one another. If we are actively working to ‘mind the gap’ in our reactions, assumptions and understandings of each other, we might find that this gap could be not only minded, but bridged - a bridge, with God’s help, over which we are able to ‘seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God’ (Micah 6:8).

This Sunday, we are starting a new sermon series called Building Bridges. Over the coming weeks, we will be asking these questions: What does it mean to be a Christian when it comes to issues of justice in our society?  Does God care about politics? How can two people on opposite sides of an issue both claim God's support? Our prayer in this series is that we find ways to build bridges over gaps in our knowledge and experience and connect our faith more fully to the world around us.

See you Sunday!

-Julie 

Posted by rrindfuss    0 Comment(s)    Add a Comment 
Jul 27 2017

This photo shows a prayer blanket. Members of our church hand-made it for a man whose son is battling cancer. Before being delivered this blanket went to church services at FUMCR. People there prayed for the man and his family, and then each of them tied a knot in the fringe of the blanket. Prayer blankets and the knots in their fringes help make our prayers for others very tangible.

Prayer blankets began as part of our sanctuary worship services, and now they're coming to Access.

You can read more about the prayer blanket ministry, how to request one, and ways you can support the ministry at www.fumcr.com/blanket. When you request a blanket, members of the prayer blanket team will bring it to the Access worship space on the Sunday after it's made. Our Access congregation will pray for the recipient and tie knots in the fringe. After the worship service you can pick up the blanket and deliver it.

This Sunday will conclude our Games We Play series of sermons with "Solitaire vs. Spades." It's all about why the Bible pushes us towards others and some practical ways we can respond. Prayer blankets are a great way to connect with people, and on Sunday we'll share some other ways too.

In Christ,
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson

Posted by jklossner    0 Comment(s)    Add a Comment 
Jul 21 2017

In Mario Kart (unquestionably the world’s best video game), one of the final rounds of whimsy takes place on a track called “Rainbow Road.” The course is exactly as the name describes - colorful, bright and fun.  You drive around a long and winding multicolored road that poses one small challenge: there are no rails to keep you from falling off the edge. So the word ‘fun’ may be a bit of stretch for those of us who find ourselves falling off the track over and over again. I may have mentioned this before, but I don’t like to lose. I’ll be honest… I find this whimsical rainbow track to be a dream crusher.

So what happens when things turn out to be a lot harder than we originally thought? What do we do when it seems like we just keep falling off the track?

When Dorothy sets out on her journey, she’s given the simple task of following a yellow brick road. Sounds easy, right? Not by a long shot. The journey isn’t nearly as clear-cut and smooth as the instructions suggest it should be. I want things to be simple, clear, and maybe even convenient. I don’t want the hassle of running into a mindless scarecrow, or a rusted tin man, a cowardly cat - and especially not flying monkeys. I want the road to be easier than that.

My dad has a sign that hangs in his office that reads, “Faith makes things possible, not easy.” In the moments when we feel like we’re failing or falling apart, I wonder if we look for the quick fix and miss the possibilities that God offers to us. It’s often in the middle of set backs or disruptions that there resides a possibility - the possibility to think more critically and find a new perspective. Or to be compassionate and empathetic. Or to face our struggles with resilience and strength.

Isn’t this Mary’s story? Mary, the mother of Jesus, faced a lot of obstacles that could have derailed her from the calling that God had on her life. Here’s a little Christmas in July, from Luke’s gospel:  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” As the angel told Mary that she would give birth to the son of God, she saw all the roadblocks, pitfalls, and difficulties that laid on the road ahead. Yet, in the midst of being perplexed, Mary pondered the possibilities and somehow saw the heart of God. The angel said to her “for nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

We face challenges, struggles and roads that seem endlessly hard at times. I don’t have the answers, and I certainly don’t have quick fixes to these difficulties. But I do know that I need God a lot more than I need answers and quick fixes. I need my focus, my attention and most importantly my heart to be on track with heart of God. My prayer for you, and for me, is that we sense God’s presence and turn our attention to the possibilities on the road we are traveling - no matter how many times we fall off the track.

On Sunday we are continuing our series “The Games We Play” by talking about the games we play with God. And if you feel as strongly about the world’s most fun Nintendo game as I do, come play it with us Sunday afternoon at 5pm in Worship and Arts Center!

See you Sunday!

- Julie