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Mar 9 2017

In a classic scene from the movie Terminator, the protagonist proclaims to a woman being hunted by a deadly Arnold Schwarzenegger character, "Come with me if you want to live." I couldn't help but think of that line as I read one of this week's spiritual meditations from the book, Pauses for Lent. Only, the message I heard was, "Ignore me if you want to live."

Pauses for Lent gives me a word each day to focus on and a simple spiritual discipline to practice. Monday's word was "still" and the practice was not to listen to anything in the car. Psalm 46:10 inspired it: "Be still, and know that I am God!" Of course, 1 Kings 19 could have also inspired it. There, Elijah doesn't encounter God until he encounters silence. Or, Luke 4 could also have inspired it. It says Jesus spent 40 days alone in the wilderness preparing for his ministry. There's also Luke 5:16 that says Jesus would "withdraw to deserted places and pray." Certain encounters with God require silence.

I hated turning off my radio and audio book and podcasts on Monday while I drove. I like distractions, entertainment, and learning new things. Yet sure enough I found myself far more open to the presence of God without those distractions.

And God is the source of life (John 1:4), the one through whom we live forever (1 John 5:11), and the one who gives us a full and abundant life here and now (John 10:10).

If I want true life, I need silence. I need to see in my imagination or maybe in real life a Post-It note on my cell phone that says, "Ignore me if you want to live." I need one on my laptop that says, "Ignore me if you want to live." I need a reminder on my car radio that says, "Ignore me if you want to live." How about you? What distractions surround you that need a reminder, "Ignore me if you want to live"?

Take a moment or two right now and ignore me. Put down whatever you're reading this on and open yourself to the presence of God.

I encourage you to find other ways this weekend and in the coming week intentionally to ignore things that demand attention and crowd out the silence where you can encounter God.

On Sunday at Access we'll lean a bit more towards filling the silence than creating it, but that's ok, because God also has special ways of meeting us in worship that we don't find elsewhere. This Sunday I'll be preaching about the "holy ground" of forgiveness. Think of someone that's struggling to forgive someone or to forgive themselves, and invite them to worship with you. I'll offer encouragement and some practical tips around forgiveness.

See you Sunday!
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson

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Mar 3 2017

You can feel very anonymous in a large church like ours… until you join a small group. In a group, everyone knows your name, they challenge and encourage you to grow in your faith, and when you need support, they have your back. This Sunday after Access worship you'll gave a chance to enjoy some ice cream, meet other members of the Access community, and meet representatives from small groups that you can join.

We have several types of groups you can meet on Sunday:

• Sunday school classes – these meet year-round at 9:45 a.m. on Sundays at the church.
• Group Life groups – these form in the spring and fall and meet for 10-12 weeks on various days and at various times, often at the church but sometimes off-site.
• Women’s and men’s groups – these meet at various times with varying schedules.

All of the groups use Bible-based curricula. Some focus on a book or books or the Bible. Others focus on a topic and scriptures related to the topic. Many Group Life groups use a study guide written at FUMCR and based on the past Sunday’s sermon. Any group you choose will help you grow in your faith and build a strong community of close Christian friends.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we begin a new sermon series titled “On Holy Ground.” Between now and Easter we’ll follow Jesus’ ministry, looking at key “holy ground” moments that reveal who he is. Along the way I’m praying that you’ll have your own holy ground moments in Access and encounter the spirit of Christ.

See you Sunday!
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson

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Mar 1 2017

I love teens. Years ago as a youth minister two of them walked into my office and greeted me with the words of this post’s subject line. Whether they were joking or serious or a bit of both it led to a great conversation about Lent, a time period that begins next Wednesday. I want to tell you a bit about Lent and what it has to do with chocolate. I’ll even give you a spiritually enriching excuse to eat some.

Since very early in Christian history churches recognized the time before Easter as a season of preparation. New believers would learn about the faith and then be baptized and join the church at Easter. Existing believers would prepare for the Easter celebration by exercising spiritual disciplines like fasting. Over time the season of preparation came to begin on “Ash Wednesday” (a day to remember our mortality – think “ashes to ashes, dust to dust”) and ran for the 40 days that led up to Easter, not counting the Sundays.

In modern times some people still fast during Lent as a way spiritually to prepare for Easter. Others take on a different spiritual discipline like reading their Bible or praying daily. The teens that came into my office had taken on a modified fast where they had committed not to eat chocolate during Lent.

Spiritual disciplines during Lent are intended to be a means to drawing closer to God, not an end in themselves. So, I could explain to my teens that breaking their chocolate fast was a lapse in a discipline they had chosen, but it wasn’t a sin against God.

I encourage you to take on a spiritual discipline during Lent this year. I’ll be reading the Pauses for Lent book that’ll be available outside the Worship and Arts Center on Sunday. It has a word, a Bible verse, and a short paragraph to read each day. Some people will choose to fast during Lent by giving up a type of food or certain meals. Some people take the money they would have spent on food and give it to support a ministry of the church or a charity. All of these spiritual disciplines help us connect more deeply with God and enhance the celebration of Easter.

So how could eating chocolate help you connect with God? Take a single piece and savor it. While you’re savoring it thank God for the blessing of chocolate and for as many other blessings you can name that you’ve enjoyed in the last 24 hours. Finish off your piece of chocolate and your prayer by asking God to help you notice each blessing you experience in the coming 24 hours. Repeat each day during Lent!

You can begin Lent with any of three special worship services next week on Ash Wednesday (March 1^st). They’ll last about 30 minutes and include the option to have ashes placed on your head or hand in the sign of the cross as a reminder to connect with God:

• 6:30 a.m. in the chapel
• 12:00 p.m. in the Worship and Arts Center with lunch available after for $10 (no reservation needed)
• 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary

More details and other ways to draw closer to God during Lent at https://www.fumcr.com/lent.

I hope to see you this Sunday for Access as we celebrate the first baptism in our new facilities, worship God through music, prayer, giving, and scripture, and conclude our “God is…” sermon series with “God is a Knock at the Door.”

In Christ,
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson