Posted by sklein    0 Comment(s)    Add a Comment 
Mar 1 2017

My music tastes have changed a bit over the years. As a preteen I had a Lionel Richie cassette. On Saturdays I would drop it into my imitation Walkman and soft-rock out to “Hello” and “Stuck on You” as I mowed the yard. I’m not entirely sure what caused the change, but over time Lionel got pushed aside by people with names like Axel and Ozzy, and the color palette of my cassettes shifted towards that of Metallica’s “black” album. Speaking of which, Metallica has a new album, and the title track has some solid theology.

About a month ago one of our church members posted a link on Facebook to the title song from Metallica’s new album, “Hardwired… to self-destruct.” The machine-gun drumbeats and intense guitar that started the song were classic Metallica. The message of the lyrics, however, was classic John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement.

“Hardwired” communicates that the world is a mess, it’s only getting worse, and the reason is that we’re “hardwired to self-destruct.” John Wesley said something similar:

Is man by nature filled with all manner of evil? Is he void of all good? Is he wholly fallen? Is his soul totally corrupted? Or, to come back to [Genesis 6:5], is “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart evil continually”? Allow this, and you are so far a Christian. Deny it, and you are but an heathen still.

To summarize Wesley, if you believe people are inherently good, you’re a heathen. If you don’t, then “so far” you’re a Christian. Well done, Metallica.

The closing lines of “hardwired” ask the rhetorical questions, “Do you feel that hope is fading? Do you comprehend? Do you feel it terminating?” and conclude, “In the end we’re… hardwired to self-destruct.” Metallica’s song ends with hopelessness, but Wesley’s “so far” means Christian faith must go further. Sorry, Metallica, but still, nice start.

Wesley and the Methodists that came after him believed that we’re “hardwired to self-destruct,” but that a loving God intervenes. We believe that God infuses into our corrupted nature a bit of grace, an unearned gift that gives us the ability to act against our nature. With God’s grace and our cooperation, we turn away from self-destruction and towards self-sacrifice. Our actions help and heal. Hope spreads.

In these weeks leading up to Christmas, don’t deny the mess our world is in. But don’t get lost in despair over it either. Christians long ago chose to celebrate the birth of Christ in the season when days are short and nights are long in order to remind themselves of the promise of John 1:

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it… The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

Have a great weekend, and make sure to check out an album that’s even better musically and theologically than Metallica’s: the new Access EP, Songs We Sing.

In Christ,
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson

Posted by sklein    0 Comment(s)    Add a Comment 
Mar 1 2017

Outside the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

Modern-day Bethlehem is not a place where “all is calm, all is bright.” When a group from our church visited a few days after Christmas last year I saw signs of conflict and poverty. But in nearby Jericho a Palestinian told me, “You being here brings hope.” It seemed that the tougher the situation had gotten, the more people had left and stopped visiting. Those that remained felt forgotten. As I consider the similarities between 1st century Bethlehem and the Bethlehem of today, I believe God chose that birthplace in part to communicate to everyone feeling forgotten, “God notices you.”

Today a large wall separates Bethlehem in the Palestinian-governed West Bank from Israeli-controlled territory. Chips carved away by bullets and black marks scorched by fire testify to conflict. Driving through a checkpoint I noticed signs of greater wealth like more elaborate construction and cleaner streets on the Israeli side of the wall. Of all the places and times God could have chosen to come into the world, God chose 1st century Bethlehem, a place as familiar with poverty and conflict back then as it is today.

I believe God chose Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth in order to say to people of all places and times, “I notice you. You are not forgotten.” During Jesus’ adult life when women were often ignored, he promised that a woman’s anointing him with oil would always be remembered (Mark 14:9). Jesus promised that sparrows don’t die without God taking notice (Matthew 10:29) and that “even the hairs of your head are all counted” (Matthew 10:30).

Tomorrow and Sunday we will celebrate the birth of Jesus. Across the globe people will take note of what God has done. I hope that you will worship with us and join in that celebration and that also you will remember that even as millions of people take note of Jesus, God notices you. You are of worth and of value, a beloved child of God.

Merry Christmas!
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson

Posted by sklein    0 Comment(s)    Add a Comment 
Mar 1 2017

Photo by flattop341 (CC BY 2.0)

Last week I wrote about the idea of a “crystallization of discontent” where the realization that lots of annoying things are all linked together prompts you to take action. The opposite can also happen. You can experience a “crystallization of contentment.”

In a crystallization of contentment you gain an unexpected insight that a bunch of little positive things in your life are not merely disconnected events but the tapestry of a good life.

I’ve come to believe that the “good life” doesn’t look as flashy as our culture may portray it. Long-time married couples consistently tell me that a good marriage consists less of grand romantic gestures and more of small, daily kindnesses. Psychology articles I read say that when it comes to money, happiness reaches its maximum not with a fortune but with enough to provide necessities and a little more.

At a clergy retreat last week I got unexpectedly handed a microphone and asked to tell the group, “What’s the best thing about serving at First United Methodist Church Richardson?” The first thing that came to my mind and out of my mouth was “the people.” And it’s so true. We have an awesome location, facilities and more, but the best thing is you, who consistently bring little (and sometimes big) blessings into my life. “Little” calls, text messages, meals, prayers, and various ways of lending a hand bless me with a life that’s not particularly grand or flashy but simply and joyfully good.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” Constant prayer connects us with God, who will help us hold fast to what is good and let go of the rest, find something for which to give thanks in every circumstance, and end up rejoicing. That scripture provides a guide to experiencing a crystallization of contentment.

Have a great weekend!
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson