BE BOLD! In Your Hospitality

First United Methodist Church of Gadsden

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BE BOLD! In Your Hospitality

Sermon September 1, 2019

September 1, 2019 • Rev. Sam Hayes

9-1-19 Sermon Notes “Be Bold! In Your Hospitality”
In the mid 1990’s, my mother decided to sell our farm and move to “town,” after having lived on that farm for over 30 years. It was a tough decision, but being a widow and out in the middle of nowhere was starting to feel unsafe for her. A couple with young children bought our farm, and Mom found a house she liked in Tuscumbia, Alabama (not far from Ivy Green – the birthplace of Helen Keller).
We got her all moved in, and Sunday rolled around, giving her a chance to do something she had not done in 30 years… go church “shopping.” She decided to try out several churches and make her choice when she found one that felt like “home.”
One Sunday she went to a church not far from her new house, and found a seat in the pews. After she had been sitting there only a short while, a woman came up to her and said, “You’re going to have to move. You’re sitting in my seat.” Embarrassed, my mom moved to another pew. She was so taken aback by the lack of hospitality that she couldn’t really pay attention to the music and the sermon.
The next Sunday morning, Mom got up and thought to herself, “Maybe that was just one rude person and maybe I shouldn’t judge the whole church by that one encounter.” So she went back to that same church, hoping to give them another chance. This time, she sat on a different side of the sanctuary, in a different pew. A man approached her, and she thought, “Great! Someone is going to welcome me!” But no... The man said to her, “You’re going to need to move. You’re sitting in my seat.” Kid you not…
Needless to say, my mother didn’t go back to that church! The story has a happy ending. She found a wonderful church family who welcomed her and showed her Bold Hospitality, and she has been happy ever since. She is very active in missions, UMW, visiting shut-ins…just about everything you can think of. She is blessed, and is a blessing to others…and it all started with hospitality.
It reminds me of an old saying I heard: “Some folks make you feel at home. Others make you wish you were.”
What kind of Bold Hospitality are we supposed to offer? Our scripture for this Sunday lays it out for us:
7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15: 7 NRSV)
Welcome others how? “Just as Christ has welcomed you!” Why? “For the glory of God!”
See you Sunday!
Pastor Sam

BE BOLD! In Your Generosity

Rev. Sam Hayes

9-15-19 Sermon Notes “Be Bold! In Your Generosity” This Sunday, we will wrap up our series, Be Bold! Even though the sermon series will be coming to an end, the theme – the attitude – the whole approach to ministry and missions will continue. Be Bold is something that will be our motto going forward! • We talked about being bold and intentional about our own faith development. I hope we’ve all accepted the challenge to partner with God in our spiritual growth. Have you joined a Journey Group yet? Maybe you could start a new one… • We talked about bold, passionate worship…and gathering to draw our attention upward to God, inward to self-awareness, and then outward to where we say, “Here am I. Send me!” Our guest singer that Sunday, Dr. Anderson, helped to create a bold atmosphere of worship. I loved it! • Then we on to talk about what it means to show bold hospitality….to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us for the glory of God. This is an on-going challenge, and hospitality is so critical. People will often forget what you say, but they will never forget how you make them feel. • Last Sunday, Pastor Carrie and Pastor Andy talked about what it means to have bold, risk-taking mission and service. Is that kind of ministry sometimes “messy?” You bet. Is it what we are called to do as the body of Christ? Absolutely And so we wrap up this week with Bold Generosity. Here’s our Scripture… 6 Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. 8 But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, “Why this waste? 9 For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” 14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. (Matt. 26: 6-16 NRSV) When I was in seminary, I would sometimes come into the student lounge where folks would gather and eat their lunch and sometimes unwind and watch a little TV. Well, I noticed every day at the same time a group would be huddled around the TV watching a brand new Soap Opera… The Bold and the Beautiful. I never got into it myself, but more power to them. The name is catchy, though. It reminds me of what this “unnamed” woman did for Jesus on that day. What she did was bold… to come up to Jesus with a super-expensive jar of ointment, break the top off, and pour the whole thing on Jesus’ head. The disciples got mad. I guess they thought it was too bold. Or maybe, her generosity was so bold that they were reminded how little they had shown. Had they anointed his head? Even a little dab? Nope. Jesus said, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done something beautiful, and wherever the good news is proclaimed, her bold and beautiful generosity will be told in remembrance of her.” When it comes to generosity, this anonymous woman was The Bold and the Beautiful! To make her generosity shine even brighter, let’s lay it beside it’s opposite. Let’s lay it beside the Wimpy and the Ugly. The woman’s heart beside Judas’ heart… Judas, who was the keeper of the money bag…who had his hand in the till… Judas, who complained the loudest at the “wastefulness” of the anointing… Judas, who went straight from there and said to the chief priests, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” One person says, “Lord, I’m giving my all to you…every bit!” One person says, “What can I get out of this?” When God looks at our generosity, I pray that God sees, The Bold and the Beautiful! See you Sunday, Sam

BE BOLD! In Your Mission and Service

September 8, 2019 • Rev. Carrie Jones and Rev. Andy Yarnell

Missions and service is without doubt one of the greatest strengths of our congregation here at Gadsden First. It is extremely evident that Matthew 25 is written into the fabric of who we are as a church and as followers of Christ. Every time a need arises from an organization in our community or an individual who walks through our doors, our church seeks to feed, clothe and provide for that need. It is an absolute blessing, and an inspiration, to be among such compassion and generosity. This Sunday, Pastor Andy and I will be co-preaching, continuing Pastor Sam's sermon series and calling our congregation to BE BOLD IN MISSIONS & SERVICE. Without doubt, we have rich and fertile soil upon which to scatter the seeds of the Scripture; open and caring hearts upon which to breathe the stirrings of the Spirit. On Sunday, we will dig deeply into a very familiar text, because as we prayed asking God how He desires for us to BE BOLDer than we already are for missions and service, into the trenches with the Good Samaritan is where God led us. The Parable of the Good Samaritan Luke 10:33-35 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' When the Samaritan saw the need, he was moved with pity and responded to the need, and he did so in an extremely BOLD way. In a risk-taking way. In a messy way. The Samaritan stopped what he was doing. Took pause on his own plans. And he went to rock-bottom with the man in need. The Samaritan's clothes got dirty, and probably a little bloody. He got sweaty and tired lifting the wounded man, and then traveling the rest of the road on foot. He freely and generously gave of what he had to provide for his needs. And the most amazing thing he did -- the BOLDEST things he did -- was that he left the tab open. He pledged to help again, and help more - whatever would be needed. What does it look like for us to do Missions & Service in the church this way? In our daily lives this way? To give people an open tab on our help? An open tab on our care? An open tab on our availability? An open tab on our hearts? Will we BE BOLD like the Good Samaritan? In Christ, Carrie Jones Associate Pastor of Children & Families

BE BOLD! In Your Worship

August 25, 2019 • Rev. Sam Hayes

8-25-19 “Be Bold! In Our Worship” GFUMC We are continuing this week with the theme of “Be Bold!” Last week we looked at how we can be bold and intentional about our own growth a faith development. I pray that if you are not already part of a Journey Group, that you will get connected to one! Growth doesn’t happen by accident! This coming Sunday we are going to focus on being bold in our worship. What does it mean to worship “boldly” or “passionately?” Our Scripture for Sunday is certainly an example of a bold and passionate worship experience! It comes from Isaiah chapter 6… In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” (Is. 6: 1-8 NRSV) There is an interesting “ebb” and “flow” to passionate worship that is so clearly seen here. When I say ebb and flow, think of standing on the beach, watching the water come in, and then go out. Our life of worship is like that in a way. • The Ebb – when we come aside from our everyday life to connect with God. Jesus himself often went apart with his disciples – or even by himself – to connect with the Father. So when we come aside for worship – that’s the ebb. • The Flow – Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty…then the Lord’s presence filled the place shaking the house of worship with a holy sound and “holy smoke.” That’s the “flow” of God into God’s people as they worship. • The Ebb – Isaiah realizes, as he sees the holiness of God, that he is a “man of unclean lips, and living among people of unclean lips.” How can he stand before the Lord of hosts, whose glory fills the whole earth? • The Flow – God sends a seraph to take a coal from the altar and touch Isaiah’s lips. Forgiveness and cleansing flow as a free gift! • The Ebb – The Lord backs off and offers a question. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” • The Flow – “And I said, “Here am I; send me!” Will you take time from your busy schedule to “ebb” away and gather with us this Sunday? Will you come expecting the “flow” of God’s Spirit as we worship boldly? As we do so, we may ebb back and realize our own shortcomings – but God will meet us, touch us and bring healing. And then, hopefully we will all flow from this place saying, “Here am I; send me!” See you Sunday, Pastor Sam