Matthew 7:1-11, by Mary Cory

It has been such an interesting Lent season as we try to discern God's word.

We have studied the beatitudes and how we can become a disciple community.
We have discussed how to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”.
We have discussed how Jesus calls us to love.
Finally, we studied how to keep our focus on God and not ourselves.

Now, on this fifth Sunday of Lent we are called to look within ourselves. Jesus asks us to “take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye”.

I know how easy it is for me to see everyone's faults. I sometimes look at friends and relatives and I can't understand why they don't stop that annoying habit, try to be nicer, show more concern for others, not talk behind friends backs, on and on and on. I must admit it is so discouraging to take a step back and see that not only am I as bad as them but in some cases even worse.

We need to examine ourselves as individuals and as a disciple community. To examine our hearts and make those changes in our lives to make us the person and disciple He knows we can be. Only God is perfect and He knows just what we need to serve Him better.

As we work to draft a vision statement, we need to continue to discuss as a congregation. We need to study together and individually and we need to pray. If we “ask, it will be given; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you”. The journey we have been on for the last year has been amazing. I feel more connected than ever to my Sunnyside family. I think we have discovered much in our community of faith about ourselves and the direction this discerning process is taking us.

I feel the next step will truly be a gift from God in our journey.

The Lord's Prayer, by Amy Gardine

I must admit it! I struggled with these passages and reflection questions a great deal before writing anything down. On the surface, I felt the main focus this week was to emphasize that all I do must be done in secret: pray in secret; tithe in secret; help the poor in secret; even fast in secret! I was thinking, “What if my stomach growls and I pass out from lack of sustenance? Does that draw too much attention to my pursuits?” I also wondered, “Is it bad that I appreciate a good ‘thank you’ every once in a while?” And I finally asked, “Well, how in the world do we glorify God if all of this is one big secret?” Notice the focus? Yup... all on me.

As scripture would have it, these passages were less concerned with ME and more concerned with the key component of Jesus’ lesson about The Lord’s Prayer and OTHERS. Yes, the Lord’s Prayer actually tells us how to love one another! I think I knew the Lord’s Prayer before I knew my address, but I always thought of it as a monotone prayer that stopped at praising God! When I was young, I was also often confused about all the derivations of the Lord's Prayer! I knew that in different churches we could forgive sins, debts, transgressions, or even trespasses. I knew that some churches paused after temptations. I even knew how to sing the Lord’s Prayer! Like any good piece of literature, The Lord’s Prayer could boast several forms. But only after truly breaking this prayer down can I see its beauty. The loveliness of this prayer is that the message remains the same: Come to God only; love God; and through those steps, we can truly love others.

So, where does that leave MY original discomfort? Well, the study guide asked us to look at each part of the prayer and mull it over. So, to me, I feel that the Lord’s Prayer sort of frees me up to have an open relationship with God - one that gives the most rewarding love back. And this love leads me gracefully into my love for others. It goes something like this:

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
I am coming to you first, God. Thanks for listening. I know you are the Maker, but I need to speak directly to The Source.

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.”
So… what would YOU have me do? What will be a glimpse of heaven to others around me?

“Give us this day our daily bread.”
Provide for me what I cannot on my own, because on my own I will probably mess this up. Fill me up with your holy word – strengthen me with your spiritual food.

“And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
Help me to remember that what I give to others is a symbol of how great Your grace has been to me. Since you have loved me purely and justly, let me also do this for others.

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Help me stay this course, God. I just might falter. I will need your support!

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”All I do is for the glory of Your kingdom. A kingdom I share in community. In that knowledge, help me love and serve with my eyes lifted upward, not inward. Let it be so...

Rules, Radical Love and Right Relationships, by Abbe Golden

In reading the scriptures in preparation for this Sunday, I found the idea of rules and radical love an interesting juxtaposition. We’ve all grown up with rules, whether at home or school, and are bound by the laws of the land. And most of us are very aware of the laws and commandments of God. I like to tell you that I followed the rules when I was younger because I was (and still am) this wonderful, dutiful, responsible, respectful, loving, wonderful Christian person. Hmmm…. anybody buying this? Probably not. The reality for most of us, if not all of us, is that we learned to follow the rules so we didn’t get into trouble. Oh, sure some of them made sense and we knew some were for our safety and some were made to keep our parents and teachers sane. But did we ever go above and beyond what was required just because it might be the good thing or the right thing to do?

That is the whole point of the Matthew scripture. Anyone can follow the rules. But what happens when you go above and beyond and what’s your reasoning for doing so? When your parents gave you chores did you ever do more than what was asked of you? Sometimes you say… So was it because you had this strong moral sense of doing the right thing or was it because you were buttering up your parents to increase your allowance? Did your parents ever wonder and say, “What’s got into that kid?”

One of the definitions of radical is a person who follows their strong convictions. When do we transition from doing things because it keeps us out of trouble or provides a reward to doing things because we feel, we know, that it’s just the right thing to do? When do we start doing the things mentioned in scripture expecting nothing in return: reconcile to your brother or sister, turn the other cheek, pray for your enemies, give your cloak as well. How does this nurture right relationships with others?

Before my mother passed away she lived with me for 3 and ½ years. My students would ask me if that was an easy thing to do, taking care of her at my house. I would honestly reply that no, it wasn’t always easy, that sometimes it was very difficult. They would then ask me why I did it. My response…doing what’s right doesn’t always mean doing what’s easy.

A Gift and a Task, by Bill Lamie

Although I was out of town and unable to attend last Sunday’s service, I heard from several who did attend, that the bible study was well attended, enlightening, and that there were lots of interesting questions and comments about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The Stepping Stones Committee has been delighted with the participation of our Sunnyside community.

Together we are moving towards more discovery, more sharing, and more listening. Together we are challenging ourselves to discern God’s vision for our church’s life and ministry.

“Together” is a reassuring word for me. After reading the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), I questioned just how far short of the eight characters of a blessed people (disciples) I was. Discipleship seems almost unreachable when I think only of myself. But if I think in terms of our Sunnyside Christian community of faith, and how we willingly share our knowledge and grace, I feel connected, and I feel hope. Larry said last week in his blog, “…I see great hope and progress.”, in our ongoing discernment process. I agree.

The “gift” of God’s grace is that we are the Salt and we are the Light. What would it be like if we did nothing but good works publicly for God’s honor? To be the Salt means that we are deeply concerned with our earth’s well being. It is about giving meaning where there is no meaning, and giving hope where there is no hope. To be the Light means to follow God, and work to bring social justice in our society, safeguard human rights, and to work for peace and reconciliation.

Our “task” and maybe our vision, is to live fully the virtues that Jesus taught us. I don’t think discipleship is meant to be easy, and there will certainly be risks involved, but when we as a community of faith take the risks together and do so for the Kingdom of God, we are salt and we are light.

Beatitudes in the Modern Day: Are We Making Progress?, by Larry Savage

Last summer and again this week, I have been reading the Beatitudes with a critical awareness of what they mean today in the context of our Stepping Stones Journey.

Now, when I use the phrase “critical awareness” I have to admit that I am a pretty blunt instrument for scholastic discernment. I am very comfortable reading a shop manual for fixing something mechanical. Particularly if the manual uses large print and has lots of pictures of greasy fingers pointing at the mechanical component with which I am troubled.

But, interpreting or discerning something important like the Beatitudes as background for our Missional Transformation…that’s different. But, here goes.
Frankly, I see great hope and progress.

In the modern day, I see momentum building for change. In our community, our lives are not at risk if we raise our Christian light. Some safe guards are in place to protect those that are at risk. Are there enough safeguards? No, but we are making progress.

On the macro scale, look at the paradigm shift (not my favorite word… “big” works for me) in the Middle East! Are people putting their lives on the line to make fundamental change happen? Ask the people on the ground in Libya.

How about us at Sunnyside? How do we show our Christian light? What does it mean to be in “contrast” with our community? The concept is a little uncomfortable for me. I am a little troubled about making a big show. We already do lots of good in our local community. My participation on the Social Ministries Committee has opened my eyes to how many Sunnysiders are involved with good works locally and internationally.

Yet, we need to look at our community and the world with a commonly accepted, Sunnyside vision of what we can do to help build momentum toward the simple task the LORD asks us of us…do justice…love kindness…walk humbly with our God.

My hope is that the Stepping Stones Journey will give each of us a clearer vision of how we, as individuals and collectively, can carry our small lights forward building momentum. We must join hands in Christian community and perform acts of discipleship.

A World Cafe Winner, by Ken Baierl

The congregation at Sunnyside Church rose to the occasion once again on Sunday. Most of you had never participated in a World Café discussion. The Stepping Stones team had never organized one. No one knew what to expect at the Conference on the Present. But at the end of a two-hour, robust discussion of our culture and our church, we knew each other better, we were a little smarter, and we had taken another step in our journey to discern God’s call for Sunnyside Church.

The Fellowship Hall was buzzing with conversation, as we reflected in small groups and then all-together about the challenges facing Sunnyside in today’s culture and the strengths at Sunnyside that help us deal with the issues of an exhausting, self-centered, instant gratification, 24/7 society. There were nearly 100 people around 24 tables that changed five different times in a World Café conversation. The Stepping Stones team collected nearly 50 table-top sheets with notes, drawings and doodles that captured the individual discussions. We have a treasure-trove of information from the youngest participant to the oldest. When combined with the notes from the Conference on the Past and the knowledge gained from two recent sermon series/Bible studies, the Stepping Stones team and the congregation are walking the path to discernment together. We have not arrived at our destination but I believe we are on the right track. Thank you for your participation, ideas, energy and support. More to come.

Cajun Cookin’ and Camp Fire Smoke - That's Mission for Me, by Larry Savage

What does a Mission smell like? I understand the imagery, but the “smell” is very real to me. For me, it’s the home cooked Cajun meal served by families of the Homa Nation in Louisiana and the camp fire smoke during a youth mission trip to Heifer International in Arkansas.

You might remember the generous gift given by one of our Sunnyside families after the Katrina event. This was an important opportunity. Sunnyside organized a canvas of the storm area affected and selected the Homa Nation IndianTribe as the recipient of the grant. We organized a group of Sunnysiders to travel to the Homa Nation , to add our backs to the clean up. I wish the whole Sunnyside family could have been with us. There were so many in need. Yet, there was courage and determination within the Homa Nation. It was a great spiritual renewal for all.

At the end of our time within the Nation, we were invited to a going away dinner. Homa families brought their favorite foods to provide a real banquet. The smells of home cooked Cajun dishes and the fellowship within the tribe was a treasure.

I also had the opportunity to travel with our youth on a Mission trip to Arkansas where we did maintenance work around the Heifer International Farm. This was a different kind of focus. Painting fences and debugging gardens was the work. Time spent with our youth was the reward. Rebecca did a great job of organizing the trip and keeping the “missional” event in the forefront of the teenager’s minds…if that is possible.

I will always treasure a quiet walk with a young adult with a true Christian heart.

So, to me, the smell of Mission is very real. But, back to the figurative, I think a “Missional” church, maybe Sunnyside, may look different than it does now. Maybe our Gathering Space takes on the look of a “situation room”. The various missional activities having a space assigned for posting of recent activities, successes, assets (labor and $) in use,and key issues needing to be addressed. A center where we all can get updated on our external activities and, hopefully, find activities that are a good fit for us personally. It may not be a perfect fit but one that can take us forward.

I suspect that the eleven disciples, when challenged by Jesus to “…go and make disciples of all nations…” were very full of doubt and feelings of inadequacy Maybe, the missional spirit of a “situation room” type environment can slowly bring each of us put a toe in the water of mission.