Calvary Presbyterian Church of Big Lick

Wednesday Afternoons - Pastor's Bible Club for 8-13 year olds. We have started a weekday Bible Club for the children of our church. Each Wednesday from 4:00pm-5:15pm, the children are invited to join Pastor Pete for a Bible lesson, snacks and games. Please note: The Pastor's Bible Club will NOT meet during the Christmas and New Year's holidays. We will make an announcement to notify everyone when we are ready to resume our meetings.

Sunday, February 7th - Souper Bowl of Caring Offering. On Super Bowl Sunday, we will be collecting the "Souper Bowl" Offering. This special offering is used to benefit local organizations that are helping to feed the hungry. You are asked to bring your non-perishable items and dollar bills with you to worship on this Sunday to help feed the hungry in our community. The non-perishable items will benefit the Bread of Life Mission and the dollars will go to the Cumberland County Good Samaritans.

Wednesday, February 10th - Calvary Session Meeting! The Session of Calvary Church will meet @ 7:00pm on February 10th for our February meeting. Elders serving on Session, please make plans to attend.

Saturday, February 13th - Men's Breakfast - At 8:00am, the men of the church will be gathering at the church for our monthly men's breakfast with fellowship and prayer. We hope that all the men of our church will make plans to join us for this special time.

American Red Cross Blood Donation Opportunities. A permanent donation site has been established in Crossville for your convenience. Donations can be made on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am- 6pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 9am-1pm at 11 East First Street in Crossville. You can call to schedule an appointment at 337-0247.

If you are able to donate blood, please make plans to schedule an appointment to help do your part to save a life!

“CLAIMED FOR A PURPOSE”
EXODUS 3: 1- 15
(This sermon was preached by Rev. Pete Ullmann on the Third Sunday in Lent, March 7, 2010, at the Calvary Presbyterian Church of Big Lick in Crossville Tennessee.)

Today’s Old Testament lesson is a familiar one to most of us. It is one of those Bible stories that is told over and over again in children’s Sunday School classrooms around the globe. It’s a story that tells us something about God’s sense of compassion, as well as God’s call and claim on human lives. It’s the story of Moses’ call. It’s the account of how the Lord approaches this Biblical great announcing God’s plans and intentions for his life.

When it comes to stories about the life of Moses, there is certainly no lack of drama, is there? From his birth in a time when the King of Egypt has given orders to drown every male child born to a Hebrew in the Nile, to his fortuitous adoption into the King’s own household; from his mother’s decision to set him afloat in a woven basket among the reeds of the Nile, to Moses’ defense of a Hebrew slave which leads to the death of his Egyptian taskmaster; from the plagues which God enacts on Egypt through His servant Moses, to the law which he receives on tablets of stone at the summit of Mt. Sinai; the stories of Moses are full of intrigue. They are full of drama. They are fascinating stories that catch our interest as well as our imaginations.

This story concerning the call of Moses is no different. As Moses goes about the business of tending the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro, the Lord appears to him in the spectacle of a burning bush. More specifically, we are told that Moses catches sight of this bush that while engulfed in flames, does not seem to ever be consumed. The flames fly high into the air above this bush, still the bush remains unaffected by the fire that is all around it.

So incredible is the sight that even Moses turns to see what this is all about. That’s what the Scripture says. “Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So he thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight - why the bush does not burn up.’”

It would appear that Moses’ curiosity is what draws him to the bush. Yet as he comes near, we soon discover that it is the Lord who is really calling Him and drawing him close. “Moses... Moses...” The Lord calls from within the bush. And Moses responds saying, “Here I am!”

I don’t know about you, but Moses’ dramatic experience with God’s call isn’t exactly the way that I have experienced God’s call in my life. At times, I might have wished God would speak to me so clearly out of such a dazzling sight. Some decisions might be easier for us to make if directed by God in such a dramatic and unmistakable way. God’s call might seem easier to accept or at least more difficult to deny if communicated to us in such supernatural splendor. Yet such doesn’t often seem to be our experience. Burning bushes are rare occurances. And in this world in which we live, perhaps they seem even rarer.

Nevertheless, this IS the story of Moses’ call. This is how God approaches Moses with the call to faithful following. This is how the Lord announces to Moses God’s intentions for his life. And within this story, I believe, there is a lesson for us about the nature of God’s call to us and how we are meant to hear that call and respond to that call in the course of our own lives.

It seems true enough that God’s call often comes to us in much less spectacular ways than the burning bush that Moses witnessed. The clarity in respect to God’s plans for us that we wish we could have is all too often met with confusion and ambiguity. How much easier it might seem to be if we could get such a clear sign as that given to Moses as he was out tending the flocks of Jethro.

Yet if we look closely at this story, what we might see is that Moses is not all that different from us. For what might seem a clear sign to you and me isn’t quite so clear to Moses. What appears unmistakable to us today evidently isn’t all that unmistakable to the one who is actually faced with the decision of accepting or rejecting the Lord’s call. The first place that we might see ourselves in this story is in the fact that despite the splendor and spectacle of the burning bush, Moses isn’t all that quick to accept God’s call. His doubts and fears get the better of him as he considers what exactly it is that the Lord is calling him to do.

Isn’t that true of us as well? Doesn’t that ring a bell when it comes to how we often react when faced with the call of God in our lives? Sometimes we’re frightened. Sometimes we’re confused. At times, we are uncertain about how to respond. Still, if we take a serious look at this story of Moses, I believe that there are some important lessons that you and I can take with us concerning the nature of God’s call. Within this story rests a message for us concerning how we are equipped and enabled to respond quickly and faithfully to God’s call in our lives.

One important thing I believe we might learn from this story of Moses is the fact that God’s call is something that comes FROM GOD, not FROM US.

Consider the example of Moses. Moses approaches the burning bush out of curiosity. God calls to him from within the bush and Moses responds, “Here I am, Lord.” But then God tells Moses to remove his shoes, for the ground on which he is standing is holy.

Moses doesn’t seem quite so sure. Of course, there was a time when Moses believed the ground he stood on was holy. There was a time when he believed himself to be chosen for a special purpose. As a Hebrew raised in the King’s palace, Moses had once tried to use his power and position in the way that he saw fit. He had tried to use his power and influence to protect his fellow Hebrews, only to see the whole thing backfire on him. In the end, Moses found himself fleeing Egypt to save his own life.

Back then, we might imagine that Moses saw his life full of purpose and meaning. But now things have changed. Now he is living - not in the King’s palace, but out in the fields. He no longer enjoys the place of power and privilege that once was his, but instead finds himself alone tending his father-in-law’s sheep. The power and influence that Moses believed to be his greatest tools for ministry are now a thing of the past. Now he is nothing more than a lonely shepherd... and to get technical, one wanted by the law at that!

No wonder Moses responds to the Lord by saying, “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Don’t you remember that little incident of murder for which I could be arrested? Don’t you recall how my fellow Hebrews turned on me when I tried to help them? I’m not the one to do this... claims Moses. I’m the last one you want going to Pharaoh asking to let your people go.

Nevertheless, this is God’s call, isn’t it? This is God’s call for Moses, and not one chosen by Moses for himself. When it comes to choosing his own path in life, Moses has been there and done that and it didn’t turn out well. But now the Lord is calling him. Now the Lord is revealing to him the course that his life is meant to take. And it is up to Moses to choose how he is going to respond to this call of God in his life.

The second thing that we might notice about God’s call to Moses is that this call is inescapable. It’s unavoidable. When the call of God comes, God’s people might object. They might come up with excuses for why they can’t respond. But in time, they follow. In time the pieces fall into place. And in the end, God’s people take up the call that is issued to them. We really have no other choice!

Look at the example of Moses. As he gazes at the strange sight of a burning bush that never burns up, the Lord speaks calling Moses to go to Pharaoh as God’s messenger - demanding the release of God’s people.

“Who am I that I should go to Pharoah?” Moses objects. But the Lord assures Moses that he will not be alone.

“What if they ask me your name?” He objects again. And the Lord responds saying, Tell them that “I AM” sent you. “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...” The God who is always known through relationship with His people.

Later Moses will object again saying, “I’m not much of a speaker... perhaps my brother Aaron would be a better choice.” But in the end Moses goes. Moses answers God’s call. Moses goes to Pharaoh and demands the release of God’s people. And Moses follows God’s call as he leads the Israelites across the sea and to the brink of the promised land. Why? Because God’s call is inescapable. It’s unavoidable. When confronted with God’s plans for his life, does Moses really have any other choice? When faced with God’s plan for our lives, do we have any other choice? The witness of Scripture would answer that question “NO”. When faced with God’s call and claim on our lives, God’s people respond in faith and obedience.

The final thing I believe we should notice in this story of the call of Moses is that God’s call always involves using our gifts and abilities at the direction of God for the good of others.

Again, let’s look to the example of Moses. As God comes to Moses in the vision of a burning bush, Moses is alone in the wilderness. Once he enjoyed a place of power and privilege in Pharaoh’s court. But now he is a long way from that royal splendor. Now he is tending sheep in the wilderness. He’s alone. He’s living his life largely for himself. In many ways, Moses probably feels that he can never go back to his people and the life he knew before.

But in the midst of this new reality, God comes to Moses talking about His concern for the Israelites. God comes speaking about the misery of Moses’ people - sorrow and cries that have made their way to the compassionate ears of God. And now God wants Moses to use his gifts - his identity, his reputation, his voice, and his obedient heart to make the Lord’s case before the King in whose house Moses grew up. The Lord wants Moses to use what is uniquely available to him in order to bring freedom to his people. The Lord desires that Moses will follow God’s direction in obedience and faith - not simply for the sake of being obedient.... and not for Moses’ own glory, honor or benefit.... but for the good of others... for the sake of God’s people... in order that God’s purposes might be accomplished.

Likewise we are called by God to use our gifts, our talents and our abilities at God’s direction for the benefit of others. We are called to let our lives be used by God for the glory of God’s plan. We are called to respond to God’s call and claim on our lives with obedience that seeks to honor God by doing what we can for the sake of our brothers and sisters who are in need.

For our God is the God of compassion. He is the God of caring. And our God is always the God of love.

The story of the burning bush is a fascinating one. It is intriguing to consider. Not only because of the specatacle of a bush that burns without being consumed. But also because in this story we hear something important about the nature of God’s call. Here we see that God has a purpose and plan for each one of us. And here we are forced to consider God’s claim on our lives and what that divine claim really means.

May the story of Moses inspire us to listen closely for what it is that God is calling us to do with our lives. May the image of the burning bush move us to take seriously how God speaks to us calling us to use our gifts for the benefit of God’s people. And may you and I always seek to recognize God’s claim on us as we respond by saying “Here I am Lord. Send me”. AMEN

“MUSTARD SEEDS & LEAVEN”
MATTHEW 13: 31- 35
(This sermon was preached by Rev. Pete Ullmann on the Second Wednesday of Lent, February 24, 2010, at the Calvary Presbyterian Church of Big Lick in Crossville Tennessee.)

In our Gospel lesson for this evening, we are presented with several parables concerning the Kingdom of God. These are stories told by Jesus which reveal to us something important about the Kingdom. Indeed, they help us to understand, in part, what the Kingdom of God is like.

It should probably be said that the Kingdom of God is not always something that we are very aware of. We hear it talked about from time to time, but if asked to describe it we’d probably not have a whole lot to say. The Kingdom of God may seem a familiar concept to us in the church, yet real understanding about it seems difficult to grasp and even more difficult to communicate. What is this Kingdom? What does it look like? Where does it exist? And when will we see it come? If we take the time to think about it, these are probably questions we would all like to ask. After all, kingdoms aren’t really things that we have a lot of experience with in this modern world.

So let’s join with Jesus in thinking about the Kingdom of God. Let’s consider together what a kingdom is like. And let’s try to wrap our minds around this idea of the Kingdom of God which Jesus communicates to us in the form of parables.

Perhaps we think of a kingdom as the land, the territory and the people who are cared for, protected, and governed by a king. In a kingdom, the people must be entirely loyal and faithful to the commands of the king, for the wishes of the king are supreme and final. Then again, the subjects of a kingdom rely on the king to protect them and to provide for their needs. This reciprocal relationship of provision from the king and loyalty from the subjects seems to be a reality of kingdom life.

Maybe we associate kingdoms with grandeur as well. Grand palaces... Fine clothing... Beautiful jewelry... Ornate decorations... Luxurious banquet halls... Well-equipped armies... These are but a few of the things we associate with kingdoms.

But what about the Kingdom of Heaven? How do these earthly vestiges of kingdoms relate to what we know of that eternal reign of God? After all, the Kingdom of Heaven - inasmuch as it does exist - often seems to remain somehow beyond our sight.

That seems especially the case when we allow ourselves to dwell on the negative aspects of the world around us. In a world where the economy sags, where people lose their jobs and where homes get foreclosed on, we ask, “Where is the Kingdom of God?” In a culture where television, magazines and other media bombard us daily with evidence of deteriorating moral standards and evaporating values, we ask, “Where is the Kingdom of God?” In communities where crime increases, accidents happen, and regard for the welfare of one another is more and more a thing of the past, we ask, “Where is the Kingdom of God?” In families and neighborhoods where illness and disease threaten danger to the relationships that make us happy and strong, we ask, “Where is the Kingdom of God?”

Indeed, life in a world corrupted by sin often makes it difficult for us to envision the reign of God at all. And truth be told, even we in the church who search the horizon for the Kingdom often fall to the temptation of relegating it only to sometime in the future. Certainly, we think, it cannot be here among us now!

But take a look at the parables of Jesus. Consider what our Lord tells us about the Kingdom through the use of story. Take a moment to analyze what these story lessons have to communicate as Jesus tells us, “this is what the Kingdom of God is like.”

The first parable is one about a mustard seed. In the time of Jesus, the mustard seed was generally accepted as about the smallest thing perceptible to the naked eye. You can’t get much smaller than that! But Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is like that teeny tiny mustard seed, that “when sown in the ground” grows and becomes the greatest of all shrubs... a tree, in fact... so large that “the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

We might well conclude from this parable that the Kingdom of Heaven must start out small - barely even noticeable to the human eye - yet, in due time it grows and grows until it reaches full stature. And when it does reach full stature, it will indeed be glorious to behold.

The second parable is not unlike the first. In it we find a woman mixing a small amount of yeast in with three measures of flour. Such is the Kingdom, says Jesus. At first, the yeast is hardly noticeable. In fact, one translation of this parable says that the woman “hides” the yeast within the dough. But in time, what happens? The yeast gives off gas and causes the dough to rise until all of it is leavened.

Again, the point of the parable appears to be that the Kingdom may well start off small; imperceptible in fact; unnoticeable to the naked eye. But in time, its effects are seen. It blossoms. It grows. And in due season it becomes a glorious thing.

That is a wonderful message. It may even feed that notion we have that the Kingdom of God is something off in the future that we Christians need to be patient with as we wait for it to arrive. Such a vision of the Kingdom arriving in its due time might lead us to quietly endure the present as we await the glorious future.

But let’s rethink this, because that’s not really what these parables tell us, is it? Instead, these stories tell us that the Kingdom of Heaven is present here and now! The reign of God has already begun. It may be small. It may still be hard to see. But the kingdom has been inaugurated. The seed has been sown in the ground. The yeast has been mixed in with the dough. And in time the Kingdom will grow and blossom to a point where it cannot be mistaken.

But if that is true. If the kingdom is presently at hand. If the reign of God is already actively in place. What does that mean for us? What does it mean for folks who sometimes have difficulty seeing the reality of that Kingdom right here, right now?

Here’s the part that I don’t think we always realize. It’s the reality that we often neglect to see. It’s the truth that we don’t always take seriously enough. Namely, that God’s Kingdom is given evidence and life in the present through the faithfulness of God’s Church and His people. The seed of God’s Kingdom has been planted in the fertile ground of Christ’s Church. The yeast that causes the bread to rise is the people of God who respond faithfully to Christ’s call giving vision to the Kingdom in our midst. God’s people who make up the Church are the Ones called and chosen to give evidence of the work of God right in our midst.

Have you ever thought of it that way? Have you ever considered that the lives we live as Christian people are intended to reflect God’s reign in this world and to allow others to catch glimpses of God’s Kingdom in the here and now? That’s the calling for which the Church of Jesus Christ exists. That’s the “reason for being” for which the Church has been called into existence.

The seed of the Kingdom that has been implanted in God’s people starts out small. In many ways, it may be almost imperceptible to the human eye. But over time, it grows and blossoms.

When Christian people study God’s Word and start attempting to put it to work in our lives, the Kingdom starts to be glimpsed. When Christian disciples pray to God for direction, resolving to follow where Christ leads, the Kingdom begins to glimmer in the light. When the Church reaches out to neighbors near and far with compassion, grace and love, the world starts to see something of what God’s reign means. When God’s people share fellowship and join together in ministry to the least among us, the Kingdom of God starts to come into sight.

Indeed, the parables of Jesus allow us to see the truth that God is at work in our world - even when that activity is hard for us to see. God is active through the lives of His people, growing His Kingdom in order that one day it might be unmistakable to everyone.

That’s the other thing that these parables show. Remember how they end? The tiny mustard seed grows into the largest of all shrubs giving shelter to the birds from all over. The yeast causes the dough to rise, but not only that! The Scripture gives us the added detail that the yeast is placed in “three measures” of flour. According to scholars, that would be enough bread for over a hundred people!

Where do you recall that we shall find folks gathered from north, south, east and west? Where will we find thousands of believers gathered together breaking bread with one another. Both will take place at that great banquet hall in God’s Kingdom. When the Kingdom of God is realized in its fullness, it will be a sight to behold. It will be a party to beat all parties. It will be the feast of God’s love and God’s grace.

This Kingdom will indeed come in its fullness. When it does, it will be the place where all God’s people will gather in celebration and joy. Until then, the Church is called to bear witness to God’s activity in our midst. God’s people are chosen to show God’s love the world in which we live. We who make up Christ’s Body are the ones intended by God to give glimpses of His Kingdom in the way that we live and act. May we always fulfill that glorious calling. Thanks be to God! AMEN