July 2, 2020
Luke 16:10
“This is a test. This is only a test.”
I remember when they would interrupt whatever I was watching with the Emergency Broadcast System and the annoying sound that was intentionally designed so you couldn’t ignore it. And after the initial sound, you’d hear the robotic words, “This is a test. This is only a test.” It was always a little bit disconcerting though, wasn’t it? Having your day interrupted with that test was enough to throw you off just enough. And the system’s existence was a reminder that there are very real threats in the world.
And now we are living in a time of crisis. Another episode of racial tension kicked off with the murder of George Floyd. The economic strain brought on by the pandemic. And there’s the actual pandemic itself. In our nation, there have been over 130,000 deaths in our nation from COVID-19. That’s 130,000 grieving families. And in it all, people are arguing over being asked to wear a mask. And there are new clips almost every day of people having temper tantrums and yelling matches over a mask.
And the words of the Emergency Broadcast System come back. “This is a test.” This is a test of basic human decency. And if there is any group of people that should ace this test, because their faith is built upon the principle of caring for others, it’s Christians. And yet, some of the loudest voices in opposition claim the name Christian.
In one of his many discussions about money, Jesus says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” He’s talking about money, but I believe the same principle applies when it comes to almost every other matter. In fact, I’m having a hard time thinking of an exception. If Christians can’t be trusted to look out after each other and our community now, why would anyone trust us when it comes to matters of eternity?
There was something that made the rounds recently about the shopping cart theory. What someone does with their shopping cart in the parking lot reveals everything about their character. You don’t gain anything by returning your shopping cart, and it’s not against the law to abandon your cart. But taking the time to return your shopping cart to make someone’s job a little bit easier and to prevent damage to other people’s cars reveals your character. The originator says that those who can’t be bothered are people who “can only be made to what is right by threatening them with a law and the force that stands behind it.”
In this time, where every hospital system and reputable expert is begging people to wear a mask to slow this monster down, I pray that Christians everywhere, and especially the people of Magnolia Methodist, will wear a mask for the sake of their neighbors and that no one catches this thing because of us. Let us be faithful in the little things so we can be trusted with the big things.
A couple notes about what’s coming up. We’re going to experiment with a couple of things this Sunday. This is the first Sunday of the month, and we would ordinarily celebrate communion if this was a normal time. But obviously, there is nothing normal right now. I want to encourage everyone that will join us for worship to light a candle in your home during the livestream to signify the presence of Christ during worship. And have a little bread and juice on hand as we will do online communion this Sunday to remind us that we are one with Christ and one with each other. Additionally, we will have a virtual coffee break right after church on Zoom starting at 11:30. (Magnolia Methodist's Coffee Break: Join Zoom Meeting, https://zoom.us/j/97874300152) Everyone is invited to take a moment and join us as we catch up with each other a little bit. There is no agenda other than visiting with one another. If it goes well, we might make this a regular thing on Sundays going forward.
Finally, next Sunday, July 12th, there will be a church-wide Zoom meeting to discuss a proposed restructure to how our church goes about the business of our mission. Mr. Kyle Wendel and other leaders have spent the past several months gathering information and thinking through this possibility and they would like to present it to the church to get your advice.
As always, thank you for your generous support in this time. You can give by dropping an offering off at the office lockbox, mailing it to the church, or by going to magnoliaumc.org and clicking the donate button. Your faithfulness is inspiring.
“This is only a test.” Let’s ace it, y’all.
In peace,
Pastor Andrew
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