"A Celebration" II Corinthians 9: 6-15; Psalm 145

I am way behind in my sermon preparation this week.

It's Celebration Sunday, the day we make our commitments to our "Shining Our Light" capital campaign and the 2012 operating budget.  I have been thinking a lot about celebrating knowing this day was approaching.  Here are a few of the seemingly random thoughts.

1. "Celebrate" in Psalm 147 literally means to "pour forth," which would have the verse read as "they shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness."  That context suggests that "celebrate" has an outward focus to it -- that is, the story of God's abundant goodness gets shared with others.  Typically, I think of celebration as having a inward/personal connotation for the person or group celebrating.

2.  What if you do not feel like celebrating right now?  I'm thinking about those people who are in the midst of struggles and uncertainties and can't find much to celebrate.   Should they be forced to celebrate?  Or made to feel guilty if they do not celebrate?  Can the community's celebration be for even those who do not want to celebrate?

3. how many people on Sunday are going to be celebrating that we are done with the emphasis on the capital campaign and stewardship?

4.  Paul's passage includes the "cheerful giver" phrase that many of us have heard over the years.  I remember someone telling me (truthfully) that they had lowered their pledge because the sermon on being a cheerful giver had indicated they should only give an amount that made them cheerful; so they lowered their commitment and it made them cheerful.  I had the opposite experience during the first capital campaign I ever participated in at the church I served in KY.  I had made a pledge, but the guest preacher was so inspiring that I upped our pledge by a $1,000 dollars (without telling my wife, mind you).  It really got me excited about giving and put a smile on my face.  Perhaps some of us will be celebrating Sunday because we have made a commitment that excites us.

5. Send me a story about a great celebration you have had.

Peace,

Richard

Reflections on "The Gift" Genesis 33: 1-11; Luke 22: 14-23

I am leaving town this afternoon for a few days, so I must post the sermon now or it will get lost with next week's preparations.

The sermon did not work well for me.  After the chapel service, I reorganized and changed the sermon a bit (on the fly after confirmation class).  I believe the Sanctuary service got the better of the two sermons.  Probably should have just stuck with the Jacob story and played with it, but not in connection with the Luke story of the Last Supper.

“the Gift” November 6, 2011; Genesis 33: 4-11; Luke 22: 14-23; capital campaign

Introduction: Next Sunday is commitment Sunday, the day we bring back our pledge cards for our “Shining Our Light” capital campaign and our our operating budget for 2012.

We have been spending the last few weeks reflecting on giving, and this week I want to finish with two stories about giving.

Move 1: First story of giving centers on our Lord's Table.

a. It was not planned to have the last Sunday before Commitment Sunday be communion Sunday.

1. But what a wonderful visual reminder of God's gift that forms the foundation for our understanding of giving.
2. I am not suggesting that our “Shining the Light” capital campaign and our operating budget are on the same level as God saving the world.
3. But when we reflect on God's gift of God's very own self, we see what it means to give a gift for no other reason than to give love.
   b. In fact, God when God gives the gift of of coming in Christ, God knows that the gift will be rejected and betrayed.

1. yet God still gives the gift.
2. In doing says, God reminds us that the reason we give is about who we are, not about what we can get in return.

As we spend this week prayerfully considering what God is calling us to give, we are reminded the giving is about who are and whose we are.

Move 2: Second story of giving comes to us from Jacob.

a. I love Jacob.

1. If you want to discover the good and bad of humanity, read Jacob.
2. You can usually get a dose of both in anything Jacob does.
3. There's a reason that Jacob has been referred to as the biggest scoundrel in the Bible.
   b. In this story, Jacob is giving a gift to his brother Esau.

1. . remember the context in which Jacob offers the gift.

1. he had stolen his brother's birthright.
2. Moved away for many years.
3. He is about to meet Esau for the first time in a long time.
4. I suspect Jacob was feeling rather vulnerable. I say that because if we read a few verses before our passage we discover that Jacob has sent the women and children ahead to meet Esau.
5. Sort of creating a buffer. If Esau is going to be mad, Jacob will know it and perhaps have a chance to escape.
6. Jacob's manipulation always seem to be just below the surface.
7. Since he's not sure how Esau might act toward him, he sends lavish presents to Esau.
8. The text does not tell us, but it feels like Jacob is trying to buy his brother off.
9. As if Jacob is saying, “if I give you these gifts, will you please not harm me for all the harm I did to you?"

b. Of course, Jacob does not say that.

1. When his brother says he does not need the gift, Jacob glowingly tells him that God has looked so graciously on him he wants to share with Esau.
2. IN those words, Jacob gets it right.
3. He ought to give out of graciousness.
4. We may suspect otherwise, but Jacob at least has the right words for why he is giving.
   Move 3: Okay, so maybe you're saying to yourself about now, “Richard, couldn't you have picked a better couple of stories for us on the last Sunday before me make our commitment?”
   a. After all, one story is the perfect gift, and we are not perfect; and the other story is Jacob, and we're probably better than Jacob.
   b. There are probably better stories to tell.
   1. many of them we have heard before.
   2. Some we have remembered the past few weeks.
   c. But here's why I picked these two stories.
   1. Because we are each asked to prayerfully consider our commitment.
   2. that means we turn to the one who gave the perfect gift and ask God to help us figure out what the right gift is for us at this time in our lives.
   3. Secondly, we have Jacob, with whom we share the common human bond of getting it right and messing it up, sometimes at the same time.
   4. Jacob who gets it right when he says that his giving is because of God's graciousness. Reflect on how you have discovered God's graciousness in your life.
   5. But we also have Jacob with lots of different motives for giving.
   6. We have a mix of motives – a part of the project we like; obligation; recognize the importance;
   7. I suspect that our motives are mostly better than Jacob's motives; we know that bribing God or the church won't work.
   So somewhere in those parameters between the perfect gift of God and the imperfect gift of Jacob we find ourselves.

Conclusion: the third story of gift giving will be lived out by us.
Each of us is being asked to prayerfully consider what God is calling us give at this time
We do so knowing what it is like to be Jacob, who has mixed motives for giving.
We do so in the assurance that God has given to us the gift of Christ.

Amen.

"The Gift" Luke 22: 14-23; Genesis 33: 5-11

We celebrate our Lord's Supper this Sunday, which is also the Sunday before Commitment Sunday for our capital campaign.  I have been reflecting on how God's gift of Christ sets the stage for all the gifts we return to God.

I am cautious about this sermon because I do not want it to become "God sent Jesus to die as a gift, so we should give to the capital campaign."  That seems manipulative. I remember being at a youth conference and the leader ended the conference with this emotional (thumping on the guitar for each nail strike), powerful, telling of Christ's crucifixion before suggesting that how the youth lived was directly tied to Christ's death.But I also think that God's gift of Christ ought to speak to us when we consider giving.   Part of me wants to note in the sermon that potential to manipulate; part of me think that I should not name that concern as it might distract from the sermon.  I'd be curious is anyone has a feeling one way or another.

We are also reading the passage in Genesis where Jacob is being greeted by his brother Esau (from whom he stole the family birthright).  Jacob nervously gives gifts to Esau because he is so excited to see his brothers face and because God has so graciously blessed him.  I think Jacob's reasoning is sound, but I suspect that Jacob was speaking of the gifts in glowing ways, when what he really meant was, "if I give you these gifts, will you please not harm me for all the harm I did to you?" (Richard's interpretation based on Jacob's history!).  The story made me think about Jacob giving a gift for the wrong reason (maybe), but it was still the right gift.  And Esau receiving the gift, regardless of the motive.  Not sure how that fits, but it is running through my mind as I prepare the sermon.

I heard this Erma Bombeck quote at the Session meeting:  "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say ' I used everything you gave me' ".

I'm not sure if it will make it into the sermon, but it resonated with me.

Peace,

Richard

Reflections on "Does It Matter - Part 2" Deuteronomy 26: 1-11; 2 Corinthians 8: 1-7

Sermon went okay. Usually the sermon feels like it goes better in one service or the other.  This sermon had a split-decision:  the first part of the sermon felt better in the Sanctuary service; the final part of the sermon felt better in the Chapel service.  Not sure what made the difference.

I took the story of the woman in KY and focused on two aspects of it for this sermon.  I am reminded that a good story is usually multivalent.  In this case, not only can the hearer find his or her own meaning, but I could have crafted the story differently to emphasize other points.

In the final analysis, a sermon with personal comments about my own style of giving and a story from my own personal experience may have to much of "me" in it.

“Does It Matter – Part II” October 30, 2011; Capital campaign series;

Introduction: Last week we reflected on the question – does it matter in the context of a project to repair and renovate a building, namely our sanctuary.

This week, I am asking the same question – does it matter? – in the context of does it matter for each of us to participate in the capital campaign.

Move 1: It matters because we are connected to a community of faith.

a. WE are connected in an historical sense.

1. All-Saints Sunday.
2. Remember those who have come before us.
3. They began this project.
4. They built the sanctuary; they added on to the church building; they (and now the they probably includes some of us) built the chapel.
5. They added on the the new Social Hall.
6. We have been the recipients of their building efforts and financial commitments.
7. Part of being connected to the saints who have come before means taking responsibility for the church in our time, just as they did in their time.

b. We are also connected in the present time.

1. This is our project – a group effort.

1. What you give is your decision. In fact, the basis of this campaign is for each of us to prayerfully discover what God is calling us to give.
2. Whether you give or not is again about you and your prayerful consideration.
3. But, I would urge you to give to be part of what this community of faith is doing.
4. More than your money, we need you to be a part of what we are doing here.

5. When we celebrate the completion of the different projects, we want everyone to feel that it is their project to celebrate. A celebration of the community of faith that worked together to make the project happen.

100. Retired teacher; garage sale after paychecks; no family, except for cousins and “her boys” a older, single woman in the church in KY. She had been sick and in a nursing home and had missed church for a couple of months. She had lots of questions about what was happening at the church, including how the capital campaign had gone.
     She noted that she had missed out on the campaign and on getting visited by someone as part of the capital campaign.
     She wondered if I could take her pledge card back to the church and a check for her pledge. I really do not like taking money from people I visit. I do not want them to think that the reason I came was to get their money, but she really wanted me to take her gift and pledge card.
     As she gave me the card and check, she had tears in her eyes. She told me that she was sorry she could not give more, but that was all she could give at the time.
     I assured her that any gift she gave First of all, she gave me a pledge card for the capital campaign as I assured her that her gift was welcome and she did not need to be upset about not being able to give as much as she wanted. In fact, she did not need to give anything at all.
     As she responded, I began to realize that she had to give – but not because of the amount. She had to give because she wanted to be a part of that project that was important to her church.

Our giving matters because we are part of this community of faith.

Move 2: It matters because we need to be reminded that everything is God's – we just have use of some of it.

a. A biblical principle.

1. All we have God has given to us.
2. The Deuteronomy passage points out how the Israelites are called to respond to being led out of bondage by God and led to the land of milk and honey.
3. As they receive the crops from the ground in the land God has given them, they give the first fruits back to God.

b. I confess to be rather certain at times that money in my paycheck or the money is Leslie's paycheck is ours.

1. No one else's.
2. we worked the hours, right?
3. The money is ours, so we can do with it what we like.
4. That sense of ownership easily extends beyond the money we earn to all the material things we have.
5. How easily we forget that from the very breath we breathe, all we are and all we have comes from God.
7. Perhaps even more than the actual financial commitment, the process of prayerfully turning to God and asking God's guidance for our giving brings us back to that place where we can acknowledge that all we have comes from God.

b. Retired woman.

1. Since she did not have any immediate family, I spent a lot of time with her when she was in the hospital, or nursing home, or even when she was home and not getting around much (in fact, one time when she had been relatively healthy for a while, she told me that was thinking about going back into the hospital because she'd missed talking to me).
2. Anyway, we spent a lot of time talking, and I learned a lot about her life.
3. She had two brothers. She loved them both, but one was the good brother, who held a responsible job and did things right. The other brother did not have that same ambition or desire to work and do things right.
4. None of the three sibling ever married.
5. When the good brother died, he left everything to this woman, in part, because he did not want the other brother to use his inheritance to do stupid things.
6. Her brother had died about 15 years earlier.
7. He had a portfolio.
8. She never touched it.
9. She said it did not feel right to spend his money.
10. Money he had given to her.
11. But money she did not see as her money.
12. AS it turns out, when she died, her estate (which she left to the church) was worth over $850,000. Where did most of it come from? Her brother's portfolio that she had never touched because it was his money.
    
    
    c. God has blessed us with many resources.
    1. God does not demand that we not use those resources.  In fact, God calls us to live fully.
    2.  We are free to spend those resources.
    2. But, we are asked to give back as an acknowledgment that the resources we have come from God.
    2. Our giving matters because it reminds us that all we have is a gift from God.

Move 3: It matters because we are invited to claim the privilege of giving.

a. Fascinated with Paul's comments to the church in Corinth.

1. Paul shares with the Corinthians what the Macedonian church had done about sending an offering for the poor Christian community in Jerusalem.
2. Context of the extra offering being sent to the poor Christians in writes about the "privilege" the churches in Macedonia felt as they "begged" to be able to give to the offering for the poor church in Jerusalem.
   b. you may remember my description of myself as an obligation giver.
   1. I am trying in my own approach to see giving as a privilege.
   2. not simply an obligation.
   3. Not even an opportunity, which sounds sort of like a positive way to spin a sense of obligation.
   c. What does it mean for me to consider it a privilege to give?
   1. In part, it means that I am fortunate to be in a position where I have the resources to give. In tough economic times, Leslie and I are both employed and can make a gift. Even as I say that, I realize that my sense of privilege is still not where the Macedonian churches are because they feel the privilege of giving out of their poverty!
   2. In part, it cuts to the heart of my understanding of call. I believe that God called me to serve this congregation, so I get to join with you in a project that is important to this congregation.
   3. in part, it speaks to my sense of gratefulness for God claiming me in relationship. Only by the grace of God, literally, can I even dare to claim the privilege of giving back to God.
   d. I invite you to consider what it means that you have the privilege of giving.
   Conclusion: Our giving does matters in ways far beyond the actual amount of our gift.

"Does It Matter -- Part II" II Corinthians 8: 1-5; Deuteronomy 26: 1-11

I intentionally picked a more generic title for this week because I wasn't sure what direction I wanted to go.  I'm still not sure where to go with the sermon.  It is being preached in the context of the last few weeks of a capital campaign.

 Paul writes about the "privilege" the churches in Macedonia felt as they "begged" to be able to give to the offering for the poor church in Jerusalem.  I am wondering how often we consider it a privilege to give.  Obligation or opportunity, perhaps, but privilege? Or begging for the privilege to give?

The Deuteronomy passage provides a classic stewardship text on tithing.  In this context, the tithing is an automatic response to the Israelites being brought into the Promised Land.  As they receive the crops from the ground in the land God has given them, they give the first fruits back to God.

I've been reflecting this week on why it matters that we give.  not in terms of for the project, but for ourselves.  Part of the answer is tied to being people of God who are called to return back to God.  How does the sense of privilege fit into that?

I'm not sure how this story fits, but I clearly remember visiting a older, single woman in the church in KY.  She had been sick and in a nursing home and had missed the stewardship visits that were part of a dual campaign (operating budget + capital campaign).  I actually got more involved with her finances than I would generally like to because she had no family and would ask me to look over her bank statements, etc. for her if she had a question or was having a problem.  Finances were on her mind that day.  First of all, she gave me a pledge card for the capital campaign as she tearfully told me that was all she could give at the time (it was not an extraordinarily big gift).  I assured her that her gift was welcome and she did not need to be upset about not being able to give as much as she wanted.  A week or so later when I visited her, she asked me to look at her bank statement because she had some questions about some charges the bank had that month.  So, I looked over her bank account and discovered that she had more than 1.5 times what I earned in a year in her checking account!  I answered her question and then offered the financial advice that maybe she ought to put some of those funds in an investment vehicle that would make her some interest.  She noted that she didn't want to get caught short on cash, so she needed that money in her checking account.  I talked to her lawyer (small town life) and told him what I had discovered.  He laughed as he told me that he'd been telling her that for years, but she wouldn't do it.  I confess to thinking maybe I should have not been so ready to tell her it was okay to not give as much as she would have liked.  This was the beginning of her gradual decline, so i spent a lot of time talking with her about lots of things.  Somewhere along the way she told me that she was the last sibling to die and that her oldest brother had left her some money.  She had never spent a dime of it over the twenty years since he had died (she just let the broker reinvest it) because she did not feel like it was her money, so she couldn't spend it.  She never told me about her will, but told me that she hoped if she had any money that she'd like a scholarship set up at her alma mater, money given to this group and that group.  I told her that telling me was fine, but she needed to tell her lawyer.  She always responded to that with, "He's one of my boys (she had been a schoolteacher and had taught him), so I know he'll do what's right."  Every time she told me that, I would tell her, "I'm glad he's one of your boys, but if you don't tell him what you want him to do with your estate, he won't be able to make sure what you want to happen, happens."  She finally died (I was with her when she died), and I met her lawyer in the hallway (he didn't not get there before she died).  As we talked I told him that she had told me lots of ways that she wanted to use her estate.  He gave me kind of a funny look that I interpreted as this topic was none of my business, so I dropped the topic.  A week or so later he asked me to come by his office.  When I got there he told me, "you remember at the hospital when you told me what she wanted to do with her money? Well, I hope you remember that now because the church is the sole beneficiary of her estate."  $850,000 left to the church (we did remember those groups).  And the bulk of the money was from that investment account of her brother's that she never touched.  It just grew and grew and then ended up with the church.

I have always believed that the best way to help a person grow in their giving is to help them become what some call a "patterned giver."  That is, if any of us commit to giving on a monthly basis, or use automatic

Long stories that won't make the sermon, or at least not yet, but both have been on my mind.

What do you think about giving, particularly in the context of it being a privilege?

Reflections on "Does It Matter - Part 1" Exodus 25: 1-8; Luke 6: 46-49

I really liked this sermon.  Both of the texts spoke to me, and I think the sermon reflected that.  The stories that I randomly encountered in the last week (talking with Aka and reading Christian Century) seemed to be exactly what I needed for this sermon.

When I went to the preaching seminar a couple of years ago, the professor who critiqued my sermons challenged me to have something for a person to do in response to every sermon.  I'm not sure that was achieved with this sermon, but the sermon did have lots of reflection that may mirror what others in the congregation are thinking as we move through the capital campaign.

“Does It Matter – Part I” FPC, Troy; October 23, 2011 Exodus 25: 1-8; Luke 6: 46-49

Introduction: I have thought quite a bit about buildings recently, more specifically, this building our sanctuary.

I have thought about the sanctuary a lot in the context of working with a committee to see what needs to be done to repair and upgrade our sanctuary.

I have also thought about the sanctuary a lot in the to context of does it matter? Does it matter that we repair stained glass windows, or upgrade the audio-visual capabilities, or repair the ceiling.

Should we spend money on a building?

As a continuing part of my reflections, I want to share some stories about buildings this morning.

Story 1: Aka Pereyma, artist who sculpted “Jacob's Ladder” traveled back to the Ukraine with her daughter several years ago. Aka grew up in the Greek Catholic tradition, which I gather is what would be called part of the Eastern Catholic church that is connected with the Roman Catholic church, rather than the Greek Orthodox or Eastern Orthodox church. My less than informed understanding would be a church that feels Eastern Orthodox, but who liturgy follows the Roman Catholic tradition. In other words, lots of beautiful sanctuaries and icons.

After they returned home to Troy, Aka asked her daughter, “What impressed you most about the Ukraine?”

“the chapels.” Across the Ukraine, Aka informed me, they saw what can best be described as little chapels. Places that are built to hold one or two, maybe three people who can meditate or worship God.

Aka told me that many times they would arrive at a crossroad juncture and look up and see one of these chapels. As if at any critical juncture someone might need a place to meditate and worship God.

Aka was so impressed with these chapels that she has now built or orchestrated the building of four of these chapels. She showed me the latest one she has designed. Fascinating looking chapel (story told with Aka Pereyma's permission)

Having a place to worship God matters.

Story 2: God instructed the Israelites to “Build me a sanctuary where you can gather to worship me.”

We remember that the Israelites were people on the move. It was not practical for them to build a building. What good would a sanctuary like ours do them when they were nomads living off the land?

But God wanted them to have a place of worship; a place where they could be in the presence of the Lord. God commanded them to take up an offering to build the Tabernacle.

We know that God gives the Israelites very detailed instructions for the Tabernacle. WE also know that as the Israelites traveled from place to place the Tabernacle was dismantled and the reassembled in the new place so that wherever the Israelites went, they could gather and worship in the presence of God.

A place to worship God matters.

Story 3: I recently read an article about the government of the Czech Republic deciding to give back the churches and property taken from the churches (or to give monetary compensation if the building had been destroyed) when the the communist government took over in the 1950s. (Christian Century, “Czech government will turn over seized churches”Aug 26, 2011, Jonathan Luxmoore)

Imagine the joy being felt by the churches in the Czech Republic as their historic buildings, the places of worship, are being returned to them.

A church building does matter.
Story 4: I shared in my blog earlier this week about my grandmother's house in Falls Church, VA. That I believed to be on the National Registry of Historic buildings. One of the persons reading my blog sent me a list of those buildings and asked which one was my grandmother's house. It wasn't there, which led to my calling home.

I learned that my grandmother's house was sold to the historical society, which wanted the house because of its historic nature. And in the deed is the requirement that the house not be destroyed because of its historic value. Apparently the plaque on the building is from the historical society, not the National Register of Historic Buildings.

This summer we took a family photo on the front steps. As we walked around this house where my grandmother lives, I had lots of stories to tell. Just seeing the building reminded me family gatherings that took place there; family members who have since died; I even remember that house as the final resting place of my blankie, that my grandmother threw out when she decided I was too old to have a blankie (that may explain a lot about me!).

If I drove by this address and the building was not there, if there were a parking garage or high rise office building, would I still have those memories? Maybe? But I suspect the building itself evokes those memories in ways that would not happen if it were not there.

Move 2: But buildings do not matter just because they are there.

a. Jesus tells the story of building

1. One person builds a house on a rock solid foundation. This is the person who hears God's word and responds to it.
2. When the flood comes, the building survives because its foundation is the Word of God.
3. Another person builds a house with no foundation. This is the person who hears God's Word but does not respond
4. When the flood comes, the house is swept away because it does not have a strong foundation.
5. This sanctuary matters when it brings people into the presence of God.
6. This sanctuary matters when people gather and hear God's Word and go into the world to share God's word and serve God's people.

Move 3: Back to the stories I have mentioned about buildings.

a. Aka Pereyma Back to Aka's building of the chapels. As she shared this story with me, she stopped and emphasized to make sure I got it, that her desire to build these chapels was for the glorification of God.

b. Czech churches have new issues with the return of their buildings. The churches will no longer receive state support. They will now be left on their own. They are in the process of discovering that buildings will only matter if they help the church live out its calling as the body of Christ."Although we've dreamed for years of becoming free from the state, this will pose a great challenge," said Ruml, whose council represents 11 Christian denominations, including Catholics as associate members. "Many church members are used to state support, and will need to be shown how this new situation offers opportunities for stabilizing our position and opening society to our work." —ENInews

c. As a funny aside, after her death (which was probably 10 or more years after she had sold the building), Leslie (wife now; fiancee then) and I stopped by the old house and went in and asked to look around the house.  It was owned by some company that had staff there, and they allowed us to wander through the building.  In their main office, which happened to be my grandmother's former bedroom, they had one of those boards that tracked  who was in and who was out by moving the marker next to the employee's name to the 'In" column or the "out" column.  I was surprised to look up and see that Mrs. O'Bannon, my grandmother, had her name listed there and a marker noting that she was "In."  The person showing us around saw me notice that and became a little embarrassed as she explained, "we hear strange noises sometimes, and when we do we mark your grandmother as being "IN," and when we don't hear the noises, we mark her as being "out!"

Conclusion: Our sanctuary matters because it has been a place where God was “In” for generations in the past; our sanctuary matters in future generations when it serves as a place where God's people can gather to worship God and discover that God is still “IN.”

"Does It Matter - Part 1" Exodus 25: 1-8; Luke 6: 46-4

This sermon continues reflecting on our "Shining Our Light" capital campaign.  It picks up the Exodus story that reveals God's desire for the Israelites to build a sanctuary so God can be among them.  It also builds (pun intended!) on Jesus' story about building on a strong foundation.

I've been thinking about the role buildings play in our lives, and have had the following thoughts:

1. I spoke with a Ukrainian Catholic recently who described the power of chapels in her homeland.  She is now orchestrating the building of chapels on her farm and for others.  I hope to talk with her today to hear more about these little chapels.

2.  I recently read an article about the government of the Czech Republic deciding to give back the churches and property taken from the churches (or to give monetary compensation if the building had been destroyed) when the the communist government took over in the 1950s.  In return, the churches will now start paying their own ministers, instead of the state paying the ministers.

3. My grandmother had her home in Falls Church, VA added to the National Registry of Historic Buildings before selling it so that it would be there in  perpetuity.  I just saw it this summer and took a photo of my family on the front steps.  It brings back lots of memories. I wonder if I drove by and there was no building there how that would impact my memory?  As a funny aside, after her death (which was probably 10 or more years after she had sold the building), Leslie (wife now; fiancee then) and I stopped by the old house and went in and asked to look around the house.  It was owned by some company that had staff there, and they allowed us to wander through the building.  In their main office, which happened to be my grandmother's former bedroom, they had one of those boards that tracked  who was in and who was out by moving the marker next to the employee's name to the 'In" column or the "out" column.  I was surprised to look up and see that Mrs. O'Bannon, my grandmother, had her name listed there and a marker noting that she was "In."  The person showing us around saw me notice that and became a little embarrassed as she explained, "we hear strange noises sometimes, and when we do we mark your grandmother as being "IN," and when we don't hear the noises, we mark her as being "out!"

4.  Consider how the Twin Towers have become so symbolic in our story as a nation.

5.  But, of course, our sanctuary does not matter if the foundation created by our worship there is not Jesus Christ.

Peace,

Richard