Remaining Connected

• Christ the King Sunday
with John 15:1-8
www.FirstChurchBville.com    @FirstUMCBville   @kerrfunk

Today I broke from my “Christ the King Sunday” habit of walking through the Christian calendar in scripture and hymn (see November 2015 for that order), in order to celebrate the wedding of a friend, Pastor Patrick. I wanted to share a covenant message with my church and his, and the worship service led directly into the wedding service.

At both churches I shared the following message,
touching on John 15.

• A few years ago my life was forever changed by a man I hope to meet someday, Frank W. He was 77yo when he struck his head and fell unconscious into his backyard pond & died. I never met him but I led his funeral 3 years ago & was amazed to hear from his wife Sandy how he, how they truly lived the greatest commandment to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself”.

Frank and Sandy were married almost 50 years, the love of their lives. And every day they would say to each other, “I love you, but you’re #2 in my life…” Number one in their lives: Jesus Christ. Amazing

As for the love the neighbor part: for the last few years of his life, they’d make two dozen bag lunches (sandwich, fruit, egg, drink) and hand them out along with blessings and invitations.

They were inspirational witnesses. They demonstrated being plugged in, connected. Abide in God and bear fruit.
I hope to meet Frank someday.

• I need to remember people like Frank, if nothing else,
because there are too many disturbing deaths.

Two weeks ago death by suicide of CabMid student Stephen W
This past week 36yo CabCnty woman Nicola G found dead after overdose.
This past week 25yo Kirsten W sudden death.

I didn’t really know these folks, but I gotta think that there must have been some disconnection in their lives
and that disconnection was related to their deaths.

I say this as an addict, as a person in recovery. I’m an alcoholic. Alcoholics and addicts suffer from the illusion of control, and seek to unplug, to disconnect.
God did not design us to be alone. And disconnection is death.

I was an adult Christian for 20 years, a pastor for a dozen years, yet I was still self-reliant, cut off from God and family, cut off by my dependence on alcohol.

And by grace of God and in connection with AA fellowship, let go of the unmanageable, and opened to God.

• I told Patrick I’d give a message about covenant for his wedding day.

Covenant has to do with relationship. Unconditional commitment, binding together. Deeply significant.

Today is my wedding anniversary, and the word “grateful” does not describe enough how I feel about Melissa standing by me as I learned what it meant to be an alcoholic. And you can bet that neither of us was thinking of that when we made our vows 17 years ago, but we have stood by one another and we have weathered some storms.

• I have found covenant in the rooms of AA as strangers have become brothers bound together sharing our strength hope and experiences with one another as we seek to recover from alcoholism.

Also I have seen how God has drawn people into new relationship with himas they learn to rely on God instead of their own selves.
We say we’ve received a “daily reprieve based on the maintenance of spiritual condition.”

• That covenant with God, that living with God as #1 (as Frank did and as I seek to do), that proclaiming of Jesus and ruler and king is where fruitful and rewarding life is.

Remain in God, remain in contact with God, take the words and teachings and pattern and promises of God and base your life on them and you will bear good fruit.

• Hymn 280 All Glory Laud & Honor (First UMC)
   Hymn 361 How Firm A Foundation (Kuhn Memorial Presbyterian Church)

John 15:1-8 (The VOICE)   

15 Jesus said: I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. ² My Father examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit; ³ already you are clean because you have heard My voice. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, and neither will you if you are not connected to Me.

⁵ I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is like a branch that is tossed out and shrivels up and is later gathered to be tossed into the fire to burn.⁷ If you abide in Me and My voice abides in you, anything you ask will come to pass for you. ⁸ Your abundant growth and your faithfulness as My followers will bring glory to the Father. X

Luke 1:68-79 (The VOICE)           The Song of Zacharias

⁶⁸ May the Lord God of Israel be blessed indeed! For God’s intervention has begun, and He has moved to rescue us, the people of God. ⁶⁹ And the Lord has raised up a powerful sign of liberation for us from among the descendants of God’s servant, King David. ⁷⁰ As was prophesied through the mouths of His holy prophets in ancient times: ⁷¹ God will liberate us from our enemies and from the hand of our oppressors!

^72-74 God will show mercy promised to our ancestors, upholding the abiding covenant He made with them, Remembering the original vow He swore to Abraham, from whom we are all descended. God will rescue us from the grasp of our enemies so that we may serve Him without fear all our days ⁷⁵ In holiness and justice, in the presence of the Lord.

⁷⁶  And you, my son, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will be the one to prepare the way for the Lord ⁷⁷ So that the Lord’s people will receive knowledge of their freedom through the forgiveness of their sins.

⁷⁸  All this will flow from the kind and compassionate mercy of our God. A new day is dawning: the Sunrise from the heavens will break through in our darkness, ⁷⁹ And those who huddle in night, those who sit in the shadow of death, Will be able to rise and walk in the light, guided in the pathway of peace. X