Richmond Methodist Church
Communion service - 13 February 2012, 09h00
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture readings: Genesis 14: 10-24; I Corinthians 11: 17-34; Luke 22: 7-34
Good morning to you all – I bring you warm Christian greetings from your sister Society in Camperdown, and I would like to thank both your minister and you as a congregation for allowing the “appie” the privilege of sharing the message with you this morning. I understand that Dennis has been doing a series on the Ten Commandments with you, entitled “Ten Timeless Texts”, but I thought that rather than me trying to break into that series, I would instead share some thoughts on the celebration of Holy Communion, seeing as we are to partake in this celebration this morning.
Let’s first have a look at the feast itself – and immediately we have a potential problem, especially if one looks at the way many churches practice Communion, including our own Methodist Church. Imagine if you will that you are an outsider looking at the Christian celebration of Holy Communion for the first time. I’m sure that you could be forgiven for thinking that we must be a pretty weird bunch of people. After all, who in their right mind would have a “meal” consisting of a teensy-weensy piece of bread or a wafer, and what looks like a shot glass of wine or grape juice, and then refer to these tiny quantities as a “feast”?! It doesn’t make sense, does it? So clearly there must be something more to it than the actual food and beverage being used.
[To read the rest of this sermon, click here...]
Showing posts with label Sermons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sermons. Show all posts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Are women still second-class citizens?
Camperdown Methodist Church
Women's Auxiliary Dedication service
9 February 2012, 09h30
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture reading: John 4: 7-30
Are women still regarded as second-class citizens in South Africa in 2012? And if so, what is the Church doing about it?
In the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, we read how discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender is prohibited. Yet today, many women are fighting to find their rightful place in a male-dominated world.This may seem like a strange message to be shared by someone who is male.
But I believe that the way in which we respect women reflects on the way in which we respect ourselves. And Jesus Himself gives us many examples of the high regard which He has for women. So let us have a look at the stereotypes that existed during Jesus’ time, and how Jesus’ attitude towards the woman at the well can be a lesson for us today.
[To read the rest of this sermon, click here...]
Women's Auxiliary Dedication service
9 February 2012, 09h30
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture reading: John 4: 7-30
Are women still regarded as second-class citizens in South Africa in 2012? And if so, what is the Church doing about it?
In the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, we read how discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender is prohibited. Yet today, many women are fighting to find their rightful place in a male-dominated world.This may seem like a strange message to be shared by someone who is male.
But I believe that the way in which we respect women reflects on the way in which we respect ourselves. And Jesus Himself gives us many examples of the high regard which He has for women. So let us have a look at the stereotypes that existed during Jesus’ time, and how Jesus’ attitude towards the woman at the well can be a lesson for us today.
[To read the rest of this sermon, click here...]
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Where our treasure is, lies our heart
Camperdown Methodist Church
5 February 2012
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture readings: Acts 2: 42-47; 4: 32-35, James 2: 14-26, Malachi 3: 1-12
There’s a story about a minister of a struggling little church with dilapidated buildings who stands up in the pulpit one morning, greets his congregation, and then exclaims loudly: “I have good news, and I have bad news. The good news is that we have finally raised all the money we need to repair the buildings. The bad news is that it’s still in your pockets!”
I don’t know who this particular minister was that said these words, or whether this is a made-up anecdote aimed at getting members of churches to loosen their purse-strings a bit more, but most congregations who hear this little story groan inwardly as they think, “Oh no. Here it comes – the church is after my money again”.
[To read the rest of this sermon, click here]
Thursday, February 2, 2012
God Lives Under The Bed
Camperdown Methodist Church - Good Companions gathering
1 February 2012, 10h00
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture reading: Matthew 18: 1-14
This is a delightful story about the kind of child-like faith we all need to have...
I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed.
At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen. 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed ...'
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humour. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labour. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that aeroplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favourite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her new-born child.
He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays – oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!', Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.
He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple.
He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.
He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to the Lord, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God – to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my beliefs, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.
It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances – they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Kevin won't be surprised at all!
1 February 2012, 10h00
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture reading: Matthew 18: 1-14
This is a delightful story about the kind of child-like faith we all need to have...
I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed.
At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen. 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed ...'
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humour. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labour. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that aeroplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favourite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her new-born child.
He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays – oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!', Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.
He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple.
He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.
He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to the Lord, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God – to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my beliefs, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.
It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances – they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Kevin won't be surprised at all!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Right of Admission Reserved?
Campedown Methodist Church
22 January 2012, 09h00
Rev Steven Jones
Once upon a time there was a young man walking down a road. As he walked, he noticed that everything had a shadow. The trees, the buildings, even the stones – all had shadows. And the people, especially the people, had shadows with many shapes and intensities. The shadows of the people were part of the world in which he lived.
He could hardly bring himself to look at his own shadow because it was very dark and very long, as if a bright sun was setting behind him. Even thinking about it, he felt ugly. Very ugly indeed. When he looked inside of himself he saw the kinds of things you would expect to find in sewerage pipes and drains.
The amazing thing about this young man was that he was quite beautiful to look at. Quite beautiful indeed. In fact, as he walked down the road, people thought to themselves, “What a healthy, strong, good-looking young man that is. How I wish I had some excuse to talk to him and get to know him.”
But the young man was not able to be friendly in return, because he absolutely did not think anything of himself. He would just look at his own dark, long shadow and feel, “What would such a friendly person want with me if they could see me for real? If they could see my shadow, they would want to get far away from me as far as possible! They would want to go home and have a good, hot shower with some strong antiseptic soap.” [To read the rest of this sermon, click here; to access the video clip for "In My Room", click here (please ignore some of the comments under the clip - the language is less than savoury, but that's the price one pays for the benefit of accessing an open file-sharing platform)]
22 January 2012, 09h00
Rev Steven Jones
Once upon a time there was a young man walking down a road. As he walked, he noticed that everything had a shadow. The trees, the buildings, even the stones – all had shadows. And the people, especially the people, had shadows with many shapes and intensities. The shadows of the people were part of the world in which he lived.
He could hardly bring himself to look at his own shadow because it was very dark and very long, as if a bright sun was setting behind him. Even thinking about it, he felt ugly. Very ugly indeed. When he looked inside of himself he saw the kinds of things you would expect to find in sewerage pipes and drains.
The amazing thing about this young man was that he was quite beautiful to look at. Quite beautiful indeed. In fact, as he walked down the road, people thought to themselves, “What a healthy, strong, good-looking young man that is. How I wish I had some excuse to talk to him and get to know him.”
But the young man was not able to be friendly in return, because he absolutely did not think anything of himself. He would just look at his own dark, long shadow and feel, “What would such a friendly person want with me if they could see me for real? If they could see my shadow, they would want to get far away from me as far as possible! They would want to go home and have a good, hot shower with some strong antiseptic soap.” [To read the rest of this sermon, click here; to access the video clip for "In My Room", click here (please ignore some of the comments under the clip - the language is less than savoury, but that's the price one pays for the benefit of accessing an open file-sharing platform)]
Monday, January 9, 2012
4 Essentials of Effective Churches
Camperdown Methodist Church, 8 January 2012, 09h00
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture readings: Exodus 18: 9-26; I Timothy 3: 1-13; Luke 4: 14-21; Matthew 28: 17-20
(This message was to prepare the congregationon for our Annual General Meeting that will be taking place on 26 February 2012, in which the congregation considers the mission activities of the church, as well as to elect Society Stewards. It's aim is to lay a foundation in terms of Purpose, Mission, Structures, and Values.)
There is a rather lame story about an ambitious Rice Krispie that was tired of life at the bottom – it wanted to be at the top! This ambition was present right from birth; when all the little Rice Krispies were poured into the big hoppers ready for packaging, our friend declared: “I’m an ambitious Rice Krispie! I don’t want to be at the bottom – I want to be at the top!” So the Rice Krispie went to great effort to make its way past all the other Rice Krispies in its quest for supremacy, but when it finally made its way to the top, the chute opened, the boxes were filled, and the ambitious Rice Krispie found itself at the bottom of the box. Not to be daunted – “I’m an ambitious Rice Krispie – I don’t want to be at the bottom of the box – I want to be at the top!” – it once again climbed and climbed all the way to the top, until it was discovered that the box had been placed upside-down in Kellogg’s warehouse. When it was turned the correct way up, guess what – the ambitious Rice Krispie found itself back at the bottom of the box... (To view the rest of this sermon, click here)
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture readings: Exodus 18: 9-26; I Timothy 3: 1-13; Luke 4: 14-21; Matthew 28: 17-20
(This message was to prepare the congregationon for our Annual General Meeting that will be taking place on 26 February 2012, in which the congregation considers the mission activities of the church, as well as to elect Society Stewards. It's aim is to lay a foundation in terms of Purpose, Mission, Structures, and Values.)
There is a rather lame story about an ambitious Rice Krispie that was tired of life at the bottom – it wanted to be at the top! This ambition was present right from birth; when all the little Rice Krispies were poured into the big hoppers ready for packaging, our friend declared: “I’m an ambitious Rice Krispie! I don’t want to be at the bottom – I want to be at the top!” So the Rice Krispie went to great effort to make its way past all the other Rice Krispies in its quest for supremacy, but when it finally made its way to the top, the chute opened, the boxes were filled, and the ambitious Rice Krispie found itself at the bottom of the box. Not to be daunted – “I’m an ambitious Rice Krispie – I don’t want to be at the bottom of the box – I want to be at the top!” – it once again climbed and climbed all the way to the top, until it was discovered that the box had been placed upside-down in Kellogg’s warehouse. When it was turned the correct way up, guess what – the ambitious Rice Krispie found itself back at the bottom of the box... (To view the rest of this sermon, click here)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
What's In a Name?
Camperdown Methodist Church, 1 January 2012, 09h00
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture readings: Isaiah 9: 27; Philippians 2: 5-11; Luke 2: 15-21
How often do you find that what you read and learn in theory does not always readily translate into practice at first? It’s only after a few years “out in the field”, having made many mistakes and bumped a few heads on the way, that we then realise how the two fit together.
I saw this when I was training to be an accountant. One of my colleagues at the small firm we were articled to had a brother who was doing his training at Deloitte, one of the “Big 4” audit firms (or the “Big 5” as it was known then – this was before Enron and the collapse of Arthur Andersen). Now you need to understand how the audit firm pecking order works – those whose daddies are able to send their offspring to varsity full-time complete their degrees first, and are then snapped up by the big boys where they are plonked at clients like Anglo American, Investec, or SA Breweries for three years. Those of us who were born with plastic spoons in our mouths leave school, enrol through UNISA, and join little “mom-and-pop” firms where the sophisticated clients use shoeboxes for their records, the less-sophisticated use dustbin bags, and the unsophisticated have no records at all! So my colleague’s brother tended to thumb his nose at us small-firm plebs with our rats-and-mice clients, until one day he was tasked to complete one of his own client’s tax returns. Despite his already-completed Honours degree and a year in the oak-panelled halls of Deloitte, he simply didn’t know where to start. On the other hand, at our end of the food chain we had been doing tax returns since our second week! [To download the full sermon, click here]
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture readings: Isaiah 9: 27; Philippians 2: 5-11; Luke 2: 15-21
How often do you find that what you read and learn in theory does not always readily translate into practice at first? It’s only after a few years “out in the field”, having made many mistakes and bumped a few heads on the way, that we then realise how the two fit together.
I saw this when I was training to be an accountant. One of my colleagues at the small firm we were articled to had a brother who was doing his training at Deloitte, one of the “Big 4” audit firms (or the “Big 5” as it was known then – this was before Enron and the collapse of Arthur Andersen). Now you need to understand how the audit firm pecking order works – those whose daddies are able to send their offspring to varsity full-time complete their degrees first, and are then snapped up by the big boys where they are plonked at clients like Anglo American, Investec, or SA Breweries for three years. Those of us who were born with plastic spoons in our mouths leave school, enrol through UNISA, and join little “mom-and-pop” firms where the sophisticated clients use shoeboxes for their records, the less-sophisticated use dustbin bags, and the unsophisticated have no records at all! So my colleague’s brother tended to thumb his nose at us small-firm plebs with our rats-and-mice clients, until one day he was tasked to complete one of his own client’s tax returns. Despite his already-completed Honours degree and a year in the oak-panelled halls of Deloitte, he simply didn’t know where to start. On the other hand, at our end of the food chain we had been doing tax returns since our second week! [To download the full sermon, click here]
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Five responses to Jesus' birth
Camperdown Methodist Church, 25 December 2011, 08h00
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture readings: Luke 2: 1-20
This morning I’m not going to re-hash the elements of the Christmas story – that really cool puppet show has probably told the story far better than I could ever preach it – but I’d like us to ponder on something for a moment. Don’t you find it interesting how we as human beings like to align ourselves with certain groups? For instance, this Christmas I decided to spoil my family and have DStv installed at the manse – especially given that we are all sports-crazy in our house. But when I filled in the forms, they wanted to know whether I consider myself to be white, black, Indian, coloured, or “other”. Well, apart from the fact that we’ve been moving house in 40-degree blazing heat, turning my complexion a bright shade of red and thereby forcing me to tick the “other” block, could someone please tell me what one’s race has to do with taking out a subscription for satellite television?
But this morning, I’m not going to talk about racial classifications, but rather how different people’s responses to the Christmas story can be classified. So instead of five different race options, this morning we’ll look at five different responses, and as we note them, I think you’ll realize that each and every one of us fits into at least one of them. Maybe you’ll fit into more... [To download the full sermon, click here]
Rev Steven Jones
Scripture readings: Luke 2: 1-20
This morning I’m not going to re-hash the elements of the Christmas story – that really cool puppet show has probably told the story far better than I could ever preach it – but I’d like us to ponder on something for a moment. Don’t you find it interesting how we as human beings like to align ourselves with certain groups? For instance, this Christmas I decided to spoil my family and have DStv installed at the manse – especially given that we are all sports-crazy in our house. But when I filled in the forms, they wanted to know whether I consider myself to be white, black, Indian, coloured, or “other”. Well, apart from the fact that we’ve been moving house in 40-degree blazing heat, turning my complexion a bright shade of red and thereby forcing me to tick the “other” block, could someone please tell me what one’s race has to do with taking out a subscription for satellite television?
But this morning, I’m not going to talk about racial classifications, but rather how different people’s responses to the Christmas story can be classified. So instead of five different race options, this morning we’ll look at five different responses, and as we note them, I think you’ll realize that each and every one of us fits into at least one of them. Maybe you’ll fit into more... [To download the full sermon, click here]
Sunday, November 27, 2011
The Motive for the Coming of Christ
Camperdown Methodist Church, 27 November 2011, 09h00
Rev Steven Jones
(adapted from There's A New World Coming by John van de Laar)
Scripture readings: Isaiah 64: 1-9; Mark 13: 24-27
This past week has been a particularly rough one on the South African politico-economic scene as the controversial Protection of State Information Bill was voted on in Parliament this past Tuesday; the controversy around Mac Maharaj and whether or not he received kickbacks continues to range; and then we have the incoming CEO of Sasol receiving a bonus of around R828,000 after his first month in office, sparking accusations of corporate greed. It’s a good thing that I’m basing this on publicly-available information, since if it were “classified” under the new Secrecy Bill I would probably risk being arrested after the service! As a result, more than one of my friends had commented this week on Facebook that emigration is starting to look like a viable option.
As Christians, we look at the world around us, read the headlines in the newspapers and see the images on TV news, and find ourselves slipping into a state of despair. We live in a world that is ripe for crackpot predictions about the coming of the end of the world. The last one predicted that the world would end on 21 October 2011. I don’t know what happened to the crowd that made this prediction, but their Website was still up as of yesterday! Yet we look at the signs around us, and can’t help wondering whether these are indeed the “Last Days” before Jesus comes again... [To download the full sermon, click here]
Rev Steven Jones
(adapted from There's A New World Coming by John van de Laar)
Scripture readings: Isaiah 64: 1-9; Mark 13: 24-27
This past week has been a particularly rough one on the South African politico-economic scene as the controversial Protection of State Information Bill was voted on in Parliament this past Tuesday; the controversy around Mac Maharaj and whether or not he received kickbacks continues to range; and then we have the incoming CEO of Sasol receiving a bonus of around R828,000 after his first month in office, sparking accusations of corporate greed. It’s a good thing that I’m basing this on publicly-available information, since if it were “classified” under the new Secrecy Bill I would probably risk being arrested after the service! As a result, more than one of my friends had commented this week on Facebook that emigration is starting to look like a viable option.
As Christians, we look at the world around us, read the headlines in the newspapers and see the images on TV news, and find ourselves slipping into a state of despair. We live in a world that is ripe for crackpot predictions about the coming of the end of the world. The last one predicted that the world would end on 21 October 2011. I don’t know what happened to the crowd that made this prediction, but their Website was still up as of yesterday! Yet we look at the signs around us, and can’t help wondering whether these are indeed the “Last Days” before Jesus comes again... [To download the full sermon, click here]
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