A FAVORITE SCRIPTURE
“And it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”(Galatians 2:20 NRSV)
The path to true fruitful and successful living comes when we daily take up the cross of Jesus Christ. It has been said that we are living in self –centered times. Even a self-centered generation knows that self-denial is the path to success. But, there is a catch. Self-denial will not bring us fulfillment if we only live for ourselves.
If you're exercising to improve your health, you may say, "I am not doing this for my husband or my wife. I'm not doing this for my children. I am doing it for me." Or you may say, “I am changing my eating habits for me not for my family but for me”.
That is all fine. That may help you stay on your diet. That may help you begin your exercise schedule. But, it will not bring you ultimate fulfillment. Ultimate fulfillment comes only when we say, "I'm doing this for God and for the people I love." “My wife / my husband or my children. We should care for ourselves because we care about our family.
I heard once that our will and God's will is like this, "Imagine a person carrying two buckets, one of them filled with oil and one filled with water. Now they are completely filled so that you cannot pour the oil from its bucket into the water bucket because there is no room and besides oil and water don't mix.
Now imagine that one of these buckets is you and your will and your purpose and your plan for your life and the other is God's will and plan and purpose for your life. Before you can know God's will and plan and purpose for your life you're going to have to empty your bucket to receive what God has to give. Now whom do you trust the most to know where real purpose, joy, satisfaction, and peace lie, with you or with the heart of God?"
I have come to know that my peace, joy and happiness comes from God and my willingness to let William die! I am not speaking physically, but spiritually. The key to successful living is to deny my self (William) so that Christ can live in me. So that Christ’s love and grace will fill me. To have my life overflow with God's presence and power. Praise the Lord.
As Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, "and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." There is our path to joyful and fruitful living. If we who are followers of Jesus will embrace this teaching, we could turn this world upside down.
Jesus thank you for loving me so much that you would give your life for me!
Pastor William
What is your favorite scripture? Why? I would love to know.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
United Methodist Bishop Reponse to Catholic Pope
Response of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church to the “Certain aspects of the doctrine of the church” issued by Pope Benedict XVI
August 03, 2007
The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church has welcomed the Roman Catholic Church as a dialogue partner for over forty years. As sisters and brothers in Christ we are also living out partnership in God’s mission in places all around the world. The two ecclesial bodies have reached clarity on several major theological issues including “grace,” “sanctification” and “justification.” We find John Wesley’s “Catholic Spirit” as our starting and continuing point of dialogue.
We find nothing new or radically different from classical Roman Catholic ecclesiology in the Pope Benedict XVI’s “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church,” June 29, 2007.
The Pontiff, because of all the writings since Vatican II, felt a need to clarify the phrase “that the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church subsists in the Catholic Church.” The meaning and definition of the word “subsists” was a major clarifying theme of the statement. In classical Catholic ecclesiology Benedict XVI affirmed with Vatican II that elements of “sanctification and truth” are operative in other churches, but since these churches are not in communion with Rome, they do not fulfill the nature of “Oneness.”
We, as heirs of Wesley, affirm in our liturgical introduction to the creeds that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the one true Church, Apostolic and Universal.” We believe that apostolicity is based on the faithfulness of the Church through the ages rather than on historical succession.
As viewed by the Roman Catholic Church, what is The United Methodist Church? It is our understanding that all the positives remain in our relationship. According to Catholicism, we are baptized. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We show evidences of sanctification, that is the holiness of the Church.
We lack in their view certain aspects of unity and catholicity. Nonetheless the Holy Spirit has “not refrained from using [us] as instruments of salvation,” as stated in Question Three of the Pope’s Responses.
We have a teaching of apostolic succession, but it hinges on faith, not historic leniarity.
We do not consent to the specific Roman view of Petrine succession, but we share with Rome the revered memory of the successors of the apostles, and understand ourselves to stand within that succession.
In their view, we are not “churches” in the full sense, because we lack from their viewpoint the mark of oneness and sacramental priesthood and the fullness of the Eucharist. We understand ourselves, by God’s grace, to share in the fullness of the Church through faithful ministry and mission, and the Table of the Lord. That is a difference we can continue to explore. Someday we pray that this difference will be overcome.
As United Methodists, we share in the pain of the brokeness of Christ’s Body and prayerfully long for unity around the Table of the Lord. Until then, we live out of John 17:11 and Jesus’ prayer that all his followers may be one, and we affirm Article VI of our Constitution compelling the Council of Bishops to lead the Church in the search for Christian unity. In that spirit, we look forward to our continuing dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church.
(Signed)
Bishop Janice Huie, President, The Council of Bishops
Bishop William B. Oden, Ecumenical Officer, The Council of Bishops
Bishop Ernest Lyght, Secretary, The Council of Bishops
Bishop Roy I. Sano, Executive Secretary, The Council of Bishops
August 03, 2007
The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church has welcomed the Roman Catholic Church as a dialogue partner for over forty years. As sisters and brothers in Christ we are also living out partnership in God’s mission in places all around the world. The two ecclesial bodies have reached clarity on several major theological issues including “grace,” “sanctification” and “justification.” We find John Wesley’s “Catholic Spirit” as our starting and continuing point of dialogue.
We find nothing new or radically different from classical Roman Catholic ecclesiology in the Pope Benedict XVI’s “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church,” June 29, 2007.
The Pontiff, because of all the writings since Vatican II, felt a need to clarify the phrase “that the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church subsists in the Catholic Church.” The meaning and definition of the word “subsists” was a major clarifying theme of the statement. In classical Catholic ecclesiology Benedict XVI affirmed with Vatican II that elements of “sanctification and truth” are operative in other churches, but since these churches are not in communion with Rome, they do not fulfill the nature of “Oneness.”
We, as heirs of Wesley, affirm in our liturgical introduction to the creeds that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the one true Church, Apostolic and Universal.” We believe that apostolicity is based on the faithfulness of the Church through the ages rather than on historical succession.
As viewed by the Roman Catholic Church, what is The United Methodist Church? It is our understanding that all the positives remain in our relationship. According to Catholicism, we are baptized. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We show evidences of sanctification, that is the holiness of the Church.
We lack in their view certain aspects of unity and catholicity. Nonetheless the Holy Spirit has “not refrained from using [us] as instruments of salvation,” as stated in Question Three of the Pope’s Responses.
We have a teaching of apostolic succession, but it hinges on faith, not historic leniarity.
We do not consent to the specific Roman view of Petrine succession, but we share with Rome the revered memory of the successors of the apostles, and understand ourselves to stand within that succession.
In their view, we are not “churches” in the full sense, because we lack from their viewpoint the mark of oneness and sacramental priesthood and the fullness of the Eucharist. We understand ourselves, by God’s grace, to share in the fullness of the Church through faithful ministry and mission, and the Table of the Lord. That is a difference we can continue to explore. Someday we pray that this difference will be overcome.
As United Methodists, we share in the pain of the brokeness of Christ’s Body and prayerfully long for unity around the Table of the Lord. Until then, we live out of John 17:11 and Jesus’ prayer that all his followers may be one, and we affirm Article VI of our Constitution compelling the Council of Bishops to lead the Church in the search for Christian unity. In that spirit, we look forward to our continuing dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church.
(Signed)
Bishop Janice Huie, President, The Council of Bishops
Bishop William B. Oden, Ecumenical Officer, The Council of Bishops
Bishop Ernest Lyght, Secretary, The Council of Bishops
Bishop Roy I. Sano, Executive Secretary, The Council of Bishops
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
We Begin our Journey
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ.
I am excited to enter the world of blog writing. Though, I am not exactly sure what a "blog" is, I am excited. It is my attempt to enter into the electronic age of mass communications and connecting you and you with each other.
This blog, a "Walk with Pastor William", will include a variety of writings. It will be some serious writings, some opinions, some whimsical writings., reports from the world of Methodism and my thoughts on those reports and what is happening in and around ROCKbrook United Methodist Church. I will share with you what my be happening in my personal life and faith journey.
Occasionally, I will pose a question and you can join an online discussion and Bible study. Your opinion matters and counts.
I look forward to walking together in our faith journies.
Much Peace and Love,
Pastor William
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