Amos: God's Raggedy Man

Amos is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible other than in the book of Amos. Amos was from Tekoa. This city was a suburb of Jerusalem and was originally built as a defensive position to protect Jerusalem. The land around the city is dry and has very sandy soil. The area is full of shepherds that used this empty land by filling it with grazing sheep.

Amos was a sheep breeder which implied ownership of sheep; therefore, we might assume that Amos was financially well off. Amos was also a fig-slitter. We are not sure if this means he grew figs or that he traveled to perform this skilled service. At any rate, Amos was an ordinary guy living in the suburbs. Based on his location he may have known Joel, Elisha, or possibly Jonah. Hosea was a co-worker in the area.

To better understand Amos we must understand his surroundings. It is approximately 760 B.C. and there is a power vacuum in the world. Syria and Assyria are on the decline. The northern kingdom of Israel is experiencing a “Golden Age” of sorts. Israel and Judah are enjoying great prosperity. There are indulgences of every kind. There is now a class system that has developed. In the 10th century all the homes were of equal size but now in the 8th century homes are either small or large. The economy has shifted from agriculture to commerce and prosperity has come and in this culture prosperity equals God’s blessing. The middle class has seemingly disappeared and the polarization between rich and poor grows greater. The poor suffer extreme poverty and crime has become quite perverted. All types of sin and iniquity abound. People have become very religious acting; however, their religion was only superficial and devoid of any real meaning.

It is startling to hear a description of the times of Amos because it sounds so hauntingly familiar. So what does all this information mean to us today?

Amos 7:14-15 (Contemporary English Version)

14 I answered: I'm not a prophet! And I wasn't trained to be a prophet. I am a shepherd, and I take care of fig trees. 15 But the LORD told me to leave my herds and preach to the people of Israel.

Amos was not a professional prophet, nor was he a priest, or a son of priest or prophet. He was simply put a man of God. When we hear the words “man of God” we most often think of pastors, evangelists, missionaries, or priests. In today’s terms, Amos was a layperson. He took care of sheep and tended to sycamore fig trees. He was not professionally trained in the art of ministry or preaching. He was busy doing his job in suburbia and God called on him to deliver a message. Amos stopped what he was doing and delivered the message. Amos was the first to deliver the message of judgment to Israel. He faced all sorts of opposition from the religious system and people of the day. Despite the opposition and the hardship, Amos performed his job for God and then returned to everyday life in suburbia.

As you live your life, what has God called you to do?

God does not only ask for the professionals who have the greatest of skills, but God also asks for the faithful who have a heart for service.

What has God asked you to do?

The Raggedy Man

The Raggedy Man

O the Raggedy Man! He works fer Pa;
An' he's the goodest man ever you saw!
He comes to our house every day,
An' waters the horses, an' feeds 'em hay;
An' he opens the shed -- an' we all ist laugh
When he drives out our little old wobble-ly calf;
An' nen -- ef our hired girl says he can --
He milks the cow fer 'Lizabuth Ann. --
Ain't he a' awful good Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

W'y, The Raggedy Man -- he's ist so good,
He splits the kindlin' an' chops the wood;
An' nen he spades in our garden, too,
An' does most things 'at boys can't do. --
He clumbed clean up in our big tree
An' shooked a' apple down fer me --
An' 'nother 'n', too, fer 'Lizabuth Ann --
An' 'nother 'n', too, fer The Raggedy Man. --
Ain't he a' awful kind Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

The Raggedy Man's so good an' kind
He'll be our "horsey," an' "haw" an' mind
Ever'thing 'at you make him do --
An' won't run off -- 'less you want him to!
I drived him wunst way down our lane
An' he got skeered, when it 'menced to rain,
An' ist rared up an' squealed and run
Purt' nigh away! -- an' it's all in fun!
Nen he skeered ag'in at a' old tin can ...
Whoa! y' old runaway Raggedy Man!
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

An' The Raggedy Man, he knows most rhymes,
An' tells 'em, ef I be good, sometimes:
Knows 'bout Giunts, an' Griffuns, an' Elves,
An' the Squidgicum-Squees 'at swallers the'rselves:
An', wite by the pump in our pasture-lot,
He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got,
'At lives 'way deep in the ground, an' can
Turn into me, er 'Lizabuth Ann!
Er Ma, er Pa, er The Raggedy Man!
Ain't he a funny old Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

The Raggedy Man -- one time, when he
Wuz makin' a little bow-'n'-orry fer me,
Says "When you're big like your Pa is,
Air you go' to keep a fine store like his --
An' be a rich merchunt -- an' wear fine clothes? --
Er what air you go' to be, goodness knows?"
An' nen he laughed at 'Lizabuth Ann,
An' I says "'M go' to be a Raggedy Man! --
I'm ist go' to be a nice Raggedy Man!"
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

- James Whitcomb Riley 1907

Does Size really matter?

Even pastors fall prey to this age old lie. I recently read an article by Dave Ferguson entitled 'Winning at any size' in Outreach Magazine. I have to be honest I would have blown right past the article except the the opening line of the article was:


"being a baseball fan all my life" -

Well right there he had me hooked so I had to read the article. Ferguson went to discuss a study by Economics professor Michael C. Davis regarding the coorelation between winning baseball teams and attendance. I know, exciting stuff - considering the first place twins just set a record with over 3 million fans this year at the ballpark. Davis' study concluded that high attendance will not produce a winning ball team, but rather a winning team will produce high attendance. WOW! I hope we didn't use a lot of Government funding to discover that little gem!

But to the point was Ferguson's idea that we (as churches) have to stop trying to grow our attendance - see where this going . . .

We need to focus on changing lives - Methodists use the phrase 'creating disciples to transform the world.' This thought has come home to me the past few weeks, as I have gathered stories of transformed lives from the church I formerly served as pastor.

It seems for all that was done to attempt to attract people and draw them into the church - the one thing that was never accounted for was all the transformed lives within the congregation. It was (in the final analysis) these changed lives that drew others in.

Lesson: If you want to grow a church, focus on people. Changing lives one at a time will do more to grow your church than any effort to market or advertise. In other words, build a winning team and the fans will follow.

Been helping to transform anyone lately?

.

Coming to a town near you!

What if you knew Jesus was coming to your town?

What would you do?
Who would you want to take to meet him?

That was the hope and prayer for centuries - that 'Emmanuel' would come?

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

The wait is over. Jesus has come and His Spirit is still with us.

What will you do this week to meet Him?

What friends do you know that need to meet Him?

**** For more from this Sunday's sermon check out this****

Dressing for Success

The American Dream is one of the great things about the United States. This is a country where anyone, regardless of race, religion, gender, or economic status, has a chance to become wealthy and powerful. The opportunity to pursue success is a wonderful thing, but it can come with its own dangers. Success is so ingrained in our cultural DNA that we are easily dissatisfied if we do not have riches, power, or material security. Plus there is no finish line when it comes to this American Dream. There are no sign posts to let us know when enough is enough. There are no markers that tells you: “you are successful and secure – so slow down or stop and be content”. As a result we run like hamsters on a wheel – always striving, always working, for worldly progress – sometimes making it – but never feeling like we have ever achieved enough. (based on comments by Marshall Allen “American Idols III: The American Dream,” Boundless Webzine May 2004).

We have become a society of worriers, obsessing about our academic standing, our salary, our job title, our investments, our address, our wardrobe, as if any mistake or slightest misstep will destroy our chances for success.
We even reflect our cultural obsessions in our entertainment - The Swan; What not to Wear; Biggest Loser; Extreme Makeover; or any number of other Makeover Shows including several for your new fall TV lineup. We all attempt to dress our lives to look successful in some manner. Reality is we all seek one-upmanship with one another and at the same time many of us do so while claiming to be followers of Christ.

So let me ask you, “How’s dressing as the world defines success working for you?” How goes your quest to keep up with the ‘Jones’? or ‘Smiths’? or whoever? Or whatever?

Let me say to you today that our pursuit of success is not the problem. Success is not a bad a thing and it is certainly not something as Christians that we should not strive after. NO, our problem is how we ‘dress’ ourselves in the pursuit of success and how we measure the success that is getting us into trouble. Being dressed for success has so little to do with our outward appearance and we have forgotten that. There is a story about appearances in the Old Testament. The story revolves around a King who became taken in my appearances and forgot what was important.

10-11 King Ahaz went to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria in Damascus. The altar in Damascus made a great impression on him. He sent back to Uriah the priest a drawing and set of blueprints of the altar. Uriah the priest built the altar to the specifications that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. By the time the king returned from Damascus, Uriah had completed the altar.
12-14 The minute the king saw the altar he approached it with reverence and arranged a service of worship with a full course of offerings: Whole-Burnt-Offerings with billows of smoke, Grain-Offerings, libations of Drink-Offerings, the sprinkling of blood from the Peace-Offerings—the works. But the old bronze Altar that signaled the presence of GOD he displaced from its central place and pushed it off to the side of his new altar.
2 Kings 16:10-16 The Message

King Ahaz was so taken in by the ‘beauty’ of another altar that he set aside the altar that God had provided. It was said of King Ahaz ‘that he did not do right in the eyes of the Lord.’ You think?

Folks we have the same problem. It comes down to this - what is important? What or who will occupy the altar of your mind and heart? We must be careful in our pursuit of success that we do not push God from the central place in our lives. We can not cast aside all that God has provided. Remember Jesus’ words: “. . . if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

Let me suggest some simple actions that can help you pursue success while allowing God to maintain the central location in your life.

First – Surrender your success to God and then place a reminder in your workplace - something that reminds you of what is most important in your life.

Second – seek out servant tasks. Jesus washed his disciple’s feet. One of the largest churches in America hires all new pastors by having them serve as janitors for the first 6 months. So volunteer and serve others.

Third – pursue secrecy and silence in your service. Find ways to do your work while being able to go unnoticed, unheralded, or even anonymous as this will serve to remind you that service is more important than the recognition.

We become the light in the world when we stand apart from it – not be being exactly like it. You see how we live our faith matters that was a central message of Jesus.

If we ‘dress for success’ in the same manner that the world does, How will we stand apart when Christ comes?

Golfing with meaning

For the past four years I have played golf nearly every week with a group of men at Hillcrest Country Club in Indianapolis. The men I play with are all retired and have a wealth of experience in life and business. My Dad plays with them nearly every day of the week and I am grateful for the invite to be a part of the group.

I began playing with them as my Dad's son and I am now humbled to be known as the 'Pastor.' I have not been able to play with them the past two weeks with everything related to our move. I miss those guys and our time together. It is amazing what you can learn from a bunch of retired guys!

My last time out with them I was also asked by the head pro (Kyle Bloom) to stop by his office. I was concerned I had somehow managed a golfing faux pas during my outing that I was going to be called on - is it possible to be DQ'd from a friendly?

I was humbled again - Kyle wanted to pray for me and the new ministry at First United Methodist Church in Hagerstown. It is awesome and humbling to have someone pray for you.

A shout out to all my friends at Hillcrest - You are all in my prayers as always!