RISE AND SHINE
Isaiah 60:1-6
Embry Hills UMC
January 4, 2009

Reading the Bible is one thing. Studying it is quite another.

Studying the Bible is one thing. Studying it deeply is quite another.

With those caveats out of the way, we dive this morning into Isaiah. Or, I guess I should say that we walk just a bit into the shallow end of learning about the Old Testament Book of Isaiah.

Life is short. My father used to say that when I was a kid. I never really understood what he was saying. I mean, I got the words, but the meaning of those words was lost on me. Life is short.

There’s no question that this has been a difficult week. Our lives have been stretched thin, globally, nationally and locally. All across the country we’re coming to terms with an economic crisis so massive it has managed to push the stark realities of two wars to the inside pages of the morning paper. Retirement accounts are shrinking. Industries are teetering on the verge of collapse. Jobs are evaporating, homes are being pressed into foreclosure, and necessities like food and healthcare are increasingly more difficult to afford.

Not every single thing in my life is exactly the way I want it to be right now. And so, what I thought about doing was running the list for you. I look at the list every day, and I frequently revise it. I mean, after all, you never can tell when something else is going to go awry and when you’ll therefore be able to add to your carefully composed list of all that’s not right. So, my list of all the things in my life that aren’t exactly the way I want them to be right now contains about 473 items. Yes, I understand that it will take me a while to read that list to you.

This morning at Embry Hills, we bring to a conclusion what has been for me a meaningful journey through The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Having considered Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, and Risk-Taking Mission and Service, we turn our attention today to the fruit of Extravagant Generosity.

Our journey through the fruits of effective congregations continues today here at Embry Hills. We’ve considered the fruits of radical hospitality, passionate worship, and intentional faith development. This morning, we ponder what it means to practice the fruit of risk-taking mission and service.