Matters of Faith
By Dr. Bascom Ratliff
Pastor, Beagle/Fontana/Parker United Methodist Churches
Scripture: Matthew 16: 24 (deny yourselves and take up your cross)
Scripture: Matthew 25: 31-46 (serving others is serving Christ)
The past several weeks have been very difficult for me. I find myself torn between the needs of our country to manage the large number of refugees and migrants flowing into our nation and the words of Jesus in Matthew which very clearly tells us that to serve God requires us to give food to those who are hungry, water to those who are thirsty, and clothing to those who are naked.
As I prayed and thought about these conflicts I had an opportunity to hear the words of Rev. Mariann Budde, Washington National Cathedral, deliver a message asking President Trump to be merciful. I also read a message from Bishop Eleanor Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who is very clear about the church’s responsibility to continue to provide services to refugees our country.
Finally, I read comments from Elon Musk, who threatened the Catholic Church with the catastrophic loss of funding because they were providing help to illegal immigrants. I think my readers would benefit greatly from a Google search of these events. Reading the full details of these issues would help to clarify the real concerns that Christians are expressing over our treatment of migrants and refugees.
I often wonder why Jesus made such an issue of caring for others. Why would he ask us to love our neighbors? Why would he has he asked us to love our enemies? And why would the church take on such a great responsibility to provide care and support to those who are invading our borders?
I suspect that Jesus is telling us that everyone has value in the eyes of God. I also believe that the basic requirement for following Christ is to love and care for others. And fundamental to loving and caring for someone is to be merciful and forgiving. A strong theme throughout the New Testament and the teaching of Jesus is God’s command that we serve him. And in serving God, we are asked to serve others. So when I read about how the Catholic and Lutheran churches are caring for refugees, I give thanks to a loving God for these servants of the cross. I celebrate them and applaud them for their efforts to do good despite the hostility and threats from others.
Although I’m not a fan of Christian nationalism, I think how wonderful it would be if the Christian churches were to combine their forces to collectively do good in this country. Unfortunately, as the Christian church becomes more of a political entity, the notion of unity and purpose quickly fade.
Too many of us are turning in our crosses for a sword to destroy our enemies. Being a servant and loving others has lost its allure. We want to be militants and warriors who take care of our own. And, most of all, we want to flush diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). We have become modern day Pharisees who delightfully disdain the lepers of our country.
During the next several months I’m going to do my best to follow the directions of Christ by caring for, and serving, others. My challenge to you who are reading this message is to pray and reflect on the passages from Matthew. Ask yourself, do I see value in serving a living and risen Christ? And if so, how can I best serve Jesus? Am I willing to take up my cross and follow Jesus?
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Are you ready to serve a risen Christ? Are you ready to reap the benefits of being a child of God?If so, I invite you to come and worship with us. We are fueled by God’s wonderful promise of unfailing love. Please accept our invitation to a morning of wonderful music and great fellowship. And, of course, hot drinks and cookies.
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We will worship at the Parker United Methodist Church during February 2025.
We will worship at the Beagle UMC during March 2025.
We will worship at the Fontana UMC during April 2025.
All Sunday services are at 10 a.m.
We serve communion on the first Sunday of the month.
All are welcome in God’s House.
Dr. Bascom Ratliff (913-710-5748)
Pastor: Parker/Beagle/Fontana United Methodist Churches
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