"Spiritual Mentors"

  

A kindergarten teacher was walking around observing her classroom of children while they were drawing pictures. As she got to one girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
      The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
      The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like my dear."
      Without looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

Question:  Who was it that first brought you to church?  Who would you say was the spiritual mentors in your life and how did they influence you? 

Nov. 5, 2017  Readings:  I Thessalonians 2: 9-13, Psalm 107,  Matt 23: 1-12

Throughout his missionary work, Paul relied on the encouragement and support of his fellow companions, as they began to build the Christian Church as we know it today.  They were:  Barnabas  John Mark  Luke   Priscilla & Aquila  Silas  Timothy   Titus

Every once in a while it is a good thing to reflect on and remember the spiritual encourages and mentors in your life.  Who were they and how did they impact your faith and your thirst for God.  For some it may have been someone who was consistent about you attending Sunday school as a child or it could have been through seeing a firsthand act of compassion for the elderly.   Could it have been by someone who was working with the disadvantaged in some way, reaching out to the poor, or an act of being loved unconditionally by someone you knew or by a stranger you didn’t know.  

In my growing up years I would have to say that my grandmother was my spiritual mentor, she was the example and encourager.  Think about this for a moment folks:  no loving father would purposely neglect the safety of his child, allowing him or her to walk into difficult circumstances that might be harmful or fatal.  In the same way we must be the encouragers for newcomers to the faith.  We must take them under our wing until they are mature enough to stand on their own.   We must help new Christians become strong enough to influence others for the sake of the gospel.

When my wife and I began to build a family and have children, we also found ourselves going through a difficult time in our marriage.  Through casual conversations I developed a friendship with a man whom cared about us and our future.  He would come to our house every Sunday evening over many, many weeks just to see how things were going and give us counsel.  He would not accept compensation for his time.   He never took sides, never judged our shortcomings, and never left without saying “I am as close as your phone, all you have to do is call night or day”.  Over the years because of this friendship he has become an extended family member, a brother, a friend to both Carolyn and I.   As I got to know him I saw some of his human flaws, but I also saw that he was not just doing this for us but he was out there doing it for others too.  Maynard passed away while I was here ministering with you last Feb. I couldn’t make the closing service for his life.  He remains one of the most import spiritual mentors in my life.  His acts of compassion and his nonjudgmental attitude towards others helped to change my life and brought me to the door step of pastoral ministry.  When you look back, who do you see, who supported you and gave encouragement that helped build your faith? 

It is always of great value to identify our spiritual companions, to see how they have faithfully instructed and influenced us. 

How many of you recall the actor Sidney Poitier.  When he first came to America his first job was as a houseboy for a hotel in Pennsylvania.  Only one person and older man at work took the time to help the young aspiring actor learn the customs, the common language, and the history of his new homeland.  In an interview many years later after becoming one of most celebrated actors of his day, he said he couldn’t remember the older man’s last name but there was something of that man in everything he did.  Every good act that comes out of your life has been shown to you by somebody.

Paul would have said the same accept he never forgot the name of the man who changed his life, it was Jesus and he told who ever would listen that he kept true to Jesus and his teachings.  A well-known preacher once concluded that no faith can be kept without obedience.  We were not called to become famous suggests Paul, we are called to be obedient to the word of God.  Trying to maintain obedience in your life is how You Can love God too.

In urging the followers of Jesus to be worthy, faithful servants, Paul is insisting that their labor should not be excessively casual or halfhearted.  Have you ever heard this saying   “If you go halfway with me and I go halfway with you and the world would be a better place.”  Sounds good doesn’t it?   As hard as I have looked to get conformation of that statement in scripture, it’s just not there.  God doesn’t want half of me, God wants all of me.  God has not called me to preach you a one half sermon, nor are we to discover only half of a truth, God wants us to have the full meal deal, with all the trimmings folks.   Paul is challenging the Thessalonians and us to a life worthy of God, to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Listen to these word in this song “Holy Spirit come”  

https://soundcloud.com/sim-rushtonuser-360084415/the-great-i-am-holy-spirit-come

As we prepare to approach the communion rail today, my prayer for you is that the Holy Spirit might come into your life, to show you that your acts of goodness and compassion for others have come from those who carry the light.  That we too might become a light for those who are looking.