On June 4th my sermon title is What Does a Bachelor Know About Marriage?

The title refers to the Apostle Paul, who was not especially keen on marriage, but had advice for those who might choose it. (1 Corinthians 7)

Of the “Other Ten Commandments,” this might be the most difficult of all of Paul’s mandates concerning the Christian life.

Because of contemporary society’s rapidly changing mores and ethical attitudes, marriage in the 21st Century may be undergoing one of the most radical transformations facing us today. I certainly anticipate this “Other Commandment” as being one of the most challenging for me to write–and deliver.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

Colossians 3:17.

Colossae was a once-important town near the cities, Laodicea and Hieropolis, in Asia Minor. Today, that area is part of Turkey. Paul never visited Colossae. He reserved his efforts for the largest places, intending to preach to the greatest number of people.

In the time of Paul, Colossae was a town chiefly known as a textile town. (Although Colossae is still unexcavated, the general area is still known for its textiles.) A man named Epaphras, who had previously heard Paul preach (probably in Ephesus), returned to his home in Colossae and started a church. After there arose problems in the church, brought on by traveling Christian preachers and representatives of pagan religions so common in the area, Epaphras traveled to find Paul.

Once he did find Paul (already imprisoned in Rome), he related to him the problems. Paul then wrote the letter we now know as Colossians. In that letter there is a section containing about 10 separate instructions for Christian living that I call, “The Other 10 Commandments.”

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

Colossians 3:16b

This Sunday’s sermon is the 7th in the series, “The Other 10 Commandments,” a portion of scripture in the 3rd chapter of Colossians, 3:16b.

The scripture says, “and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.”

The sermon is based on experiences in my life and a very dramatic experience in the late father of one of my friends when I was growing up.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

Proverbs 31:10-31

The message for this Sunday will be a sermon in honor of Mother’s Day. The title is “The Mother of All Methodists”.

For some, Mother’s Day is painful because of the death of one’s mother, or because of a really bad childhood. In the case of my mother, her birth mother died in the Flu Epidemic of 1918, 3 months after my mother was born. Her father eventually remarried; but his choice was unfortunate for my mother, and one of the lady’s own sons.

However, my mother always looked forward to Mother’s Day because she still had wonderful things to celebrate. I truly hope that this Mother’s Day will be a great day of celebration and remembrance.

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

Colossians 3:16.

This coming Sunday, I’ll be preaching the 5th in the series on “The Other Ten Commandments” as found in the 3rd Chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Church in Colossae. The sermon centers around the first phrase in the 16th verse of the 3rd chapter. The title of the sermon is, “This Old House.” The theme is letting Christ dwell in the shell of our bodies and souls.

By the way, did you when and how the verses in the New Testament came to be numbered? It happened in 1551 when a publisher and editor from Paris was riding a stagecoach home. To fill his time, he added numbers to the old Greek text. He did that so it would be easier to find particular verses. He then published the old Greek text–with numbers for the first time! (Chapters were added in the 4th Century, A.D.)

If we were to consider a Bible Study, these and other interesting, but little-known facts would be discussed.

I look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

By the time you read this, we will have returned to Tennessee. Right now, Anne and I are sitting on a terrace at our hillside hotel in Amalfi. Anne has to make iced tea by ordering hot tea and a lot of ice. In Germany and other parts of Europe, a “lot of ice” means two pieces; but here in Italy, they like ice! I’m having an “Americano coffee.”

We have met a lot of very nice people. In fact, we have experienced very little rudeness. Basically, the average person-even when I spent a month in Turkey studying archaeology-is just like us. They want a place to live, something filling to eat, and a happy peaceful life. We tend to forget that all of the trouble in the world is caused by a relatively small group of fanatics who are happy to make everyone unhappy, without regard for the benefit of anyone but themselves.

Happiness–and even laughter is a gift from God. You’ve heard more than once that the human body uses many more muscles to frown than it does to smile.

God really made us all the same. You have the power each day to either make someone happy or sad. Choose wisely. God expects you to.

Pastor Michael

Colossians 3:15

This Sunday April 30th the Fourth Sunday of Easter our sermon title is Kill the Ump! The scripture is Colossians 3:15.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

Colossians 3:12-14

Dear Friends,

The sermon for Sunday is ‘Fashion in the World of Faith.” It is about the 3rd Commandment in the “Other 10 Commandments.” The scripture is Colossians 3:12-14.

Sunday April 23, I will be in Italy. I’ll be preaching on April 30, the Sunday after I return.

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

Romans 8:31-39.

On April 9th Easter Sunday our sermon title A Meatloaf Message. The scripture is Romans 8:31-39.

It will be a traditional Easter message.

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

While running to the pharmacy and also picking up repaired glasses, I began to think about others: those who live in impoverished areas right here in our own community, those in areas of almost unprecedented flooding and devastating storms, and those in war-torn countries. What made me think of them was the fact that I was taking a leisurely ride to shops near me while others live amid houses most of us would not enter-or couldn’t enter because of destruction.

Some have told me in the past that it made them feel guilty to have many things while others have so little. Others have told me that they feel incredibly grateful and blessed to have what we have.

There is a third group that causes me as much trouble as the inequity of distribution of blessings. This is the group that neither feels empathy for those without, nor grateful for what you and I call blessings. In fact, this third group causes me even more concern than those who have little or nothing. It’s because they have the erroneous assumption that either they are entitled, or have gotten where they are by themselves.

In 1624, John Donne wrote a prose piece entitled, “Devotions on Emmergent Occassions.” The phrase, “no man is an island,” is a line from that work and has inspired a movie, a book, and several songs. One of my favorite versions is a recording by The Lettermen, a group I saw in person a couple of times when I was a youth. And, when I was in a men’s chorus in high school, we sang it. I suggest you Google it; but, please try to find either The Lettermen’s version, or that of the Victoria Chorale. Either is very moving.

Indeed, none of us is completely self-sufficient. Each of us owes something to someone, maybe unknown. In addition, through the last several millennia, it has been made more than apparent that any nation that thinks it can be totally self-sufficient is doomed to all. Each week, we have an opportunity to remember in worship where all of our blessings originate.
Put God at the top of the list and join us in worship each Sunday.

Michael O’Bannon, Pastor