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| Frazer
UMC
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Kitten by the Side of the Road
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From Homecoming Sermon, May 31,
2009
Valley Hill United Methodist Church
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Fred Craddock tells the story of a family taking a leisurely drive down the highway on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Suddenly the kids started beating on the back of daddy’s seat.
“Stop daddy, stop! There’s a kitten by the side of the road!”
The father answered, “So, there’s kitten by the side of the road and we’re going for a Sunday drive.”
“But Daddy, you have to stop and pick it up!”
“I don’t have to stop and pick it up.”
“But Daddy, if you don’t it will die.”
“Well then, it will have to die. We don’t have room for another animal. We have a zoo already at the house. No more animals.”
“But Daddy, are you going to just let it die?”
“Be quiet children; we’re trying to have a pleasant drive.”
“We never thought our daddy would be so mean and cruel as to let a kitten die.”
Finally, the mother enters the discussion and turns to her husband and says, “Dear, you’ll just have to stop.” He turns around, returns to the spot and pulls off to the side of the road. “You kids stay in the car. I’ll see about it.”
He goes out to pick up the little kitten, who is just skin and bones, sore eyed, and full of fleas. When he reached down to pick it up, with its last bit of energy the kitten bristled and bared tooth and claw. Hiss! He picked it up by the loose skin of its neck and brought it over to the car and said, “Don’t touch it. It probably has leprosy.”
They took it back home. The kids gave the kitten several baths, about a gallon of warm milk, and asked, “Can we let it stay in the house, just tonight, Pleeeeeease?” Tomorrow we’ll fix it a place in the garage.”
"Sure," said Dad sarcastically, “take my bedroom. The whole house is already a zoo. “ So they fixed it a bed fit for Pharaoh.
Several weeks passed. Then one day dad walks in, he feels something rub against his leg, looks
down, and there is the cat. He looked around to see if anyone was watching and reached down toward the cat. When the cat saw his hand, it didn’t hiss, or bare its claws. Instead, it arched its back waiting for him to stroke it, which he did. Could this be the same cat? It couldn’t be the same frightened, hurt, hissing kitten by the side of the road. But it was---and you know as well as I, Fred said, what made the difference.
Dr. Craddock then said, “Not too long ago God reached out a hand to bless me and my family. When God did, I looked at that hand. It was covered with scratches. Such is the hand of God. It is the hand of love, and it is extended even to those left by the side of the road, even
those who are hurt and bitter.”
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The Shepherd's Job (Psalm 23)
From Rev. Seefeld's Sermon , July 7, 2008 |
1. Providence
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want..
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
2. Guidance
2b he leadeth me beside the still waters
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name’s sake.
3. Safety
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod
and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my
cup runneth over.
4. Assurance
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
5. Shelter
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD f or ever.
David may have composed these words sitting on some serene
hillside in Judea. Perhaps the grass was green and the
breeze was gentle and the sky was blue.
Perhaps, but the shepherd has known the perils of life,
the valley of the shadow of death, the presence of
enemies,
times of need;
And he found his answers to be in God, in faith, in trust of the almighty.
Gentle Shepherd Midi |
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 Quote
from John Ed Mathison, Senior Minister, Frazer Memorial United Methodist
Church, Montgomery, Alabama
Live churches have
lots of noisy youth and children.
Dead churches are relatively quiet.
Live churches
are planning for the future.
Dead churches focus on programs.
Live churches
present an unchanging Christ in forms of ministry that are changing.
Dead churches do things the way they have always
been done.
Live churches
are filled with tithers.
Dead churches are filled with tippers.
Live churches
are friendly and receptive to newcomers.
Dead churches wonder why they have no visitors.
Live churches
focus on "what is right with the church."
Dead churches look for what is wrong with the
church.
Live churches design
worship in which the worshipers are participants.
Dead churches have worshipers who are spectators.
Live churches
have worship that celebrates.
Dead churches have worship that is endured.
Live churches
support missions heavily.
Dead churches keep the money at home.
Live churches
dream God's dream.
Dead churches relive nightmares.
Live churches
focus on power.
Dead churches focus on problems.
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