WARD AVE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
  • Home
  • Church Information
  • Staff
  • Contact
  • News/Events
  • Pictures
  • Videos
  • Pastor's Blog

Making Noise

11/10/2021

0 Comments

 
DISCLAIMER: Before reading this, I just want people to know that I have nothing against anyone doing what they love to do.  I wrote this meant to be light-hearted fun.  God bless.

Is there any kind of rule about how loud you are allowed to be in a residential neighborhood?  Does anyone out there notice how loud gas powered bicycles are?  It sounds like a weedwhacker right up to my ears! Or do you know if there are quiet hours during certain times in residential areas?  Like dude, why do you such insane loud machines, and where are you ALWAYS going?  Can someone just buy these dudes a car so I don’t have to live with that noise all the time? 

This past Sunday we talked about Mark 12:38-44.  Trust me, this will all make sense… It is the story about the woman in the synagogue that gave her whole life as an offering to God.  You may know it better as the woman who gave two small copper coins in the cauldron.  The Greek clearly state she gave her whole life.  Not a percentage, not a portion, not any kind of monetary value… her whole life! 

This narrative is starting to be one of my favorites because I can do so much with this passage and that it can be understood in many ways which does not make it wrong.  It just depends on how the Spirit of God is reaching out to you when you encounter this passage.

But to think about this passage more, I realized something amazing.  Thanks to Rev. Scott Andrews from McVeytown Presbyterian Church to give me a different perspective on this story. 

Now the narrative does take place in a synagogue and near the entrance there is a cauldron that people put their offering in.  It is shaped in a way that you can hear all the coins going in.  And the wealthy give not to give to God but to get noticed, trying to make the loudest “noise” so that people just have to turn their heads to see who gave SO MUCH!  Everyone is giving out of their wealth and has the ego to boast about trying to do all they can to get noticed by people.

The woman quietly approaches this cauldron and pours all but two copper coins in the giant cauldron.  Probably, those coins made no noise at all.  And even though it didn’t get the attention of the people, it sure got Jesus’ attention.  Jesus stood up announced to His disciples and said she gave the most, that she gave her whole life!

It is incredible to think that we can try to make so much noise in our world to get attention, that God wouldn’t even turn His head.  But sometimes we can do things quietly and peacefully, God will take notice.  Again, in this story I don’t want to focus on money but want to focus on how we give our life to God.  Do we need to make the most noise for God to notice us?  No, not at all because well God already sees you.  What is it that God is asking for.  That is simply whatever you give, whatever you do in service, you give it your all, your whole life and heart into it.  You do this not to seek approval from other people but do it to make God smile. 

You don’t have to be the loudest, hardest worker, smartest, or most pious, you just have to understand two things.  First there is nothing you can do to get God’s approval, because that God has already approved you through giving His whole life for you out of His love.  And secondly, you do all things by merely focusing on what God wants, not what others want.  Be appreciative with all the things God has given you, and never take anything for granted so put your all, your whole life into it.

Now if someone can please tell the two people riding their incredibly loud gas powered bicycles to keep it down for once when passing through a neighborhood on Coleridge Ave that would be great.  Just tell them that God loves you and notices you without the loudest machine ever.  Thank you.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Hey this is Rev. Brian Choi's random thought throughout my week.  Most of this stuff, will probably be about family, church, fishing, music, movies, food, whatever I think of, hopefully it will have some sort of theological reflection (maybe).

    Archives

    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

We Would Love to Have You Visit Soon!


Hours

Office Hours: M, W, F: 10am - 2:30pm

Sunday School All Ages Every Sunday 9:00am
Worship: Sunday 10:00am

Telephone

814-942-6859

Email

[email protected]
  • Home
  • Church Information
  • Staff
  • Contact
  • News/Events
  • Pictures
  • Videos
  • Pastor's Blog